Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Sex Sales

I am a proud third generation Bloomie's customer and if I could move in or have my house re-decorated to match the black and white flooring, I would. (Also love the pink suede furniture in the Diane von Furstenberg section, but I digress.) After college, jobless, I spent my days perfecting my rollerblading skills in NYC (did I mention it was 1991?) and showed up at the 59th Street store on wheels to purchase my signature color Chanel lipstick. Well, at least I had my priorities in order.

But even I have been keeping my distance from the department stores with the credit crisis (mine). Unless, of course, there's a sale. But not all sales are created equal.

While snapping up super-marked down cashmere sweaters at the pre-Christmas sale at Bloomie's, my gal pal and I picked up on it right away: the men's sweaters were cheaper to begin with, and marked off even more. (That worked out well for my husband, not so much for me. I left the still quite expensive cashmere for her on the rack.) Another friend who was helping her BF shop noticed the same thing at Macy's: menswear markdowns so low the silk and cashmere pullovers were practically cheaper than the lattes they picked up at Starbucks to fuel the spree.

OK, sure, I know I can find a $4 sweater at the bargain bin at Mervyn's, or some cheap knock-off at Target. But Macy's?

We know that men's clothing isn't less fabric, in fact, it's more. And the quality can't really be that different. A sweater is a sweater. No, I think the retailing industry has us women where they want us: Ready, willing and sort-of able to pay more.

Of course, without guidance, not all men can score the best deals. A co-worker confided in me that she was at Nordstrom the other day with her husband and a saleswoman helpfully pulled out an armload of shirts for him to try on. He seemed content until she stepped in and took a practical look at the price tag.

Mediocre, over-priced shirt: $500. Loving wife who saves her man from being manhandled: priceless.

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