That’s fashion, Sweet: What should I buy? And with what money?

I love a good collaboration.

Sometimes collabs are the perfect deal when transitioning between brands or when you want to buy just one item and are in doubt. This year, big brands have been pushing for collaboration. One of the biggest collaborations in the luxury market is Jacquemus x Nike, which closed its Jacquemus location causing warehousing and shipping problems, and Levi x GUIZIO as of August 25.

Collaborations tend to be more cost-effective, especially when it comes to luxury brands working with “regular” clothing brands. For example, with Fendi x SKIMS, although $120 for a bodysuit seems arbitrary, Fendi’s luxury prices and SKIMS bodysuits usually sell for $60 for the collaboration, which is a great deal.

Yet, there are other brands that take advantage of this opportunity to increase their prices to match the rich partner status.

This is not news – we all know it when we explore the brand community. So why am I bringing this up?

Because, according to The Business of Fashion, major clothing companies like Walmart, Target, Victoria’s Secret, Urban Outfitters and Kohl’s have taken big discounts due to lower spending from their customers.

Part of this comes from consumer preference and willingness to pay for merchandise. This means whether you are going into stores with a budget in mind or deciding between options, personally, unless I am in love with an item, I usually choose the cheaper and more cost-effective option. And, almost everyone would rather spend $50 on three items than one.

Likewise, what I’ve noticed is a shift in what people in my demographic are wearing. Brands like UO and VS were the biggest companies in the world when I was a teenager, but as I got older, I drifted away. My age group is getting older, and as a result, outdated companies are losing us in favor of professional clothing and capsule wardrobes.

This is not just because we all found Pinterest, Aritsia and Matilda Djerf; We are simply entering adulthood and the professional world, and in many traditional business settings, we can no longer wear tube tops and parachute pants to present quarterly sales reports or cyber security breaches. So, with a head start on paying our first month’s rent, figuring out taxes, and our first call to AAA, I’d rather build a capsule collection that I can save money for the scary unknowns of the future.

Again, Margiela created a new pair of shoes with Reebok, DIOR by BIRKENSTOCK released a $1,100 pair, and Adidas just gave us a preview of its collection with Tibe Magugu.

So, do we “treat ourselves” every once in a while like our dream collaboration to be cost effective? Or should we turn our backs on our childhood once and for all, begging our parents for extravagant necklaces and dresses?

By pulling back on spending, could this be an attempt for high(-er) end and luxury brands to reassert their status? Or is it a slow shift towards affordability in an attempt to gain more customers at the onset of the global recession?

What does this mean for our newborn trend cycle? And how does this affect the role of influencers whose job it is to stay “on trend”?

I don’t have the answers; I am a 19 year old fashion enthusiast. But maybe you do! Take this, let me grind it

Find out what they think.

Hadin Phillips is a secondary text that discusses fashion in the 21st century, particularly new trends and popular controversies. Her column, “That’s Fashion, Sweet,” typically runs every Monday.