You see her every day, – walking past Dallas Hall, sitting next to you in class, dancing at the bar, hanging out at the fraternity house. She’s covered head-to-toe in different monograms, brands, logos and symbols. You get dizzy just looking at her because ofthe mixture of patterns and letters. You wonder if she needs help with the alphabet because she adorns herself with L’s, V’s, D’s, G’s and C’s.
She’s a label whore. The girl who has to walk in Tory Birch ballet flats, carry a Chanel duffle bag (adorned with an Hermès scarf) for two classes, wrap herself in a plaid Burberry trench coat and top it all off with some huge Dior sunglasses-all at the same time.
I’ll admit that I enjoy designer accessories just as much as the next sorority girl, but when it comes to wearing it, I like to be tasteful and keep it to one or two print logos at a time.
Too many girls drown themselves in multiple in-your-face monograms all in the same outfit and they look like Rodeo Drive threw up all over them. Enough is enough ladies.
I think we’ve got a serious identity issue going on at SMU. We can’t even step outside without carrying a designer bag. You might as well not exist if you don’t have a Louis Vuitton Speedy!
We are all becoming too jaded-defining ourselves by our designer labels. Some of you have gotten to the point that you feel more important when you’re decked out in something expensive. Are you really that insecure?
SMU is becoming a disgusting show where girls try and outdo each other by wearing the most labels at once. Wearing it all together only means that you’re trying too hard to prove a point. What that point is, I’m not sure.
If this is all that we care about, then we’re doomed. No, the world is doomed. Too many of you have gotten caught up in this designer whirlwind, and you have lost the value of money.
I was floored when I saw a girl wearing a pair of Christian Louboutin’s to Homebar. Seriously, are you that desperate that you have to wear $800 heels to a dirty bar made out of wooden planks? Save them for Candle Room. At least the shallow crowd will appreciate it.
We look up to Us Weekly, People Magazine and InTouch as if they were the Bible. The media convince us to worship celebrities and covet luxury labels. By giving in to every one of these superfluous trends, we are only becoming more susceptible targets and buying into the scam. Not even our false gods Lindsay, Paris or Nicole wear six different monogram labels at a time. Now come on girls, if Paris isn’t doing it, then neither should you!
It’s perfectly fine to own nice things, but not solely for the superficial reason of showing off your unlimited budget or how much money your daddy makes. Own them because they are beautiful. Own them because you spent a summer working for them. Own them because they remind you of a special trip to Italy.
We get caught up in buying things solely because of the label. Would you really think that brown and Dijon yellow are attractive if you didn’t know what they symbolized? Surely you wouldn’t buy a bag that looked the same, but with X’s and O’s instead of L’s and V’s.
If you must stick to a designer wardrobe, skip the monogram prints and opt for solid accessories once in a while.
Having style doesn’t mean wearing the matching Gucci monogram shoes, belt and purse. When you purchase the entire ensemble you tell nothing of your fashion sense, except that you have none. Make your outfit original and fresh by mixing different types of clothes and accessories in various price ranges and brands. Don’t exploit the major fashion houses.
Maybe some of you don’t know any better. Well, take a look around outside SMU and Highland Park and you will find that the designer-print world you live in is not real. Not even a little.
Now go practice the alphabet-one letter at a time!
About the writer:
Annalise Ghiz is a senior journalism major. She can be reached at [email protected].
