Hardcore: To Be or Not To Be Cheap?

I've got a moral of the story moment for you all today.

While dining out with some friends recently the conversation turned to clothes, (all too typical) but rather than head down the tried and true road of gush and bash our coversation took an even more interesting turn. As if at a midnight sleepover we all began to share what our real fashion fears were.

Of course there were the more understandable ones .

'I fear my favorite pair of jeans makes me look inexcussably fat and I don't know it'

Or the amusing ones.

'I fear deep down I'm only one sweatsuit set away from being an Aeropostal whore'

But one confession came up that sparked my curiousity, perhaps you've heard this one before.

'I love a bargain, but I fear telling people some of the stores I shop for fear I'll lose my fashion cred'

Cue my somewhat stunned look.

At the time I was quick to comfort and laugh 'Unless you're stealing from the Church Donation Box then of course we'll all still respect you' - but this topic stayed on my mind.

Have I been guilty of this? Oh yes. While proud to admit to a bargain from somewhat more obscure and acceptable stores I at times bit my tongue when even my mental image of the store I'd purchased from was cheap and somewhat tacky.

Have I ever judged anyone else for this? I don't think so, but that might have just been out of secret solidarity for my own fashion guilt.

Countless magazines are guilty of this as well. I don't know about you but when I see a section labeled ' Mixing High and Low End!' I don't want the low end piece to be in the lower 80's. That rather defeats the whole 'on a budget' aspect.

But I'm done with my days of fashion judgement (oh however would this blog survive if I meant that). Ultimately it's about honesty. We're in a recession as depressing and unfashionlike as it is to admit that, and while we all have our own definition of what an acceptable cheapie store is (Charlotte Russe Forever 21 or Wet Seal) there are those red-headed step children folks like to deny and put down (Walmart, K-Mart, Payless).

Whatever your personal reason is for not liking a certain store don't apply it to another individual. Everyone's income (and the amount they're willing to spend on clothes) is different. Most of us care more about how we look than our labels (atleast we should by now, right?)

In the end it's easy to judge and all too easy to come up with reasons. If your reason's valid no need to totally ditch it, but no need for fashion snobbery. To support my friend recall once one visit I took to some unnammed website that was hosting a discussion about Walmart clothes, the air of SUPERIORITY that was wafting off some of the posts was too much. One poster even going so far as to see 'Well let's face it, the prices are so low because people who shop here don't really care what they look like'

Say what?

High school's over and the cheerleading table ( go with the imagery) isn't the oh so coveted spot it used to be. Everyone wants to look cute and we're all achieving that in different ways.

In the spirit of full fashion disclosure I'm going to reveal what picks I have recently fallen in love with from one red-headed step-child Kmart.

Jaclyn Smith Women's Textured Shell Top

Jaclyn Smith Women's Short Sleeve Textured Shell Tee

I'm planning on pairing one of those with one of these. So cute