At Steve and Barry's, Fashion Isn't a Luxury

May 19, 2008— -- Sarah Jessica Parker was fearlessly fashion forward on HBO's "Sex and the City," and now the woman who introduced millions to the Manolo Blahnik has introduced her own fashion line. And everything in it, from pants to pumps, costs less than $10.

So who did Parker decide to pair up with to role out her line? Not Versace. Not Valentino. Instead, she went with some guys a little less exotic: Steve and Barry.

No one would mistake Steve Shore and Barry Prevor, two 44-year-old guys from Long Island, as fashionistas. But together they have built one of the fastest-growing fashion empires in the country by selling clothes dirt cheap.

Everything in every store costs less than $10 -- cheaper than the Gap, Old Navy, even Wal-Mart.

"There's a lot of things you could do if this is your mission and this is what you're deeply passionate about," Shore said.

They are passionate, if not a bit obsessive about keeping prices low. For one thing, Steve and Barry's doesn't advertise. Instead, they join with celebrities to create lines, create buzz and make cheap chic.

Tennis star Venus Williams wears the $10 shoes she designed every time she hits the court. And now surfer Laird Hamilton has launched a line.

"My family was on welfare when I was child, and we used to get two pairs of pants for school," Hamilton said. "It had a lot to do with your self-esteem and what you wore."

Hamilton said he was drawn by Steve and Barry's philosophy: Fashion is not a luxury.

"If a family comes to Steve and Barry's, and they buy the exact same clothing here instead of spending a lot of money somewhere else, they're saving a thousand dollars, two thousand, three thousand dollars a year," said Shore. "That's like getting a raise. That really affects people. It lets you fill your tank of gas. Maybe you can go out to eat or fix your house."

The bad economy has been good for business. It's not unusual to see lines of 10 or 20 people deep. Shoppers brag about how much they saved, not how much they spent.