The way I look at it, you can’t get nothing good for cheap, whether we’re talking material goods or services. The best possible example I could give you are shoes. What are the four main criteria when buying a pair of that every day necessity?
The first thing that catches your eye is the model itself. The way it looks in general, the silhouette and the shape with all of the little details combined. Need I even say that the higher the price, the better the design. Most of us are familiar with the names of designers like Karl Lagerfeld and Marc Jacobs, which stand behind the two most powerful fashion empires of our time. On the other hand, the million dollar question is: Name one designer that works for Strawberry? Huh?!? Exactly my point! If they were more creative and artistic they would probably be the ones working for Chanel and not Karl. U pay extra for the innovation, the creation, that little something that takes your breath away. You are buying the emotion and the feeling that absorbs you the minute you see that perfect pair of pumps.
The second thing is the feel. The quality of the material. The sensation it gives you once you touch that fine and almost silky leather. There is a huge difference between a pair of Lanvin ballerinas and the ones from Zara. Off course you expect the highest quality for the price of 400 euros. That’s why I feel offended when most people stare at me in shock once I reveal the price of the shoes. They always say that I am not normal on the account of paying so much for a pair of flats. The last straw is when they say that I could have bought the same one’s in Zara for 50 euros or less. Come on, are u kidding me?!? Are your senses not working? How can you even compare the two? Even better, sometimes it happens that even Zara is too expensive for them, and that you could find great shoes for under 20 euros. Who needs real leather, PVC is just fine. Sure, that is the material land chairs are made off, and during higher temperatures your feet sweat and stink like a pig in them, but hey, they are affordable!
That’s another thing, I hate when people use the word affordable! Some women are famous for their “money saving act”. They only buy shoes that are under 40 euros, but then they buy the same model in 10 colors! 40 * 10 = 1 pair of Lanvin ballerinas! Are you really gonna wear all those colors? Wouldn’t it be better just to buy one pair in black or beige that goes with everything? Is it crucial that you have a pair of lime green shoes in the closet? Is it?!
Lets get back on track. Stitching is one of the most important things in fashion. How is the product put together? Is everything perfect, or are there threads sticking out? That just makes me sad, when I come home with a product, and there are spare parts sticking out of it. I might be insane, and sane people would say to this: Can’t you just pull the thread out, or burn it with a lighter? And I would reply: If there is a screw sticking out of your new laptop or a coffee table, are you just gonna pull it out? They just put it there merely for decoration, it’s probably not necessary? I don’t think so. Well the same goes for my pair of sandals. If I pull that little thread connecting the strap to the sole, I might be the one getting down on the dance floor, doing the worm. That is also one of the things that never happen to a high brand product. Because it mustn’t! You, as a customer paid good money, and in return you expect it to be perfect. Absolutely flawless!!
The last criterion is the experience. I don’t know about you, but shopping makes me feel all bubbly inside. Never was able to understand people who look at it as an obligation. I just feel sorry for them, when I see their frustrated faces in the store. Maybe that’s because they never tried luxury shopping. With luxury products comes luxury experience. You’re greeted into the store by a smiling and satisfied salesman(not to mention well kept and smelling great). He is there to fulfill your every need. He bring you fifty shoe pairs (if necessary), places the shoe on your foot 100 times, and even better, he doesn’t expect of you to buy anything if you are not completely satisfied. And the scenery, well those stores know how to lure and keep you nesting inside. Beautiful large spaces, whit shelves and racks widely separated, give you the “one step away from Zen” moment. Once they bring out the strawberries and champagne, you’re officially in heaven! That is the complete shopping experience, opposed to the crowded bazaar feeling of a store like, for example; New Yorker. Every time I step foot into that place I get an anxious feeling… it kind of sucks all the energy out. Oceans of packed racks with cheap material clothes, just thrown onto those pathetic skinny hangers, are literary over cluttering the space. Shoes that are clasped one to another, hanging form a rods like criminals….just look sad and pathetic. It makes me feel bad for the poor things. No shoe should ever be forced to hang of a rack like that!
Do you get my point now, or am I still a snob?
What have we learned today? The four shopping criteria are: Design, Material, Stitching and Experience. We could even shorten it and put it in an acronym that you could easily remember: M.E.D.S. Once we’re on this mind mapping road let’s put it in a sentence:
What are my shopping M.E.D.S.?
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