Low-Cost Designer Clothing Trend
The Cut-Price Fashion Phenomenon That is Taking the U.S. by Storm
May 4, 2008
2007 saw the launch of a revolutionary designer brand, BITTEN. Fronted by Sarah Jessica Parker, this line sells high-fashion clothing for under $20. "Fashion is not a luxury, it's a right,” says Parker, who is firmly committed to providing affordable, quality, women's clothing.
BITTEN by Sarah Jessica Parker
“BITTEN Sarah Jessica Parker” (to give it its formal name), is a clothing line designed by Steve Shore and Barry Prevor , for sale exclusively in their Steve & Barry stores. This has started a fashion craze in low-cost designer clothing, with the aim of producing quality designer clothing that everyone could afford – a concept that may just turn the fashion industry on its head!
With jackets, jeans, dresses, sweaters and sleepwear for $19.98 (£10.00) or less, plus fashion accessories, Parker’s BITTEN range has been a huge success. From its initial launch on 7 June 2007 with approximately 400 lines it now has around 1,000, with the fall 2008 collection slated to arrive on the shelves in August. According to the website, the BITTEN collection was designed for women of all ages and sizes, with a full size range from XS-XXL .
Says blogger Jennifer M from New York, on Yelp.com, (under the listing Steve & Barrys) “I've gotten quite a few pieces at Bitten and have been complimented on my clothing when I've been out. It's very good for building a basic wardrobe (jeans, jackets etc.). The fit is very good and the pieces are always fashionable.”
Other bloggers on this site compare BITTEN favorably with H&M. Of the store chain Steve & Barrys, Rachel A from New Jersey says it “is a cross between Old Navy, American Eagle, Payless Shoe Source, and H&M.
A Designer Dress for £4.50
In the first week of May 2008, newspapers such as the Telegraph and Daily Mail have been featuring gthe Sex in the City actress, Sarah Jessica Parker, at a movie premier in her blue £4.50 BITTEN dress. This has spotlighted inernational media attention onto both the BITTEN brand and Steve & Barry stores, even through its products are only currently available in the U.S.
Steve & Barry Stores
The brand is currently available in around 200 or Steve & Barry’s 264 stores. The chain store is another success story, from the first in 1985 to now stores located in 37 states and new outlets opening up all the time. The philosophy behind the pricing is to accept razor-thin profit margins and to manufacture goods outside the US, where costs can be reduced significantly with lower overheads. Stores are also found in run-down shopping malls, where rents are cheaper and they rely on word-of-mouth advertising.
Their website has full details of all store locations plus planned dates for the launch of new ones. Mail order and online shopping facilities are not possible at this time. In keeping their cost levels to a minimum, Steve & Barry stores aim to offer high quality merchandise at the lowest prices possible.
DEAR Designer Clothing – Low-Cost Fashion for Young Women
Another low cost range available exclusively at the same chain store is DEAR by Amanda Bynes. The DEAR product range, endorsed by the former Nickelodeon star and Hollywood "it" girl, features around 120 fashion pieces for young women who want to be fashionable but do not want to break the bank. The message is simple, “you do not have to spend a fortune on clothes to look great.”
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.”
Designer Sportswear at Steve & Barrys
Not wishing to neglect its male customers, Steve& Barry are about to launch Laird Hamilton's "Wonderwall" clothing brand for Spring 2008. This collection will feature men's clothing for surfing and skating, with the brand slogan “we are all equal before a wave.” More sportswear is endorsed by tennis star Venus Williams, a clothing and sneakers line called EleVen.
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