For Seller

By: John-Paul Miller

Americans buy too much stuff, and the stuff we buy is too cheap.
This tendency has a dramatic impact on the American lifestyle and culture. It’s the American "fast food mentality." There is little aesthetic component to the American assessment of quality. It’s as if our collective aesthetic sense has atrophied from disuse.

In terms of fashion, American shoppers have voracious appetites. Buying and buying and buying. Unfortunately, we’re usually buying the cheapest things possible. Rather than asking ourselves which one looks better, our first question is usually: Which one is cheaper? The unfortunate consequence is that when we then wear those cheap clothes"¦. we look"¦ you guessed it: cheap.

Consider this: Rather than buying 5 cheap pairs of jeans, buy one expensive (and fabulous and therefore presumably worth it) pair and wear them more often.

To wear those great jeans more often, you start to think about how to mix it up and keep it looking new using different shoes, tops, accessories"¦ and in the process, develop your own sense of style and set yourself apart.

Now take that same idea and extend it to other areas of your wardrobe. For men, your suits. For women, your dresses. You overcoats and shirts. Your accessories.

As you develop your taste for what makes expensive clothes look expensive, you will start learning how mix expensive and cheap effectively. A nice blazer with plain jeans for example. Or simple T Shirt and jeans with an elegant belt, watch, and loafers. Or for women, a simple dress with a colorful scarf and killer shoes and bag.

Is cheap ever fashionable? Not very often.

The goal is not to buy expensive clothes. The goal is to buy expensive looking clothes. Sometimes, expensive clothes are very expensive, yet very well worth it. Sometimes, expensive clothes look cheap or plain, and may not be worth the price. Sometimes, cheap clothes look expensive, especially when worn well with other expensive items. By developing your taste, your eye, your sense of cost and true value, you can move from a closet crammed full of cheap clothes, to a closet with fewer items, but each one able to make you look your best.

John-Paul Miller draws from a diverse background a multiple disciplines to present an informed point of view on our culture and the world around us. He can frequently be spotted around the Fashion district in New York, and also discussing Fashion, Design, Style, and Culture at: Fashion! Style! Trend