After “preppy black Friday” left empty shelves at target and inflated prices on ebay; my sister and fellow blogger moaned the lost of the bag she could not get until she went to lily pulitzer website and found similar price points as the prices on ebay.
We decided that maybe the issue is that young shoppers have accepted certain myths created by big box low end stores as well as stylist “get it for less” fashion news. Here are the myths and the truth behind them.
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designer means expensive
With clothing lines like Coach, Fendi, Gucci, Prada and Louis Vuitton held at one end and Zara, H&M, forever21 held at the other, these stylist “get it for less” segments have created the belief that nothing exist in the middle. Unknownly, they have created a “sale” culture and also have made the mid-priced designer invisible.
Lily Pulitzer is a great example. The idea of launching a brand for target is to get people interested in the brand not for Ebay to compete with her own site. Sadly, in recent years, Target seems to be making all the money with no back splash for the designer.
Designers like Lily Pulitzer, Kate Spade, Tommy Hilfiger, Iron Fist, Vince Camuto, and many more do offer affordable alternatives to the big box trifecta. Also, designers are now folding their “budget” line into the main line to offer even more price points (kate Saturday for example).
you can get quality at cheaper prices
Okay, the average clothes from a low end store has shelf life of 6 weeks. This means if seasonal clothes do not sell in their season, they have to leave the store immediately or fall apart on the rack. The standard for most clothes bought at 9.99 to 14.99 is about 3 months which increase waste as most end up in landfills. In fact, in the long run 3 tops at these price points would last 9 months, a designer top at 60 dollars will last 8 years plus retain value so you can sell it and get something else. In the end, you will spend 6 times the amount of one designer top to save money in the short run. Was it worth it?
designers do not have sales, so no way I can afford anything
Sample sales are designer sales. Rackedny, clothingline and 260sample sale are just a free places to find out where they are located. Sign up for your favorite designer newsletter and they will let you know about online sales as well as sample sales. There are a range of sizes and they do decrease over time since most are not slated for more than a week.
Also, stores like lord and Taylor often have these brands on sale as well as a great collection of mid priced brands. Dillard’s can also be used as an online alternative.
Finally, TJMaxx, Marshalls and DSW also offer great bargains on designer items.
If we can stop these myths and educate shoppers, we can stop the sale cycle, and even help new designers starting out.
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