It's Sweater Season!!! Snuggletime!!!
Sweater Sticker Shock~ Why LUXURY clothing costs more...
The Story behind the $$$$$ Price Tag
Designers' Collections are full of lush, chuncky sweaters this season. While they look basic, designers say these sweaters reflect high levels of workmanship.
Price is determined on the designers retail status.
Stella McCartney, yes Paul's Daughter, prides herself and her sweater collection made from South African Wool in the Venetto region of Italy. Ms. McCartney vets wool suppliers for humane animal-husbandry practices and sustainable farming methods.
Designer items are not mass-produced and should be of extraordinary quality. Labor standards play a big role in price. Most designer sweaters are made in Italy or Scotland, where workers are protected by labor laws. Designers produce smaller quantities and can't qualify for discounts available to mass producers.
The prices of designers basics such as sweaters and coats are rising at an alarming rate, some say by 50% since the 2007-08 financial crisis- and are likely to keep rising.
Department stores offer Luxury, Contemporary, and then lower priced tiers so that every client, no matter their pocketbook, can afford to keep warm on some level this season.