STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

KaffeeKlatsch · Marc Jacobs

OMIGOD...J Crew???

Christine · Coach

Did you see the $650 blazer?

kenzie · Chanel

What the crap is up with mall chain stores increasing their prices? I know that they are also increasing their quality, but it's getting ridiculous! Leave the designer prices to the actual designers!

-- Edited by NylaBelle at 11:59, 2005-09-13

KaffeeKlatsch · Marc Jacobs

Exactly...I'm about two second away from banning myself from shopping...or at least just putting a limit on what I will spend on any given item. This is crazy. I wonder if the 'super jeans' craze was the start of this...

NCshopper · Hermes

leah_leanna wrote:

Exactly...I'm about two second away from banning myself from shopping...or at least just putting a limit on what I will spend on any given item. This is crazy. I wonder if the 'super jeans' craze was the start of this...

I think jeans were the start of this. I swear, I think Gap is the only mall store that has jeans that are under $90. JCrew, Banana, etc all seemed to raise their prices on jeans, but I haven't noticed the quality going up as well. JCrew also changed their jeans sizing so that they're more like "designer" jeans.

I love JCrew's clothes and they used to be affordable. I'm not sure what they're doing right now because it seems to me that the average mall shopper won't (and can't) spend $285 on shoes and $650 on a jacket. I can't imagine that they're going to do well this season.

bex · Chanel

and the shoes aren't even $285 cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i don't think that jcrew's quality has gotten any better since their pricing has gone up.... i can definitely see a difference in BR... but jcrew is still the same old same old...

Cortney1982 · Chanel

Maybe they are going with the impression that if something costs more, it will be more exclusive and thus more sought after leading to higher sales. I don't fall for that. I haven't even done the jeans thing. Not like I could, since there isn't any stores with expensive denim around here. I really need to go jeans shopping this weekend. I only have 4 pairs that I wear. It's just too hard to find a pair that fit in all the right places and that I like.

exsupahero · Kate Spade

I like J.Crew (and think their prices are way more expensive than before) but I think they're hoping to tap into the wealthy families market who will look to them for basics... cause you know, most of their stuff is basic anyways (but I do love those J.Crew basics. haha.)

Kel · Coach

NCshopper wrote:

I can't imagine that they're going to do well this season.

I have noticed this for the past year or so, prices have been steadly increasing and then the stores complain on their quarterly reports that they have a drop in sales. I wonder why?

atlgirl · Gucci

I have noticed this for the past year or so, prices have been steadly increasing

Yeah, I've noticed this too. I think it did kind of start with the jeans, and now has spread to cover ALL items of clothing / accessories, it seems. I can't believe the prices on some things, and refuse to pay for things that I think are ridiculously overpriced, no matter how much I might like a particular item.

Not sure where it will all end - maybe if stores keep posting losses, they'll figure out that gouging the average consumer won't work, and get back to more reasonable items. (Well, I can hope, anyway).