Why is Thom Browne clothing so expensive?

[Mr. Moo]

Suits and such for 5, 8, 10 thousand. Overcoats for 3,000.

It isn't even MTM. What gives?

 

[hamish5178]

The name on the tag.



Duh.

 

[Cary Grant]

Somehow, $5,000 for a suit seems like a bargain versus the $400 t-shirt I ran across recently...

 

[awxg]

Edited for stupidity.

 

[Fuuma]

I don't feel validated as a human being if I wear a suit costing less than 6K so TB agreed to double his prices for me.

Only the real peculiar pieces requiring a lot of work or very expensive materials reach those prices, the rest is high but 3.5K-4.5K high.

Price is due to:
-Quality of construction, honestly check it out they're very well made suits.
-Quality of materials
-Design (yes you can charge for that, it is, after all, the most important aspect)
-Target market
-Hype

IMHO most Brioni is ugly as sin and goes for similar/higher prices.

 

[gomestar]

It's all made by hand by a very reputable tailor in New York City.

And I'm pretty sure the majority of Thom Browne suits are MTM. I have yet to go into his Tribeca store and NOT see somebody being sized up or selecting fabrics. The exception seems to be Bergdorf Goodman which has a solid selection of OTR suits, and most this season seem to be priced at $3,800 each.

Barneys just has some basic shirts or a jacket here and there, certainly not a TB suit meca.

Furthermore, he tends to pick the most reputable makers of each particular fabric or clothing (hence why cashmere is from one place, wool from another, shoes from another, suits from another). Still, I think he has many items that are just ridiculously overpriced ($2,500 sweaters and such). I'll pay $3,800 for a suit, my TB suits are incredibly well made. There is also paying for the name, but unlike most brands, at least TB has a unique styling that is easy to spot and recognize (vs. paying $2,600 for a Prada that looks like any other suit out there).

 

[bjm]

I would guess its simple economics. If he produces limited pieces then he has to charge high prices to make money. I dont care for his designs personally whether his suits are $500 or $5000

 

[rnoldh]

Originally Posted by Fuuma

I don't feel validated as a human being if I wear a suit costing less than 6K so TB agreed to double his prices for me.

Only the real peculiar pieces requiring a lot of work or very expensive materials reach those prices, the rest is high but 3.5K-4.5K high.

Price is due to:
-Quality of construction, honestly check it out they're very well made suits.
-Quality of materials
-Design (yes you can charge for that, it is, after all, the most important aspect)
-Target market
-Hype

IMHO most Brioni is ugly as sin and goes for similar/higher prices.

+1 to all of the above and also that TB is a brilliant marketer.

He is currently the flavor of the day and is making the most of it.

Does anyone think that he will be in the very top tier of RTW menswear pricing like Kiton, Brioni ( and to a lesser extent ) Oxxford are and have been, for 20, 30 and even 50 years?

I surely doubt it!

 

[Fuuma]

Originally Posted by rnoldh

+1 to all of the above and also that TB is a brilliant marketer.

He is currently the flavor of the day and is making the most of it.

Does anyone think that he will be in the very top tier of RTW menswear pricing like Kiton, Brioni ( and to a lesser extent ) Oxxford are and have been, for 20, 30 and even 50 years?

I surely doubt it!

Why are his prices less justified than those of Kiton, Brioni and Oxxford? He's made by Oxxford now BTW.

 

[awxg]

I thought they were by Zegna, or was that the previous?

 

[TRINI]

Originally Posted by awxg

I thought they were by Zegna, or was that the previous?

That's Tom Ford.

 

[voxsartoria]

Originally Posted by Fuuma

He's made by Oxxford now BTW.

Interesting...when did the switch take place?


- B

 

[unpainted huffheinz]

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

Interesting...when did the switch take place?

It started about a year ago. I don't know if this past Fall was all Oxxford made or not, but this Spring should be. I don't know about the MTM though.

 

[TheFoo]

Originally Posted by Fuuma

Price is due to:
-Quality of construction, honestly check it out they're very well made suits.
-Quality of materials
-Design (yes you can charge for that, it is, after all, the most important aspect)
-Target market
-Hype

You left out marketing and overhead.

Originally Posted by gomestar

It's all made by hand by a very reputable tailor in New York City.

This first part of this statement is patently untrue. I think the shoulders are done by hand, but that's it. Someone cut one up and correct me

.

Originally Posted by Fuuma

Why are his prices less justified than those of Kiton, Brioni and Oxxford? He's made by Oxxford now BTW.

Really? Thom Browne is manufactured by Oxxford? I thought that was just a rumor. If it's true, maybe I'm underestimating the amount of handwork. But what I saw at BG didn't look or feel like any Oxxford I've handled before.

Well, whether the price is justified depends on the buyer--specifically, whether one thinks the 'design' is worth it.

 

[Fuuma]

Thom Brown doesn't do a lot of marketing, certainly less than Brioni with all those ads in expensive mags and men's shop. He gets press attention and is featured in editorial but that's not $$$. I don't even know who does his PR.