Did you know that the global fashion industry is valued at $3 trillion and the high fashion industry at $300 billion?
“The Devil Wears Prada” introduced fashion to even those who previously knew nothing about the biggest names in the world of style and beauty. Want to know more about the most expensive brands in clothing and accessories? Our selection contains the best of the best.
Top ten
The top includes the following brands:
- Chanel
- Burberry
- Hermes
- Prada
- Gucci
- Dolce And Gabbana
- Ralph Lauren
- Versace
- Giorgio Armani
These companies produce the most expensive clothes in the world.
"Chanel"
Coco Chanel's journey is nothing short of an epic and legendary journey to the pinnacle of fashion. Brands with such incredible stories They justifiably inflate the price tag.
Coco had a unique talent for sensing what the world needed. And her projects are still relevant today. Revolutionary small black dress remains mandatory in every women's wardrobe. Millions of women of all ages dream of the legendary Chanel No. 5 perfume. Chanel was a revolutionary who believed that luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury!
The Chanel brand is valued at $7 billion.
"Burberry"
It has been around for over a century and is probably the oldest fashion brand in the world. Thomas Burberry opened his first store in 1856 in Basingstoke, England.
The signature plaid pattern is the first thing we think of when we think of Burberry. It was developed for the military and then gained popularity among civilians. The design became such a hit that it is now part of a huge range of clothing and accessories.
Experts value Burberry at $3.4 billion
"Erme"
This is exactly what the name of this brand sounds like, and not “Hermes” or “Nermes”, as some people think.
Hermes has been around for over 200 years. It first appeared in the 18th century as a workshop making leather belts, saddles and bags.
Erme is the epitome of sophistication and chic in everything they do, be it expensive bags, shoes, perfumes, clothing or even home interiors. Like many companies, Hermes has seen its share of business ups and downs. However, the company has weathered all the storms and continues to be a popular premium brand catering to the elite.
Having come a long way, Hermes today has revenues of $5 billion.
"Prada"
Miuccia Prada, born in 1949, a graduate student in political science and a former member and activist of the Italian Communist Party, is the current owner of Prada. She was the most modest heir to the elite brand that appeared in 1913.
Initially, Prada specialized in creating bags, travel bags and suitcases for the Italian elite. However, when Miuccia Prada took over, she launched luxury clothing for men and women. Prada gained popularity even before this collection was released.
The company's net worth is estimated to be $2.4 billion. Clothing and accessories from the brand are still among the most sought after around the world.
"Gucci"
The history of Gucci began in the 19th century. Now the company is considered the most successful Italian brand in the world.
Gucci, who worked in Paris as an immigrant hotel worker, was fascinated by premium handbags, so they formed the basis of his business idea. Then he returned to Florence, his hometown, and began working on opening a company. His sons joined him and helped expand the business in Milan and Rome.
The Gucci brand has always attracted a lot of attention. Over time, the company's products penetrated the US markets. The first store was then opened in New York in 1956 and eventually in other major cities in the United States.
"Dior"
Christian Dior, known as Dior, began his career as a prestigious couturier in 1946. The company later expanded to include Baby Dior for children and Dior Homme for men.
The company was one of the first to present its full collection in its own residence, which was also their flagship store at 30 Avenue Montaigne Paris. In 1947, Dior also launched the Miss Dior perfume line.
"Dolce and Gabbana"
Dolce & Gabbana is relatively new compared to other big names in fashion houses. It all started in 1985, when Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana began to gain popularity.
Dolce & Gabbana started with knitwear collections in 1987 and also launched two separate lingerie and swimwear lines, which were also a hit. Their clothes were loved by Hollywood actresses; wearing this label was considered a status symbol. Today the company also produces the best fragrances.
Dolce & Gabbana's $1.4 billion revenue speaks volumes about the brand.
"Ralph Lauren"
Shortly after he left his job in the army, Ralph Lauren joined the Brooks Brothers as a salesman and became the best in the business. He convinced management to let him open his own line.
Ralph then started his own company in 1971. Today it produces perfume, accessories, men's and women's clothing. Ralph Lauren also designed the costumes for The Great Gatsby.
The corporation's net worth is estimated at a whopping $5 billion.
"Versace"
Gianni Versace is an Italian who comes from a family of designers. He got into the fashion world quite early. He started working for his mother right after high school. He later moved to Milan and started freelancing. He eventually created his Versace label in 1978 and launched his first clothing collection.
He was also the first designer who understood the importance of Hollywood stars and supermodels, so he was especially active in collaborating with this audience.
The $800 million empire was built in less than ten years. Today the brand is valued at 5.8 billion. After Gianni’s death, the company is headed by his sister.
"Giorgio Armani"
The Armani company began operating in 1978 in Milan. Today there are several directions, for example, Armani Jeans, Armani Kids, Emporio Armani.
The brand generates sales of more than $3 billion annually.
Well, finally, I got my act together and made what was probably the last comparative article.
Thanks to everyone who read, commented on the topic and offered their ideas!
Let's talk about clothes today. An important attribute of our daily life. Here I will simply give the cost of clothing and shoes in the USA. Anyone can compare mall our vast homeland.
But this article also has practical applications! It also lists sites with delivery to Russia! For those interested, read the details.
As always, all sources are indicated in the text. You can check everything yourself, use it!
At the time of writing, 1 $ = 29.64 Russian rubles.
A small educational program.
The USA is a country of coupons and constant discounts here and there. Coupons like buy one, get one free or 2 for $5 are simply sent to your inbox every two weeks from various fast food outlets. It would be a sin not to take advantage. It's the same in most stores. If you bought something once, you were given a card for a discount (% or $). Or then they send you a catalog with discounts in it. And you’re already thinking, this is a waste of the discount - you need to buy something. And off we go. The master class shows Victoria's Secret. Having bought something from it once, you will always buy from it. You are instantly drawn in. And how they pack things!
Discounts are also not uncommon: thanksgiving day sales, black friday - on this day discounts reach 70%, christmas sales, after christmas sales, veteran's day sales, president's day sales, independence day sales, annual sales, semi-annual sales , just out of the kindness of my heart sales. On average, discounts occur every 2 weeks of at least 30%. So if you missed it, there’s no need to be upset, they’ll be there again soon.
There are never any problems with exchanges - we exchanged swimsuits and shoes, even socks. They always smile and do it very quickly.
You can view current discounts on the website currentcodes.com, print coupons from the website retailmenot.com. I also highly recommend checking out the following sites with great deals: groupon.com, dealsea.com, edealinfo.com, slickdeals.net, fatwallet.com.
Let's start with the little kids. Future, young and older mothers will be interested.
A good network is The children's place, there is delivery to Russia, go for it!
T-shirts for 8 $ - 9 $ (about 260 rubles), polos for 12 $ - 15 $ (about 385 rubles), jackets for 30 $ (about 889 rubles), jeans for 15 $ - 20 $ (about 534 rubles), shoes for about 15 $ (about 445 rubles).
Old Navy for older boys (they always have free delivery on orders over $50): T-shirts $12 (about 356 rubles), polos $15 (about 445 rubles), jackets $35 (about 1,037 rubles), jeans $25 (about 741 rubles), shoes about $19 (about 563 rubles). There is no delivery to Russia, but there is delivery to Ukraine.
Gap for boys - you can see the prices yourself. No delivery to Russia again :(
Next - teenagers and youth style in general.
Many people know GAP. It should be noted that Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic are all trademarks of one company, GAP (a lending partner of General Electric). If you get a credit card from any of these brands, you will receive 5% cashback, which can be spent in any of these departments. Comfortable.
For boys: T-shirts about 18 $ (about 534 rubles), polos about 17 $ (about 504 rubles), jackets about 35 $ (about 1037 rubles), jeans about 33 $ (about 978 rubles), shoes about 25 $ (about 741 rubles ). No delivery to Russia again :(
Hollister. American teenage girls dress almost everything here. Delivery to Russia is available!
T-shirts are about $20 (about 593 rubles), polos are about $30 (about 889 rubles), jackets are about $80 (about 2,371 rubles), jeans are about $50 (about 1,482 rubles). At a discount, we bought jeans here for $25 a pair (about 741 rubles). And on Black Friday we actually stocked up in full)
Abercrombie & Fitch - Hollister, but for those who are richer. Delivery to Russia is available!
Since it is made by the same company, the design is very similar. It's strange, but all Asians adore this department.
Aeropostale - almost the same prices as GAP and Hollister for teenagers. There is no delivery to Russia, but there is delivery to Ukraine.
Levi's jeans - about $70 (about 2075 rubles), but we constantly came across discounts and took no more than $30 (about 889 rubles).
For older people.
A huge Macy's department. You can find a little bit of everything in it. Delivery to Russia is available!
Next is the large Younkers department. No delivery to Russia again :(
Banana Republic - for elegant ladies and ladies, as well as gentlemen. Everything is of very good quality. T-shirts are about $25 (about 741 rubles), tops are about $40 (about 1,186 rubles), jackets are about $150 (about 4,446 rubles), jeans are about $90 (about 2,668 rubles), shoes are about $110 (about 3,260 rubles). I know that a department has opened in Moscow, so you can directly compare prices. No delivery to Russia again :(
For girls.
There is almost no alternative to Victoria's Secret.
5 panties for $26 (about 154 rubles per pair), 4 for 28 $ (about 207 rubles per pair), 3 for $30 (about 296 rubles per pair), swimsuits for an average of $40 tops (about 1186 rubles) and 25 $ bottom (about 741 rubles), sconces on average 40 $ (about 1186 rubles). A department was opened in Moscow. You can directly compare prices.
And now, girls, good news: Delivery to Russia is available!
You can also try your luck at
Subjectively, the difference is more than 2 times. Where?
Taking into account the average wages in the USA and Russia, and this difference is more than 5 times, we conclude that in the USA it is more than 10 times easier for an American to buy clothes and shoes than for a Russian in Russia. It turns out that for the USA, good clothes and shoes are a profitable business and do not empty your wallet, while in Russia it is very difficult and expensive to buy good things!
Question:
Why are clothes and shoes so expensive in Russia?
The principle of comfort is simple: spend money on the area to which you give most of your money. For example, if you often work at a computer, first of all you need to take care of a comfortable chair and a good desktop.
This principle works great with clothes too. Most of us spend all day in it. This means that you need to first of all make sure that it is comfortable and beautiful.
Clothing is not an investment in the literal sense of the word: it will not rise in price and you will not be able to sell it for more than you bought it for (we are not talking about rarities now). Still, it's useful to think of it as a down payment on your daily comfort and the confidence that you look good.
For example, it is better to have two jeans that look good and fit well, allow you to look good and last a very long time, than six jeans that “seem like nothing”, but sometimes pinch, sometimes squeeze and will not last more than a year.
Not everyone is ready to buy a T-shirt for 12–15 thousand rubles: this is unreasonably expensive. It seems that these things are sewn by elves from the tears of virgins obtained on a moonlit night, otherwise where do such prices come from? But spending 5 thousand rubles on a set of comfortable T-shirts for daily wear is normal.
Quality clothes make you feel good
People have all different sizes and shapes, and cheap clothes are still made for one “ideal person”, because of which I constantly have to take jeans to the tailor after purchase to have the legs trimmed.
Poor quality shirts, for example, look terrible on people who are not folded in a particular way. If the shirt is looser or tighter in some places, you feel uncomfortable. And this is reflected in your body language, which is easily understood by other people (often unconsciously) and shapes their attitude towards you.
Whether we like it or not, clothes are part of it. Your clothes show your social status and how you feel about yourself and the world. Just a couple of good things can make you feel proud of your appearance.
Spending money on quality clothes sometimes seems frivolous, but in some cases, you can't afford to skimp on clothes. For example, when you want to get a prestigious job.
Do the math before you buy
Cheap clothes don't cost you much in the long run. Poorly sewn items made from low-quality materials wear out faster. You have to spend money on repairs, and then you still throw away this junk and buy a new one. Whereas you could wear high-quality clothes two to three times longer without any repair costs.
The point is not to have more. The point is to spend a little more on a few good items rather than filling your closet with crap.
Everything can be calculated. The fashion blog Legos in my Louis advises calculating the “wear and tear cost” using the formula:
- the cost of the item + the cost of maintaining it in good condition/wearing period.
For example, you bought cute but expensive jeans (7,000 rubles) that lasted you five years. We count:
- 7,000 rubles + 300 rubles (purchase of powder and stain remover for 5 years) / 780 days (3 days a week for 5 years) = 9.3 rubles per day.
Now imagine that you bought cheap jeans for 1,500 rubles. They'll last you about a year before they fray or tear. We count:
- 1,500 rubles + 100 rubles (for detergent) + 400 rubles (cutting long trouser legs, replacing a broken zipper and other similar expenses) / 156 days (3 days a week for a year) = 12.8 rubles per day.
It turns out more expensive. In addition, every year you will need to go to the store again and buy new jeans, and they will look worse than expensive ones.
Of course, this formula only works for items you plan to wear regularly. If you choose, for example, a swimsuit that you wear 10 times a year for 3-4 hours, it will be more profitable to buy a cheap option and save money on other things.
That's why you need to think things through before buying something.
Expensive clothes and impulse purchases
Cheap clothing suggests that it is much more dangerous for your wallet than periodic substantial expenses on quality items.
Spending 500 rubles here, 1,000 rubles there - it seems like a mere trifle. But if you add up all these expenses, you get substantial amounts. Thus, you can spend a lot of money on clothes in a year, and end up wearing only two or three things out of everything you bought.
When you buy something of quality, you know you're spending a significant amount, which means you think longer before doing it.
You think about whether you need this item, how often you will wear it, how much you want to buy it. You evaluate all the qualities of a thing: its color, how it sits, how it feels.
As Heather Levin explains in an article on Money Crashers, having quality clothes in your closet is helpful because you spend more money on them and it means something to you. You actually think about your purchase, consider it and evaluate it, rather than buying something just because it looked cool on a mannequin when you walked by.
How to make sure you're buying quality clothes
It’s not a pity to buy an expensive thing that is pleasant to wear and well-made, even for a substantial amount. Especially if you know you'll be wearing it often. Unfortunately, not all expensive things are of high quality.
If you don't know how to recognize a well-made garment, you need to find a reference point. Go to a store that you know sells quality items. They can be very expensive, but you don't have to buy them. It is enough to evaluate and remember the details.
Look at the seams (the more stitches per centimeter, the better). Find out what fabric things are made of, remember how it feels to the touch. Check how well buttons, buttons, etc. are attached to clothing. After you evaluate the quality from all sides and remember all its signs, go to a store with affordable prices and choose something similar.
If you don't want to walk for a long time, pay attention to the seams. Pull the fabric at the seam in different directions: if there is free space, the item is poorly sewn and will not last you long.
Here are a few more rules for buying good clothes:
- Don't chase names. Even the most famous brands may turn out to be of poor quality.
- Try before you buy. This will help you check how comfortable the clothes are and how they fit on you.
- Spend more on what you wear most often. There are things that you wear all the time: jeans and T-shirts, shirts and dresses. It would be rational to spend more money on these clothes than on fantastically beautiful ones. Evening Dress or a suit that you will wear a couple of times in your life.
- Spend less on things you rarely wear.. You can save money on swimsuits and other clothes that you wear only a few times a year because these items are unlikely to wear out quickly.
- Don't buy designer clothes at the end of the year. Designers present new collections in spring and autumn. At the end of the year, enterprises producing clothes based on their designs reduce prices and produce trendy items of lower quality and from cheaper materials.
- Order things from the studio. The better a thing fits you, the more willing you will be to wear it.
- Try to buy clothes that go with everything. When choosing clothes, think about what you can combine them with. For example, buy jeans that go with all your T-shirts and shirts so you don't have to buy more and you can create more looks with less clothing.
- Learn to mend clothes. If your favorite item is torn, you can always sew it up yourself or take it to a tailor. And if you get something dirty, a quick reaction and knowledge of what is washed and with what will help without a trace.
What approach do you use to buying clothes?
Why, when buying a T-shirt for 9,000 rubles, should you not expect durability from it? If you are paying a significant amount of money for a product, you need to think about what components influenced the price and made it exactly what it was. It is worth understanding that a simple cotton T-shirt cannot cost these very 9,000 rubles - such a price simply cannot come from anywhere. This means there are several reasons for the added value. In this material we will look at each of them.
What is the reason for high prices?
Relevance (hype)
When you buy a T-shirt, you are buying brand affiliation in the form of a print, a logo, white stitches on the back, or even a small tag inside.
Status
A very difficult point. This is the sum of the projection outside and the attitudes of others. A Kiton costume and a costume from a small Italian sartoria are two big differences, and depending on the environment, the status of an item can vary within very wide limits. In some ways, the items bought for status most strongly convey belonging or the desire to belong, be it Brioni straight leg jeans, a Boy London tracker or sports suit Adidas.
A similar story with the “uniforms” at Ivy League universities - clothing as an indicator of role in the hierarchy and membership in a particular group.
Material
The most controversial point. The cost of a material does not always correlate with durability, and durability with quality. Money is given for the unique characteristics of the fabric. It can be soft, ultra-fine cotton with silk, or oak, naturally dyed linen, or a high-tech mixture of nylon with cupro and modal. Each material, in addition to unique tactile color and functional characteristics, also has a durability indicator, which also varies depending on subsequent treatments. A T-shirt for 9,000 rubles can last for more than one year, but it can get holes in a month or stains from a couple of walks on a sunny day. At the same time, they will buy both, but different people and by various reasons. The fabrics themselves can be purchased externally or ordered for a specific clothing line or even a specific product model.
A marathon runner needs good ventilation; he is ready to buy a T-shirt once a season if it perfectly performs its function. A business representative who travels a lot needs trousers that do not wrinkle, are comfortable and get dirty a little, but at the same time look as calm as possible; for allergy sufferers - hypoallergenic items. Unfortunately, there are no materials that would combine absolutely all or even most of the advantages and would not have obvious disadvantages.
A marathon runner needs good ventilation; he is ready to buy a T-shirt once a season if it perfectly performs its function.
Idea
With this point everything is much simpler. Added value for novelty, unusualness, non-standardity, original idea. Most interesting example: Ann Demeulemeester pendant with feather. If you have ever dealt with wiring and lighting fixtures, you will immediately recognize the part that is responsible for fastening the pen. This is an exact copy of the inner metal part of electrical blocks, also known as terminal blocks, - a tube with a D-shaped section and two fixing screws. This is such a recognizable idea and form that no one else repeats it.
Rarity
All limited edition items, t-shirts, glasses, sneakers, you name it. Everything is also clear: things whose value is largely associated with the difficulty of purchasing. After the circulation disappears from sale, the overpayment when purchasing “from hand” often reaches 100% or more. For example, Nike Roshe Run Metric QS. Female model Roshe Run in an unusual design was released in May of this year. Only a few stores ordered these sneakers in men's sizes. They bought them back quickly enough, and this moment It is not possible to find them in an amount greater than 41.5 - and even then with an overpayment of almost twice.
Complexity
Some things are really difficult to make, or manufacturing process deliberately complicated. The price to pay for “reinventing the wheel”, but with a carbon single-sided fork, completely recalculated mates and a non-obvious shape, is quite high. Complexity is expressed in minimum tolerances, ultra-high quality tailoring or an individual production process, which means the absence of an established technological process, and therefore the work of a highly qualified technologist and a certain amount of trial and error. The complexity of the model should not be confused with the complexity of the material: even the simplest cotton can be sewn with tolerances of no more than 0.3 mm and all seams can be taped.
Examples: Aitor Throup and his collaborations with Umbro, CP Company, Stone Island, Acronym.
Story
This point applies not only to heritage brands, but also to any long-existing brands. From leather producers from Italy, where every second small factory has three or four generations working in production and following the “real traditions of leather tanning,” and large fashion houses with their archives to small new brands. These appear like mushrooms after rain, with promises of “clothing according to historically correct patterns”, on “those very sewing machines"from "that same wildly rare Japanese slow vintage knitwear." The historical component may be expressed only in the inscription in the press release and on the tag, or it may actually have a basis, but in any case you will have to pay extra for it.
There are countless examples: Edwin, Levi’s Vintage Clothing, Geoffrey B. Small, IISE, Gustin.
The historical component may be expressed only in the inscription in the press release and on the tag, or it may actually have a basis, but in any case you will have to pay extra for it.
Cut
This point is intuitive. Why the item on the hanger and on the body looks completely different. Why can you overpay for a well-fitting jacket, but for properly fitting jeans they go on a hunt across all online stores in the world.
This is how well the patterns on which the item is cut suit you, how much you like the silhouette, or how it matches your ideas of what the item should look like. Length, degree of fit, comfort and so on. Finding the perfect item is very difficult and often forces you to spend more than you originally expected.
Bottom line
Among all the above points, there is no durability. Today it is very rarely taken into account in production. This is the industry paradigm: new is always better. That’s why you shouldn’t be upset when a T-shirt from H&M lasts a couple of seasons longer than Our Legacy, and the straps of a Visvim backpack wear out in six months. Okay, a year.
The added cost of things almost always consists of several, if not all, items, because one is rarely enough to justify a high price. It’s worth thinking about when buying another T-shirt or trousers: what exactly are you giving your money for? It is quite possible that you are not paying what you wanted.
Today, durability is rarely taken into account in production - new is always better.
The merit of minimalism
Since minimalism has once again become part of the modern fashion world, the mania for sewing an iconic logo everywhere has faded into the background. It began to look more like a sign of bad taste than evidence of a platinum credit card. True, designers found a way out of the situation here too, starting to create clothes that would be recognizable even without a logo.
However, the social status that this or that branded item supposedly increased has depreciated. Top models and stars have openly stated that they mix the mass market with leading brands. Surprisingly, many people supported them.
People have become more practical
During the economic crisis in 2008, clothing prices skyrocketed. Taking advantage of the moment, designers from Zara and H&M immediately took the industry into their own hands and began to copy fashion from the catwalks. During the time that the revolution was taking place in this segment, we learned to save, and famous houses fashion launched second lines with a lower price tag. All this has led to the fact that spending fabulous sums on expensive clothes is no longer cool. Practicality became the main criterion for our choice.
Put it on and throw it away
Nowadays, any girl can receive the title of “fashion icon”, even if her wardrobe consists entirely of affordable brands. Most of those who already have it disdain Chanel suits and expensive Valentino dresses, especially since the variety of shapes and colors does not allow wearing one thing many times. And why buy one expensive thing if for the same money you can buy five, but at a more affordable price?
Young designers
This also served as an impetus for young designers who attracted the attention of the world's main trendsetters. Accessories and unusual shoes did especially well, the price of which was significantly lower than that of luxury, and the design was a hundred times cooler. Therefore, there are more innovators, and the more unknown the designer, the better, it means that no one else has a similar thing.
The human factor also played a role here. Everyone is just tired of dressing the same.
What will happen to high fashion?
And yet, world-famous designers have a hard time. Creating collections, sewing and organizing shows takes a lot of time and financial investments. Therefore, everyone tries to identify the brand. Of course, if you buy a bag similar to the one Karlie Kloss walked down the catwalk with, you will gain an ally for a short time, but is it worth talking about quality? Even among the most advanced people there will always be people who will care about the logo (even if it is not visible).
But luxury already has to make concessions, hence the six collections a year, the tendency to combine men's shows with women's, and the desire to sell the collection immediately after its presentation. What's next? Let's wait and see, because who knows, maybe luxury will become more affordable, and the logo... even if it remains on the lining, it's calmer.
