It took me a while to find the time to get to a Steve & Barry’s to check out our girl SJP’s Bitten collection. Needless to say, after all the media hype and the surprising fact that even the Oprah had dedicated an hour to the collection, I was expecting A LOT. A whole lot. An inexpensive clothing collection that might contain items that rivaled the finds at my beloved H&M?! Just the anticipation was a turn on.

Alas, I think I set my expectations too high. When I finally saw the offerings, I was pretty disappointed.

I checked out everything…clothing, shoes and accessories. I must admit the prices were great. Super cheap. But some of the pieces also looked super cheap. This is hard to say, because I admire SJP and her heartfelt intentions for creating the Bitten line, but I saw nothing that even an overworked and hung over fashionista would ever mistake for a designer or high-end piece (which happens when you know how to shop at H&M). There’s not much memorable about Bitten. Overall, I found the line most unremarkable. It is truly a collection largely comprised of inexpensive basics. Your typical Gap/Old Navy fare.

There was a sprinkling of accessory pieces that didn’t make me yawn. I purchased a couple of accessories that were stylish & unique and quite good deals for the price (see related posts). So, Bitten may not be all it’s cracked up to be yet, but there is hope. Well, at least for the accessories. We might have to actually pray for a little enlightenment when it comes to the clothes.

Believe me when I say that I actually want to see the line do well. In this age of “bling-bling” materialism and exorbitant overpricing of consumer goods, any company that commits to offering a fashion line composed of pieces mostly retailing for under US$20 deserves to succeed. As per Bitten’s tagline, “Fashion is NOT a luxury.” Hear, hear!!

As you read this review, please note that I did not try on any pieces of the collection. I’m not reviewing the line for cut and fit. Call me superficial, but looks matter. I simply didn’t see anything that day that I wanted to try on. What I did do is examine everything…closely. I inspected the stitching & workmanship, materials and styling. And I gave everything my 3-Second Impression (3SI)*. The result? SJP’s collection is comprised of items that APPEAR to the Clever Sophisticate’s eye to be “low-priced” or “simply cheap.”

Sorry, SJP.

They say the first bite is the deepest, don’t they?

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*The 3-Second Impression (3SI): Ignoring the price, look at the item for no more than 3 seconds. What is your first impression? Does the item look “costly”, “mid-priced”, “low-priced” or “simply cheap”?