Mayle Knock-offs

Not so long ago, I would be one of those people disparaging stores for knocking off Mayle. I'd be angered at the theft from a small label, the absence of creativity, the dilution of the brand and the sheer lack of ethics displayed. I've not changed my mind on these principles and firmly believe knock offs are wrong--I'd rather these stores (usually but not exclusively chains) employ creativity--and their own team of real designers. But recently, I've been tempted, given the absence of new Mayle collections (unless you are Swiss or have access to the SE collection--how I wish Jane Mayle had chosen to share these with a US boutique, be it Metier in SF or Brooklyn's Bird).

Recently, I've seen a rip-off of the Ziggy romper in Anthropologie and the Zora blouse in Urban Outfitters. Both are variants on a theme--but while they are not identical, they display more than just a Mayle influence...

Photo Courtesy of Monica's i-phone

My interest in the romper, in particular, shows how Mayle-starved I am right now. When Ziggy came out, I hoped it was a lovely blouse paired with some unfortunate pants. I still maintain a blouse would have been a far better idea--had it been a dress, I'd have pounced in a second. Despite my reservations, I tried it on at some point, wanting to like it because it was Mayle, and Mayle was nearly over. Much as I loved the print and the top, Ziggy looked like pajamas on me. Not the look I was hoping for.

Fast forward one year, I tried the Anthropologie version on this weekend. It is sleeveless, the pants had no cuffs and fell straight, the fabric is not silk and the print, while similar, is no lotus print. Some of these points seemed OK--the missing cuffs may even have been a plus. Clearly this romper did not resonate with Anthro's core customer. After many markdowns, it was just $19.99.

After looking at myself in the changing room mirror, I saw why. I tried to convince myself that it was easily worth $19.99, that I could always cut off the pants (leaving me with a fairly dull top). I imagined ways to style it, none of which worked. I generally have a rule--if you have to make excuses for a garment, justify how it could work and be something that it isn't, then you don't buy it. Another rule--such hesitation tells you all you need to know (don't buy--you won't wear it). Finally I always think of an item I own, and like, and think will I ever wear this instead of my one of my favorites? The answer here is clearly no. Then I asked the hard question--would I have liked Ziggy if it was by another designer? And given that the answer was no, why was I even thinking about a knock-off?

Desperation hits us all, I guess. I left with a pair of tights and the recognition that there would be more consignment and ebay Mayle in my future. $20 may not get me much, but all those $20s add up and can go into my Mayle fund. Indeed, I may open a savings account for these purposes so I can watch those sporadic $20s grow.

As this is long, I'll comment on the Zora-alike in another post. And, yes, I am aware that Anthro and UO are owned by the same parent company.