Bitten

You may have heard about Sarah Jessica Parker's Bitten line of clothes, shoes, and accessories available at Steve & Barry's. The line goes up to a size 22 and everything is under $20. Everything! Even winter coats! I haven't been able to check the clothes out in person yet but the pieces look basic but in a cute, updated way. The extended range of sizes is what caught my attention, obviously.

I have a few thoughts about the line.

First, I think SJP is a smart lady. She put her name on a perfume that is casual and wearable but still a little unique and now she's done the same with a line of clothes. She seems to understand that the average woman wants to dress in a modern, flattering, age appropriate way that isn't super trendy or outlandish.

Considering how much we associate her name with high fashion, it's interesting that she's marketing to the average woman who doesn't have access to super high-end, designer clothes and accessories. This happens to be most people, so it makes good business sense to appeal to the masses. I don't doubt that she believes in the "Fashion is not a luxury, it's a right" slogan but from a money-making perspective, it just makes sense.

That's just the cost perspective. There's also the fact that the line goes up to size 22, which is firmly a plus size. If the average woman is a size 14 (or whatever the media is saying the size is at the moment), why go all the way up to a size 22?

The optimist in me thinks that SJP (and her people, I know she didn't single-handily create the whole line) knows that "average" is just a statistical value and if she wants to appeal to as many women as possible, that means providing a broader range of sizes.

There's risk involved in doing this, of course. Will a size 2 woman want to be seen in the same top as a size 22 woman? Will she buy the clothes knowing that she might be associated with a brand that carries plus sizes as well?

This seems a little absurd but I have a very firm belief that a lot of designers don't want to create plus size clothing because of what it will do to the image they're trying to sell. You're not just buying a piece of clothing, you're buying the lifestyle branding that goes with it. Think of the difference between the Gap and Chanel, for instance. Not only is there a difference in price, but there's a huge difference in the lifestyle image that goes with each brand.

It's a sad truth, but many people still don't believe that fat people can or want to be fashionable and selling to them will somehow "tarnish" their image and they'll lose their thin, oh so glamorous customers. There are also the stereotypes about fat people being poor, lazy, sloppy, etc. We won't get into that here.

I obviously put a lot of thought into these things. Maybe SJP just wants to embrace the "real woman" and make fashion more accessible. It's a simple theory but there's a whole lot of crap going on underneath it.

 

I'll be curious to see how the line does in the long run. Will the Bitten line continue to do well once the Oprah-induced frenzy has died down? Will other retailers take a cue from Ms. Parker and broaden their size ranges to include women bigger than a size 12 or 14? What if they took it one step further and created a line exclusively for plus sizes? Well, that's what Old Navy did and we saw how that turned out.

One thing I haven't been able to find out definitively is whether or not the clothes are made in the US. It seems hard to believe that they could make clothes so inexpensively without using sweatshop labor. If you happen to know about this one way or the other, with actual proof to back it up, please leave a comment. I'd also like to hear from anyone who's actually tried the clothes on and can give an accurate idea as to the fit and quality.

Comments

[Alissa]

I recently tried on some items from the Bitten line. It was actually my first time in the store that carries the line, didn't know they existed before (I'm not a regular mall visitor).

I was really surprised as how nice the Bitten stuff was. Prices are around what you'd expect at Target maybe, but the clothing feels so much nicer/better quality. Everything from super casual (tanks, printed tee-shirts), to business casual (blouses that can be worn online or under a blazer, dress slacks, nicer khakis). They had quite a few items that were on sale on that day, so I ended up with half a dozen tops for just under $50.

I wasn't expecting much going in. I was really surprised as I shopped and tried on. And I walked out happy.

A couple nit-picky things:

* Bottoms (jeans & dress pants) were short-waisted. Not just low-rise, but where's all the material that should be here?, kind of rise. Granted I only tried on a few pairs of pants (my main goal for that shopping excursion was work-appropriate blouses), so it may have just been those particular items.

* Some of the casual tops were designed for smaller woman, even if they were available in larger sizes. I'm a 14/16. I've also been blessed/cursed with what my Grandmother calls a "healthy bosom". In order to hold said bosom up all day, I have to wear bras (at least if I want them to stay above my knees). My bra straps are not whisper thin, and there's probably a bit more material in my cups than someone in a D cup or below has. A lot of those casual tops were cut in such a way that I'd be showing off half my bra, or have to wear some corset-style strapless uncomfortable thing that's only dragged out of the dresser for formal events. Which is not my idea of comfort. This is a general complaint I have about fun/casual summer tops at most stores though, not just this line. I just would like a little extra material around the armholes so half my bra isn't showing, or wider straps on that tank to mostly cover my bra straps. God bless the girls who can walk around comfortably w/o a bra, but that's not me, and I'd like my summer tops to accommodate that.

Other than those two things, I'm happy with the items I bought. Granted I just had my shopping spree last week, so I can't attest to how well the items wear over time, but I'm pleased w/ my purchases, I was pleased w/ the selection, I was pleased at the total, and I will definitely go back and look at some more things in that line the next time I need to add some pieces to my wardrobe.

(And additional note: Many times, in order to find a blouse that will button closed across my chest, I end up with someone that swims around my mid-section. There was a nice selection of blouses that were fitted enough that I could both button them, and not have to worry about running right out to have them altered in the mid-section. That was a very pleasant surprise for me.)

[Kate Harding]

It seems hard to believe that they could make clothes so inexpensively without using sweatshop labor.

That was one of my first thoughts. I'm so stoked that there's another stylish, inexpensive option out there, but I'm afraid it's impossible to get those price points without sweatshop labor. (But then, if even Kathie Lee Freakin' Gifford had a major PR problem with that, it stands to reason that SJP's people might have taken pains to avoid going that route.) I'll be really curious to see what you find out.

[cacjames]

I really like the line. I am also a plus size woman but I did not find any tops appropriate for larger women. Although her line is to go to 22, it is not a pluse size 22. THat is very important. When you go to a plus size store and buy a 16 it is different than a non plus size store. Do not go there thinking you will be the same size, because you will be mistaken. My favorite items were the jeans. I am so tired of paying so much for jeans, that I was elated to get 3 pair for less than I would have gotten one!

[Phillygal]

I went out of my way to find this line in Philly (it's only at a store about 45 minutes from the city). I was excited by the plus sizes, and I liked what I saw of the clothes on Oprah.

But at Steve and Barry's, there were very few things above an 18. The only 22s were the jeans, and there was no way in hell those were 22s. I usually wear an 18 top, 20 bottom and my friend wears a 16 top, 18 bottom. Neither of us could fit in the 22s.

So I'm not sure where SJP has gotten her size measurements from, but I think it's land of insanity.

[CPB]

I second Phillygal's sentiments: I wear a straight-size 16/18, with the rare 14 thrown in. I am very curvy with a large bust and bottom and I could barely fit into the size 20 bottoms and the XL/XXL tops were quite snug. I love SJP; my hopes were high and I was disappointed, but may try again on an empty stomach and while wearing a sports-bra. . . and I'm only half kidding. Sigh.

[Lea]

Everyone should remember that a Misses size 22 is at least 2 inches smaller than a Women's size 22 -- that's the difference between them.

So if you're a 22 in Women's sizes, then you're at least a 24 in Misses sizes, which means that this line won't fit.

I just tried the clothes on last week and found that the fabrics are thinner than Old Navy (which I've thought for a while was the thinnest you could go without being sheer) and the cuts are a bit strange. I have a 40F bustline, and there was no way that I could wear 99 percent of the tops.

As for the 22 pants, I had luck with the cords, but the waist was WAY gappy -- not even worth the low price.

If you're a size 20 or less in Women's clothes, then I think you'll be okay with Bitten. If not, don't make the effort to try them on.

[mary]

Can I purchase SJP'S (Steve Barry's-Bitten
clothing line)online? If not online where in my area can I purchase clothing. The web pages aren't to infirmative. They show the clothing and that's it. Don't tell you were you can get it at store or online. I am hopig there is a way the clothing line can be purchased online.
Thank you very much for your help.

[Jackie]

They just opened a Steve and Barry's in my area and I am so glad that I went in. I used to be a size 7 and after my pregnancy now am a size 16 and probably will stay this way unfortunately. I went from dressing up all the time in stylish outfits, to wearing my husband's t shirts, and not to mention jeans that were either way to baggy in the butt and legs, or gave me a "muffin-top". I am so impressed with the Bitten line, and have even driven 45 minutes away to shop at other Steve and Barry's. I found the clothes to be so comfortable. The material was light and breezy, and the fit was a perfect stylish fit. I wear a size 16 in levis and other brands and was actually able to purchase bitten pants in a size 14, so I really don't know about the clothes running small. I finally found a brand that has the same clothes I used to were when I was thinner in my new size. This was the first time I walked into a store for clothes and did not leave depressed.

[Carol Bolton]

Where can I buy the Bitten shoes, since Steve @ Barrys went out of Business?

Carol