Designer Dresses for Under $10
Sarah Jessica Parker Launches the World’s Cheapest Designer Dress
A new line in cut-price designer clothing is taking the U.S. by storm. With items of $19.98 or less, welcome to the world of low-cost designer fashion.
Say the word "designer" and you instantly think of a heafty price tag. However, a chain store in the US has proved that whilst its products may be designer, they don't have to be expensive.
With their designer clothing for the masses, Americans Steve & Barry have turned our fashion concepts on their head by selling celebrity endorsed designer gear in their stores, at incredible prices.
“Fashion is not a Luxury – it’s a Right”
Sarah Jessica Parker, (Sex and the City’s Carrie Fisher) launched her clothing line, BITTEN on June 7 2007 in the belief that "Fashion is not a luxury, it's a right." Having been bitten by the Steve & Barry bug, Parker has lent her name to a range of exclusive low-budget designerwear produced by the designer duo, Steve Shore and Barry Prevor, of Steve & Barry stores. At 44 years old, Steve and Barry have been friends since childhood and launched their first shop together in 1985, initially selling university sportswear. The business really took off two years ago, when they hit upon the idea of using celebrities to promote quality, low-cost designer clothing, outfits that the American masses could easily afford.
Bitten (by the Acting Bug)
Amazingly, BITTEN (as in bitten by the acting bug), includes more than 1,000 fashion items selling at Steve & Barry’s where every piece in the line is priced at $19.98 or less, and includes jeans, dresses, cashmere sweaters, shirts, jackets and lingerie. It also has a range of fashion accessories from shoes, bags, jewelry and belts. More famous for her addiction to Manolo Blahnik shoes in Sex and the City, Parker admits to loving Steve & Barry’s "ideas and manifestos," in the Telegraph’s article of May 2nd 2008, "Sarah Jessica Parker Launched £4.50 Dress," .
Sarah Jessica Parker’s $10 Dress
Arriving at a recent movie premier with her husband Mathew Broderick, Parker set the international fashion industry all atwitter when she wore a less-than-$10 blue and white floral dress. Given our current copycat-celebrity culture this at least means that starstruck young women in America can at least dip into their purses and achieve SJP’s look without breaking the bank.
Every Woman’s Right to a Stylish Confident Wardrobe
In the words of Sarah Jessica Parker, in her BITTEN product manifesto, “It is every woman’s inalienable right to have a pulled-together, stylish, confident wardrobe with money left over to live.”
Steve & Barry Store Locations
There are currently 264 Steve & Barry stores across 37 states in America (although not all stores carry the BITTEN brand) and a key element in their low-cost strategy is to set up stores in struggling shopping centers, which, therefore, offer lower rents. The store in Manhattan is particularly popular with visitors across the pond.
Another issue with selling such cut-price designer garments begs the question of ethics, when it comes to product manufacturing. In the Daily Mail’s article, Sex and the Thrift Dress (May 1st 2008) Steve & Barry are quoted as saying that they don’t use sweatshops, but rely on razor-thin profits instead. However, they do manage to keep manufacturing costs low by getting their products made in countries with lower labor costs, like China and India.
Steve & Barry Store Information
Their website Steveandbarrys.com includes SJP’s manifesto, their key looks and a gallery of their collections, a number of promotional videos, plus a list of store locations. As yet they do not accept mail order but the website announces that there are plans to introduce online facilities at a later “to bring online shopping to those customers across the country that do not yet live near a Steve & Barry's location”
Unfortunately for now at least, for those who live outside of the US, there is no ordering online service available for this low-cost women's fashion line.The occasional piece does pop up on eBay, however.
Who knows, as imitation is considered to be the sincerest form of flattery, then perhaps it won’t be long before a European or Asian store chain applies Steve and Barry's concept too?
