WOMEN ONLY: Help this totally clueless man with this question......

[KansasVoter]

Is there that much difference between a $3000 dress and a $300 dress?

Would I look at the same lady in both dresses and think one looked better?

Would one look hotter? Woule one look more professional?

I just don't think I would notice.

[Happyhippychick]

1. $300 is a respectable amount to spend on a dress so the difference wouldn't be as stark

as if you were comparing a $50 dress to a $500 dress.

It really depends on the fit. Some women look fab in a potato sack because they've got the bod.

[Left Is Write]

11. I agree. It's pretty easy to find a well-cut, well-made dress in the $300 range.

Most people probably would not be able to tell the difference between a $300 and a $3000 dress.

As you said, the difference between $50 and $500 would be more noticeable.

[leftynyc]

24. Fit and fabric

Both would (should) be superior in a $3K vs $300 dress.

[1corona4u]

2. Sometimes there is....

usually in the quality of the sewing, and the fabric itself. Designs can be easily knocked-off. I tend to buy more expensive clothing, because they last longer. But I only buy classic clothing that doesn't go out of style too.

[eShirl]

3. no idea, they are both way out of my price range

[progressivebydesign]

4. No. Once you hit the $300.00 range, you're already in good clothes.

The diff is totally the snob appeal of designer labels. Frankly, all of that stuff is made in China or somewhere overseas. Once you get to the $300.00 range you get nicer fabric, and better styling, but it's pretty much a bullshit waste of money to go to $3,000. Like women (Condi Rice) who spend $1,000+ on a pair of shoes. They're still just shoes, and they're still made by workers in another country who make $1.00 a day to make them.

So no.. other than being a total snob, there is nothing that the other $2,700.00 does for a dress, other than the label.

[AlCzervik]

5. i wouldn't know but i can tell you i have purchased suits for the office for $200

and spent another $25 on tailoring and they look like a million bucks, it's all about the fit imo and of course nice material also helps.

I buy thing on clearance and then get them tailored to fit me exactly and things always appear nicer.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

6. Having never even been in the same room with a $3000 dress, I don't know

I assume for that kind of money they come with a built in massager, on board mp3 player and GPS, though. :shrug:

[Rhythm]

50. I've been 'in the room' with a $3000 dress before... but i was

shopping with a friend for her wedding dress. *L*

[Demobrat]

7. From a distance or at a glance you might not be able to tell.

But up close there is a difference. One will be polyester, one silk. One will be lined, one will not. One will have double stitched seams, one will be falling apart at the seams .... a good photographer could make them look exactly alike in a picture. But there's a difference, yes.

[yardwork]

36. Most $300 dresses would not be polyester or poorly made.

Also, I've seen some designer clothes that were poorly made.

[LynnTheDem]

8. Most men and a lot of women wouldn't know a $300 dress from a $3,000 dress.

But the elite Sarah Palin', who stays at $700/night hotels on taxpayers' money, prefers the $3,000 dress...when it's paid for by other people.

[vaberella]

62. This may be true. I don't agree with it fully. There are significant differences.

[VWolf]

9. Ok, here's a man's response:

Only a woman would notice the difference.
:hide:

[riqster]

13. What he said.

But, as my lady tells me, lots of things women do (clothing makep, hair, etc.) are done more for themselves than we males.

So ignore our clueless opinions, I suggest.

[Hepburn]

10. Some have it...and some don't.

If you know how to dress, know the colors for you, have your own style, you can wear a potato sack and it looks like a $3K dress.

[demokatgurrl]

55. Michelle Obama, for instance. n/t

[frickaline]

12. There are only very minor differences

Sometimes the way the clothing hangs is improved, stitching, buttons, or the quality/type of fabric used. The buttons/accessories to the clothing are probably the most visually striking of the differences but even still, pretty minor given the price difference.

[azmouse]

14. I didn't even pay $300 for my wedding dress.

I'm clueless about the difference.

[sandnsea]

15. I buy $30 dresses

Never owned a $300 piece of clothing in my life.

Tailoring and material make a difference, but taste matters most of all and Sarah Palin hasn't got any. That's for sure.

[KathieG]

59. You and me both...$300 is getting pretty damn close to a whole new wardrobe for me.

[napi21]

16. You probably wouldn't notice the diff. between the $3,000 & the $300,

but apparently Sarah didn't own any $300 suits or dresses either. From other threads on DU that have pictures of her from her AK days, all her clothes were purchased from WM, The Gap, Kohls, & Target. You DEFINATELY WOULD notice the difference between those clothes and the more expensive $300 & up ones.

[schmuls]

17. Even $300 is too much for anyone who sews and really knows

how much fabric etc. costs. You are only paying for the brand. So there is really no difference between a $300 dress and a $3000 dress. Price makes no difference in how attractive a women's outfit is. There is so much more to it.

[Dora]

26. We are not "only paying for the brand." Consider the value of labor, scarcity of product.

The dress that is individually tailored to the wearer costs more because it involves more labor in the manufacturing. The dress that is manufactured on an assembly line is less expensive because it was made to fit a variety of bodies (within a particular range), and took considerably less time to make.

As well, there are probably far fewer of the $3,000 dress available in the marketplace than there are of the $300 dress.

[DevonRex]

47. I have begun to sew again so I can get the best fabrics and fit.

Kind of have to anyway, since my top is 3 sizes bigger than my bottom. Can't find a dress like that off the rack in any store.

And I'm kind of anti-label now, too.

[Dora]

18. Were they both made in a factory? Is one tailored and the other not?

To compare the dresses, one must consider mode of manufacture as well as the price.

[CADEMOCRAT7]

19. There is a different feeling one has wearing a $300 dress, versus a $3000. one.

I would venture to say you might not be feeling like joe six pack.

[frazzled]

20. Perhaps

My only experience with a dress over $300 is the dress I bought to wear to my daughter's wedding. It was a $1,500 French dress (Lanvin), and I only bought it because it was on sale for 75% off its original price at the after-Xmas sale at Saks (honest!), and was so simple and elegant I thought I might actually wear it again some day. (Not like the usual "mother of the bride" dress).

I can tell you that I had tried on many $300 dresses and hadn't found a thing .... I couldn't understand why they were so expensive, because they felt and looked kind of cheezy.

This dress had impeccable construction and the fabric felt like a million dollars on. I don't know if I looked any better (there is only so much lipstick you can put on a pig, as they say) but I felt like a queen. You can truly "feel" the difference in fine clothing.

That said, there is no reason to have a $3,000 outfit on the campaign trail, imo. The inaugural gown, maybe. But not a whole closet full of designer clothes for two months of campaigning--especially for a self-professed hockey mom: no way.

[justiceischeap]

21. My opinion as a non-dress wearing female

You're paying for a name when you're paying for a $3000 dress and usually you're paying for a name in a $300 dress too.

I look at some of the clothes women pay a lot of money for and wonder why they would waste good money on them.

[alison]

22. Sure, there's a difference...

...but most people wouldn't be able to notice. Plenty of fashionable dresses can be had for significantly less than $300, and the same can be said for professional dresses, as well.

[CakeGrrl]

23. There's a lot of very expensive couture out there that I think is just butt-ugly

It's a matter of taste, and it's also about carrying the clothes.

For all that Palin's wardrobe has cost so far, a lot of it just looks kind of trashy. Part of it is my personal bias against wearing too much satiny/lingerie-ish material during the daytime or when you're supposed to look businesslike, especially with her penchant for dramatic black and red.

[gingersnaps1]

28. Absolutely!!!

Did you see those hideous animal purses. I wondered who the hell would carry around something like that.

[vaberella]

63. But haute couture is not really worn, hence the reason only few designers make

them and have shows for them.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

25. The difference is noticeable in the quality of fabric and the craftsmanship of tailoring.

But it does not justify $150,000 of donor money spent for 8 weeks of campaigning.

[gingersnaps1]

27. People who are into fashion will know the difference. If they live in high end stores

and go through fashion magazines with zeal then they would know. I would not know. Personally, I could find a great a dress in the 30 dollar range.

[abelenkpe]

29. Best friend works as a purchaser

in the fashion industry. Is there a difference?

99% of the time the only difference is the label. Expensive clothes and cheap clothes are made at the same place. Clothes made specifically for someone, fitted to their physique is the best a person can get.....and ironically anyone can do this if they have the time which 99% of us worker bees do not have. Therefore we wear ill fitting mass produced clothes.

And I don't think you would notice any difference. You don't ever look at a woman because she is wearing a certain dress or because she has applied an expensive concoction of make-up. She stands out because she moves a certain way and has a nice face and figure (large or small...doesn't matter.) Her personality is represented in her gestures. No amount of make-up, fancy haircut and clothing makes one more or less attractive. You don't love someone because they wear a certain perfume. My discovery of this happened in two ways. As an animator I have animated some of the most god awful ugly creatures, but made them move in an attractive way. Also, during the Northridge earthquake I lost my place to live and discovered that after having no access to make-up or girly props for about three days lo and behold....I still looked alright. I've never worn make-up or dolled up my hair since.

Be free women! You are all beautiful! You want to look young...move young, smile, be carefree...know that you are beautiful. Because all women are. Just my 2 cents.....

[yardwork]

37. Very true. It's in the confidence one exudes.

I learned that the makeup sold in drugstores is identical to the expensive brands sold in department stores, which in turn is identical to the incredibly expensive makeup sold in boutiques. It's all made in the same factories from the same materials. The only difference is the packaging and the advertising.

Now I buy all my makeup from the drugstore, and I make most of my own creams and lotions from natural oils. The key is to avoid ingredients that irritate my skin, which is easy to do by reading labels or making my own. Once the makeup colors are matched to my skin, it doesn't matter what the packaging looks like, and nobody sees the label when I'm wearing it!

[dawgmom]

30. There is a difference: Quality of Fabric, Buttons, Trim & Quality of Workmanship, etc.

A $300 dress is well-made, and the fabric and construction is good. However, it's factory-made, and mass-produced. A $3,000 dress, on the other hand very likely has a lot of hand work. It will be lined, double-stitched (meaning the seams lie very flat), and the fabric will always be of couture-quality (likely silk or wool). That $3,000 pricetag will very likely also include alterations, so that it fits the wearer like a glove.

While someone not attuned to fashion might be unable to tell the difference, the wearer most certainly will. I wasn't surprised when this story hit; I could tell that her wardrobe had gone up in price -- just look at older pictures of her, from before her selection.

(Personally, I think a $300 or less dress that's altered to fit can look pretty damn good in photographs, etc. Michelle Obama's wardrobe is a good example.)

[Lady-Damai]

33. co-sign with dawgmom. n/t

[babylonsister]

31. Yes, $2,700.

I know I can't afford even $300 dresses and in my 52 years, have never bought one, not even for my wedding. :shrug:
Then again, I haven't worn a dress in about 10 years so maybe I'm not the best person to ask. ;)

[faithfulcitizen]

64. LOL, you took my answer.

[marions ghost]

32. These are clothes for Lo-Self Esteem voters

You often can't tell the difference from off the rack clothes, as the biggest difference is psychological.

"I'm WORTH this much. My friends will know WHERE I bought it. I can AFFORD it. I can pay BIG MONEY for designer rags. I have to stand next to OMG Cindy McCAIN."

Even designer stuff can backfire--remember the red-faced Neocon Stepford Wives in the red designer dresses that were carbon copies of the one First Lady Bush was wearing at the big event? :evilgrin:

These clothes are required trappings for the lo self-esteem crowd (whose public mask is very high self-esteem).

It's all about the subliminal message, not actually what the rags look like.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

34. I shop at Ross

and have got some fabulous clothes, off the rack - I can assure you that I wouldn't even consider walking into Ross and paying even $100 for a dress much less $300 - People who pay $3,000 for a dress need to get a clue...

I will on the other hand buy the best computer for my work and I & both of my kids have 3G iPhones. I am into tech - Clothes? Not so much.

[Vinca]

35. All I know is Michelle O. looks hot in her $100 off-the-rack dresses. nt

[SmokingJacket]

38. No. At 3,000, you're paying for the designer's name. nt

[FlaGranny]

39. No idea -

I've never spent over $100 on any single item of clothing except for 1 pair of shoes. Most of the time I spend under $25 for any single item.

[Lorien]

40. Why women only? Many of the world's fashion critics and designers are men

I can tell a Vera Wang from a Dolce and Gabbana most of the time, but that's about it. Nine times out of ten I can't tell a $300 dress from a $3,000 dress.

[debbierlus]

41. Yes, there are differences, in quality, some are handsewn, materials are better - BUT

In terms of how you look, it doesn't make that much of a difference.

I have a few expensive pieces that I have acquired second hand, and they are nicer (I paid little to nothing for them, I go to high end estate sales and the clothing is often dirt cheap or I never, ever, ever would have these pieces or buy them at retail). However, they don't make me look all that different then my cheaper clothing.

Palin could present a very professional image for a COMPLETE wardrobe costing 3000.00 for all pieces. Including handbags & shoes.

It is disgusting that she would even consider wearing such expensive pieces. It really speak to her character.

[Flaxbee]

42. Yes, there can be.

Mostly it has to do with materials and tailoring. More and more often the super-expensive stuff is also being made with synthetic fabrics, but usually a $3000 item will be all silk (a nice silk, not a cheap silk), or a super fine wool, or cashmere, or linen, etc. Now, less expensive items may also be 100% 'natural' fabric, but of a lesser quality.

I don't have clothes in that price range, but I have looked at many, touched them, examined them, tried a few on for a lark, and they ARE different. The material is heavier, or finer, or softer, or cut better, or hemmed/stitched better, etc. I worked in Manhattan for a few years and would go to Bergdorf Goodman's to try on their sales clothes. I bought a $600 cardigan for $50 and it is in better shape, after 10 years, than the cardigan I bought from JCrew 2 years ago.

How they look on the person is a different matter - often it is difficult to tell. But the person wearing the item can usually tell by the way the item feels or fits. And there are a lot of expensive bullshit items, like Stella McCartney's $300 cotton t-shirt, where you are simply buying the name. But for a well-made jacket, or skirt, or blouse or pair of pants, you CAN tell the difference in the way it feels / hangs on the body, etc.

A Chanel jacket is much different from a J Crew or Theory jacket (for women). But is it worth $6K, as opposed to $1K? Probably not - a lot of the price is elitism and label-whoring. But for quality of clothing, yes, a Chanel jacket is probably going to be much, much nicer, and last longer, than duds from the Gap.

Is the price difference worth it? Not really. Especially not if you have cats, like I do, who immediately put claw-holes in almost every garment I buy.

[xxqqqzme]

43. The quality of the fabric,

the cut of the fabric as well as the construction of the dress, all these contribute to how the dress hangs and looks. You can have the same dress made from flimsy fabric, cut off grain, sewn hastily and that inferior dress will not 'fit' or hang properly.

But then there is the body in the dress. $50 or $500 if someone is squeezing a sized 12 body into size 10 sheath, it doesn't matter what the price tag says - those puckers at the hip, the undercut at the arms, the pull on the back zipper gives it all away and the size 12 ends up looking overweight. If the 12 w/ the 10 ego had slipped into the 12, the fit would make that dress look like a million.

[Sparkly]

44. I'd feel guilty if I bought ANY clothes item for $300.

That includes winter coats!

[LynneSin]

45. No I think there is a difference between a $30 and a $300

but above that $3000 you should be paying for a tailored suit or an evening gown with plenty of beadworking in.

As for $30 vs. $300 - when I buy cheap clothing they tend to be that - cheap. They are made with materials that feel nasty after a couple of washings or easily rip at the seams. Don't get me wrong I find that at all prices - just more likely when the clothes are cheaply made

[DevonRex]

46. I don't even buy $300 dresses. nt

[kennetha]

48. IN FAIRNESS

How many women have to do what Sarah Palin does -- appear in front of cameras a number of times a day, always looking completely put together?

My wife, who is no clothes horse and who is a bona fide lefty said upon hearing the figure spent on clothes, hair, makeup jobs, etc. "that's not much, compare that to what hollywood stars spend in one evening for a big event like the academy awards. Sure Palin isn't wearing evening gowns, but day after day she's got to look like a million dollars and not just for a few hours but for the entire day."

I don't know that it should take 150K to pull that off. But it sure can't be cheap by any means.

[RoadRage]

49. My WEDDING dress was $200...

and it looked fantastic.

The difference between how a lady looks in a $300 and $3000 dress has very little to do with the dress, and a lot to do with how much lipo she's had before she got into either dress.

After you've spent $200 on a dress, it's not gonna matter if you don't already look like a supermodel.

I don't look like a super model - so I spend way less then $300 on dresses. ;)

[ladywnch]

52. I had my wedding dress custom made for about $800 and it was

still cheaper than the average off the rack dresses which were about $1200- $1300(avg)

[CatBO]

58. Mine was about $175!

It was a discontinued, deeply discounted dress. It looked great, and I fell in love with the fabric. It wasn't cut very well, but the seamstress who altered it for me (it was a size too big) essentially recut the whole thing and customized it to fit me perfectly!

[MaineDem]

67. Mine too

A zillion years ago. :D

[a la izquierda]

69. $75 from a thrift store in Vegas...

and it was beautiful and needed about $30 of work done to it.

I still love my wedding dress!!

[Marrah_G]

51. I would have no idea- I am in the 30.00 dress price range

I've never paid more then 50.00 for a piece of clothing besides my daughters 150.00 prom gown, and that 50.00 was for a special occasion needing formal dress.

300 for a dress would be hugely expensive in my eyes, but probably far better quality. 3000.... I think then you are just paying for a name.

[Inuca]

53. There is typically

a clear difference between a $30 and a $300 dress/pant/jacket/whatever. Between a $300 and a $3000 one, not so much. Unless the design or the fabric is really unusual. I can see the thousands on many of Cindy's outfits, I could not on Palin's, only noticed that she is better dressed than at the beginning. Not that I am expert :-), but I lived for quite a few years in Manhattan, at times chasing for super-bargains in fancy stores, and sometimes just for the fun of looking.

[stanwyck]

54. Yes. There's a difference. But what really makes a difference

is the woman. A woman can be wearing a $3000 dress and look just OK. While another woman can be wearing a dress costing $100 and look amazing. It's complicated and the actual quality of the fabric/seamstress' talent is only part of the equation. Women who dress well take into consideration their personal body type, coloring, and attitude. You can't look good if you're uncomfortable in a dress that doesn't suit your personality. Your unease will show.
You can't buy taste or style. It's just not that easy.
Sarah Palin, with her slim body and expensive clothes, should look better than she does. Her style just doesn't look individual or personal to her. She looks dressed by someone else. The overall picture is contrived.

[Lucky 13]

56. I wouldn't know. I've never been able to afford either.

$300 for a single item of clothing would make me nervous.
$3000 for a single item of clothing would make me vomit.

[CatBO]

57. The difference is between the $30 and $300 dresses...

$300 to $3000 is just hitting crazy land.

But a $30 dress from Marshall's is likely: made in (Indonesia|China|Vietnam|etc.). Meaning that it was made in bulk in an assembly line fashion.

Such a dress might be a knock-off of a similar type of more expensive dress (say the $300 one). Even though it's a similar color or fashion, the cut of the dress is probably not as carefully designed. The quality of the sewing is not as good. In fact I've had several "$30 dresses" (or $15 blouses) from places like Marshall's start to fall apart after wearing only once.

The fabric is not as nice for a $30 dress as for a $300 dress. It will probably show wear more easily. On the plus side, it's much more likely to be able to be laundered at home. You're almost certainly dry-cleaning the $300 dress.

A $300 dress would likely "fit" better and hang better, it would probably look more polished on a very subtle level. But I have never found the subtle differences to be worth the extra cash.

At the $300 you are already getting quality. The jack up to $3000 only buys you a designer label, and perhaps even more limited fabrics. Oh, and a heart attack when you spill a glass of red wine on it.

[vaberella]

60. About 2000 of it is because of the name.

The rest is based on the material of cloth. Some material is better than others. There's the qustion if it was hand made versus a company and someone makes it. Gap buys factory made clothing, hence you'll find some of the same at Banana Republic and Old Navy.

So, yes there is a difference. But I normaly pay 200 or so for dresses because I get it hand made, however they're not original designs. Also original designs, one specially created by designer and the only one of it's kind tends to be more expensive.

My mum is a dressmaker and designer...so all my stuff from her is one of a kind although she can make patterened dresses.

[beac]

66. That was going to be my comment (about the label).

And LUCKY YOU to have such a talented mum! I've had a few things made over the years based on something I envisioned, but I've never gotten the sewing part down well enough to do my own. I think I lack the patience gene. ;)

[BklynChick]

61. the cut and fabric

[TrogL]

65. You can tell the difference in men's suits

But you have to look close to see it.

A $3000 suit will be perfect under the microsope, not a thread out of place. It'll fit like a glove. David Letterman wears $3000 suits and it shows in high-definition TV.

A $300 suit will look OK, but on closer examination, the fit will be slightly off, there may be slight sizing differences and tiny imperfections in the cloth.

A $150 suit will have gross errors such as mis-matched button holes, incorrect stitching or missing pockets.

There's also a button code on the sleeves.

1 - this is a blazer, not a suit
2 - $150
3 - $300
4 - $1000+

[chowder66]

68. Cost, obviously; Quality, most likely; but....

semmingly the difference is a label and a need to impress.

[RichardRay]

70. As a man I can see the difference in men's suit's at a glance

and I can tell you that Barack spends a fair bit on his suits, and any tailor would die to make them for him. He can wear really nice suits the way they're supposed to be worn, and he can make a cheap suit look way better. On John McCain the same suit is clearly expensive, but doesn't look nearly as good, and a cheap suit looks really bad.

I'd guess it's the same for women's clothes, but I frankly can't tell once you get away from business/professional wear that's judged by the same standards as men's tailoring.

Of course, I haven't had to buy a suit or a sport jacket in over 20 years, but I can tell you a lot about current technical skiwear :-).

[Quantess]

71. A $3000 dress can be recognized by some fashion elites

As in, Ooh, doesn't Sarah Palin look fabulous in that Christian Dior gown.