Steve & Barry’s

RIP Steve and Barry’s. Decent cloths for a great price but not a sustainable business model.

When I went there, it was closing down re-​modeling or something and the place looked really trashy.
I wanted to go there because of the hype surrounding some of the brands, especially Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker.
The hype was okay, it didn’t seem like anyone was working there and I didn’t remember anything from it.
Maybe the one in San Francisco will show me something different?

OMG. I thought I’d check it out because its got SJP’s new line… This place is soooo ghetto! I think it used to be Macy’s and a woman actually came up to me and asked if it was still Macy’s. The place looks like its under construction or falling apart. Not a happy shopping destination. I mean, the workers were all playing football in part of the woman’s department while I was shopping. Very odd experience.

I am no longer allowed in this store, by my own declaration. I have been here 3 times and I leave truly angry every time, and I am a pretty serene girl. This store is… disgusting. Everything about it is appalling. They kind of halfway remodeled it. The first time I went was right after it opened so I figured they just rushed the opening for xmas. Well, I went in a month or so later and, well, it was the same. Racks not totally set up, exposed flooring, dirty walls, and there is this smell… I can’t really describe it but it is not right. The whole place was just filthy and depressing.
The employees could not possibly care less about what they are doing there. The dressing room attendants were talking openly about customers when I was there last and the cashiers weren’t really trained and kind of ignored you, talked amongst themselves, then shoved your receipt and bag at you when they were done.
The clothes? Blech. I am all about cheap clothes. I love me some forever 21 and $ 15 dollar store. The clothes here are beyond cheap. I sometimes think I can hear the chatter of the Thai children in the sweatshop who made the ONE item I have ever managed to buy from there.
If you treasure your sanity, don’t go to Steve and Barry’s.

I don’t hate this place. I’m not a shopping masochist that feels the need to spend more money than I can afford on clothes. (We’re not going to mention the $ 98 Born sandals from this past summer.) Why not check out Steve and Barry’s for odds and ends? I bought super cute ballet flats for $ 14.98. They’re some sturdy little buggers. I have super long days of work and school (6:30am to 11:00pm) and they can keep up with me.
I was looking at the stitching on the Bitten Project Runway vest and its pretty well put together and at $ 15 you just can’t beat it. Granted some of the Steve and Barry stuff is pretty so-​so and I wouldn’t go in there looking for a totally head-​to-​toe look, but I mixed a sweater from Dear by Amanda Bynes with a Michael Kors skirt and I was looking pretty adorable.

S&B had its grand opening signs on display but the store hadn’t been remodeled (but the entire mall is getting a makeover so maybe S&B will too). It looks run down and depressing inside at the moment (it’s in the old Robinson’s May building by the food court). The top floor is closed off but you can see that they store boxes up there. The escalator was out of order. They have TV monitors around the store blaring advertisements. It’s hard to imagine a store being any less appealing.
I like the concept where they work with celebrities to create private label lines, such as Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker, Dear by Amanda Bynes, and Eleven by Venus Williams. However, the clothes are boring, ghetto looking, and plain (maybe they need to work with designers rather than celebrities). Yes, they’re inexpensive but they look cheap too. If you want inexpensive clothing, you’re better off buying it from almost anywhere else. This could be the worst clothing chain I’ve ever encountered.
If you’re looking for a cheap college sweatshirt or cap, they do have a wide selection of these.

This is an interesting store that you’ll either love or hate.
Steve and Barry’s is a great relief from the $ 50 vintage tee sold at Urban Outfitters or (worse) the $ 25 tee sold at Forever 21, which I could have purchased at the Santee Alley for $ 5… or $ 2.50, if I was in the mood to haggle.
Nonetheless, it’s not Louis or Chanel by any means, but a good place to grab plain items or accessories to finish that look or make your more expensive items the focus. I don’t expect everyone to love this store, but it’s another alternative to Old Navy.
Oh, and if you can find a parking spot in the structures surrounding this «mall,» it’s FREE for three hours.