The Horror: That Doesn't Go Together

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Fashion editorials often feature outlandish, eye-searing combinations. I don't mind that so much because fashion magazines -- with all their airbrushing, couture, and $300 "deals" -- are fluff fantasy anyway. But it's leaking into stores.

Styling for stores and products, I thought, was supposed to help sell the product. Some stores, mostly those marketed to teens, have taken to a style I think of as closet vomit. Cheetah ruffle mini, graphic retro tee, fringe vest, striped socks, heavy boots, hair feathers, 26 necklaces, fake glasses, bright lips. Why edit when you can wear it all?

The Mod Cloth image left is less egregious than some, but the girl in purple doesn't work. The lipstick, the dress, the necklace all belong to different outfits.

I have no words to describe the styling for the stupidly expensive scarf below. How did they know that's what I'm wearing right now? Teddy, knee socks and scarf are perfect for all occasions.Does store styling ever inspire you to buy or repulse you from buying an item?

Comments

Fanya said…
Yes they have, but the styling I like are usually from >$100 item stores. I save the image or make mental note, figure out what similar item I have and what I don't.

I then put stuff I don't have on a wishlist, rank them, and keep an eye on cheaper retailer that are likely to stock them and have sales, then pick them off the list as I get my paychecks.

The only "I saw, I bought" was a sunny yellow pea coat from Ann Taylor, but most of my buys are systematic.
September 7, 2011 at 9:21 AM
Jael Paris said…
American Apparel! (I can't believe I didn't think of them when writing the post.) Their styling is so exploitative-porny-Terry-Richardson that I won't even use their products in my sets on Polyvore.

On the other end of the spectrum, Ann Taylor sucks me right in with their window displays.
September 7, 2011 at 8:24 PM
Nikell (Modesty Fashions from Polyvore) said…
When I worked in retail, my thing was visual merchandising. We'd get the floor plan and it would be horrid. The store I work for at the time was Canadian based. Being American, I'd just assume their style was different. To remedy this, I'd tweak their looks to fit our customer's taste.

When I see stores today, I try to look past the bad styling and pick the pieces that I like. So, the individual pieces that make an outfit inspire me more than the entire picture.
September 8, 2011 at 12:39 PM
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