Urban Outfitters is a popular, if not the most popular brand for high-end street wear. However, not many know where the brand emerged from. Read along to find out how they conquered the current market and how they manage to keep their name in headlines!
Hi everyone, and welcome back to Closet Confidential! This post is dedicated to all things Urban Outfitters, including information about the brand and what to look for if you ever plan on buying from the site!
What is Urban Outfitters?
Urban Outfitters was founded in 1970 in a small space across the street from the University of Pennsylvania, and now operates over 200 stores in the United States, Canada, and Europe, offering experiential retail environments and a well-curated mix of women's and men's clothing, as well as accessories.
The brand gained a reputation for being innovative, as they started business by repurposing and reinventing sustainably-sourced vintage pieces, which they would receive from donations, Salvation Army organizations, and essentially, anywhere they could get their hands on old and worn out pieces. Urban Outfitters targets young adults with a range of women's and men's fashion apparel, footwear, beauty, accessories, and more. Most of their products are designed and produced by the company's wholesale division, but they manage to keep their name in the headlines by partnering with multiple private labels and brands including Nike, Ralph Lauren, and many more.
Is Urban Outfitters Legit?
While I believe that Urban Outfitters can have some pretty steep prices for simply refurbished clothing, I'd have to say that yes, the company is legit.
I have personally bought from the brand, and I'm delighted to say that my experience was nothing but smooth. With fast shipping and great customer service response times, it's quite easy to find some pieces that you'll keep in your closet for a long time. Now, I'll be taking you through specific elements of the brand including their affordability, and how they were able to gain their ever-so popular name.
Affordability, Sizing, and Quality:
Now, for a company that promotes ideas like recycling and giving back to the planet by repurposing old clothing items, their prices certainly do not send the same message to customers. The brand has a range of prices they enjoy giving to certain clothing items, and a single graphic t-shirt could end up costing you a hefty $60 or more! However, like I'd recommend with any brand, always check the sale section first- you might end up finding a great item for $15 or less.
While the clothing is a little more on the pricier side, you could say it is for good reason. The quality of the clothing is quite great, and their clothes will last you quite a few years without needing to provide special care to them. In fact, two items that I bought from Urban Outfitters about 2 years ago are still in perfect condition, and I wear them quite frequently as well!
Above are two items that I've bought from the company, including the Seamless Plunging Top and the Van Halen T-Shirt Dress.
As for the brand's sizing, Urban Outfitters is pretty consistent with having its items fit true to size. The only thing I'd watch out for is sizing up when buying tank tops or smaller items. After talking to friends who have bought from the company, they say that they've had to return and repurchase items for being too small at times.
My advice would be to read reviews and look at ratings for each clothing item before making a purchase, as this will minimize the chance of buying something that doesn't end up fitting or isn't actually good quality.
Why is Urban Outfitters so Popular?
Many don't know this, but Urban Outfitters is quite the mogul when it comes to online engagement. The brand maintains quite a large social media presence, and makes it worthwhile for customers to get engaged with their community. Using hashtags such as #UOOnYou, #UOMusic, #UOWomen, and more give customers the opportunity to be featured on the brand's community page, while also earning rewards for social engagement. This also enables them to become a "featured" member, which earns them discount codes and exclusive access to newer items.
While the brand's high prices may seem like an inconvenience for customers, it also makes the brand seem exclusive to the public and even to competitors. Essentially, this is what keeps their name in headlines, and keeps the brand in business.
Final Review:
Overall, I would give this company an 8/10. While the most noticeable con of this company is the pricing, avoiding new arrivals and looking deeper into the website will allow you to find some great items for a fraction of its original cost. Most of their items are durable and long-lasting, and sizing does not seem to be an issue, so I'd give this company a thumbs-up.
If you have any experiences with the company that you'd like to share, I'd love to hear them in the comments below. Thanks for reading!