Submitted by CARPE DIEM

The most basic dresses at J. Crew start at $58. At American Apparel, they start at $26; at Old Navy, $19.50; and at Forever 21, some styles cost $15.80. The least expensive dress on the Wal-Mart Web site is $14.92.

Prices at Steve & Barry’s (a clothing chain where everything costs less than $10) are actually dropping — the $8.98 threshold for dresses (pictured above) was introduced as a holiday promotion last year, but remains with no set expiration. Meanwhile, the company’s sales at locations open at least a year, a crucial indicator of retail health, have increased more than 20% each month since January.

The question on everyone’s lips: How does Steve & Barry’s make a decent dress or a jacket, with sleeves, or a pair of functioning shoes for $8.98?

Find the answer here in the NY Times.

HT: Division of Labour
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