Blue Fish is really, really expensive...so you have to balance it out with other cheaper pieces. I have a pair of their black leggings pants with the painted designs on the calves/ankles...and they were about $80+, but I wear them under babydoll dresses, under skirts with Mary Jane shoes, etc.
They look great-and I balance out the price by making some of my own clothes (I do seamstressing and costume making for part time work), and getting a lot of stuff at Goodwill, or on clearance at regular stores. So...I justify it that way.
My problem is, if I go to Lane Bryant, or Wal-mart, or the mall or ANYWHERE really-and buy and outfit like jeans and a blouse...I don't really like it so well so it doesn't get worn much, or the jeans don't fit perfectly, yadda yadda yadda...
Give me a great piece that I love, and I'll wear it to death. I know if I buy a pair of those scarf palazzo pants that I'll wear 'em until they fall apart.
Also-I like to remember that I am supporting artists who own their own business when I buy something from Blue Fish, etc. I know that it wasn't made in another country at a sweat shop, and that's why I can get it for $7.00 at Wal-Mart. Sad, but true. It is something to think about.
Some people, when they ask me for a quote on a costume or clothing article, are taken aback by the price. I am making a pair of pants right now, that have batik patchwork strips down the legs for accent. It took me a couple of hourse just to prewash, and measure/cut out all of the 5" squares to make the patchwork. Then I had to sew all of the patchwork squares together and press out the seams after each one-so I am already 3+ hours into the project, and the pants themselves aren't even being stitched together yet. If you work at McDonalds and get minimum wage...how much do they pay for 3 hours of work? By the time I actually sew the pants together, get them all hemmed and done-I will have about 6 hours of work time into them, plus cost of materials.
This particular pair cost me $18 in materials...so if I priced them at $30, I would only be making $2 an hour for my work. They have to be priced more expensively to justify making them.
That's something to think about when you see the prices of artsy stuff.