Friday, July 22, 2011

Why I Don't Understand Topshop

Well, there are many reasons, of course.  But here's an illustration:

I've eyed this dress at Target for a while, but was put off by the exposed zipper - which just looks like a great big black scar up the back of the dress.  Boo.  

Mossimo Pleated Zip-Back Dress

It's knit and costs only $25.  Definitely the verstile, colorful piece that's such a great find from Target.  

Just yesterday, while I was in Topshop on Oxford street (don't even get me started on that particular shop), looking for something specific and ultimately being disappointed, I saw the exact same dress. 

And, lo and behold, it showed up again on Shopstyle's main page today:

Topshop Tuck Shift Dress

It's 100% polyester.  And costs $95.  Seriously.

And I'm not kidding about it being exactly the same (well, except in fabric).  It's even got the black exposed zipper up the back.  

At those sorts of prices, I expect a bit more.  I don't even pay those prices for items from Anthropologie (sales, baby!), which are much, much better quality and made from better materials.

When I was perusing the racks and trying things on in store, I found one pair of trousers that had the pocket on one side accidently sewn into the front pleats, entirely ruining the line of the leg.  I nearly tried on a chiffon dress (polyester chiffon, mind you) that had had the lining entirely ripped out of at least two dresses on the rack.  And the linings were just hanging there, alongside the dresses, as though you were supposed to purchase it in that condition.  Who has such little respect for themselves as a customer to do that?  

Look - I understand that Topshop is the store for one kind of fashion aesthetic, which is largely not one that I share.  But in describing it to Jas, all I could come up with was 'it's like Forever21, but at the prices of Banana Republic.' 

So...I'm just wondering.  Does that strike anyone as unfair?  


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