The Cost Of Khakis

The New York Times asks how a pair of khaki pants can cost upwards of $1,000.  Good question. Needless to say, one brand consultant tells The Times:  “The cost of creating those things has nothing to do with the price.” (So, the  “elasticized cuffs” on Bottega Veneta’s cotton pants don’t justify their $780 price tag?) Still, Band of Outsiders’ Scott Sternberg — who charges $550 for his cotton gabardine khakis — says his products cost more because they’re often produced in small batches. That and the fact that Sternberg has famed Brooklyn tailor  Martin Greenfield produce his lines. That said, The Times calculates that the total cost of Band’s pants (in terms of labor and fabric) comes out to $110 – 1/5 of their retail price. (Not included in that calculation are the various other costs associated with running a clothing company like paying employees, marketing and pr, office rent,  etc.) The real question, as always, is how much such a product is worth to a potential consumer… That, and, ‘Where can we find Band’s pants on sale?’ [NYTimes.com]

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