In certain aspects, the clothes that we wear and the way in which its worn provide glimpses into our characteristics, how little it may be. Fashion is often described as a method to express ourselves. However, as the majority of youth culture participates in the endless trend cycle, does buying clothes off trendiness come at the cost of personal authenticity?

Individuals participate in fashion because the social cache associated with being stylish comes with great sociocultural benefits to us. Buying something solely based off that factor results in a person looking the exact same as everyone else, although their original intention was to be separated from the crowd. This insatiable desire to always look "on trend" subverts the other decision-making factors when it comes to buying clothes , such as how much it reflects the wearer's personality and interests.

The phenomenon in which this is often observed is the act of buying the more "premium" version of a pre-existing product. A few examples come to mind, such as the Alexander McQueen Stand Smiths, the Essentials collection by Feat of God, or the Comme des Garcons PLAY Chuck Taylor 70s. Consumers who buy these often have the intention to distinguish themselves from the “regular” version of these items, as a means to send cues about one's wealth or sociocultural standings. But what they don't often realise is that these premium versions of merely the entry-level items designed to generate revenue for fashion brands to design their main collections, which most people skip out on despite the price bracket being similar.

Alexander McQueen is a British designer who rose to fame thanks to his pioneering of theatricality on the runway and the expression of more macabre topics such as death in his collections. Several of his most acclaimed designs are displayed at renowned galleries worldwide such as The Met. However, when the name Alexander McQueen is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is the chunky-soled Stan Smith-esque sneakers that are seen on countless individuals who may, or may not, identify with the ideas or themes explored by McQueen on the runway.

Fashion purists would say this is a form of defamation to the brand's legacy, and indeed normal consumers miss out on the true potential of a powerhouse such as Alexander McQueen if that's their only impression of it. However, one does not need to have a painful upbringing in order to wear McQueen even though it certainly does help if a personal connection is present, as it increases the longevity of garments if there is a sentimental value attached to it. In addition, we also tend to wear these items a lot more often, in a highly confident manner.

The case for the “casual” consumption of meaningful brands are that fashion items are only mainly relevant insofar that they are given sociocultural value by the group of people that predominantly wear them, this being the youth. If they render the label Alexander McQueen to be condensed down into the Stan Smith derivatives, why should the designer's original intentions become an obligatory intention, especially to someone who is clearly not ultra-invested in fashion? In any case, the mass-commercialisation of the pair was meant to be a revenue stream in order for the main collections to stay funded anyhow.

In any high-fashion brand, there always has to be a balancing act between the creative pursuit of the designer and the commercial viability of the brand, so compromises are often made. The same balancing act then should also be applied to our behaviour as the consumer. It's not a bad thing to buy into the trendy items of the season such as the McQueen Stan Smiths or the Fear of God Essentials, however, we should pay more attention to the artistic endeavours of the brands wherever we can, because the lifeline of what makes fashion so fascinating to us is the continual creative pursuit undertaken by brands and labels.

The existence of entry-level items allow casual consumers to participate in the brand's image without fully committing themselves to the ideology of the collections. Whilst some people may stop their exploration there, it also provides a pathway for the consumer to discover more of what it has to offer, all while providing financial benefit to the label.