For many women ‘diamonds are a girl’s best friend,’ but for CSUN students designer purses, shoes and clothing fill that void.
Although the price of books, tuition, room and board are on the rise some students feel the need to keep fashion their top priority.
Tiffany Roberts, a 19-year-old biology major, is one of many students who thinks fashion is a necessity.
‘I think that we as people do need clothes, bags for our belongings and shoes to walk in,’ said Roberts. ‘The fashion industry was formed to make these basic necessities more appealing.’
When people think of fashion, they think of name brands like Coach, Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton and Gucci, but to others these products are not the only way to define style.
‘Name brands do not define fashion 100 percent. Fashion is based upon styles such as cuts of clothing and color,’ said Roberts. ‘If a person is unable to purchase high-end couture or name brands, stores such as H’amp;M and Forever 21 make it affordable to have the same styles of clothing for a more affordable price.’
Fashion and clothing may be essential for Roberts, but for Jazmine Ruiz, a 22-year-old psychology major, it’s more of an expression.
‘Fashion is a form of art and a way to express myself,’ said Ruiz. ‘People should always want to look their best at all times in public.’
Like Roberts, Ruiz is a consumer of high-end fashion such as purses from Gucci.
In the last couple of years ‘knocks offs,’ also known as imitations, became a hot commodity for people who could not afford or did not want to purchase high-priced designer handbags such as Gucci that start as low as $550.
Roberts and Ruiz own real Gucci bags, and Roberts can tell when someone has an imitation bag.
She also said replica designer handbags usually have a serial code stamped inside of the purse and real bags either have proof of handcraftsmanship or a plated brand. Gucci was not available to confirm that information.
Coach, another popular designer, differentiates from Gucci and Louis Vuitton because the prices on their handbags are more reasonable.
‘I am attracted more to coach merchandise,’ said Roberts. ‘I think coach shoes are so stylish and also comfortable. I wear coach shoes almost every day.’
Products like the names listed above are expensive and some people blame their shopping addictions on advertisements, but Ruiz believesself discipline makes people decide what and when to buy products.
‘If you don’t need something and don’t really want it then don’t buy it,’ said Ruiz. ‘The fashion industry doesn’t twist your arm to buy merchandise; they do it because they know people love accessories and clothes.’
Fashion sometimes becomes important to many at a young age, to others it comes later on or not at all.’
For Roberts, her concern for fashion came as soon as she entered high school.
‘People expected a certain image of me so I felt that it was good to uphold the image people expected,’ said Roberts.
She acknowledges that dressing professionally for work can also put forth a certain image, which reinforces the fact that people have no choice but to keep up with current trends.
Although fashion may not be essential to some, image is important to all.
‘Fashion is important because you never know who you are going to meet,’ said Ruiz.
