If you’re planning a beach or poolside excursion for the end of summer, make sure you bring along a Great Bag Co. Rubber Bag by Robert Verdi:
The 100% rubber totes come in a gang of colors, including white, black, green, orange, blue, and yellow and are perfect for toting your sunscreen, water, and magazines in style.
I have them in white, yellow, and teal (I gave away my black on Snapchat and am still longing for it, sigh!). But anywho, I brought it along with me for my travels to BVI and Miami and it was a hit!
Get one of your own for $120 at GreatBag.co.
Thoughts?
The striped tee, now on sale for $528, got Instagrammers up in arms, with many saying, “No sane person pays that much for a plain T-shirt. I bet you bill gates wife got the same shirt for $3.00 at the goodwill/salvation army,” “800 bucks for a Cotton tee?” and “I just got mines from Wal-Mart and it was only $5 and it looks exactly the same.”
They have a point! Though the top is bold and bright (and Nicki looked absolutely gorgeous!), I too wondered what made her simple short sleeved shirt ring in at close to $900. So I tapped a few experts to get the scoop.
Read on for why luxury goods typically cost an arm and a leg…
1. Brand Positioning
Sometimes, with designers, it’s a matter of simply staying on par with the current luxury market. Brand Consultant Soma Lisa Choudhury says, “Prices are set to differentiate markets. It has nothing to do with how much things cost to make, unfortunately, but moreso to stay within a certain bracket of designers.” She continues, “Say you’re starting a collection tomorrow and you have a certain aesthetic. If your prices range from $200-$500, you’ll stay in the contemporary market along the lines of Theory and Joie. If your prices range from $495-$1,000, you’re classified as lower luxury to higher end luxury. That’s how retailers categorize you. That’s how they know where to put you on the floor, which designers to sit you next to. That’s just how it is.”
Teri Agins, former Wall Street Journal reporter and author of Hijacking the Runway, further explained, “If you’re a designer, certain things have to be priced at a certain level. [Stella McCartney] can’t make the t-shirt for $100, because it won’t fit with the other stuff in the department. [Designers] have to price it so that it fits with everyone else.”
Agins offered an anecdote, “I have been buying Salvatore Ferragamo’s Vara flats for years. That shoe, for years, was $195. I went back and bought a pair and they were $500. The last time I bought those, I think they went up to $300, and suddenly they’re $500! And I thought how could this be? They didn’t redesign the shoe, this shoe has been in their line since 1978.”
“… Ferragamo wanted to be in the same league of Manolo, Jimmy Choo, Christian Louboutin and those other guys. They probably thought, ‘We can’t have a $195 shoe when Tory Burch and all those other people have shoes at that price.’ So they raised the price. That’s part of the whole Brand Positioning.”
So, it seems, with many luxury brands, it’s about following the crowd. And ultimately, designers have to stay consistent within the market they are selling to.
2. Exclusivity
Aaron P, who manages a Louis Vuitton boutique in New York says, “Fast and trendy is available to everyone. There is less of an experience, and less exclusivity. In order to keep and build interest, most brands have had to diversify their labels in order to generate income by amping up Men’s Ready to Wear, creating diffusion lines, and launching baby, home, and fragrance. With all of that, and how seasons change so quickly (also interest, trends & what celebs wear), brands have to release, and within months – go on sale. Louis Vuitton doesn’t do that. With the exception of broadening our mens universe, we have maintained an elevated sense of exclusivity & brand awareness, history with modernity, and an insanely expansive collection that fashion folk, and casual shoppers revere as the Go To House of Luxury. Simply put: it’s expensive, stays expensive & gets MORE expensive (every year or so…) to maintain the exclusivity & luxe lifestyle attachment that Consumers Expect.”
Aside from the brand experience, many designers don’t actually produce as much as fast fashion retailers, giving their wares a ‘limited edition’ feel. Choudhury says, ” A lot of luxury designers can’t [make a lot of items] because it’s too expensive.” Most factories charge the same amount whether you make hundreds of shirts vs. just a few shirts. Choudhury says, “ If you’re making 500 t-shirts, your costs will be significantly less than doing 10 t-shirts only.” The brand builds that price into what you ultimately pay.
3. Marketing and Fashion Shows
Alluring advertisements and fantastical fashion shows aren’t cheap! But all those expenditures are apart of the brand’s story and help to market items in an aspirational way.
You’ll find luxury brands renting out fabulous venues and sometimes paying celebs to sit front row and wear their items. Celebrity marketing, shows, and advertising all play a part in what you’re paying for your clothes.
Agins says, “If the brand has that cool factor like a Tom Ford or a Stella McCartney, the market will bear that. People will pay a little extra to wear it.”
4. Labor Costs
Agins says, “Stuff from Italy, France, and the United States demands higher wages, and that’s going to be reflected in the price. [It’s cheaper to get clothes made in] Bangladesh, India, and China.” So yes, you can get a similar striped red and blue shirt from the GAP. But please note Stella McCartney is made in Italy, while the latter is made in China, hence the price difference.
5. Quality (Sometimes)
June Haynes, who owns luxury consulting firm June Haynes Luxury Retailing, says, “Most luxury brands are European and therefore there are costs such as duty and freight that are factored into cost, as well as craftsmanship, such as finishing by hand, hand beading, etc. Sometimes anything that is heavily embellished, hand stitched, etc takes time to finish and takes a skilled seamstress or tailor to put together.”
Choudhury adds, “With shoes and handbags, the quality is worth the price. A lot goes into it. Everything is about the process from design to pattern making. Shoes are very very expensive to make. When you’re paying for Italian shoes, you’re paying because their factories are really expensive to produce. Samples are $600 each to produce, just for samples. In accessories, it is expensive. Handbags are really expensive to make. The leather, the hardware, the patterns. You can make cheap shoes in China, but it doesn’t have the same form. When you’re paying for shoes, you’re really paying for quality and artisanship. The process is incredible.”
She adds, “With men’s and women’s suiting, the quality is usually worth every single penny. You can pay a premium for originality and something that is not mass produced.”
But ultimately, shoes and bags are the items that help brands stay afloat in the market place.
Clothing is a rarefied world targeted towards the very rich. But Choudhury offers, “Zara is a really good fit for all of it. If you don’t want something to be too cheap (in terms of quality) and you can’t break the bank, go to Zara.”
And there you have it!
What do you think? Has this changed the way you view luxury goods and fashion?
The summer is coming to an end, but the style doesn’t have to stop!
Celebrate the last few days of warmer temps and rooftop cocktails with the following looks, curated by @StyleisMyObsession.
Pop a burgundy vest over Topshop ripped jeans, and slip on a pair of Saint Laurent sandals for a bit of height.
Throw on some Miu Miu shades to complete the easy ensemble.
Rita Ora and her friends were captured by a snap happy photog while enjoying a day on the boat in Formentera. She played it up for the paps in a $132 Tilde Bikini by Sian Swimwear:
Her barely there two piece has a black strappy effect around the breast.
It was all about prints for Jackie Cruz at the Ricki And The Flash New York Premiere where she slipped on a Christine Alcalay Spring 2015 Printed Halter Maxi Dress:
Jackie stuck to the brand’s simple styling, let the print and silhouette of the gown play centerstage.
Fly Bombshell alert! Take a look at Charlisa from Baltimore, Maryland:
She writes, “I describe my style as “Faddish”…”
” I stay on trend with adding my own personal touch.”
” I LOVE co-ords; wearing them together or pairing them with separates/different pieces.”
” I keep things natty and classy by accessorizing using lapel pins and earrings in the place of buttons. I enjoy wearing bright colors which express my personality.”
Some hits, some misses, but mostly hits! Slay on, Charlisa!
See more @carpe_diem_1018.
What do you think of today’s submission?
Fashion Bombshell of the Day is a feature showcasing the singular style of Fashion Bomb Readers. Send your name, location, a description of your style, and 6-8 clear, unfiltered, head-to-toe pictures of 5-10 different outfits (no collages) to thefashionbomb@gmail.com. Images submitted will be featured on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any of our social media platforms. Comments can be harsh, so bring your A game! Please be advised: once published, pictures will not be removed or taken down.
Laverne Cox appeared at the New York Premiere of Ricki and the Flash in the same $385 Elizabeth and James Arron Dress Adrienne Bailon wore to party over the weekend:
Red lips, a mirrored belt, spiked pumps, and a Nathalie Trad clutch comprised Laverne’s accoutrements, while Adrienne kept it simple with gilded sandals.
The dress has a double-layered skirt and an asymmetrical hem.
This is one of my favorite colors! They both look hot, though I have a slight preference for how Laverne accentuated her waist with the belt.
What do you think?
British R&B star FKA Twigs was spotted out and about with beau Robert Pattinson as they hit the streets of Manchester, England. The fashionista donned an edgy look that incorporates a $4,140 Christopher Kane Floral Embroidered Leather Jacket, a quilted Chanel waist bag and distressed white denim.
The jacket features zipper detailing, asymmetric fastening and pink/green floral embroidery.
Interested in making the splurge? Take a quick detour here for additional purchasing details.
