Fashionista - Fashion Designers, Models, Shopping, Style

Dec 26, 2007 @ 3:25pm

Here's an interesting tip from our financial friends:

A rumor from luxury consultants that although Juicy Couture's numbers are still good, they're not nearly what were projected when Liz Claiborne bought the company. The rumor is that Liz's head honchos are considering whether or not to resell Juicy as an independent label, and focus instead on Kate Spade, Narciso Rodriguez, DKNY Jeans, and their other brands.

If Juicy does get freed from its corporate ties, it could be great for the brand - their suburban clout is still strong, but reeks of manufactured popularity, and that might not give it the same kind of legs that let American Eagle and Urban Outfitters reign supreme in junior high schools.

Then again, that kind of cultivated cool does seem to work for Abercrombie + Fitch, albeit A+F has more sex appeal and a unisex banner of inclusion that doesn't happen with Juicy (despite a line of menswear). So maybe cafeteria domination is inevitable if a financial heavyweight is behind them.

Either way, it's just a rumor, but here's a side dish of fact:

There's a pile of Juicy Couture longsleeve t-shirts for $28 at the T.J. Maxx in North Andover, MA right now, and if you're in the Boston area, perhaps you'd like to buy them.

posted by guest

Dec 26, 2007 6:11PM

I think Juicy Couture would sell better with slightly lower costs. Just because those played out track suits were hits eons ago, doesn't mean someone wants to pay $100 bucks for sweats to wear around the house.

posted by fashionursta

Dec 26, 2007 10:06PM

Hey Faran, thought you were on vacation this week. I was all prepared for fashionista withdrawal when i checked in and happily saw your posts. I feel like an addict who just scored a fix!

posted by Emily

Dec 26, 2007 10:41PM

I don't mind some of juicy clothes, I just hate how their designs usually have "juicy" and phrases like "haute mama" written all over them. I think it's a bit tacky.

posted by mckeb753

Dec 27, 2007 12:18AM

if you ask me, urban "reeks of manufactured popularity" just as much as AE or A&F these days...

Dec 27, 2007 12:04PM

I was never a fan of Juicy Couture because I don't believe a girl/woman should wear "track suits" - although a friend of mine says they are super comfortable. Whatever.

JC does design some cute items but they have to lose the JC on their products.

I understand L.A. is producing some great designers but I associate JC with the bad part of L.A. - casual is cool but the prices JC charge and what you get from them does not add up.

A terrycloth JC bag - no, no, no.

Dec 27, 2007 2:00PM

i would absolutely hate if juicy's prices got lowered. as a surburan high schooler, wearing my juicy day dresses makes me feel a teeny bit more stylish than my classmates who wear abercrombie, hollister, and american eagle like they were the only stores left on the planet. i am in no way saying that juicy is fashion but where i live it is definitely better than those awfully over-done stores. if i buy anything from them and wear it to school it is almost a guarantee 5 other girls will be wearing it too. the fact that juicy is more expensive means less girls are willing to spend the money on it and means i can go to school confident that no one will be wearing my outfit.

posted by micaela

Dec 27, 2007 5:01PM

exactly, mckeb. last time i checked, urban outfitters is owned by a corporation (and is on NASDAQ, hello) -- and all of my sister's friends from her suburban high school are obsessed with it.

Dec 27, 2007 8:38PM

for the 'guest' who says that wearing a more expensive item than other girls in her school makes her feel more stylish...well you have a lot to learn about style! "fashion is fleeting, style is eternal"

in the uk Juicy is the height of tackiness

Dec 28, 2007 11:45PM

Guest @ 2pm - Alright, I get what you're saying, Juicy is priced out of the closets of the masses, but I think if you were determined to spend more for the sake of having something unique, you could still go for a more chic, understated cool. Why not buy some Marc? Or Velvet? Ella Moss? To me Juicy is high school faux cool.

Dec 29, 2007 2:04AM

I remember loving Juicy before high school (...8 years ago?? And I'm not even that old!) when it seemed cool and kind of edgy and only had simple black and white tags stating it was "made in the glamorous USA". Then once the scottie dogs and "Love P&G" appeared all over the place, I knew it had gone downhill. Now the Liz Claiborne-ified Juicy empire has spiraled out of control with mass-produced and heavily defected merchandise (I worked in a boutique that carried Juicy and dropped it 3 years ago because it's garbage), not to mention all of the divisons (shoes, handbags, jewelry, socks, Barbie dolls, clothing for dogs???). I miss what Juicy used to be for me, something elusive and of decent quality that made it worth the prices.

Dec 29, 2007 2:22AM

juicy couture is disgusting and tacky. the logo is tacky. the ads are tacky. and any girl who believes wearing overpriced velour tracksuits will make her stylish is seriously deluded.
juicy couture was released in a department store in australia months ago and absolutely no one bought any of it. as said by guest at 8.38pm, juicy couture is the height of tackiness in australia too.

posted by xxi

Dec 31, 2007 3:59PM

Juicy is all sorts of awful. Their prices going up higher than what they used to be is just ridiculous. Especially now that most of is being made in Fabulous China! Instead of the Glamorous USA. Fail.

Although I must say that I wear their sweatpants [only in the velour, dark colours for the real world, happy for around my apartment] for photoshoots because it helps me move around better than wearing something else.

Dec 31, 2007 8:05PM

I'm still in high school, and the wealthier, "popular" girls do wear lots of juicy couture. They mostly wear the track suits. I've heard boys asking them why they come to school in their pajamas!

So clearly, the track suits are overpriced.

posted by haleygrrrl

Jan 01, 2008 2:59PM

I'm also in highschool, and it's true alot of girls wear juicy track suits. My cousin's love it, but I just don't see what's so appealing about having "some girls have all the juicy" written across your garments.
But, that's just my opinion.