The Rag and Bone brand is a Britain-originating American fashion house controlled by Marcus Wainwright. Its items are some of the most purchased on the fashion market; it sells in over 700 boutiques worldwide, including Rag and Bone retail stores.
The brand is still relatively new, having been founded only in 2002, but it has recorded breakthroughs in the industry. The brand has grown to become synonymous with innately wearable clothing designed with time-honored techniques of highly-skilled artisans.
Conversely, the Theory brand is a New York-based fashion brand founded by Andrew Rosen in 1997. It is a high-quality clothing brand known for its top-quality fabrics, fashionable clothes, and superb tailoring.
The brand’s clothing collections are recognized as more than fashion; they may refer to them as art in the purest form. Theory offers real value for the money you spend on its items, offering a wide variety of styles, from casual to office wear.
This article is centered on comparing these two iconic fashion brands to help you decide which one you should choose. So keep reading to learn how Theory and Rag and Bone are different.
Table of Contents
Rag and Bone vs Theory: What Are They Known For?
Rag and Bone is a brand with origins in New York known for combining its British heritage with contemporary directional designs. The brand is known for its fragrance line and high-quality fashion pieces, including men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, footwear, jeans, and accessories. Rag and Bone has made a name for itself in the fashion industry in about ten years of existence.
The brand prides itself in its high-standing manufacturing techniques by its supremely-skilled local producers at older factories.
Meanwhile, Theory is widely known for its minimalistic and sophisticated contemporary designs, specializing in luxurious, casual, simple, and clean designs. Theory is your go-to brand if you love to look chic but simple; through its items, you see how hot “simple” can be.
The Theory brand is known for its sleek American sportswear and men’s and women’s accessories, with minimal designs for contemporary women’s wardrobes. With more than two hundred stores worldwide, Theory’s products are some of the most popular on the market.
Rag and Bone vs Theory: Comparing History
Nathan Bogle and Marcus Wainwright founded Rag & Bone in 2002 and launched a men’s line in 2004 and women’s in 2005. Bogle left the company in 2006, after which David Neville became Wainwright’s partner after joining the company in 2005.
The idea to make a pair of men’s jeans came to Wainwright in New York in 2001. He worked in a factory in Kentucky for more than eighteen months to create and perfect his product.
His experience working at the factory informed Rag and Bone’s philosophy; the brand expanded into the fragrance industry in 2016.
Meanwhile, Andre Rosen and Elie Tahari founded the Theory brand as a women’s collection in 1997 in New York. The brand started with a focus on comfortable stretch pants, after which a men’s line was included in 1999.
It formed a license agreement with Link International of Japan in 2000 as a manufacturer and distributor. The Theory brand started making women’s handbags and shoes in 2003, which was also when it launched nationally in the U.S.
Rag and Bone vs Theory: Quality vs Quality
Comparing these two brands is tough, particularly because they aren’t the same and don’t offer the same items. However, when it comes to quality, it’s often black and white: either a brand has it, or it doesn’t.
Both these brands make their products of high quality, although Theory is typically said to be more luxurious. Being more luxurious means using more exotic and expensive materials, which is why its pieces cost more.
Theory’s products have perfect quality, especially since the brand uses cotton and linen wool materials that are ethically made. On the other hand, Rag and Bone has outstanding craftsmanship and high-quality raw materials going for it.
The brand appears to be like any other jeans and t-shirt brand on the surface but is much more. With a close inspection of Rag and Bone, you will find it pays meticulous attention to detail and uses high-quality materials.
How Can You Authenticate a Rag and Bone Item?
There are different ways in which you can confirm that the Rag and Bone item you’re buying is original. That includes through the logo, tags, and hardware. Authenticate your newly-purchased R&B item in the following ways:
- The iconic logo, “rag & bone”, should be distinctly presented in lowercase letters with a typewriter font. However, the brand often positions a stitched “rb” icon logo at the back of the jean, for instance. Look for it at the upper right corner of the back right pocket; it shouldn’t be printed or positioned incorrectly.
- Every hardware on the product should have the same meta-tone color as the brand’s logo or name. R&B pays close attention to detail, so there shouldn’t be a mistake. Slight oversights like a silver rivet with silver button closure mean counterfeit.
- Finally, R&B always puts several tags on its items, including the size, brand, and fabric tag. The size tag is the smallest of the three; all three tags are stitched on, not printed.
Is The Theory Brand Worth Investing In?
If you’re all for the high-quality materials and appealing designs Theory offers its customers, then you’ll find it worth the investment. The brand isn’t only considered a good affordable brand; it is among the best clothing brands worldwide.
Fashion enthusiasts understand the value of what Theory offers, and that’s why they are often drawn to it. It combines sophisticated and minimalist designs, which few brands have done successfully.
Furthermore, one thing you want to know about a luxury brand before investing in it is its durability. As it happens, Theory items are known to have a reputation for incredible durability, most likely thanks to their quality. So when it comes to style and quality, Theory has you covered; the only itch is if its style doesn’t match yours.
Conclusion
Rag and Bone and Theory are two iconic affordable brands in the fashion industry that are worth investing in. R&B is your brand if you’re looking for affordable, high-quality, versatile clothing, footwear, accessories, and fragrance. Meanwhile, Theory is your go-to brand for affordably expensive minimalistic but sophisticated, simple but clean fashion items for your wardrobe. “Affordably expensive” means their price ranges are higher than R&B’s but much lower than higher-end brands, meaning you can afford them.