I'm so bored with the notion of Ugly Sweater Parties. Last year I made a fun Ugly Hannukah Sweater — and it was one of those things that I wore once for a photoshoot and that was about it. I think what drove me to the edge with this things is that this year there's an Ugly Sweater Pop Up across the street from my favorite coffee shop. How hip. How... ugh. (Bah humbug?)
I spent many holiday seasons folding Urban Renewal sweaters at UO — so, okay, the puffy paint cats and fluffy snowman zip-up cardigans are funny in their own right. But just overdone. This one, on the other hand, I found super last-minute during Xmas of 2012. Grey Antics by Grey Ant holiday sweater. It's cheeky enough to be an ugly sweater without fear of jingle bells falling off on the train — and I'll be damned if the Xmas red/green combo doesn't flatter me anyway.
I posted about this coat on the Holiday Market 2 post earlier this week. In that instance, the romper and coat were both sent to me by 6KS. Well, these pants are also from there. I was really bummed when I opened the package and these had a huge hole in them. Luckily it was on a seam, so I sewed them up and they're good to go.
What's curious about all of these things sent to me are the labels — Zara and ASOS already sewn in, but are selling for far less on their website. Many people are aware of markups on things and how many companies buy directly from Chinese vendors and just slap their own labels on them — Akira, UO, Forever 21, etc. A lot of places do it, so I'm not faulting them for it (and sometimes it's even where companies can get blamed for "stealing a design" when in fact it was a Chinese retailer who bumped the idea and resold it, unbeknownst to company buyers. It sucks, but it's true.). Does anyone know if that's the case with this type of site? It would totally make sense and fall in line with all of the complaints of some retailers having poor-quality fabrics for far too high of a price tag. While these pants are something I really like (and I really dig Zara's aesthetic), if I saw these in-store and felt the fabric, I wouldn't be willing to shell out $70 at Zara (They're listed for only $24 on 6KS), — so I'm willing to wait a month and get them from the Chinese retailer instead. What are your thoughts or experiences with this? Or is my wallet-centric thought process just as harmful as buying from the big US chains, considering that retailers abroad are also notorious for ripping stuff off?
How are you guys coming along on holiday gifts? I'm finishing up the last of mine — and patiently waiting for the very last piece to come in the mail! Obviously I can't share just yet what I'm making for part of Brock's gift, but it's pretty radical and adorable. So stay tuned for that. It's a year-round awesome thing, so I'll be sharing it a bit later.
Wool Double Breasted Coat>, c/o 6KS [similar vintage]
Red Beanie, Uniqulo [similar]
Men's Double Cable Knit Eternity Scarf, UO Surplus
Denim button up, Thrifted [similar]
Silver collar, UO Surplus [similar]
Holiday Headline Sweater, Grey Ant by Grey Antics [similar]
Houndstooth Trousers, c/o 6KS [similar]
Shoe Cult Siren Pump, NastyGal
Time Teller Watch in white acetate, Nixon
Photos by Brock Myres
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