Pseudo Cosmo

     Conversations with Connie about clothes might start off in the realms of vision and imagination, but they always wind up firmly rooted in the pure practicality of the matter. Case in point? My much beloved and much desired Surface to Air Cargo Bag and this awesome heat-sensitive, color-changing tank top from Anzevino and Florence have turning over in my mind.

     Now, is $78 a lot for a top? Yes. Is it a lot for a tank top? Most certainly. I certainly know there are better deals out there on jersey tank tops (Urban carries them for $10 each), but cut of it looks great and drape-y and the color changing bit is absolutely cool and looks absolutely beautiful. But how do I value those extra qualities? The market says I should value them for $68 more than the ones from Urban and I agree. But why? Why do I find myself aligning with the number that the market has mysteriously* produced?

     (* Okay, it isn't such a mystery. It's a combination of research, drafting, advertising, fabrics, production, and also the brand's "value". I acknowledge the various elements of the industry and the variety of intersecting functions that are necessary to create, market, and sell a single product, much less an entire collection. )

     So I find the top desirable, so I desire it, and so I'm okay with paying $78 (not that I have...yet). But what if someone else doesn't think that's reasonable? How am I supposed to explain myself? We obviously don't look for the same traits in a garment (me: fit, cut, fabric, design / them: price, availability ), so I can't argue that it fits my criteria for a "good" garment. This is the sort of dilemma I encounter whenever someone asks me about my spending habits. The problem I find most often is that people find me unreasonable for my willingness to spend a larger quantity than average. They think that I am unable to settle, that I'm trying to create a gap between myself and others, but that has nothing to do with it.

     You don't think I'm reasonable? Fine. I don't think you're reasonable because you wear Crocs and you're over the age of 5. We'll just have to agree to disagree.

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