topic Re: Designer brands in Fashion

Designer brands

Pavanne — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 12:38:52 GMT

I purchased the Bob Mackie faux suade fringed jacket recently. It is lovely but I checked out Kohls online to see what they had and they had the same jacket for about $30 less. I do not understand this "designer" clothing concept when you can find the same thing in the stores. Now I need to decide if I am going to return and rebuy or just keep what I have and eat the balance. It is a very nice jacket.

Re: Designer brands

millieshops — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 13:06:01 GMT

The real question is "Is it the SAME jacket" or just the same style? Because you like the jacket, I'd check things like the fabric, the zipper or buttons, the seaming, etc. Sometimes designer doesn't mean the design is unique, but other aspects of the garment are.

You can almost always find "designer" style cheaper elsewhere - that's why the style magazines do so many designer versus store brand or off-brand pages.

I am not syaing the Mackie jacket is better; I never bought anything of his except a silk scarf. But I would carry the jacket with me to Kohl's and do a comparison in place unless it's something I think I'd wear for only this season. If that's true, I'd save a few dollars on it - even if you have to pay to return, you'd still be ahead $20 and you can't make that in a bank any year in the near future!

Re: Designer brands

Pearlee — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 13:15:06 GMT

I doubt it's the same jacket. I would think Bob Mackie has an exclusive contract with QVC for the line he brings there. By the way, his clothes are extremely well made.

Re: Designer brands

ladyroxanne — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 13:24:34 GMT

it depends what you're looking for and willing to accept. the kohl's jacket probably doesn't have the same quality as the mackie and that's the decision you have to make.

Re: Designer brands

jonbon — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 14:02:37 GMT

@millieshops wrote:
The real question is "Is it the SAME jacket" or just the same style? Because you like the jacket, I'd check things like the fabric, the zipper or buttons, the seaming, etc. Sometimes designer doesn't mean the design is unique, but other aspects of the garment are.

You can almost always find "designer" style cheaper elsewhere - that's why the style magazines do so many designer versus store brand or off-brand pages.

I am not syaing the Mackie jacket is better; I never bought anything of his except a silk scarf. But I would carry the jacket with me to Kohl's and do a comparison in place unless it's something I think I'd wear for only this season. If that's true, I'd save a few dollars on it - even if you have to pay to return, you'd still be ahead $20 and you can't make that in a bank any year in the near future!

Yes, this reminds me of the posts saying that people found the "same" IM lace dress at Sam's Club (I think -- or Costco?) for much less when it was a TSV a while back. In fact, it was a similar dress -- not exactly the same -- and the difference in quality was obvious, according to those who had seen both. I have no idea about the Mackie jacket, but I agree that it requires some careful comparison and thought.

Re: Designer brands

Pavanne — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 14:10:53 GMT

Yes, I have been thinking lately to having maybe less in my closet but what I do have be it better quality in fabric, style, and fit. Sometimes less is more. Thank you all for the discussion.

Re: Designer brands

Adamlambert — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 14:16:28 GMT

I would also compare them. I've never had good luck with anything from Kohls other than Chaps.

Re: Designer brands

62cougar — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 14:52:52 GMT

I work in the headquarters of a large freight carrier and we haul HUNDREDS of trailers every month for Kohls. About 95% of their freight comes in on shipping containers into Southern California and Miami from overseas. You can guess where it originates.

Re: Designer brands

Danielle46 — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 14:53:42 GMT

Its obviously the same style jacket but not by Bob Mackie. As someone else posted, his line is exclusive for QVC. I'm sure if you searched on google you can find the same style jacket in 30 different stores. If something is trending then you will find a version of it by many brands. You should be looking at quality, fabric, seaming, detail etc and not just the "style". I'm sure that Bob's jacket is better quality than anything you would find at Kohls.

Re: Designer brands

PINKdogWOOD — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 15:38:56 GMT

Ms P - unless you're a gal who really gets hung up on someone's name on the label, I'd be buying for less regardless the name of the store. This is how I shop most of the time.

A designer label certainly does not mean the garment is better, made better, comes from the good old US of A. And if this doesn't bother you, go for the one that costs you less. MANY designers' goods come from China, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, etc. This makes these garments for me a dime a dozen then charging us here 3,5, 10 times as much for what - because they had to ship them from overseas? I'm sorry but I will not buy into this. It's totally ridiculous in my pocketbook.

Is Bob Mackie's good strictly made un the USA? I cannot say unless I check his wears here, perhaps they are - ALL of what he brings here to the Q. Yes, they may be exclusive to the Q but where else do you buy his goods? Unless you're a BM exclusive purchaser, then you did good for yourself despite finding the same style for less elsewhere.

His jacket wasn't even REAL suede!

Re: Designer brands

Pavanne — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 15:47:51 GMT

Out of curiosity I did a Google search and found other similar jackets. Pricing was all over the place. I'll keep mine and be happy. The faux fabric is very nice on this one.

Re: Designer brands

Kachina624 — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 01:36:07 GMT

@PINKdogWOOD wrote:
Ms P - unless you're a gal who really gets hung up on someone's name on the label, I'd be buying for less regardless the name of the store. This is how I shop most of the time.

A designer label certainly does not mean the garment is better, made better, comes from the good old US of A. And if this doesn't bother you, go for the one that costs you less. MANY designers' goods come from China, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, etc. This makes these garments for me a dime a dozen then charging us here 3,5, 10 times as much for what - because they had to ship them from overseas? I'm sorry but I will not buy into this. It's totally ridiculous in my pocketbook.

Is Bob Mackie's good strictly made un the USA? I cannot say unless I check his wears here, perhaps they are - ALL of what he brings here to the Q. Yes, they may be exclusive to the Q but where else do you buy his goods? Unless you're a BM exclusive purchaser, then you did good for yourself despite finding the same style for less elsewhere.

His jacket wasn't even REAL suede!

Very few, if any, garments are made in the USA these days. We don't even have the facilities for manufacturing them anymore. I can guarantee if our clothing was made here it would cost considerably more, not less, than a garment made overseas. It's the high labor costs here that drove manufactures to other countries. It also doesn't mean the construction of a garment is inferior. As in the U.S., there are are quality facilities and there are those that make junk. Bob is lucky to have one that makes quality garments.

If the jacket had been suede, it would have doubled the price.