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| $65 Linen T-Shirt by Calypso St. Barth |
I need to address something mindboggling I came across while
waiting in a doctor’s office. Have you ever seen this magazine Real Simple? I
find the magazine to be a bit of a joke… Its main premise seems to be to
suggest all kinds of crap you can buy to “simplify” your life. I don’t know
about you, but my thoughts on simplicity generally involve buying less and
throwing out as much stuff as possible. The magazine is clearly geared towards
middle-aged women so they include a rather pathetic attempt at a fashion
segment.
A matrix of
sweet little t-shirts was staring me in the face. At first glance, I didn’t see
anything offensive. Then, like evil crickets, the prices of these t-shirts
started jumping out at my face, one after another, $30, $46, $58, $65, $73,
NINETY FIVE FLIPPIN’ DOLLARS. Hold – the – phone.
As a
fashion lover, art lover, mod furniture lover, I am used to seeing outrageous
price tags attached to things I would like to own. That alone is not enough to
send me to the moon. What made it possible for me to go and have lunch with
“Curiosity” on the red planet was the blurb I read when I turned the page,
which actually rationalized paying $65 for a t-shirt. They would have you
believe that paying more for a t-shirt actually gets you a better quality
t-shirt. A t-shirt is a t-shirt is a t-shirt. I am a shopper’s (retailer’s)
best friend and can rationalize the purchase of just about anything ($695 black
sequin stilettos as concert attire shoes for a musician, $160 jeans – because
they make your butt look much better than the cheap ones, $26 nail polish), but there is absolutely no
circumstance when paying $65 for a t-shirt is rational. The time when I bought
a magazine subscription for $75 from a toothless man who showed up on my
doorstep was less crazy.
T-shirts
that were made in Europe or the US will cost more, yes. The magazine was right
about that. They are still made with machines, however. Little European
grandmothers are not hand-stitching the hems on these garments. Very few brands
actually manufacture their t-shirts in the US or Europe. Lots of high end
designers still have their product made in China – Vince, Kate Spade, Joie to
name a few. So, they are laughing with your money all the way to the bank. Imagine
the markups. Anthropologie is another one with ridiculous markups on Asian
craftsmanship, and their t-shirts are definitely not always the greatest
quality.
So they’re
not hand-stitched, they’re made in China. Are the fabrics really better if you
pay more? No. This article says they are, but I beg to differ. I’m just
speaking based on personal experience, but the t-shirts I’ve had that have
stayed nice the longest have been the ones I’ve bought off the clearance racks
at the Gap outlet for $4. They’re soft, they’re not too thick, but they’re not
tissue thin. Tissue tees are comfortable, but they don’t hold up very well.
They tend to end up with holes in them, sort of like their namesake. The
article claims that silk and linen would raise the price, but I don’t know that
I would call something a t-shirt if it were made out of silk! Wouldn’t it then
be a blouse?! And RAYON. Rayon’s great, if
you own stock in a drycleaner. What a magical combination – a $65 rayon
t-shirt that you have to pay $12 to have dry-cleaned.
T-shirts
are a year round staple. You can sleep in them, layer them, wear them with
jeans, wear them with shorts, spill food on them, wipe your hands on them, hang
out with little kids in them… They are an everyday piece that’s going to need
washed a lot. I won’t pay more than $10 for mine. I splurged on one a few
months ago… $15. It had a bird printed on the front. I will not judge you if
you choose to spend $65 on a t-shirt if you really like it. We all make
ridiculous purchases now and again. Just don’t think for a minute that what you
have done is rational in ANY way.
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