Hervé Léger of BCBG quality

Known to most fashion fanatics, the luxury label Hervé Léger is owned by BCBG’s Max Azria since 1998, but wasn’t relaunched until 2007 with now epitomous body con bandage dresses. I wasn’t in the slightest surprised that the BCBG label had a few bandaged skirts in its collections, but what I didn’t expect was the quality that lied within them.

I have a wedding to attend to at the end of the month and instead of spending money on yet another dress, I figured a more versatile combination of a skirt and top would still be appropriate. I came across BCBG’s bandaged skirts at their flagship location downtown in nice stretchy rayon with a nice thickness to them that I liked very much. Priced at $179.

Then I went upstairs to look at dresses to see if anything picked my fancy. Nothing was of interest except the bandaged dresses in the middle of the room. Hervé Léger dresses in fact. I had not come across them very often (the other place that carries Hervé Léger is Ursula B. in Les Cours Mont-Royal), so I perused the racks of last Spring’s discount sales. I then realized upon touching them that the dresses were made of the exact same material from the bandaged skirts one floor down. It dawned on me that Hervé label’s top notch dresses and skirts were no different than the much less expensive brand of BCBG, yet its prices were at least twice more expensive were they not on sale.

Also, Hervé Léger is Made in China. Naturally.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m in love with Hervé’s body con dresses and I find they flatter the figure if one has the figure to wear them. But at the same time, I’m offended. Yes, you’re paying pretty much as much for the label as for material. But considering that Hervé Léger is supposed to be a “luxury brand” there was nothing of that sort that made its rayon dresses and skirts superior to BCBG’s skirts. Shameful.

If one looked carefully, I’m quite sure that BCBG will have its own body con dresses made of the exact same material at the fraction of Hervé’s prices.

Ladies, you have been duped.

I walked away with my first fashion purchase in 3 months. A royal purple bandaged skirt with a nice little black top I got on sale for $50, and a sequined clutch on sale at $90.

I may not be able to afford Hervé Léger, but even if I had the money, I would not stand to be duped into forking out $1000+ over a dress I could get for much less made of the same company (and factory).