Using the star power of celebrity names to sell a budget line of clothing is nothing new, with Kate Jackson and Kathie Ireland having sold lines through Kmart and Isaac Mizrahi selling alongside a budget collection by Ann Taylor at Target.
Affordable Fashion for All
Steve & Barry's clothing stores are well-known for inexpensive, celebrity designed and endorsed college apparel, golf clothes and sneakers. They recently added women's styles created by actresses Amanda Byrnes and Sarah Jessica Parker.
Parker's clothing line, called Bitten, is a line of women's clothing in sizes 2 to 20 with all items priced below $20. Sarah Jessica Parker's manifesto, published on the Bitten web site is, "It is every woman's inalienable right to have a pulled-together stylish, confident wardrobe with money left over to live. Get Bitten."
Budget Fashion Democracy
The idea of a "fashion democracy" where stylish, affordable clothes are made with attention to quality sounds great, but how can Steve & Barry's stay in business selling clothes for under $20? Steve & Barry's keeps their costs down by not advertising, doing its own clothing manufacturing and selling in large volumes.
Steve & Barry's Budget Clothing Collections
- The Bitten collection is primarily composed of comfortable, casual clothing with some suit separates as well as dresses, T-shirts, nightgowns, sweaters, outerwear, jeans, handbags and other accessories.
- Steve & Barry's Starbury collection is a line of athletic clothes and sneakers created by NBA star Stephon Marbury, which includes a high-quality basketball show that Marbury wears during his NBA games.
- Amanda Byrnes designed the dear collection for younger woman who want to be stylish and still keep their budget. The dear line features denim jeans, casual pans, dresses, fitted polos and hoodies along with many accessory and jewelry items.
- The bubbagolf collection is composed of high-quality, low-priced golf and casual apparel created by PGA golfer Bubba Watson.
The men's athletic and golf apparel that Steve & Barry's features crosses over to the general casual apparel market and is appealing to those who do not golf or play basketball.
Find Steve & Barry's
Steve & Barry's is a private company which currently operates 200 stores in 33 states, and they do not sell online, distribute catalogs or take phone orders. You can check www.steveandbarrys.com to see if there is a location near you and to see where grand openings are planned.
For more information on Sarah Jessica Parker's Bitten line, read Sarah Jessica Parker, Designer: SJP Does Bitten, a New Line for Steve & Barry's.
More Shopping for Your Personal Budget:
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Shelley Elmblad - Shelley Elmblad has been writing about personal finance and reviewing money management software since 2005.
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