Do you need a designer life to go with your designer clothes?

I decided to do some virtual shopping today; but as I was browsing through stylebop.com’s collection of tops looking for a few tops I would buy if I could it occurred to me that it would be silly for me to have a designer wardrobe when I don’t have the life to go with it.

So I decided to title this post “Do you need a designer life to go with your designer clothes?”

What I mean by that question is do you need to be living the high life in order to wear designer clothes? Are designer clothes just for people who attend boat parties and vacation in Cape Cod or the Hamptons? Are designer clothes just for people who can stroll into stores like Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Ave without it being immediately obvious that they totally can’t afford to shop there and that they had to save up for a whole year to afford whatever they might walk out of the store having bought?

Take this Catherine Malandrino acid green silk oversized top for example.

Buy It!I saw it and thought I wouldn’t mind having it in my closet to wear when I need an oversized top; but it’s a $245 blouse and I don’t usually go anywhere that calls for wearing a $245 blouse. I live in a small town and I pretty much have no life. I blog for a living though I’m not making any money with my blogs right now so it’s probably a stretch to say I blog for a living. Right now it’s more like I’m unemployed. I never have social functions to attend. The most I do is go out for a walk and go out to the store. And I walk to the store or take the bus if the store isn’t close enough to walk.

What business does someone who lives at my level have walking around wearing high end designer clothes? Not that I do. I don’t own anything that comes with a designer label; and I couldn’t buy the top even if I wanted to buy it; but let’s say I wanted it so badly that I saved up to afford it. I could probably manage to save up $245 and get this blouse in–let’s say 3 months; but how ridiculous would it be for me to be wearing a $245 top to go shopping in the local supermarket?

Better yet can you just see me strutting through the supermarket aisles decked out in a completely designer outfit comprised of the above Catherine Malandrino acid green silk oversized top” the below ALBERTA FERRETTI Wool Skirt with Back Ruffle ($490)” Sergio Rossi Leather Cutout Toe Stilettos in White/Black ($680)”,  Chanel vintage Gold-Plated Weave Round Clip Earrings ($1205)” and carrying the SALVATORE FERRAGAMO black Leather Sookie Tote bag ($1545) over my arm?

Buy It!

Buy It!

Buy It!

Buy It!

What kind of situation would it take for someone to barely be able to afford groceries but be decked out in $4″ 165 dollars worth of designer clothing and accessories while shopping for the groceries they can barely afford? I suspect if I had the means to afford a $4 165 outfit I would be living someplace where it’s basically de rigueur to have on thousands of dollars worth of stuff even at the supermarket.