Cloud 10's Think Tank (SOUND OFF) Why Are Designer Clothes So Expensive?

I was browsing the net yesterday and found this very interesting article in the New York Times about why a pair of designer khaki pants were so expensive.  The NY Times writer interviewed several high end designers to understand how they justify the exorbitant prices they charge for their clothes.  I have always argued that if you want great quality clothing that possesses a certain charm and sets you apart from the rest you would have to hand over the dough.  These pants were over $500 each for the most part and I just can't justify that, unless they're on sale with a 50%-60% deduction (SHOP SALES PEOPLE..SHOP SALES).  Anyway it was definitely an interesting read..





Here are some of the excerpts:

"Never mind that classic button-fly chinos at Abercrombie & Fitch cost $70 or that Gap sells “original khakis” for $44.50. The fact that luxury chinos exist — and in surprising numbers — is another story, one that illustrates the challenge faced by designers to justify the still sky-high prices of their clothes. A distinctive design might strengthen the argument, but is $550 really a fair price for basic pants? 

How about $480, for plain khakis from Michael Bastian? Or $495 for light cotton twill pants from Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen of The Row? Or $595 if they are by Giorgio Armani? Or $780 for ones with elasticized cuffs from Bottega Veneta? Or is $350, as Thom Browne charges for chinos, the right price? The range suggests that since the luxury bubble burst, designers have no clue what customers are willing to pay. 

“The cost of creating those things has nothing to do with the price,” said David A. Aaker, the vice chairman of Prophet, a brand consulting firm. “It is all about who else is wearing them, who designed them and who is selling them.” 

“It sounds crazy to say this, I know, but our pants are a steal,” Mr. Sternberg said. To make his case, he gave a tour of the factory where they are made, Martin Greenfield in Bushwick, Brooklyn, where little has changed in the production of tailored clothing in a century. 

A man was hovering over an 80-year-old contraption called a jump iron, hot enough to mold fabrics into shapes they will be unlikely to forget. Another man basted panels of suit fabric to springy canvas, which makes the garment more flexible. In a machine-made jacket, the canvas would be fused or glued into a suit. 

Mr. Sternberg’s khakis are tailored like dress pants, and the details are largely sewn by hand, including buttonholes and split waistbands, which can be altered easily. The fabric, which costs $24 a yard, plus $3 a yard to import, is a cotton gabardine fine enough to withstand basting stitches. About two yards, counting for boo-boos and such, is used to make a pair of pants, so the fabric cost is $54."

Read the rest over at New York Times 

LV

AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! Does the craftsmanship justify the hike in price from something you could get at Marshalls, Winners, or Citi Trends?