Let’s face it — after college, whether we’re ready or not, we’re expected to start an adult career.
And unless your field of choice involves a uniform, you’re going to need a career wardrobe as well.
Some college students begin creating this wardrobe midway through school. It may be because they’re involved with an internship or job shadowing. It also may be because they’re starting to go to job fairs and job interviews. Whatever the reason may be, the “adult wardrobe fund” begins and slowly but surely, tailored slacks and button-up blouses start to appear in apartment closets.
Before this point, most students buy their clothing from cheap, fast-fashion stores like Forever21 and H&M. However, with a more grown-up wardrobe, it’s recommended to spend a little more on your items.
Remember — you get what you pay for.
With that being said, there’s still a line between spending money and splurging.
The clothing we find in department stores and boutiques is called ready-to-wear, normally created quickly in factories, made in a range of standard sizes and requires little to no alteration.
Ready-to-wear is in no way one-of-a-kind, but the designer or design house can decide how mass produced the clothing becomes. An example is a designer placing his or her clothing in multiple department stores or just a few boutiques in a select area of the country.
According to Examiner’s article “Runway 101: What is the difference between Ready-to-Wear and Couture,” ready-to-wear is quicker to produce and more profitable because of its production style and larger distribution. Examiner says ready-to-wear also is usually more practical for daily wear as opposed to couture on the runway.
Couture clothing is normally made-to-order for a customer’s specific measurements.
Couture clothing also is normally made with higher attention to detail and more expensive fabrics and embellishments. Examiner said this drives up the price of clothing. A customer can ask for an item from a couture designer’s collection or for a one-of-a-kind piece.
Along with the high price tag, not every designer can call themselves couture.
Examiner said couture designers follow strict guidelines upheld by the Fédération Française de la Couture. Fashion houses in the Paris area that offer specifically measured garments are considered to be a part of the syndicate. Designer names range from Chanel to Marc Jacobs to Alexander McQueen. The fashion houses have rules as to how many pieces they show per collection and how many collections they show a year.
All that said, it’s obviously more practical for someone’s wallet and time to lean towards ready-to-wear as opposed to couture.
Don’t get me wrong — couture clothing are works of art. Designers and fashion houses work tirelessly to create a collection and get it out on the runway. Opening my closet and owning multiple Chanel purses and an ensemble from Alexander McQueen or Marc Jacobs is the dream. However, it doesn’t fit into normal day-to-day life and expenses for the average person.
The average person, especially a college student close to graduation, doesn’t have the time or money to have each piece of clothing made-to-order or order garments from a runway collection. Buying ready-to-wear allows for convenience and accessibility.
These designers are realizing it as well.
Think about the multiple designer and retailer collaborations that have recently occurred over the years. Target is the greatest example with ready-to-wear lines from Phillip Lim, Prabal Gurung and, most recently, Joseph Altuzarra on its résumé.
Many designers have even created their own ready-to-wear lines adjacent to their couture line. Stella McCartney and Jeremy Scott are two examples of designers who have created couture and ready-to-wear garments to create a wider range of customer satisfaction.
It’s obvious a shift has been made toward more ready-to-wear purchases. It’s much faster and it’s more affordable. Plus, you can still have those designer names without the hefty couture price tag.
Now creating that adult career wardrobe doesn’t sound so bad, does it?
Meg Ryan is a 20-year-old mass communication sophomore from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. You can reach her @The_MegRyan.