One of the most interesting things I’ve noticed since I’ve been in Yerevan is how amazingly much of the country’s women walk the streets with 4 to 5-inch heels without wincing. In their finest clothes and jewels, they put on their towering shoes and parade effortlessly on the (sometimes unstable) cobblestone streets of this small city. And don’t think they’re going to a party or a bar opening.

They walk like this to work, to school, to the supermarket, to do the most mundane of tasks, decked out in shoes that make me wobble just thinking about them.

As a result, I’ve decided to undertake a voyeuristic photography mission to document them. I’m calling it “The Yerevan Street Shoe Project” and hope to update my Flickr page with the highest and funkiest of heels I can find in Yerevan.

See all the photos so far here.

In high school I had a friend who worshiped the ultra trendy and ultra cheap clothing store Forever 21. She called it her favorite store, I called it Polyester Emporium. I hated Forever 21 with a passion and didn’t think the cheap material they used helped her overwhelming B.O  in the least bit.

Years went by, we graduated high school and happily went out separate ways, until I bumped into her one day on my way to a college class. I wasn’t close enough to detect any B.O or deduce that her outfit was in fact, from Forever 21, but I could probably safely bet on both counts.

In the last few years, Forever 21 has done everything in their power to revamp their style, a move that hasn’t always exactly been free of controversy. They amped up their collections, brought versatility to their fabric and textile palette and focused on super trends of the moment, but racked up lawsuits from Diane von Fürstenberg, Gwen Stefani and Anna Sui in the process, and that’s not all. In 2001, factory workers who had produced clothing for the company boycotted the store until working and payroll conditions improved. The company subcontracted production to manufacturers and sewing contractors which in turn employed workers in sweatshop conditions. The lawsuit was dropped when Forever 21 paid the workers’ back wages.

The company earned a projected 400 million in 2001, according to CorpWatch, and that number grew to $1.3 billion in 2007, says the Los Angeles Times.  In 2004, Forever 21 agreed to stop selling clothing made with animal fur under pressure from PETA.

Despite their copycat tendencies, this writer fully admits that she’s shopped at the store she once detested. If you spotted cardigans for $14 and all the jewelery you can imagine before your eyes, you wouldn’t hesitate either. After coming home however, I started to notice everything from earrings to tops to accessories kept falling apart. Shoddy execution is the byproduct of cheap labor and unless you research where your clothes are coming from, it’s very easy to buy clothes with a checkered history. I mean, forget the knockoff factor, the fact that your clothes might come from grossly underpaid employees who work in horrible conditions is enough to seriously think about where you’re shopping.

The argument for or against Forever 21 is a tough one. On the one hand, they provide the masses with coveted fashions at  affordable prices, but on the other hand, they do it at the cost of counterfeit material and possible illegal work practices.

Current laws do not give fashion designers any protection against design copycats, however there recently have been more cases brought against companies Forever 21 that might change that. This past Tuesday, a federal case was brought against them from clothing label Trovata who allege that Forever 21 has knowingly copied a series of shirt designs that you can see below.

Forever 21 on the top, Trovata on the bottom

To date, Forever 21 has been sued 50 times for copyright violations, according to the Toronto Star.

Of course, in this debacle, expensive designer brands don’t receive a get out of jail free card  either. Take for example one of the items in Diane Von Fürstenberg’s lawsuit against Forever 21- a $325 “Cerisier” smock, which was renamed “Sabrina” and sold for $32. The dresses were identical, down to not only the pattern, color and measurements, but the fact that both were made of 100 percent silk in China. So why must the DVF dress cost over $300, Diane? Some of it might have to do with labor costs, but most of it is about a name, a name that will sell clothes at  $325 and who knows how much more. Because when you buy a Diane Von Fürstenberg dress, you’re not just buying a dress, you’re buying a lifestyle, you’re buying something not only for yourself, but for how you’re perceived by others, as in what you can afford and the affluent lifestyle you live.

So really, the dress isn’t worth $325 and it’s not worth $32. A fair price for me would be $100.

Interestingly enough Diane Von Fürstenberg’s DVF label has also done its fair share of copying, reports the Toronto Star.

The issue of design piracy came home to Canada this week as local designers Jennifer Halchuk and Richard Lyle, of the label Mercy, successfully negotiated a compensation package from a large American design house that had admittedly stolen wholesale the design of a floral jacket from Mercy’s spring 2008 collection.

The negotiations were swift and relatively painless. Ironically, Mercy’s vintage-looking, tea-dyed jacket of complicated construction was pilfered by a design staffer for the New York-based mega-brand of Diane von Furstenberg

Now more than ever, getting the most bang for your buck is a priority and it’s pretty safe to say that Forever 21 is just watching the profit roll in. You can’t expect people in this economy to pay astronomical prices for a dress, so the problem needs to be addressed by both sides by coming to a happy medium.

Unfortunately, finding brands that don’t use sweatshops to manufacture their clothes and are originals, as well as being affordable, is really impossible-at least in the U.S. anyway. Wal-Mart, Gap (Old Navy, Banana Republic), Target, Abercrombie and Fitch, Eddie Bauer, J.Crew and Nike are some of the known brands that do employ sweatshops. The fact that J.Crew happens to be in that list is more than disappointing to me, as it’s one of my favorite places to shop from. Boo on you, J.Crew, really.

The business of clothing and fashion are tainted in many ways, and this discussion can go on forever. There are so many issues at hand, including the ongoing battle against unfair wages and working conditions, as well as trying to find labels that are labor and environmentally friendly, issues that I hope to discuss later, but for now, it might be a good idea to keep these looming human rights issues in mind the next time you’re overcome with joy at the prospect of buying five shirts and three pairs of pants all collectively under $100.

While I have more to tell about my shopping bonanza during the wee hours of Friday morning, there is a certain memory I have from that day that stuck out in my mind. In short, the line to get in the Ugg or UGG outlet store in Camarillo, Calif., was literally around the block. I am talking hoards of people lining up for them. I stood there in utter awe and shock as people walked out with bags of them, while others waited probably an hour or two to get in the store. None of it makes sense to me. I just do not understand. The more I think about it, the angrier I get. People of Southern California, please STOP. That’s enough. We get two days of rain and you run out to buy the ugliest shoes in the planet? What are you thinking? You don’t need them here, do you understand? This is not the frozen tundra, believe you me.

Interestingly enough, in my post last week about my disgust for Uggs, I received a comment that contested my point of view. The commentator told me that Uggs are the greatest winter boots out there and that they’re pretty stylish. It was also pointed out to me that if you can’t afford real Uggs (prices run in the hundreds), that there are a lot of knock-off Uggs on the market.

This comment got me thinking. The price, Internet, is definitely not on my priority list for hating Uggs. In fact, I condemn knock-offs of any kind. On the other hand, I thought, if I’m going to be spewing hate for a certain kind of shoe, I might as well provide alternatives. So here is a short list of shoes I would strongly urge you to purchase instead of Ugg(ly) boots.

Colin by Madden Girl – $59.90

This pull-on boot has a padded insole and a low hidden wedge heel and it quite stylish. It comes in brown, gray or black is just the perfect height for a casual outfit. Wearing them with jeans tucked in or out makes them fab.

Treker Boot – Free People – $388

Hello lover. Yes it’s expensive, but I’m including it anyway because I am head over heels in love with them. Made with leather and suede and lined with shearling, these boots are pretty much guaranteed to keep you warm, while keeping you tough. Chic and gorgeous. Toss those fugly Uggs NOW.

Arkansas – Steve Madden – $109.95

Looking for a comfortable full length boot? Here you go. This pull-on Steve Madden boot has a suede upper and rubber sole and comes in taupe suede, a versatile shade that’s perfect for winter.

Reese – London Fog -on sale for $119.50 from $150

You just can’t resist those Uggs can you? Well here is a similar, but tastefully done alternative. A faux fur-lined boot to keep you warm, and waterproof suede to keep you dry, this will satisfy your Uggdiction while keeping you out of the running for Fashion Disaster of the Year . It also has a full-zip closure, microfur lining and a thermolite footbed. Take a look at that, you lucky woman.

Dear Uggs,

Are you familiar with the Beatles’ song “Hello Goodbye?” Well, it’s like you keep saying “Hello” and I keep saying “Goodbye” but you never seem to be going anywhere. In short, you’ve over stayed your welcome five years too long and caused me unnecessary bouts of anger along the way.

When I first saw you, on a stand in the shoe section of Nordstroms, I don’t think I minded your presence entirely that much. I touched you, and you were soft and luxurious and I wondered how you were mean to to be worn. “Where does this fit into life?” I pondered to myself.

The day I met you, is the day I let you go. I walked past you and knew, even back then, that you and I were not a perfect fit, so to speak. I prayed however, that you would find your way back to Australia again, back with the residents of rural areas you have been popular with. You see, I understand why you were popular during World War I and II, when aviators needed you to keep warm in non-pressurized planes at high altitudes. I even understand why people living in cold climates today might wear you, as the sheepskin you’re made from keeps feet at body temperature. I get it, believe me.

But Ugg boots, please explain one thing to me if you can. Why must hoards of fashionably-challenged women and girls in this wonderful city tout you around like they’ve discovered the arch of the covenant? Why must I be forced to stare at women who think fashion-forward means wearing black leggings tucked in Ugg boots with a big flowy sweater on top? Why God why? What has the city of Los Angeles done to you to deserve such an injustice?

You see Ugg boots, people think this city is a terrible place to be already. We don’t need your influence in the matter. The people who have worked hard to make this city somewhat of a fashionable place don’t deserve this. Please pack up your belongings and go away. If not for my sake, for the sake and reputation of this city. We don’t have proper winters here, we know this. We are not suited for your presence. The sooner you go away, the sooner the delusional women in this city will realize what a horribly un-stylish mistake they were committing.

I long for the days when the letters “U” “G” “G” stood for “United Grain Growers” not a fashion disaster that has spread like the bubonic plague.

Kindly,

Liana

I’m a firm believer in quality versus quantity, in most aspects of life. The one area where this isn’t stressed enough is fashion and style. There was a period in recent years when I though the newly vamped and redesigned Forever 21 was the end all be all of clothing. I could walk in, get three shirts, five pairs of earrings, a bag and a dress for $50. Could it get any better than this? I thought. Little did I know, it could. In about six months time, all of those items either broke, came apart or disappeared into trend hell. That’s when I realized that the cheap and disposable route to fashion was a dead end.

I was never into Forever 21, to be honest. When classmates in high school would rant and rave about it, I would call it “Polyester Emporium.” I remember taking shopping trips to United Colors of Benetton and Nordstrom with my mom. When I was a toddler in Tehran, she would dress me in the best that European fashion had to offer. I had never even stepped foot in a Walmart until a couple of years ago.

My mom taught me a valuable lesson when it came to clothing: when shopping, quality always overrules quantity. You have to think of clothing as an investment, not something you can wear for a couple months and then throw away. Of course, disposable basics are always permitted, but when it comes to big things (wool coat, boots, dress shirts), the best thing to dispose of are idealogies that allow you to grab items feverishly until you can’t walk anymore just because everything is $20 or under.

I made a decision a couple months ago that as long as I could, I would buy myself one quality item a month – this would stop me from overspending in stores like Forever 21 or H&M and also leave me with pieces in my closet that can be worn again and again for years to come.

So every month, I’ve been sneaking out of the office and using one day’s lunch time to enhance my closet. My location: Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. My targets: J.Crew, occasionally Banana Republic and the heavenly paradise that is Anthropologie.

While J.Crew has been a long time favorite and on the top of my list for many years, Anthropologie has been slowly looking to take its place for quite a while. Putting the luxurious, one-of-a-kind clothing and accessories aside for a second, when I walk into an Anthropologie store, all of my troubles just melt away. It’s as if, I’ve walked into my dream living quarters. The marketing geniuses of anthropologie rummaged through my brain while I slept and intercepted my dreams and then came back and created the inner workings of their stores. I’m convinced that this is what took place.

Part of the reason I probably feel that way, is that Anthropologie is not only selling clothes, its selling a lifestyle. A lifestyle that I am gobbling up like there’s no tomorrow. Established in 1992, Anthropologie has managed to bring in 50 percent of Urban Outfitters, Inc., their parent companie’s revenue, without the use of advertising. And I like that.

It just goes to show you that there is quality in their product. It’s the same with dog food. You can either go buy some Iams from the supermarket, or you can do your research, and find kibble from healthy and organic companies like Innova or California Natural.

I ventured over to Anthropologie on Monday and thought about never leaving. The smell of the candles, the colors of the clothes, the light shining through the second floor on dark brown parquet, the calm atmosphere, the not-so-many people, the way the sales people just leave you alone to shop and breathe, I cannot find one bad thing to say about this store. Except the prices, but those aren’t necessarily bad, they just come with the territory.

I left with Frenchy-looking perfume that smelled delicious and some grey cotton linen pants that fit me so perfectly, you would not believe. As I’m sure any woman knows, shopping for pants and jeans is a full day marathon that is likely to end in disappointment, tears and possibly ice cream. So imagine my excitement as these wonderful pants, that were on sale might I add, fit me as if they belonged to my body. Do you know how amazing it is to go shopping for pants and look at yourself in the mirror, all alone in your dressing room, with clothes scattered everywhere, under the most horribly unflattering lights ever and realize that you actually like how you look? It is a revelation beyond compare. An amazing moment, where all of society’s rules and regulations about body and image are thrown out the window and what remains is an incredible feeling of self-satisfaction. Thank you, Anthropologie. See you soon.

Photo via Anthropologie