The Fashion Snob's Dilemma

I'm a snob. I freely admit it.

This is not a new phenomenon. Ask my mom -- I have ALWAYS been a snob. I'm a snob about just about everything. I refuse to eat fast food. I have never watched "America's Got Talent." Don't even get me started on my beer & bourbon prejudices...

And yes, I am a snob about fashion. Quelle surprise.

There are certain labels I cruise past without a second look in a store because I just do not want to support them, or worse yet, be forced to admit I'm wearing them if someone asks, no matter how attractive the item in question. (And no, I don't think I could get away with, "I do not recall." That may work for certain high governmental officials, but none of Style Spy's friends would buy it. They know I can recite the label, place of purchase, and cost -- the Fashionista's equivalent of name, rank, and serial number -- of every single garment I own. With the fiber content thrown in for good measure.)

One of those labels, like it or not, is "Jessica Simpson." There's a multitude of reasons for this, not least being I really don't love celebrity "designer" labels when I know full well said celebrity has nothing to do with the actual design. So typically I just swan past the Jessica Simpson shoes that are usually simply variations on knock-offs of Louboutins, anyway. But today I bumped into this:

(click for link)

while looking at coats on the internets. (Yes, it's 90+ degrees here and I'm looking at coats, but that's a discussion for another day.)

What a pretty coat that is. It's so feminine and vaguely retro with that nice big collar and the nipped-in waist leading to a lovely swingy a-line.

Nice trapunto detailing on the belt, and even the buckle is attractive. The fabric is a wool-poly-cashmere blend (only 10% cashmere, but still, every little bit helps). I've never seen a Jessica Simpson coat up close to know what kind of quality we're talking about, but the thing is on sale for $160, which is awfully reasonable for a winter coat. I have a bit of a quibble about the sizing, which ranges from XS to XL. I do not believe tailored clothing should be sized S-M-L, I think it should be numerically sized (8-10-12). S-M-L is for sweaters and athletic clothes. But it's more expensive to create garments in specific sizes, so many companies these days are copping out and taking the cheap & easy route. (And given the WILD disparity in numerical sizing among clothing labels these days, numbers are of increasingly limited usefulness themselves, aren't they? I mean, do we really think a Gap 8 is the same as a Theory 8 is the same as a Carolina Herrera 8? Ummm, no. But again, discussion for another day.)

So. The Fashion Snob's Dilemma: what is a Fashionista to do when she encounters the lovely item from the label she disapproves of? Does she swallow her Fashionista pride? Or does she cling steadfastly to her sartorial principals? What say you?

In the interest of full disclosure, the above coat is not actually on the menu for Style Spy, who is still quite deliriously happy with the winter coat she bought last year:

(It's so soft that you can actually see the softness, can't you? Sometimes I just crawl into the closet and stroke it. Which is not weird at all.)

Which coat is a gorgeous, gorgeous butter-soft camel Italian wool full-length single-button wrap number from Adrienne Vittadini. (It went to Paris in February and kept me soooooo warm, not to mention flaring out at the bottom in a hopelessly chic way as I strode across the Pont Neuf.) Living where I do, I'm not called upon to wear a winter coat all that often and once I buy one, it's good for several years. But I love coats and like looking at them and since others in the world need coats, it's my responsibility to do the research!

So: thoughts on the Fashion Snob's Dilemma? How do you handle it? Are there any labels you absolutely refuse to wear, and why? Style Spy wants to know!

Photos: Overstock.com, Style Spy