It was a sad day in fashion on April 27, 2012. Betsey Johnson LLC has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.  According to Woman’s Wear Daily,  Betsey Johnson will be closing her boutiques (except for some key flagship stores) and laying off over 350 employees. After reading the article, my mind started to wonder about the future of some high-end retailers.  I decided to use this post to explain why  I believe Betsey Johnson is only the first of  many high-end retailers set to fall like dominoes due to this economy and the new age of smart consumers.

First off, who doesn’t love Betsey Johnson right? I’m an eclectic dresser myself, so her collection brought a great element of fun and flirtatiousness to my wardrobe. When my budget would permit it, I’d splurge on a pair of shoes, or even a dress. I mean sure $250 to $350 for a sweater might be peanuts to some, but to many… It’s a bit much. That’s why I think Betsey had to file bankruptcy. It’s just not enough “ballers” in her target market anymore. I always go by the saying quality over quantity. I consider Betsey Johnson a great investment in style, but quality? I just don’t know. Why you ask? Well, if you check the labels on her clothes, a lot of it was made in China, just like Forever21, Love Culture, and Know Style, which is NOT considered “high-end”. You can also find Betsy Johnson in your local Ross stores or Macy’s. People have become more budget savvy. With the internet at their disposal, the consumer with an average income saves time, energy, and money.  This economy is hitting these high priced boutiques hard! In fashion there are so many affordable options. It’s no wonder why high-end retailers are struggling to keep up. Companies like Kenneth Cole, Liz Claiborne, and Talbots, have recently experienced deep declines in their first quarter sales. (See it here)  Who knows? Maybe they could be next! It’s time for their marketing executives to start creating campaigns that can serve up a large piece of humble pie! The fashion industry can be so egotistical sometimes.

I believe marketing without humbleness is the culprit. They don’t let their target market KNOW what’s going on before it gets bad. What could it hurt? This may come as a shock, but shoppers do respect honesty! Letting us know when they’re in trouble might just dig them out of the financial hole they’re in. I’m sure there are loyal consumers who don’t want to see their favorite brands disappear or get watered down. If these companies create a marketing strategy asking consumers to …help them, who knows what that can do? There have been many retailers that have seen declines in profits over the years. It’s scary that some of our most popular high-end brands will be going the way of the Dodo bird if they don’t start appeasing to the demand of the smart consumer. I believe that they can still maintain their brands integrity while providing consumers with cheaper alternatives in style. Some companies like Zac Posen and countless others have done collaborations with stores like Target and H&M. What I think they should do is come up with better promotions and close one or two stores until this economy picks up. I’ve noticed a lot of stores opening up in China, and rightly so. Women of Asian cultural background tend to stay at home longer, so they have a bigger disposable income. What I would do is invest in countries with a bigger population and money to play with. I’m not sure about other parts of the world, but that’s up to them to do research. I can’t do all the work for them ;) For now, lets just focus on the positive. Retail, and the economy WILL bounce back…Right?

Let me know what you think by commenting below.

Street Fashion has some of the most unique styling concepts ever seen! Street Fashion or as I like to call it, “Free Fashion”, is something I truly admire.  It’s unique to the person wearing it and that’s what I love the most. It’s like a work of art in a museum; it’s there to look at, not replicate. Street Fashion should be admired not copied. There’s a fine line between being “inspired” and being a downright copycat. It’s the way you look at things really. Some think it’s flattering, while others think it’s unoriginal. You rarely find copy cats in street style. That’s because of 3 things; the person, product, and the exposure.

The person directly contributes to the essence of fashion. Let’s be real, some street fashion is only suitable for the person wearing it. There background, history, lifestyle, or just anything can be attributed to someone’s personal style.  One might even call it “personality style”. Usually street style fashion is worn by creative individuals or eclectic people. All I’m saying is being true to your personality is a key part of looking unique. True style starts from the inside then out, remember that!

The clothing should really stand out. Now, one thing I notice frequently is the unique items worn in street fashion. The clothes are usually one of a kind or high quality designer wear. Truly unique fashion starts in a thrift store, or Neiman Marcus. I chose Neiman’s because that’s the common spot for luxury wear, but Saks Fifth Avenues or any other high end retailer should do. Boutiques are great too; you’ll definitely find one of kind goodies. I’ve seen street fashion in which they combine both. If your entire wardrobe comes from the mall ya might not be able to create a unique non replicated look. I’m not saying street style can’t be purchased in the mall, but I’m just saying mass produced items tend to get replicated looks. Honestly, true street fashion is best when it’s as unique as possible.

And finally, the exposure! How else can the world see the fabulous world of street fashion without photographers hitting the pavement hard during events like Fashion Weeks, Trade Shows, etc? Of course street fashion is everywhere all year round, but the fashion events are the best times to see bloggers flock together from far and wide.  They’re a photographers dream come true. They snap photographs of them right before they attend ceremonies, shows, and even photo shoots.

Street fashion is always exciting and ever changing. You just never know what you’ll see, at the park, downtown, on the streets, or where ever.  They’re like Faberge eggs or Pokémon gotta collect them all.

We often wonder how people who are truly fashionable manage to dress so effortlessly. As for who you consider fashionable, that’s completely subjective. Whatever your taste level, something collectively sparks in each of us that makes us think,” Wow that looks great”. Stylish people don’t dress for praise. They just happen to get noticed for expressing themselves, which for them comes naturally. But how does style come naturally to them? If you admire someone’s personal style think to yourself “why is that”? Is it really what they’re wearing? Honestly can you picture yourself wearing that outfit on your body? I can truthfully say that almost 50% of the fashion I’ve seen and absolutely loved, I would never wear. I’m not saying that if you admire someone’s style, you should want to wear it yourself, that’s not necessarily true. What I’m saying is that the hidden truth of why you might like it is that you actually admire the person. You might admire the freeness of the individual, to wear whatever he/she wants without conforming to any “fashion rule”.

When you seek to develop your personal style, the first thing you have to do is start from the inside out. Never look outward, because that can drastically sway your TRUE views of what fashion is. Close your minds to the outside fashion world meaning don’t flip through the magazines until you develop an eye for YOUR own personal style. There are social pressures that create misguided views of what’s acceptable in fashion. Understanding yourself is more difficult than you think. It can shock you in many ways. The movies you like, the books you’ve read, and even your extracurricular activities, can heavily dictate your fashion sense.

As an admirer of Street Fashion, I’m fascinated by the overwhelming talent I’ve seen online and even in my own city. It’s my passion for street style that has given me the motivation to research and seek understanding the who, what, where, when and why of it all. Now and then I will share with you my thoughts on street style. The focus of my site is Street Fashion/Style, but my interest accompanying it will be Organic Living. I believe they both go hand and hand. Street Fashion is paving the way for new fashion icons of the world and I see green living getting more and more popular as the days go.

Simply put, I’m always eager to hear from you. Your comments and thoughts greatly impact the material of my site. It’s important for you to express your opinion, so please never hesitate to leave your feedback.   I’ll be setting up my news letter soon. Until then, feel free to follow me on bloglovin’ and like my facebook page ;)

O.k?

Take Care.