With access to a million dresses, handbags, shoes that look just like the real thing, why pay full price?

Fabrics and craftsmanship, my fashion friends. I was blown away by the fabrics at the Alta Moda trunk show Larrimor’s hosted last week. Alta Moda is a couture line, and wanting to share the fabrics with you got me thinking why cheap fashion doesn’t usually save in the long run. Yes, that $10 top might look cute once or twice. I’m always tempted by H&M’s spot-on styles and price tags. Target’s designer collaborations get me every time. But the reality is, I rarely wear something I bought from high street stores (mass market retailers) more than two times. It wrinkles (a lot). It doesn’t wash well. All of the manmade fabrics that are quickly churned out a mile a minute at a faraway factory, they kind of stink. I’m the first one to fall for a cheap thrill. Hey, $20 is disposable income. But in the end, the clothes are disposable too. Behold below a few close-ups of what you pay for when you splurge.