First Lady Michelle Obama has been praised for embracing mainstream, affordable fashion lines. But do those choices come at a cost?
Elizabeth Cline thinks so. Cline is the author of "Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost Of Cheap Fashion," a book that explores the rise of fast fashion in America and shoppers' urge to over-consume. Cline once said the attention given to Obama's discount fashion picks is unfortunate because it implies that we equate "democratic fashion" with "cheap, imported clothes."
"I think that Michelle Obama is a good example of how we've really come to believe that we only have two choices: we have cheap, disposable clothes that are going to fall apart that we buy from Target, and then we have overpriced designer clothes or sustainable stuff that no one can afford," Cline told HuffPost Live Friday.
Cline said she actually used to be obsessed with cheap fashion, but that it left her dissatisfied and with a closet full of clothes she abandoned after just a few wears. The author said her research revealed that we've really undergone a cultural shift in recent years with this obsession with fast fashion, but that she does think
we will reach a middle space in the coming years, as more independent designers receive the support they need.