I happened to pick up Sky magazine on a recent Delta flight to a family event. Flipping through I saw some really cute outfits. The clothes are from Hilary Swank’s new clothing line, Mission Statement.
I generally expect celebrity clothing lines to cost more than I would spend but $195.00 leggings and $1,150.00 for a jacket is ridonkulous.
From Rags to Your Riches
Let’s take a step back for a moment. Hilary grew up in a trailer park in Bellingham, Washington. She is best known for her heartbreaking and Oscar winning portrayals of tough underdogs, transgender man Brandon Teena in Boys Don’t Cry, and boxer Maggie Fitzgerald in Million Dollar Baby
Her acting choices have been courageous and honorable. Swank seems down to earth and full of integrity. She’s given heartfelt acceptance speeches for her awards.
Now, Hilary Swank is on a mission, thus the name Mission Statement, to empower women.
In Sky she talks about the humbling aspect of having people tell her they have drawn inspiration from her, to never give up on their dreams. In fact, when designing her clothing line she states she was inspired by “…people who persevere through adversity. I thought, let’s connect on that level.” Apparently Hilary thinks $900.00 pants will help women persevere through adversity.
I wondered if maybe I was just out of touch because I don’t exactly live in a shopping mecca and am notoriously cheap. Looking at other celebrity clothing lines from Beyonce, Julianne Hough and Kate Hudson, I found their clothes are far less expensive. Next I researched high end “luxury” athleisure wear and discovered much of it, though still too pricey for me, is in the $50.00 to $300.00 range. Y-3, Outdoor Voices, and HPE are considered premium brands, but they are selling tank tops for around $80.00, not $495.00 like one of the tanks in Hilary’s collection of mostly black, white clothes.
The Mission Statement website showcases a letter from Hilary that includes the following:
My brand and vision is about connecting with ourselves but also knowing we’re not alone in our journey because others have and are experiencing similar challenges in their journey. We’re here to support each other and recognize that we’re all a work in progress, a global movement of support and community. This awareness leads me to connect to people who have persevered in their own stories, inspires me to wake up every day and work harder, do better, be more present, and show up.
I don’t want to be classist, but if I had $600.00 to spend on a Mission Statement outfit, I think my journey would be quite a bit less challenging. Not that money is everything, but it sure solves a heck of alot.
The Hilary Swank Needs Your Money Foundation
In one last ditch effort to save Hilary’s reputation in my eyes, I scoured the Sky article and the Mission Statement website for any indication that some philanthropic organization was benefiting from the outrageous cost of these clothes. It would be appropriate to see money go towards something like Dress for Success which helps provide business attire and support for women trying to achieve economic independence, or A21 which fights human trafficking around the globe. Wouldn’t that fit nicely with Hilary’s mission of support and community? Alas, there is no such connection.
In all fairness, Hilary does have a charitable foundation, The Hilaroo Foundation, which helps abandoned animals and children. There is not however, any tie between her clothing line and her charity.
There is, of course, a market for everything. There will always be someone who will pay an extraordinary amount of money for something they think is amazing. It’s just crazy that Hilary Swank would equate helping woman with emptying their pockets.
What do you think of Hilary Swank’s new clothing line?
Written by Leanne
Current Obsessions: Leanne is a wife, mother of 2 and currently unemployed. Her writing has been featured at GirlBodyPride.com and The Huffington Post. She is currently avoiding writing a memoir of her summer as an exchange student. Follow her nowhere, because that would be stalking, as she does not tweet, blog or insta. She doesn’t even own a smartphone!
