Barton's Favorite Fabulous Things, Part 4
Bijan
Nowadays better known for his perfume, Bijan still has menswear boutiques in Beverly Hills and on Fifth Avenue, specializing in flamboyant but tasteful styles for an elite clientle. Barton shopped at the famous designer's then-new Fifth Avenue boutique in the mid-1980’s during a trip with one of his girlfriends. She decided to break up with him when he lied to her about how much he had paid for two suits he bought there that were on sale (she peeked at the pricetags). Barton was waited on by Bijan himself.
http://www.bijan.com/
posted by Jim Cameron at
9:07 AM
1 Comments:
Hey Jim,
Thanks for the link from your blogspot (which I discovered by looking at my counter logs). "An interesting website with items too rare and exclusive even for Barton." That's funny!
Say, about Bijan: I used to window-shop there, but I realized that even if I had been rich enough to go in there (they'd keep their front door locked all day and only let you in if they knew you or if you were a conspicuous celebrity) I wouldn't have done it because his stuff was WAY overpriced due to its supposedly prestigious label. When I lived in California you could have a perfectly good wool suit made to measure elsewhere for $800.00 or so, and perfectly good custom cotton shirts for $65.00 or so (or Sea Island Cotton for maybe half again as much). If you were spending more than that it wasn't quality that you were paying for anymore, just snob appeal. Bijan also sold lots of silk shirts, which I just don't believe in. (Too showy & arrogant, even if you could get them for free, plus the cleaners will ruin them first chance they get. John Malloy in his Dress For Success bible used to say, "Have you ever heard of anyone asking for a raise wearing a silk shirt?")
If Bijan wanted to sell the ultimate shirt, he should have it woven from byssus, that ultra-fine and ultra-rare gold thread produced by a mollusc in the Mediterranean. A pair of women's gloves made of byssus were so shear they could be folded up into a walnut shell. It's an art that's been extinct for centuries, though I notice lately there's a woman in the middle east spinning the fiber currently as a novelty. And of course, for suits, nothing less than vicuña.
Interesting about the mention of a sale. Bijan always used to brag that he never, ever has sales. I used to go to Carroll & Co a block or two away from Bijan when they'd have a sale, because their stuff was ultra-high class and tasteful yet not crossing the line into absurdity like Bijan. For years they were mailing me circulars.
One thing I remember about Bijan were his super avant-garde full page ads in Los Angeles Magazine, frequently on the back cover. One time he advertised a solid gold pistol there. There was a lot of hue and cry over that.
O.J. Simpson used to shop a lot at Bijan, I recall hearing.
So, it looks like he's selling mainly cologne now. It's extremely likely that like most upscale fragrances about 95% of the cost is in the fancy container.
Peter
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