Money for old rope? Maison Margiela models in outfits made from 'expensive cheap' fabrics. SIPA/REX Shutterstock
Money for old rope? Maison Margiela models in outfits made from 'expensive cheap' fabrics. SIPA/REX Shutterstock

Fashion notes: Don’t spend big on cheap materials



Cotton jerseys, mesh-like nets, PVC plastics and the nouveau-riche neoprene. Wrinkle-­free and tempting as they may be, they’re not worth the big bucks – but it’s hard to resist when they’re all over runways, store displays and fashion pages. This in-your-face influx of materials that were once considered to be tacky leaves us vulnerable and unquestioning, when we should really be asking ourselves if it’s worth spending whopping amounts of cash on less-than-deserving textiles.

What brought about this quality slide, you may ask? Well I hate to point fingers, since I’m a big proponent of the current “sports luxe” craze, but my guess is that it’s to blame for the invasion of fabrics such as jersey, neoprene and dreaded meshes into the high-fashion scene. Because it has maintained its position as a must-follow manner of dressing, and our chase after what’s considered “on trend” remains unwavering, the value of once highly sought-after materials such as luxurious silks, French chiffons and ­Chantilly laces has been undermined and somewhat forgotten.

What we should be paying for is quality and luxury, not current trend appeal, especially when it leads us to spend our hard-earned salaries on purposely ripped garments and clothing that resembles fishing nets. The fact that big-name department store buyers are opting to buy into these styles, tasteless as they may be, only encourages consumers to play along.

It’s easy to get sucked into the cheap-but-costly fabric vortex. I’ll give you a personal example: I’ve had my eye on the classic all-black leather Antigona bag by Givenchy for quite a while, and when I saw that the same style is now available for Dh1,000 less, though in a “rubberised canvas” material, I almost caved. Shameful to think I almost dished out close to Dh6,000 on rubberised canvas. This is how they catch you – slap a brand name on a rubber bag and it becomes a hot buy.

Be wary of being ensnared by such spiels. Another ­rubber-like textile comes to mind – remember those jelly sandals that made a comeback last summer? Well, it seems like the trend has yet to die out, as the jewellery designer Shourouk has launched jelly sandals as part of its spring/summer 2015 collection, retailing for about Dh2,000 – albeit they are topped off with some blingy but plainly artificial jewels.

Transparent biker jackets and raincoats made from plastic and PVC that are retailing for about Dh2,000 are also overpriced, especially when you can pick up one at Camden Market for literally a twentieth of the cost during your next trip to ­London.

Indulge your cheap fabric cravings on the high street, and keep your splurges special. Limit your style investments to quality leathers, timeless cuts and classic pieces. Buy those Manolo Blahniks and Chanel boy bags, and if your budget permits, look to designer attire for statement pieces that will last – dresses that you adore and will wear more than once, and a coat that will still look stylish come winter 2018. Which means you’ll need to resist giving into that garish rainbow fur that you saw on the runway.

Create distressed jeans yourself with some scissors and your own worn-out denim, and get your costume jewellery fixes at Aldo Accessories – not ­Christian Dior.

The Indoor Cricket World Cup

When: September 16-23

Where: Insportz, Dubai

Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23

UAE fixtures:
Men

Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final

Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final

What is an ETF?

An exchange traded fund is a type of investment fund that can be traded quickly and easily, just like stocks and shares. They come with no upfront costs aside from your brokerage's dealing charges and annual fees, which are far lower than on traditional mutual investment funds. Charges are as low as 0.03 per cent on one of the very cheapest (and most popular), Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, with the maximum around 0.75 per cent.

There is no fund manager deciding which stocks and other assets to invest in, instead they passively track their chosen index, country, region or commodity, regardless of whether it goes up or down.

The first ETF was launched as recently as 1993, but the sector boasted $5.78 billion in assets under management at the end of September as inflows hit record highs, according to the latest figures from ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm.

There are thousands to choose from, with the five largest providers BlackRock’s iShares, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisers, Deutsche Bank X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.

While the best-known track major indices such as MSCI World, the S&P 500 and FTSE 100, you can also invest in specific countries or regions, large, medium or small companies, government bonds, gold, crude oil, cocoa, water, carbon, cattle, corn futures, currency shifts or even a stock market crash. 

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