Suzanne O’Connor’s Bargains LA

Don’t Buy Into the Cheap Designer Goods Hype

During this recession, and even before, I would hear about designers doing lines for Target, H & M, JC Penny and such. These designers decided to tap into the lower priced market. This was a savvy business decision on their part, not an outreach program. These incredible designers used their good business sense to expand their brand and make more money. They know they’ll sell more product and get a greater audience at a lower price point. But that doesn’t mean they are cutting their profit margins.  Business is business. It means they’ll have their designs cut using lower quality cloth, and construction methods at a cheaper overseas factories that cost less. The result is a cheaper quality product. Period. These are not the same couture runway pieces that made these designers famous.

Shoppers flocked to these lower priced stores to snatch up goods by these coveted designers. I must admit that the clothing lines I saw at Target and H & M were striking, beautifully designed pieces. But the quality was simply lower, often much lower than their regular lines.

The problem with buying low-end designs is the constant need to replace items that don’t hold up after a season or two. In the long run you pay a lot more for clothing than you should. For example, an $18 sweater in a nylon acetate blend will not last as long as a $54 sweater made from cotton and silk. The cotton and silk sweater won’t last as long as the wool blend sweater at $88… and so on. A well-made sweater should give you many years of life, not just a couple of seasons. Cheaper made clothing loses shape, colors fade and threads become unravels much faster than a well-made product. It’s true, you do get what you pay for.

The trick is to buy the highest quality you can at the lowest possible price. Discount stores & boutiques, sample sales, end of season warehouse sales and closeouts liquidators give you plenty of opportunity to by quality goods for less.  That’s what BargainsLA.com is all about.

So if you’re tempted by these designers pieces at lower quality, buy the trendiest piece you can find. Chances are it will only last as long as the trend.  Though I love fashion and want to look fierce, I would much rather make fewer, smarter purchases and have a fiercer looking bank account.