# Whats the deal with Century 21?



## ramair57 (Dec 29, 2008)

How can they sell this stuff for so cheap? Is it authentic? One thing that got me wondering was it has all of the Dolce & Gabbana dress shirts listed as a retail of $250.00, and if youve ever purchased one, you know theyre much more than that. It just seemed like they were picking a retail price out of a hat, like the fake ebay stuff. What do you guys think?


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## JibranK (May 28, 2007)

Those Dolce & Gabbana shirts are the best ever made. They're da bomb and they're bee spowk.


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## ramair57 (Dec 29, 2008)

im afraid this thread is going to get off topic because of that comment; alot of people on here dont like Dolce & Gabbana. I, however, am quite partial to them. Im sorry, but the darts just make the fit incredible. Anyway, lets focus on the authenticity and pricing questions


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

Well, you see, Dolce and Gabbana shirts aren't worth $250+. They cost significantly less than that to make.

Then when they don't sell at a store like Sak's (or a store rejects them for whatever reason), they are sold/bought to/by Century 21 at a significantly reduced price, then sold to you for a profit by them.


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## ramair57 (Dec 29, 2008)

ya, sounds about right. I was just wondering where these retail numbers come from? Its not the retail price of the clothes, so I was just wondering if its randomly assigned, lol


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## rlp271 (Feb 12, 2009)

The number they come up with probably takes into account how many seasons ago the shirt came out, what the present demand will be, the retail price, the wholesale price, and brand recognition. I know that you could get Michael Kors suits at Century 21 for like $105 before he went on whatever Bravo show he did. Now, they're a bit more. I don't think the product's quality has gone up, but his brand recognition has. That way, even his last season stuff will command a higher price.


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

Well, I know sometimes they're total bs numbers. Like I've picked up Talbott Best of Class ties at Marshall's for $10 (compare at $19.99) before. Also, I saw at Maxx Talbott 925 sterling links (sell for about $350) with compare at $60 on the tag.


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## Phileas Fogg (Oct 20, 2008)

Well, you see, as already stated the price for a cotton shirt is much lower than 250US$, little wonder one can sell a true D&G shirt for 250. Still beware of counterfeits.

I avail myself of the services of two tailors (one in Europe and one in Vietnam) plus a few shops with ready made shirts, the price for a good shirt goes between 50 and 100 Euro (well, somebody tried to ask me 300 Euro for a full dress shirt, my answer was "thank you, goodbye").

As for logos, should somebody offer to pay me in order to wear something with their logo I could even consider it for the right price. Barring this eventuality I do not see as likely to happen. But I do understand that it is a rather personal issue.
Yours,

Phileas Fogg


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## pt4u67 (Apr 27, 2006)

Using D&G as an example, if you find one at Century 21 for $40-50 dollars consider this: You're not getting a $250 shirt at $40 dollars, you're avoiding paying $250 for a $40 shirt.


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## The Louche (Jan 30, 2008)

pt4u67 said:


> Using D&G as an example, if you find one at Century 21 for $40-50 dollars consider this: You're not getting a $250 shirt at $40 dollars, you're avoiding paying $250 for a $40 shirt.


Well said. Century 21 has been around a long time - I think people would have their number by now if they were a scam.


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## upr_crust (Aug 23, 2006)

*As explained to me by a former employee of Century 21 . . .*

. . . what the store does is at the end of the manufacturing season, the buyers for C21 go directly to the manufacturers, and buy up whatever hasn't been otherwise sold for cash, at greatly reduced prices, then the clothes are marked up from their cost to C21 (a much lower number than the goods would cost regular retail).

The downside is that the styles shown at C21 often have that "too outre, no one would want to wear me" look about them. One has to pick through the goods in order to find that which is wearable - but when it is wearable, it's also cheap.

As for the Robert Talbott comment, I have bought silk pocket squares at C21 of RT's for $7.99 - comparable Ralph Lauren pocket squares are $19.99 - why, who knows?


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## son of brummell (Sep 29, 2004)

ramair57 said:


> How can they sell this stuff for so cheap? Is it authentic? One thing that got me wondering was it has all of the Dolce & Gabbana dress shirts listed as a retail of $250.00, and if youve ever purchased one, you know theyre much more than that. It just seemed like they were picking a retail price out of a hat, like the fake ebay stuff. What do you guys think?


Century 21 does not sell copies or pirated goods. If it carries a manufacturer's label, it is from the manufacturer.

It essentially buys close-outs, liquidations, surplus goods, bankruptcy sales, seconds, irregulars, etc. Manufacturers and retailers have to get rid of their surplus goods, and such clothes end-up at discounters, such as Century 21, Loehmanns, and Daffy's.

Some of the clothes are identical to those sold in Barneys and Saks. However, some of the lines are made for discount stores and are not the same goods. Those bridge lines are cheaply made and are sold to discount stores, such as Century 21, Syms, and Burlington Factory.

E.g., I recall Hickey-Freeman Limited line of suits being offered. This is H-F's bridge line and is not equal to the regular H-F suits sold a few blocks south at the H-F store.

Also, Century 21 gets designers' mistakes, such as suits in purple pinstripes and velvet neckties.

Furthermore, some of the goods are seconds and irregulars. A careful examination of some of ties will review irregularities in the weaving, printing, or colors. These are goods that were rejected by the regular retailers.

In short, caveat emptor.


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

ramair57 said:


> One thing that got me wondering was it has all of the Dolce & Gabbana dress shirts listed as a retail of $250.00, and if youve ever purchased one, you know theyre much more than that.


I get the impression that they deliberately set an upper limit for what they claim as the "compare to" price. Perhaps if they were clear that a D&G shirt sells for $350, they'd all be bought up by the clothing equivalent of scalpers to sell for nearer to retail in their own shop.

It also serves to give people who know the brand an opportunity to get it before someone who sees "$350 marked down to $40" and buys it whether they really like it or not.


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