"Say, Ambular! Was That You Going Through My Laundry?"

posted by hannah

Mar 04, 2008 2:34PM

I'm definitely the kind of girl who doesn't really mind when people "copy" my outfits. If you shop at Abercrombie and the like, somebody is obviously going to have the exact same clothing item as you, especially if you go to a school like mine. And, my friend and I have a bunch of the same clothes. We have similar taste, and besides, we go to different schools, but we don't really care much if we're both wearing the same thing.

posted by guest

Mar 04, 2008 2:44PM

I'm with Cher on this one! I get really irritated with friends/ co-workers who copy. Find your own stuff please!

posted by enicke_

Mar 04, 2008 2:51PM

First off, I'm not the Abercrombie and Fitch girl - ever. I wouldn't mind to see someone else with something I own - I probably look better anyways... very modest huh?

The thing is, I'm in my twenties, and I have a group of friends where everyone has defined a certain style, and if they see someone using something resembling their own, they just cut her up in pieces. And in our twenties!!! Fashion is like politics! It divides us all.

posted by cory

Mar 04, 2008 2:54PM

"Like I would really wear something from Judy's." Sorry. It had to be said.

posted by purly

Mar 04, 2008 2:56PM

This is silly. What about classics? I own a Chanel classic flap... and that means my friend cannot own one?

Silly.

posted by guest

Mar 04, 2008 3:32PM

I suppose it's flattering but my friends and i inspire each other so it wouldnt be illegal within our group to dress similarly.
buying the exact same garments is another story. that's not flattering, that is ...immature.

posted by guest

Mar 04, 2008 3:36PM

Speaking of classics, one of my close friends 'also' wanted a classic chanel bag, and bought one of eBay...

She proudly flaunts it, and would wear it, on occasions where I were mine...

This annoys me, because I work in fashion and have been a junkie since my teens... I did not mind too much when she walked around with a high street copy of my outfits...

But fake chanel!

That makes ME Look bad!

So yes, I don't mind being copied... From AFAR, but a close friend... NO NO NO! After all, if they knew fashion and could get it perfect, they will have their own identity and wont need to copy yours!

posted by nadarine

Mar 04, 2008 3:48PM

Though I'll definitely take inspiration from friends' outfits (and those friends I only know online- what are fashion blogs for if not for inspiration?), I'll always double-check before buying anything I think a close friend already owns. I've been the girl huddled in the corner of the store with my phone, describing the necklace I holding to a friend to determine if it's the same one she owns, and therefore off-limits. I've been known to make dressing-room calls to especially stylish friends to make sure that the dress I'm falling in love with isn't something that already exists in their closet- and if it does, can I borrow it?

posted by guest

Mar 04, 2008 3:51PM

Honestly, it bothers me not. I have a friend who sort of looks like me and we wear the same size(we often are mistaken for sisters), and we own many of the same clothes or borrow each other's, though the items are mostly just basics. We typically interpret the items very differently, though, so most people don't notice.

I don't mind at all, frankly, but sometimes she gets annoyed... even though there have been plenty of times where she bought something I already owned!

Still, all of my most cherished and original pieces I keep to myself.

posted by hayley

Mar 04, 2008 3:52PM

Myself and the girl at the next desk adore the same websites, and keep buying things the same or similar to each other. We don't get offended though because although we wear similar things, our style is quite different!

However, when I accidentally wore the exact same jumper as someone else in the office, I had to make an emergency shopping trip to Oasis to buy a cute shirt. Shame!

posted by guest

Mar 04, 2008 4:13PM

I try not to purchase items I know my friends not because I think they'll be angry, but because I like my clothing to be unique.

I can understand someone buying the same thing as me if it's a basic or classic piece, but if you have a signature look that's all your own, when someone rips it off, that means your look is no longer one of a kind.

So yeah, I guess I get kind of mad....

posted by guest

Mar 04, 2008 4:14PM

i want 2 say that i have this problem right now. my friend has bought the same shoes as mine, after i said her where & how much it is. it was kinda bitchy, because it's really diffucult to find smth interesting in place where i live. i think she thought that too. she apologized but now she wears it and it's hard to watch on them on her feet. oh..am i a bad person and friend?

i really dont mind when i see same cloth on people but not on my friends.

posted by vicki

Mar 04, 2008 4:16PM

my friend works at american apparel and thinks no one should own anything that she owns there. I laugh at her because its all basics so it shouldn't even matter

posted by elle

Mar 04, 2008 4:31PM

my bestest and i have, once or twice, gotten the SAME EXACT item, but it's never been a problem because we rock them differently, so no one really notices, and it's not a problem.

also, there's a difference between someone knowingly copying you and someone just having the same idea...

posted by guest

Mar 04, 2008 4:42PM

depends on the item for me like if its a plain black sweater I would not care but If it was my really cool neon sneakers that everyone saw me wearing and compliments then Id be rather angrey I can be a bit of both people

posted by chic3

Mar 04, 2008 5:07PM

I'm with the abercrombie chick... although we all know now that abercrombie is all and out ew!... regardless, I hate searching for unique things, for hours at a time sometimes (online) only to share my find(s) and be copied!! I despise it! It's for that reason that I don't even share with people where I get things. "Oh, online I say,".... or "On a trip out of town or overseas." It's seriously too annoying to even deal with.... now if someone accidently gets the same thing as me, that's different. Then it's a funny coincidence. It's the lack of creativity/effort that really bothers me. Again, if someone is inspired by what I wear, I'm flattered.... All I can say is thank goodness for Goodwill. You can't literally copy that... one would hope.

posted by etoilee8

Mar 04, 2008 5:39PM

Now that I'm in my twenties, I don't mind so much anymore. But in high school I had a real problem with it. My one close friend often ended up buying the same stuff as me (I was making regular trips to the city to shop at Urban Outfitters long before anyone else in my suburban school was). You know in high school, when everyone's dying to impress that certain crowd or make a statement with clothing and fashion. . .it's really not cool to have someone hot on your trail.
These days my closest friend and I have the same taste in most things. I love the fact that I can buy a dress from H&M and describe it to her, while she's in Sweden (her home) and she knows exactly what I'm talking about because she nearly bought it from H&M too. That always tickles me :)

posted by guest

Mar 04, 2008 5:41PM

It usually doesn't bother me

... unless it looks better on her.

posted by guest

Mar 04, 2008 5:47PM

I would rather someone purchase for herself something I own than swipe it from me! A former friend stole a cool and irreplaceable vintage necklace from me. She denies it up and down but someone I know saw her wearing it. That is the lowest of the low (way harsh!)!

posted by silhouette

Mar 04, 2008 6:04PM

i like to be unique. i purposely try to buy clothes that i like and that i think no one else will think of to buy (does that sound stupid?).. but i have been in a similar predicament as some of you.

my ROOMMATE has recently started buying things that are not only similar to pieces i own, but that are an attempt to imitate my overall style. i can see someone that is not my roommate doing that, but we go out in public together and belong to the same group of friends. when we go out, i don't want to look like carbon style copies of each other. i've been trying a little harder to buy things that i like that i know she would NEVER wear. haha.

posted by yuki

Mar 04, 2008 6:27PM

I'm not going to lie, I hate it when my friends copy what I wear! It drives me absolutely insane.

posted by poseur

Mar 04, 2008 6:38PM

i think with age, things like this don't seem to be problems at all. i even encourage my friends to buy some stuff when I find something great and especially cheap. or discover a nice way of wearing things.

posted by guest

Mar 04, 2008 6:44PM

im the AF girl. i get really bitchy if a friend buys what i have already,especially if they know i own it and love it. it happens often too, and i agree with one of the comments above, its pretty immature to buy an EXACT copy of something your friends have. its even worse when they wear it the same way, so they're copying your style too. honestly, like get off my turf!

posted by guest

Mar 04, 2008 7:01PM

okay i think its totlaly flattering
the person might not even be "stealing" you style
which i think id ridiculous to say
dont flatter urself too much

posted by chlauraform

Mar 04, 2008 8:24PM

My senior year of high school was when I really started to get noticed for my style. I hung out with a group of guys, so I never really had an issue with close friends trying to copy my looks, but I would have people come up to me and tell me that people had copied me. I really didn't know any of the girls that they pointed out and didn't think anything of it because chances are they happened to by the same thing by chance. However, I did know a girl who fell in love with a pair of boots I had and asked me where I got them. I told her not thinking anything of it, and she ended up buying the same exact boots in a different color (she told me they were all out of the color I had). It was awkward but I was fine with it. However, I soon found that the boots turned into sunglasses, other pairs of shoes, and other accessories. I was still fine with it, because it was all minor stuff. She then began to tell me how she would be putting together outfits and think of items out of my closet that would go great with what she was wearing. Needless to say, I began to feel a little creeped out. Towards the end of the year I was standing in a group with her when she blurted out " I'm going to be (insert my name here) for Grad Night." She then went on to describe how she found a dress that was just so me that she could pair with tights and heels. I didn't know what to say so I just said that I was going to dress as myself for Grad Night too! She then asked me if I was going, to which I replied, "No, but wherever I'll be, I will be dressed as myself." Now I find it disturbing when people copy me. I know it's a sign of flattery, but it can also be a sign of someone literally trying to be just like you.

posted by guest

Mar 04, 2008 8:45PM

i love it when people where the same stuff as me! it makes me feel like im a trendsetter...though it's always better for me to get it first, and them to follow. me and my Bestest Best Friend actually laugh because we unintentionally buy all our basics (tank tops, t-shirts) from the same place.
but...on things other than this...i will always be that girl in the corner thinking, "it looks better on me!" i cant help it =)

posted by guest

Mar 04, 2008 8:58PM

Ugh it's the worst when somebody copies your style too closely; I mean it can be flattering, for instance, if you inspire someone to put a little more thought or daring elements into their look. But I hate it when people try to copy it exactly! I bought this dress a while ago that was really great, suited me exactly, and I styled it with a thin brown belt from a thrift store. I went shopping with this girl who had complimented my dress before and she bought the exact same dress! Same color, everything (the dress was very distinctive, not some gray jersey thing). Then, to top it all off, she bought in the same trip a brown belt that was as close as possible (that the store offered) to the belt that I wore the dress with! Then she wore that outfit out around school like a week after I wore mine! (she styled it the same way as me) I don't understand why anyone would do this. Don't people stop to think twice about anything? So now I don't like to wear the outfit, because people will think that we both got the look from a mannequin or display or something; so it's like I have to forfeit the look that I put together for myself.

posted by guest

Mar 04, 2008 8:58PM

sometimes yes sometimes no. my best friends and i have tons of the same clothes. we like similar things and its bound to happen accidentally or even sometimes knowingly. however i remember my high school graduation when i got this reallly cute dress i loved. i got it in march and graduation was in may. i was psyched. a few weeks after i got it i learned that another girl i knew got it for grad. too. i wasn't that upset because it was an accident and she had good style. but then a few days before graduation she showed it to another girl who was working with her on some speech or something. she told her where we got it thinking that this girl could go get one of the other beautiful dresses they had. on the day of graduation we show up and see her on stage in the same dress. she knew two of us had it and decided to go get it (on sale at that point) clearly we were pissed. that is not ok.

posted by guest

Mar 04, 2008 9:18PM

i don't like to wear clothes after i've seen someone else at my school wearing the same thing...it makes me feel like i'm being unoriginal, when i know i can do so much better than copying another person's outfit. as for someone copying me, oddly enough, if it's a close friend i'm annoyed (especially if i point something out that i like and they buy it on the spot!) but if it's someone i don't know well, then i'm kind of flattered.

posted by guest

Mar 04, 2008 9:30PM

Argg!! I swear I've been wearing toeless tighs (Prada), messy hair (Olsens, Cory Kennedy, everyone), and ripped tights (Alexander Wang) for a couple years now. How can I copyright my inventions before big designers steal them!?

Other than that, it's pretty flattering when people copy you or ask where you got things - unless they're also getting ccompliments for it!

And I find it weird when people don't tell me where they got somethng. I asked a women once where she got her shoes - BRAND new, they looked -- and she said "I don't know." You don't KNOW?

posted by alyssa

Mar 04, 2008 9:36PM

Growing up with a friend who positively erupted if anything of ours were the same - clothes, music style, hair - I've just been annoyed by those who get angry about those sorts of things.

Also, isn't fashion all about copying anyway? We buy clothes by places like H&M or Nordstrom or Urban, who sell clothes either inspired by someone or inspired by a major fashion line (unless you are famous or Anna Wintour or someone with loads of money). We see pieces on other people and maybe take aspects of their style and dress similarly.

Obviously, I am infuriated with people who get angry about owning the same clothes or whatever.

posted by guest

Mar 04, 2008 10:27PM

The classics are undeniably public domain, but I asked a friend if she'd care if I bought the exact same boots she had but in a different color and it went smoothly. I have to admit I was a little nervous asking.

posted by guest

Mar 04, 2008 10:38PM

I agree with what someone said above...I don't mind AS MUCH if someone copies me from afar, but when it's a friend..that really ticks me off.

I usually hate having the same clothes as other people, but obviously, it's going to happen once in a while.

But what really annoys me is one friend who has bought the same shoes, hats, shirts, jeans, etc. etc. etc. as me numerous times! It's as if she's trying to mimick my entire wardrobe! If I even mention that I'm eyeing something in a store...she'll go out of her way to buy it BEFORE me...so that it's "hers."

After months and months of frustration, however, I've come to this conclusion: She may buy the same clothing items as me, but she can't wear them as stylishly as I can. ;)

posted by guest

Mar 05, 2008 12:53AM

I mind. I thought i didn't but i do.
If someone or everyone starts wearing it, I'd ditch it and move on to something that would probably catch on.

posted by BIBA

Mar 05, 2008 1:56AM

i remember in high school getting terrorized by this one girl because i was "copying her". um excuse me, but we simply both had similar style and lived in a small town with limited shopping options. what's the big deal anyhow?

posted by guest

Mar 05, 2008 4:39AM

i think its different if what someone copies is super obscure, but if you're shopping at abercrombie or urban outfitters- what do you really expect? you cant lay claim stuff from some huge chain and say that people who shop there too are copying you- thats kind of egotistical...

posted by curlytop

Mar 05, 2008 7:19AM

i guess it doesn't really matter as long as you don't know that you both purchased the same outfit. like a coincidence or something. something like this happened to me once. i went to a party and wore an exact same dress as another girl! it was so horrible!! if only i could just sit in the ladies room the entire time, i would've done it!!!

posted by guest

Mar 05, 2008 7:57AM

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, as my mother always said. HOWEVER, speaking as someone who lives with three of her best friends, there is something to be said for individuality. I experience the 'Hey Ambular..' moment relatively regularly. I don't mind lending loved ones loved items, but there's something horrifying about when your flatmate wears something of yours, and gets what technically should be your fashion 'props'. Call me possessive, but if I paid for it, shouldn't I get the compliments? I guess that's why I'm not a stylist, though. I find that I do get a sense of pride out of helping someone put together a really excellent outfit though. How Cher.

posted by guest

Mar 05, 2008 8:13AM

It would be weird if a friend bought *everything* I owned, but I have enough self-confidence to not care if I own a few of the same things as other people.

posted by piccolina42

Mar 05, 2008 9:06AM

I'm usually flattered, unless we are talking about the one friend I have who buys EVERYTHING I own immediately after I do, in identical colours and everything. It drives me mad. If I shell out big on a new bag she goes and buys it. GAAAA! And if we're passing a store window and I say, "Oh, that's cute," she'll go back the next day and buy it for herself. Get a mind of your own, woman!!! I have to throw her off the scent down by not telling her where I get things (online, eBay, out of town only).

Otherwise, whatever. You can hardly 'claim' everything a certain designer makes. But there are shades of grey.

posted by guest

Mar 05, 2008 11:47AM

well, as long as people know that I had it first, i think that it's the most sincere form of flattery.

posted by LittleLola

Mar 05, 2008 12:53PM

How ridiculous! If you're wearing any manufactured item, you're not an original. Who cares if someone buys the same thing you own? It's not like you designed it. I definitely knew people like this in high school (like "the abercrombie girl") and reading these comments, I can see they haven't grown up. Some people actually thrive on this kind of cattiness, I guess; not me.

posted by colorcast

Mar 05, 2008 6:42PM

I am definately the flattered girl! I think its stupid to be so possesive of clothing/styles because they are always changing and like LittleLola said, if it is not something you have made then what you think is "super original" really isn't.

posted by guest

Mar 05, 2008 7:55PM

I agree that if a friend buys the same thing as you on accident, it is completely fine and usually happens, especially if you are shopping buddies and have similar style.

But when it's premeditated and repeated...especially if you live together and are frequently in the same place, it's annoying to have someone repeatedly showing up in the same outfits that you spend hours handpicking.

And I agree, with the earlier comment that when a roommate borrows something and gets complimented on it, it's frustrating. Earlier this year I got a pair of hot pink Hunter wellies and while I was out of town for the weekend my roommate borrowed them without asking because "it was raining and I didn't want to get my feet wet." I's had them for 1 week and hadn't even worn them yet. She then proceeded to brag to me about how many people complimented her on "her" creativity. I went out and bought a pair of $5 black wellies from Costco and told her if she ever wanted to keep her feet dry she could borrow my black boots but never my pink ones. She went out and bought her own bright wellies 2 days later.

posted by guest

Mar 05, 2008 8:11PM

i think the key factor is whether it's merely clothing that's being copied, or one's personal style. unless you make your own clothes, you're never going to own a piece of clothing that no on else has. but personal style is crafted with time and effort, and if someone copies that...there, for me, is where the line is crossed.

posted by guest

Mar 05, 2008 8:33PM

i'm in the flattered group. for the most part that is. it does frustrate me when i buy something and start wearing it and all of a sudden everyone at my school is wearing it. trend blown, and i haven't even gotten tired of it yet.

that being said, one of my best friends and i have a lot of the same items of clothing (mostly basics). the majority of this is unintentional, and when we want to buy something the other already has we usually run it by each other.

now that we've graduated, it's nice putting on a pair of shoes or pulling on a turtleneck and knowing that she could be putting on the same ones 100s of miles away.
plus it makes shopping for presents very easy

posted by guest

Mar 06, 2008 1:16AM

I get annoyed. I go to a highschool where everyone shops at the mall and since the Urban Outfitters has been put in it has become everyone's FAVORITE store, but I've been shopping there for much longer. But I have a friend actually who knows that I own something and then decides to buy the same thing but in a "different color" and it's kind of getting old, because even though they're a different color, it's STILL the same item.

Now I'm trying not to shop with this friend so she can't claim things I want and I'm shopping at little known stores in Seattle or boutiques instead.

I feel like a bad friend.

posted by staceyy

Mar 06, 2008 2:30AM

SO many Clueless quotes lately.

I don't get flattered, but I don't MIND if people copy me occassionally
as long as it's not like head to toe outfits.

However I HATE when I buy something, people question it and say it's strange/they don't like it and then a few months later they own it... like come on!

posted by guest

Mar 06, 2008 4:59AM

i wouldn't really mind walking past a girl with the same dress on...i'd probably be hotter in it than she'd be. As they all say, "its how you wear it."

posted by guest

Mar 06, 2008 2:32PM

I don't care and am often flattered when people like what I wear and then want to know where I got it so they can buy it.

My best friend and I own lots of the same pieces. We get ideas from each other, but our personal style is different so it doesn't really matter what each individual piece is. It's all in how you wear it. We're both very unique dressers and both get compliments.

I say to the A&F girls, get over it! Lighten up, it's just fashion! Don't be so possessive. And really, if you were that confident in what you are wearing, would you really care if somebody else was wearing it? Nope!

posted by guest

Mar 06, 2008 4:25PM

Personally it drives me crazy when people buy things they know I own. It's even cause to lose a best friend(which I have) when it seems like they've lost all individuality and are just using you as their style muse.
I can understand that it could be flattering, but thats still no excuse for blatant lack of personal style.

posted by guest

Mar 08, 2008 2:17AM

In high school, I had this friend, lets just call her Anna, who constantly copied my style and bought the exact same clothes and shoes as me. On free dress days for example, anything nice I would wear such as a cute dress from a certain store or a pair or white ballet flats, Anna would just stare at it for the whole day, as if she was memorising it or something. Then she would go out and buy the exact same thing and wear it the next time we went out.

One time, there was a massive sale on at this factory outlet and I said I was going to get this pair of white ballet flats which were on 50% discount. Anna also bought the same pair in white with a slightly different pattern to mine. I’m Asian and she was she and a lot of Asians look similar so people always confused us because of our appearance. I had medium length straight black hair and she also had medium length straight black hair and we were about the same height/build. It was SO frustrating and I would constantly stress over it but I never told anyone or asked Anna to stop because I didn’t know how to. And when I would subtly hint that she was sort of copying me she just said “No I’m not” and if I explained how she was then I would have just sounded paranoid.

Nowadays I never talk about fashion or trends with Anna because I know that she will just go and purchase that item of clothing/shoes/bag.

posted by Tamara

Mar 12, 2008 8:49PM

I think it's flattering. I have to admit, I smile a little when I see girls "studying" my outfits in classes and at parties.

posted by Fassion

Mar 13, 2008 7:33PM

If i'm on good terms with the "clone", then I don't mind that much. If not, it can really piss me off. I kinda think it's a slap in the face. I have a co-worker/ex-friend who does this constantly and what's funny is the only time she gets compliments is when she's got on an outfit "of mine". So there, Joanna!

posted by guest

Mar 31, 2008 9:44PM

My friends and I have been known to buy the same sweater or top (in the same color) at the same time. It's not because we want to have the same clothes, or because one of us thinks we can pull it off better. It's because it looks equally good on both of us, and we're mature enough to know we don't 'own' the clothing. Wearing it on the same day is a little sad, but we never do it on purpose. Actually, because our individual styles are so different, I find it interesting to see how my friend wears and H&M sweater, versus how I wear it.
For certain occasions (ie Prom, formals, etc.) having the same outfits is horrifying. But most of the time, it's ok. As long as it's not chronic!

posted by guest

Apr 01, 2008 9:11PM

My very best friend and I have a few of the same clothing objects. I bought most of them first, and she liked them so she asked before buying them if I had a problem with it. I didn't, because she's my best friend. The other pieces that she had first, I wasn't thinking of her when I bought them and I forgot she had them too otherwise I would've asked.
I also think it depends on the situation.
Another close friend of mine gets pissed off when I want the same thing she does, even if it's in a different color. Sometimes I think she's selfish, but I know where she's comng from becaue it's happened to me and it never turns into a big deal.

As we grow fashionably, it's interesting to see how we each develop our own style.

posted by xnoelle25

Apr 02, 2008 3:07AM

i'm definitely a mix of both. i find it so annoying when people bite off of my style, especially when they tell me after they did it or while and think it's either cute or funny. personal style does channel personality and clothing-plagiarism can be an offense. i hate it when a certain style i have is watered down or used by others when it doesn't reflect them at all and is used as a fashion trend that looks appealing rather than seen as personal expression or art.

though, i must admit, despite being a little bothered, i most always am a bit flattered deep down inside.
♥♥

posted by guest

Apr 03, 2008 4:50AM

me and my friend are the same size with similar ground taste though it goes off in different directions after a while and we swap clothes all the time! we both wear them in different ways and since we have too much stuff anyway, actually find it makes us happy to see our old items being reinvented. we also have a never-ending quest for the tightest trousers ever, so when i found a pair of black super skinnys i was quite happy for her to get them too. and we accidently have the exact same huge tartan skiing coat...we try not to wear that on the same day...

posted by guest

Apr 03, 2008 7:36PM

My prom was a few years ago and I had been obsessed with a dress for weeks. It was too expensive and my mom refused to buy it, but I kept begging, and finally, after saving up money, we bought it together (I paid for some of it...) Anyway, I had told all of my close friends about "the dress" I loved. It was not a particularly rare designer or anything, but when I showed up at prom and saw one of my friends wearing the same dress I was furious. After saving and worrying and talking about it for months, to see someone so obviously steal it made me upset. However, I laughed it off, pretended not to really care. I still don't understand why she did it. She couldn't have forgotten... why didn't she care that we would have the same dress? I knew she knew.

So basically, even then I didn't care all too much, but it did ruin the specialness of something I had saved for and dreamed of. It helped a little that she was quite a bit larger than me... ugh I had forgotten this memory until just now.

posted by gen

Apr 09, 2008 1:10PM

it has more to do with the attitude than the actual copying. if me and a friend both like a style, so be it. as long as neither party is a bitch about it. it's rare that my friends and i plan clothes in advance for any given occasion, but i can't remember an occasion where i've run into a mate wearing the same thing. even if we like the same things, none of my friends share the same overall style, so if we did accidentally match, people probably wouldn't notice.

posted by guest

Apr 09, 2008 6:01PM

I'm definately flattered.
A coworker asked me last week if I would be mad if she got the same bold skirt I was wearing, and I don't have a problem with that. It would look cute on her. I have noticed way more skirts overall since I started wearing them 3-4 times a week.

I have other coworkers that I've definately taken inspiration from when I've seen a blouse and skirt paired in an interesting way or an interesting color combination.

Around my office I don't think anyone feels they "own" the rights to an item.

posted by guest

Apr 14, 2008 12:05PM

I guess it all depends. If I buy something and then a friend goes and buys and EXACT duplicate - same color and all it might bug me a little, but I could really care less.

My best friend and I go shopping together a lot and always end up wandering into the dressing room with several of the same items. At the mall everything looks the same anyway.

That's why when I want something truly unique I go to the local boutiques where they usually only carry one or 2 of something. Then I know at least in my circle I'll be the only one rockin that look.

posted by guest

Apr 16, 2008 9:17PM

To all of you fashionistas...I don't think your style is so unique that you have a right to get frustrated when people "copy" it. Unless you design your own clothing, your inspiration comes either from popular culture or an established subculture. That's hardly original.

And there are only three ways you can reasonably expect to be the only one wearing a particular piece: (1) buy it at a thrift store, (2) pay a premium to get expensive, limited edition pieces, (3) design it yourself. Anything else is fair game for the masses.

posted by guest

Apr 22, 2008 7:55PM

I've never had a friend "copy" my style - we inspire each other and its never a big deal who wore what first. Furthermore, sometimes I'll love something so much that I will recommend it to people...The idea of someone "ripping off" my style seems strange - its not like it is going to impact on my life if someone happens to buy the same dress as me...even if they do wear it better ( or worse)

posted by guest

Apr 25, 2008 7:06PM

I hate when my friends copy what I wear. Who wants to show up to a party wearing the same dress? Makes youre look sooo much worse. One of my friends is always copying my shoes and my bag, then its not unique anymore! bugs me!

posted by guest

May 01, 2008 4:11PM

It depends on the situation I guess. Well, I'm still in highschool and my style is well more stylish and unique than anyone in my grade, they all wear abercrombie and hollister EVERYTHING. So It annoys me when people ask me where I got an item, because I get asked almost everyday! I don't mind if someone copys off me inless they take the credit! Then I'll be mad and probably won't wear the outfit again.

posted by guest

May 05, 2008 1:13PM

It depends on the situation and who it is. My best friend and I have a similar style and if we both see something we like, or if one person gets it first and the other likes it, we simply ask if it is ok to buy the item. 9 times out of 10 it is not a big deal and we make a deal between us that whoever purchased the item first gets first dibs to wearing it.

Honestly, if you have enough style of your own and with your outfits as a whole, than one item does not make that big of difference. People notice who has style on a regular basis. And if it is really that original of an item that is being copied, others (who care about fashion) will pick up on that as well. No sense spending time being angry about it.

posted by guest

May 06, 2008 10:44PM

lulz...if someone is actually *able* to copy your style, then you yourself aren't all that original/edgy, now are you? now if someone's out there commissioning pieces to match everything in your wardrobe...then it's time to worry.