Steve & Barry's: Who Knew?

Apologies for the (very) late notice, but Steve & Barry’s just found me by word of mouth last night (although I believe some recent New York Times coverage may have hastened fate). Steve & Barry’s opened in 1985, specializing in cheaper-than-dirt collegiate gear. Since then, the company has made its way into sporting and causal attire, all the while keeping down prices with simple designs, inexpensive materials, and most significantly, ZERO MARKETING COSTS.

As you may have guessed, the great thing about Steve & Barry’s isn’t the designs or rock-bottom prices (although, both are certainly impressive). Steve & Barry’s is great because they have created a new model of fashion merchandising that adds value at the consumer level.

By stripping cost margins, Steve & Barry’s is able to pass significant savings on to the consumer, enabling the company to offer quality products while underselling consumer behemoths like Target and Walmart. And at $8.98, the designs aren’t too bad. Dear, a line designed for Steve & Barry’s by Amanda Bynes, brings some tween styles to market, including a royal blue, racerback jumper appropriate for all; Bitten, Sarah Jessica Parker’s new Steve & Barry’s line, brings us quite a few desirable looks (Scoopneck tee under a strapless dress? Brilliant!). Currently, the only Steve & Barry’s on the island is in the Manhattan Mall, but keep your eyes peeled for it's Lower Broadway location set to open in the former Tower Records building sometime this fall.