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My Love-Hate Relationship with Chinese Fashion Finds
My Love-Hate Relationship with Chinese Fashion Finds Okay, confession time. I was that person. You know, the one whoâd roll their eyes at the mention of shopping from China. “Itâs all cheap, plasticky junk,” Iâd declare, sipping my overpriced latte in a boutique here in Portland. My wardrobe was a carefully curated mix of local designers and sustainable brands I could barely afford on my freelance graphic designer salary. I wore a lot of black, embraced the “artistic minimalist” vibe, and prided myself on my discerning taste. Then, last winter, my favorite pair of wide-leg trousersâthe perfect drape, the exact shade of charcoalâdeveloped a tragic hole. The brand had discontinued…
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My Love-Hate Relationship with Chinese Fashion Finds
My Love-Hate Relationship with Chinese Fashion Finds Okay, confession time. I was that person. The one whoâd scroll past ads for “designer dupes” from China with a scoff, muttering something about fast fashion ethics and questionable quality. My wardrobe was a carefully curated mix of Scandinavian minimalism and the occasional vintage splurge. Then, last winter in Berlin, everything changed. I saw a girl at a coffee shop in Mitte wearing the most incredible structured blazer. The cut was perfectionâsharp shoulders, nipped waist. It looked like something straight off a The Row runway, but fresher. I had to know where it was from. After some awkward hovering (sorry, stranger!), she told…