Not a complete fashion snob.

Summer is coming to Toronto (fingers crossed), so it’s time to break out the summer clothes again.

• dress from The Embellished Room ($30!)
• J. Crew Jackie’s cardigan
• Sue London ballet flats
• Matsu necklace (birthday gift from sister)

Everyone who knows me knows I have expensive tastes.  (And my wallet and credit card statement will tell you the same thing.)  I don’t buy “disposable” clothing.  I also don’t buy designer, but I stick to the higher-end “high street” shops, like anthropologie, club monaco, Banana Republic, J. Crew, etc. 

I justify my spending habits by arguing that disposable clothing is more expensive in the long run because of the poor quality (it falls apart too quickly, which means you buy more to replace it), it’s bad for the environment (falls apart, goes into landfill), it perpetuates a consumer culture of more more more all the time, and the people who make the cheap clothes probably don’t make a living wage.

I’m well aware that there’s more than a little bit of snobbery in how I think and spend, and I know I’m being hypocritical.  The people who make anthropologie or Banana Republic clothing might not make a living wage either.  And just because it’s more expensive doesn’t mean it’s good quality, or “better”. 

This dress I bought at The Embellished Room in Toronto two years ago.  It was displayed in the window and the teal and brown print immediately caught my eye.  Sure, it’s 100% polyester, but it feels like jersey (albeit a cheap version).  And at $29.99 (pre-tax), it’s probably the cheapest dress I’ve bought in a long time.  Every now and then, I like to prove that I’m not a complete clothing snob.