The Fairy Gaiter?
I saw this accessory on a recent trip to Christchurch and thought what a great idea to be able to dress up a shoe by wrapping this ‘Fairy Gaiter’ around the ankle and up your leg. The elderly and very helpful shop assistant told me I could also wear it as a necklace and/or around my wrist. This looked like the perfect accessory, made of smooth satin and exquisite lace. I was sold and wanted it. She had a great selling technique and it seemed such a simple idea yet so effective. I was then gobsmacked when I asked how much it was – can you guess?
Before I reveal the answer perhaps I need to tell you a little about the brand, Wolford as I didn’t know anything about them. The company was founded in 1949 by Walter Palmers and Reinhold Wolf, located in Austria, and is a marketer and manufacturer of woman’s hosiery, lingerie and ready-to-wear of the highest quality, with uncompromised style and elegance. Some say the brand feels like a ‘second skin’. Wolford has worked with international designers as far back as the early 1980’s including Karl Largerfeld, Emilio Pucci, Missoni, Zac Posen, Valentino and Philippe Starck. In the 1990’s, Emmanuelle Alt of French Vogue described the “Black stockings” by Wolford (in a campaign shot by Helmut Newton in 1995 in Monte Carlo) as one of her top fashion favourites. So a few hints along the way, would make you start thinking that can’t be quite as cheap as I am thinking. I was presuming somewhere around $30-50 (as a little bit of lace and some satin isn’t expensive and labour costs can’t be high). The actual retail price was $260!! Initially I thought it was $26 but I was obviously only seeing what price I wanted it to be. I somehow misplaced the other zero. The last question to ask is – did I buy it?
well, did you??? it certainly is a work of art and you keep your things so beautifully that you’d have it for years. We all have a price we will pay no matter what the item is. What was your decision?
I didn’t buy it, but thought would try and make one myself. For that price you could actually pay a pair of new shoes!! Definitely going to get some lace and satin and see what version Yellow Tulip can design.
Hmmm – at that price I don’t think I’ll be purchasing it, regardless of who designed it and which designers they were associated with! Actually, for those with the ability to sew and be creative, it would probably be easy enough to make your own version…
I couldn’t agree more – so am going to see if with my limited sewing ability, I can create my own version. I wonder how many pairs of shoes I could buy for $260.00?