Wondering Why Are Clothes so Expensive? Click Here to Learn Why

The average American drops upwards of 17 hundred dollars on clothes every year. While that may sound a bit excessive, it makes perfect sense when you take into account the cost of clothing nowadays.

Anyone who’s set foot in a mall in the past few years has probably found themselves wondering, “why are clothes so expensive?”

Well, the short answer to that question is, “because they can be.” That said, there’s a little more nuance to the case of overpriced clothing than that.

Ready to get to the bottom of why a single outfit can put you out an entire paycheck?

Here’s everything you need to know about why some clothing is so expensive.

What Are You Buying?

What are you paying for when you buy a pair of jeans?

If you said, “just a trusty old pair of blue jeans,” you’d be wrong.

If you only had to cover the cost of blue jeans, you might only have to pay about four dollars. You read that right — you could buy the material needed to make a pair of jeans for less than what most people spend on coffee. 

But, there’s more to making jeans than material — there’s also the people who make the jeans. Unfortunately, many companies try to skirt around these people by paying them as little as they legally can.

And even with those cut costs, a pair of jean’s price journey doesn’t end at manufacturing. There’s shipping, designing, marketing, tax and dozens of other facets that go into the cost of a single pair of jeans.

Even with all of those factors in play, none of them accounts for the reasons those jeans made of four dollars worth of material now cost $75.

Fighting the Middleman

In truth, it doesn’t matter how much it costs to make an article of clothing what matters is how much the distributors decide to charge for it.

A lot of online clothing companies have started skipping this step in favor of saving their customers money. But, stores at the mall are still selling clothes the old fashioned, and more expensive, way.

A clothing brand decides on the cost of a t-shirt, then they sell that shirt to a distributor or store. So, buy the time you get to it, you’re essentially buying the same shirt twice and at an outrageously marked-up price.

Buying Brands

Finally, sometimes when you’re buying a pair of jeans, you’re not just paying for the cost of manufacturing, you’re also paying for the name on the tag.

For some big names in the fashion industry, more money does not immediately equal better quality. You’re essentially paying for the privilege of being wearing that brand. Which, can end up running you a pretty penny.

That said, for those with a passion for the art fashion paying a little extra for Balenciaga’s footwear designs is always well worth it.

Why Are Clothes So Expensive?

Thanks to the rise of the internet, new cheaper and more ethically sourced clothing companies are popping up every day. So, you may not have to worry about spending an arm and a leg on clothes for much longer.

Now that we’ve answered the seemingly eternal question, “why are clothes so expensive?” it’s time to get a little smarter about your shopping habits.

Are you looking for more money-saving tips and tricks? We’ve got you covered.

Check out the rest of our blog for more information on everything from how to save on the necessities to building a better budget.