Designer vs. Store Brand

This always intrigues many of us.  Which dress do you think is more expensive?  The one on the left or the one on the right?   Thanks so much to several of you for commenting!  A few of you said the one on the left and one of you said the one on the right.    



The more expensive dress is....The dress on the right.  It's a designer dress, a Carolina Herrera, marked as $1374.00 at Off Saks Fifth Avenue.  The dress on the left was from the Loft Outlet and was $44.99 and there was an additional discount off that the day I shopped.  So, what do you get for the more than $1329.01 difference in price?  Below is my analysis as I work hard to complete an management course and become an AICI certified image consultant.




Upon close inspection, the Carolina Herrera dress is exceptionally well made.    It is a unique silk fabric and is fully lined with silk.  It has meticulous stitching and darts to make sure it falls precisely where it should. The fabric is matched at every angle. The fabric is also something you won't likely see on many other people.  It's unique and memorable.  In my opinion, it's more than a dress; it's a work of art.  As someone learning to sew, I am absolutely in awe of this dress.  However, as you'll read below, I was impressed with the construction of the lower-priced dress as well.

Gorgeous silk lining in this designer dress.

The stitching on the inside is meticulous.

It has a velvet belt constructed into the waistline.

Meticulous darts and flawless stitching.

Unique graphic print silk fabric.

The way this is sewed, the lines are constructed to fall exactly 

where they should.

      For the huge difference in price, the Loft Outlet dress is made quite well.  The dress is 94 percent polyester and 6 percent spandex.  It is lined with a beautiful black lining, which I didn't necessarily expect given the price.  The "v" pattern in the dress (below) doesn't match visually as perfectly as it could from all angles.  It doesn't have the exceptional construction (the many, many meticulous darts) that the Carolina Herrera dress has, and as a result, with natural movement, the pattern doesn't look right at all times.  But for a more than $1300 difference in price, I am impressed with the overall construction of this dress.

The lining on the Loft Outlet dress.