Anyone who has ever seen me knows right off the bat that I am not a slave to fashion. My view of clothing is that it should cover the body as necessary for the climate, occasion, and venue. And plaid slacks with a floral blouse is probably not a good choice. Oh, and I’m frugal. Really, really frugal.
So, what is it about designer fashions that make them so doggone $$$$$?? Is the quality that much better, or are you truly paying for the name?
For example, I was looking on line for a pair of silver sandals with a low heel. Nothing fussy or fancy, just an attractive, comfortable addition to an ensemble. I saw one pair that seemed to meet my criteria, except they were $400!!! That’s for a sole and some straps. I’m pretty sure they weren’t made of real silver, either. The description included a designer’s name (no I don’t recall who) so I’m assuming part of the price was the privilege of saying: “Oh, yes, these *are * Herman Dinglehoffer sandals - isn’t he just the best?!?”
Same for designer gowns. In my younger days, I used to sew, and I know some things are easier to make than others, but I can’t imagine any fabric and pattern being so faboo as to end up costing thousands of dollars. OK, if the designer came personally to my house and came up with the ultimate frock just for me, sewing it late into the night so it’d be ready for my Big Event, I can see that running into a few bucks. But what’s so special about Vera Wang or whoever else designs stuff that justifies the price?
I understand supply and demand, and I understand prestige products. Is there something more to it? Have you/would you buy items just for the name? Is there really a difference?
And yes, in case you’re wondering, my wardrobe is mostly from WalMart.
Well, the quality is much, much better. The fabrics are generally high quality silks or wools and the tailoring and finishing is very well-done. The clothes will last and look much better for a lot longer than cheaper clothing. But that’s not the whole thing; you’re also paying for the designer’s skills, fashion knowledge, and ability to predict the next fashion trend. That’s what really adds to the price. People don’t buy the high-end designer stuff solely because of the name; they buy it because the designer has in the past demonstrated fashion expertise and because they like what the designer is offering (and he’s often the only one currently offering that particular fashion viewpoint at that moment).
Is that important to all people? No. Most people don’t really care about being cutting edge. But some do.
Not really. The patterns are cut far more accurately and the material is much much higher quality. Seams are finished properly, hems are secure, the buttons are better etc etc etc.
I’m sure some do buy high end clothes to impress or to try to gain prestige. But really truly they are a whole different animal than WalMart clothing.
I sew also, so when I see work like that in designer clothes I can sure respect it (even when I will not pay the prices).
Expensive clothes do last longer, and are made from better material, as tremorviolet and Contrary have said. I’ve noticed this most with bras. I am willing to shell out an extra $30 for a Calvin Klein or a VS bra, because I feel like it’s worth it. I’ve tried cheap bras and they’re uncomfortable both in shape and material.
I’ve thought of a better example - I have a sunglass fetish, and I will easily spend hundreds of dollars on a pair of sunglasses. No middle of the road here - I favor Gucci and Versace. It’s stupid, but it’s the one indulgence I allow myself, and I usually buy a pair once every few years. I’ve just never found a pair of cheap sunglasses that I like. They all tend to look the same, whereas designer sunglasses tend to have more variations on basic themes.
The only other time I’ve bought sometime truly designer was when I got a Gucci tote bag after I graduated college. It’s a good bag, but I’m never spending that much money on a bag again. I bought a black leather tote bag that I can take to work - very nice and simplistic - and it cost less than half of what the Gucci cost me, and the only reason I can see is the brand name.
Frankly, there is a hell of a lot of designer crap that doesn’t really hold up nearly as well as the price tag implies it should. But there are also some designer brands you can count on to hold up. (I won’t buy anymore DKNY - I’ve only had a few pieces, but none of them have held up).
With $400 strappy silver sandals though, you are paying for someone to say “oh, this years Herman Dinglehoffer’s - those are SO cute!” Because no one wears strappy silver sandals often enough for them to wear out - unless maybe you are a pole dancer. I think purses are similar - I have never had a purse long enough for it to actually wear out (ok, some of the straps break - but they seem to break in approximate reverse proportion to how much I spent - can I get the straps to break on the $10 purse I’ve decided I’m tired of after four years? - no…those suckers are on there for good - I’m going to have to start carrying around knives or something and see if I can rip the lining)
Granted, a quality item will be better made and last longer than a discount store item. But in reality, how much more does it cost to make the better item? I know higher quality materials and skilled labor are a significant difference in cost compared to mass-produced clothing or shoes. But that can’t account for a dress costing in the thousands. Surely, the desire for a certain designer’s product must drive the price, and that’s got to equate to prestige or snobbery, doesn’t it?
That’s what I don’t understand. I have no problem spending what I consider to be a lot of money for a pair of shoes that are comfortable and will serve me for a reasonable amount of time. When I buy furniture or appliances, I am more likely to pay for quality, knowing those are things that need to last. But I can’t imagine spending even more for the item because it comes with a designer tag.
But regarding bras, I learned a valuable lesson when shopping for my mother-of-the-bride dress. I saw the difference a good bra made in how the dress looked, and it was significant enough that I took a deep breath and spent the $$.
I don’t know why this perplexes me, but it does. I’m sure an analyst would have a field day with me.
Look at it this way: why is a Picasso worth more than a thrift store painting? After all, even the expensive paint and canvas can’t cost that much more. It’s the skill you’re paying for. Why do people spend money for anything that’s more attractive than just the most utilitarian version?
There’s definitely an element of prestige involved, particularly with purses and accessories but there’s also an appreciation of the design talent too.
I think for some of the really high end stuff you also need to consider economy of scale. The millions of yards of cheap fabric compared to a few yards of the good stuff. Each place they use different stuff compared to the cheep stuff is a place made more expensive by the fact that there isn’t as much made of it. Ok I am explaining this really badly.
Years go I, being at the time the lone female reporter in the newsroom, got sent to interview a designer. I interviewed him on the scene, along with a fabulous model wearing his creation. She was about 6’2" and weighed around 110–the photog got a great photo of her kissing him on the top of his head–and yeah, the clothes looked great on her.
During the course of the interview, he broke off a couple of times to fit clients who came in. One such was this dreary frumpy drudge of a middle-aged woman. Pudgy, old (hey, at least fifty!), unexercised. She was buying the same outfit the model was wearing at the moment. (Maybe I should have mentioned, the model changed several times.) I thought, “Right. She can spend the money–it’s not gonna help.”
So then she came out of the dressing room, and voila! She looked about 25 pounds slimmer and at least 10 years younger. She looked fabulous. Wearing this great suit improved her posture.
Okay, she did not look like the model. She did look a lot better. A LOT better. Amazingly better. She declined to be photographed so it wasn’t some sort of trick.
The suits were what he called “mid-range”–about $700 at the time ('80s). Well worth it. No pockets, though.
I know about as much about fashion as George Bush knows how to make friends in Arab countries, but I teach at a college that has Fashion as a major.
I have learned more about fashion design than I ever dreamed.
Let me give ya one tip: Drop the money and just buy DKNY’s best selling item - the “cozy”. Here is the link to a very simple, basic view of this item.
OK - looks simple, is wildly expensive and from the pictures on that link you might think “so what”?
Well, one of my students works there and showed (in a speech class demo speech) about 30 different ways you can wear this amazing piece of clothing!!!
You can put it on forwards or backwards, throw it over your shoulder, wrap it, tie it around your waist, wear it at work, take it off and put it back on in a different manner and wear it out to dinner at an expensive restaurant, then take it off, put it back on differently and wear it to go bowling later!
According to my student in fashion, this item is the number one best seller at DKNY and the design function(s) are practically limitless! The class was blown away with the demo speech and almost everyone in the class went out to buy one - despite the price.
The student mentioned that other companies have tried to copy this item, but never got the right weight of the material nor the exact fit and lengths.
All I am trying to say with this rambling response is that you sometimes have to pay for quality and design. After watching this demo (and go to a DKNY to see for yourself), if I were a woman, this would be one item of clothing I would go out and buy immediately. Sheer genius in both design and function!
Oh, and BTW, my students who are studying fashion design are getting a Bachelor’s degree and have to learn everything from History of Fashion to Sewing to Draping to Computer Generated Pattern Design, Marketing, Color Theory and, well - let me tell ya, the work that goes into creating an original design - from the original sketch to completion - is not easy. You get what you pay for.
This I can definitely see as an extra service justifying the cost. There have been times I wished I could work with someone and have them design/recommend/alter an outfit that would suit me. Obviously, it’s customized, and certainly the designer should be paid for the time he/she spends. Does every designer fashion come with that feature? I tend to doubt it.
If I had the means, I’d love to satisfy my curiosity by having a team of designers overhaul me - suggesting clothing, hair, shoes, whatever that suit my physical attributes and my lifestyle. I’d be interested to see what these specialists would do, but to be honest, if it wasn’t super-simple to incorporate into my routine, it would just be a one-shot novelty. Still, it could be fun seeing what could be done using me as a blank canvas. (What miracles can one perform with 5’5" and frumpy??) Although based upon what I’ve seen on some TV makeover shows, I know there are some designers/consultants I wouldn’t let near me.
But, like I’ve said, it’s just not that important to me.
The first place clothes are different is the fabric. And you may think fabric’s fabric, but a short trip to your fabric store will belie that - and they don’t even get the really good stuff! The Wal-Mart clothes (which, don’t get me wrong, I have some of) are made of material that I can buy for about $3 a yard. At the scale Wal-Mart buys fabric, they’re probably spending about 70 cents a yard. The fabric closest to what I get in a Calvin Klein (of which I have a few, secondhand) runs about $14 a yard (less, of course, for them, but not 70 cents.) The fabric in a Vera Wang I doubt I could even buy at Hancock.
So even at the Wal-Mart vs. Calvin Klein level, we’ve got about a *fourfold *increase in just the cost of the fabric itself, before we factor in things like metal grommets and buttons and zippers instead of plastic, matching thread fiber (which means it will wash better - mismatched thread may shrink more or less than the fabric, resulting in puckering at the seams after washing) instead of All-Purpose, and the increased labor time of finishing a hem instead of leaving a serged edge showing on the inside.
When you’re talking about the real crazy designer stuff, then you’re into custom woven fabrics for small runs. Vera Wang isn’t waltzing down to the local dry goods store for 3 yards of the latest calico. She’s working with the world’s top weavers and dyers to make fabric to her exact whim for a run of a couple hundred dresses. A few months ago, my mother and I went to a weaver’s village in Oaxaca, where we spent some time with one of the top rug-and-wall-hanging weaver families in Mexico. They spin and dye their own wool using all natural dyes (like flowers and crushed bugs) and then weave their own designs - none of which is written down, so each piece is a unique variation on one of a dozen themes. A small (two feet by four feet) throwrug from these folks was over $450. A long runner was $1250. While their specialty was wool rugs, not clothing fabric, it did give me a new appreciation for the craftsmanship and price of handmade textiles! If Vera Wang’s paying $500 a yard for a custom piece of fabric, then her prices don’t seen quite so ridiculous.
So yes, there’s the prestige factor. But that’s only one of many legitimate factors.
One day, I’d love to visit the fabric store they go to on Project Runway*. It looks amazing.
Here’s an example of higher quality: I just bought this skirt maybe a month ago. It’s an amazing, lightweight wool houndstooth (the real weave, not just a printed pattern) and is lined with a custom silk stripe. The zipper looks to handset, the seams have a bit more extra material for alterations, and it fits me exactly: no weird bulgy spots where the seams weren’t sewn correctly. And L.A.M.B. is considered a “mid-range” label, not high end (I liked the last show but most critics thought it’d been done before). And, based on past purchase of similar skirts, I will wear this for at least three years, possibly more, as opposed to the skirts I used to purchase from Target, The Gap, or even Banana Republic that would look baggy and worn out after a season.
*If anyone’s interested at all in this stuff, you should really watch Project Runway. Even non-fashion people usually enjoy it and it’s a fascinating look into the design process.
