Yesterday the NY Times’ Critical Shopper, Cintra Wilson, published a piece on Tory Burch’s boutique.I must say, I’m not sure what the TRB fuss is all about. I find the medallion on the best-selling Reva flats to be too large (and often, too gold).
I did, however, order a shift dress earlier this spring to check it out, but found that the material was too thick (kind of scuba-like; heavy, stretchy cotton blend) and the dress was too large in the bodice.
I had ordered the dress in the first place because its print reminded me of a favorite piece of upholstery fabric. (Sometimes you get what you ask for.)
That heavy fabric also felt how those celebrated TRB tunics look to me: stiff and, well . . . stiff.
Wilson noted that TB’s clothes evoked a “type of relaxed hippie chic with all the hippies tweezed out.” Incisive comment, that.
I think that there’s also a lot of starch in the TRB line. If the designer ever loosens up, though, and lets in a couple of hippies, I’d give her clothes another whirl.
That said, I quite like the dress pictured above (sans the necklace medallion, bien sur).
11 comments:
I think people buy the brand because of marketing without thinking about what they are really buying. I had never thought about the serious 70's influence of it until reading that article yesterday. Coincidentally, I walked by the store last night and thought, "Huh, it really is all avocado green and burnt orange. Just like my grandmother's 70's era den." And trust me, that was not a thought that encouraged me to buy the ubiquitous flats.
Hi Anon--Your comment made me laugh (always a good thing). It also reminds me of one of Diana Vreeland's bon mots: "I loathe nostalgia" (the opening to her autobiography, I believe). There's an important distinction between vintage and homage, and again between homage and imitation . . . and the list goes on . . .
Thank goodness! I thought it was just me because I don't see the allure of her flats either. You're absolutely right; the gold is too gold, they aren't comfortable and $200 is too much to pay just to say you're wearing her shoes. So ridiculous.
I never got the Reva flats either, but thought the review was just a bit excessively mean (however funny). Tory's clothes are a little too literal prepster for me, but she's certainly found a niche for herself.
Cintra does play that funny/mean edge, which is quite entertaining if it's not directed at you!
Funny yes and unbelievably jealous of the $200 million Torr is raking in!
I would have been happy to have invented the jibbitz on crocs for a cool $20 million. And who likes crocs?
People buy into it and like it. Personally I liked her stuff when she was new (2004) I think it is all blending together at this point and the quality of the line made in China has really gone down hill since the TRB inception. The shoes are made in a Nine West factory in Brazil. Yeah girls...$200 bucks for a $50 shoe! Ever take a look at the similarities in quality and design? Hmmmm...
Tory, make shoes in Italy and get out of the crappy Chinese factories until they produce goods that measure up to Tory Burch standards. Canada maybe?
I hate the flats with the giant medallion, especially since I've read interviews where she says that her stuff is perfect for people who don't want to be covered in logos. Um, what?!? If only my husband were as rich as her ex, I'd be a fashion superstar too!
Hi Wendy--But really, you'd take a smart, handsome journalist any time over whatever TRB had . . .
THANK YOU!! What IS all the fuss about?? And the imitations of TRB flats are even more mundane. TRB is for the baby boom generation of ex-hippies turned professional.
I like that dress, too, and frankly, I'm surprised I do like it. To me, TB equals uptight. Never loved those shoes, or that '70s undertone, either. Bloomingdale's in my neighborhood has no less than 20 varieties of the fabled shoe. How many medallions does the world need?
FOUL! That's the 'despots' opinion on TRB and that's why you haven't found her shite stinking up my site!
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