Is Rag And Bone A Luxury Brand? All You Need To Know About This NYC Brand
The New York-based fashion brand, Rag and Bone is known for its luxe denim and chic designs, but is Rag and Bone a luxury brand? We’re here to answer that question!
Rag and Bone, the American brand, is best known for their high-quality denim jeans, luxurious basic tees and tank tops, and delicate floaty dresses. Now with 700 luxury retailers offering Rag and Bone products, as well as 50 Rag and Bone retail stores worldwide, can we consider this label a luxury brand?
This article will answer the question, of is Rag and Bone a luxury brand, by considering the history of the brand, and the quality of its products, including the price range, materials, and craftsmanship, before taking a closer look at some of the best selling Rag and Bone pieces and then coming to a conclusion on the luxury status of this American fashion brand.
Just keep reading to find out everything you need to know about Rag and Bone!
Is Rag and Bone a Luxury Brand?
The History of Rag and Bone
Rag & Bone is an American fashion label, originally co-founded by the British designer Marcus Wainwright and Nathan Bogle in 2002. The brand began with denim jeans before adding a menswear line in 2004 and a womenswear line in 2005. Then, in 2008, Rag & Bone worked with the footwear designer Tull Price and added a footwear line to the brand in 2008.
The brand quickly became popular due to its high-quality pieces and striking campaigns that have included the likes of Kate Moss, Jerry Seinfeld, Camille Rowe, Lea Seydoux, Winona Ryder, and more recently Olivia Cooke and Paloma Elsesser.
Wainwright was previously nominated for the CFDA menswear designer of the year award, for his brand’s collections which aim to combine British heritage and tailoring with American workwear and the cool style of their home city, New York each season.
In July 2023, the co-founder and chief brand officer, Marcus Wainwright stepped down and Jennie McCormick and Kyle Sweeney took on the roles of designing the women’s and men’s collections, respectively.
The Quality of Rag and Bone
To work out whether we can consider Rag and Bone to be a luxury brand, we need to look at the quality of its products and compare it to other, well-established luxury brands and iconic fashion houses such as Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci.
1. Price range
Let’s begin with the price range as this can give us a good idea so to where this brand sits within the fashion industry. Rag & Bone pride themselves on their denim collection, which ranges between $95 and $325 and included shorts, jeans, and dresses.
The tops and t-shirts from Rag & Bone are available for between $85 and $395, dresses and skirts retail for anywhere from $225 to $495, while coats and jackets are the most expensive, beginning at $275 and the most expensive piece is priced at $1,095.
The brand also has a full collection of footwear, available for between $150 and $795, and accessories, which includes bags, hats, fragrances, and sunglasses and retails for between $95 and $695.
As you can see, the majority of pieces are available for below $1,000 which shows how Rag & Bone is more of a high-end fashion brand as opposed to a true luxury brand, where clothing and accessories are often priced above $1,000.
2. Brand Aesthetic
The brand aesthetic can tell us a lot about the luxury status of a fashion label – so let’s take a look at the brand aesthetic of Rag and Bone. The brand, which is shown at New York Fashion Week each season, is known for a more casual, urban style and New York City-cool look, taking advantage of sleek, clean silhouettes, minimalist decoration, and focusing on luxe materials.
Rag & Bone has a wide range of basic items for men and women that are intended to stand the test of time, with a simple, classic aesthetic. There are a few tailored blazers and pants that are sophisticated with a slight contemporary twist for that modern-cool touch. The brand’s philosophy centers on quality and creating pieces that are meant to be staples in your wardrobe.
Although many other luxury brands offer classic and timeless ready-to-wear clothes and accessories, they also include more glamorous, intricate, and exquisitely tailored to show off the incredible craftsmanship and hand-crafted elements of the brand, something that we do not really see in Rag and Bone’s collections.
The simplicity and all-around casual nature of the brand perhaps do not align with the aesthetics of famous luxury brands like Gucci or Saint Laurent.
3. Craftsmanship
Finally, craftsmanship is an excellent way to find out more about the quality of a brand. Rag and Bone manufacture its clothing in a couple of different locations – their jeans are made in the United States, but most of the rest of the clothing collection is made in China.
Since this fashion brand is well-known for its denim, it takes great pride in the fact that the cotton for the denim is milled and woven in Louisiana and crafted into jeans in America too. While most of the other clothes and accessories are made in China and then imported to the United States.
The craftsmanship of Rag & Bone clothing and accessories is excellent but perhaps not on the same level as other luxury fashion houses, where all of their pieces are made in Europe.
Best-selling Rag and Bone Products
Rag & Bone has so many gorgeous pieces on offer, so we have picked a few of the best sellers that we think you need in your life! With relaxed denim jeans and chic and sophisticated dresses available, there is something to suit any personal style for any occasion.
1. jeans
We had to include jeans first and foremost in this list of best-sellers since this is one of the pieces that this American fashion label is best known for! There are so many different styles of jeans to flatter any body shape, all crafted from high-quality cotton for a soft and luxurious feel.
We love the casual and relaxed style of these Rag & Bone Casey Raw Hem High Waist Ankle Flare Jeans, with the ankle length raw hem and versatile mid-blue wash. The jeans have a stylish silhouette, with a high waistline, tight at the top of the leg and then flaring out slightly below the knee – just stunning! These are excellent everyday jeans to pair with comfy t-shirts or sweatshirts and your favorite sneakers.
Loose, carpenter-style jeans have become super popular recently, which is these Rag & Bone Sid Straight Leg Carpenter Jeans are a must-have in your wardrobe.
These Rag & Bone jeans have a trendy silhouette, with a low waistline and straight through the leg, then finished with pockets and utility loops. The denim has been given a faded indigo wash for that effortlessly cool look.
2. Tops
The Rag and Bone is also well known for its tees and tank tops that are staples in any wardrobe – including this /JEAN The Vee Tee. This simple t-shirt is made from soft organic cotton for a comfy and breathable feel, with a classic V neckline, short sleeves, and a hip-length hem.
This t-shirt is available in black or white and ranges from XXS to XXL to fit a wide variety of body shapes. This Rag & Bone Tee is a piece you can style in countless different ways for years and years to come.
For something a little smarter and more sophisticated, go for this Jordan Short-Sleeve Embroidered Top. This stunning blouse is crafted from crisp white cotton and embroidered with a dainty paisley pattern, then finished with a mini ruffle at the neckline.
The top has short sleeves, making this piece perfect for summer, tucked into denim shorts, a midi skirt, or a pair of tailored trousers for more of a polished and refined work look.
3. Dresses
A black midi dress, like this Irina One-Shoulder Ponte Knit Dress from Rag and Bone, is a wardrobe essential since it can be dressed up with heels or down with flat sandals during the summer months.
This super flattering, curve-skimming dress is made from a luxe pointe knit, which hugs the body in all the right places and finishes just below the knee. The neckline on this dress is just beautiful too, with a single spaghetti strap that crosses to the back for a chic look.
There are several gorgeous denim dresses available in the Rag & Bone collection too, including this Justine Denim Mini Shirtdress. This dress is a timeless piece that will never go out of style and something you’ll want to wear every day in the summer!
The denim shirtdress has an oversized fit, with a raw hem at the neckline and the sleeves and a hem that finishes mid-thigh – ideal for keeping cool during the hot weather.
Conclusion
We love all the chic and stylish pieces within the Rag & Bone collection, especially the luxurious denim, but after looking at the price range, craftsmanship, and brand aesthetic, we can see that Rag and Bone is not a luxury brand. The price range and craftsmanship, in particular, illustrate that Rag & Bone is a high-end fashion brand, although it does use plenty of high-quality fabrics, which is why its clothes really last.
We would recommend picking up some items from the Rag and Bone Icons collection of staple tees, jeans, and sweaters that you will wear each season, year after year.
We hope you found this article answering the question, is Rag and Bone a luxury brand, helpful! For more luxury fashion content, check out the links below.
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