Elie Tahari

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After growing up in an Israeli orphanage, Elie Tahari moved to New York City in the early 1970s. While working at a small boutique in Greenwich Village, he discovered fashion design and fell in love with the industry. He started his own label in 1973 by designing flirty dresses that fit in with the disco era. Within a year, he had opened a boutique on Madison Avenue--one of the first fashion designers ever to do so. Lahari advanced his reputation for creating new trends when he began designing tailored suits in the early 1980s and helped define women's fashion over the next decade.

Today, the Elie Tahari brand is known for creating subtle styles that allow the beauty of the wearer to overshadow the statement made by her clothes. The privately held company has expanded into menswear and has gone international, with a presence in markets like Milan, Korea, Spain, Dubai, and Mexico. Elie Tahari is known for its attention to detail, timeless styles, and modern sophistication. The brand operates a number of boutiques across the country in addition to selling clothes via luxury department store chains. The company brings in more than $500 million in annual revenue.

Women's Merchandise

Products

The Elie Tahari women's collection offers luxury apparel in almost every major category. A large assortment of panel dresses are designed in very traditional shapes, but they feature variances in necklines as well as embellishments, patterns, and colors that set them apart. All the brand's dresses are extremely form-fitting and are designed to emphasize the wearer's natural silhouette. Blouses include tunics and button-down tops in various colors. Most of these tops are made of silk and exude flowing luxury. Sweaters and knits are a little more casual and include selections like tanks and cardigans. Outerwear options include leather jackets, blazers, trenches, and vests that range from relatively traditional to completely over-the-top in their designs.

Suiting set Elie Tahari apart from his competitors in the '80s, and it continues to be one of the designer's areas of expertise today. Pantsuits and skirt suits combine formality and fashion, and they are excellent choices for powerful women to wear to work. When it comes to bottoms, you'll find options like trousers, leggings, capris, and designer jeans. Other products include midi and maxi skirts as well as a limited selection of shorts. Beyond regular apparel, the brand also makes accessories. You can find hats, gloves, scarves, sunglasses, and hosiery made from very luxurious materials.

Swap.com's Rating of Elie Tahari

While it's difficult to figure out why some luxury brands charge such exorbitant prices, Elie Tahari simply exudes opulence with its use of extravagant fabrics and fine details. The designer has a unique sensibility in that his clothes aren't overly bold. Instead, they manage to maintain a sense of subtlety while still doing everything possible to accentuate the natural beauty of the wearer. By using the female silhouette as his canvas, Tahari finds ways to manipulate traditional styles through interesting pops of color and well-crafted patterns. Especially in categories like suiting and dresses, the clothes almost blend into the background. The brand certainly isn't cheap--most garments are priced above $200--but its commitment to quality is incredibly evident. We give Elie Tahari 4.5 stars out of 5.