Lifestyle

The Weird Economics of Summer Fashion

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Dress shopping is hell right now. If you want something “nicer” than Target or Shein — for labor or environmental reasons, or because you want to invest in an item that will last more than a few washes — get ready to shell out $400, $500, even $700 a piece. And those prices don’t even guarantee that the materials or construction will be especially good. It’s hard not to feel like you’re getting ripped off. So how did we get here? Features reporter (and fellow frustrated shopper) Chantal Fernandez decided to investigate. She spoke to designers about their pricing models and, cleverly, designed an experiment: She took six nearly identical-looking dresses, ranging from $14 to $754, to a garment developer to assess whether they’re really worth their price tag. I eat up any YouTube video that compares name-brand items to generic, or those TikToks that tear apart a leather bag to assess its value. Consider this our version of that — and it’ll make you infinitely savvier when perusing Memorial Day sales this weekend.

—Marisa Carroll, executive editor, the Cut

Why Does A Simple Summer Dress Cost So Much Now? I examined six nearly identical dresses at six very different price tags to find out.

Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Retailers
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