Helmut Lang, Halston and Hugo Boss are all considered designer goods by someone, or several someones. But each of those brands is likely not good enough for others. In reality, one person's DVF (Diane von Furstenberg) is another woman's IDC (I don't care). Thanks toLord & Taylor, Michael Kors and Lululemon taking up residence in the 518 in 2104 and Nordstrom Rack opening later this year, there's lots of chatter surrounding luxury goods.

So what exactly is high-end or designer in the Capital Region — an area dominated by budget-conscious state workers and midpriced retailers?

By definition, designer goods are those attached to or associated with a label people recognize, or admire. But fashion and retail experts go a bit deeper with their definition.

"High-end is what is a little bit out of your comfort zone personally," says Ted Potrikus, the president and CEO of the Retail Council of New York State. "So if it's a little bit more expensive than what you'd normally spend on whatever, then you are going to consider it high-end."

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The median household income in Albany County hovers right around $60,000, according to the most-recent data from the Census Bureau, so BCBGMaxAzria is more likely to make it into our closets than Balenciaga (a designer with a plethora of handbags starting around $1,500).

High-end-loving consumers in our region prefer what's called "elevated contemporary," saysSharon Fenno, owner of Circles in Stuyvesant Plaza. Meaning Vince, Rag & Bone andElizabeth & James rather than Oscar de la Renta or Valentino.

"These are the designers my customer is migrating to," Fenno says. "While it's still a high-end product, you get a bigger bang for your buck."

No matter the choice, or definition, fashion lovers will always argue over the term.

When news broke that Michael Kors was coming to Crossgates Mall, many people on social media shook with excitement in their MK-embossed pumps; others pointed out MICHAEL by Michael Kors and KORS by Michael Kors are vastly different collections (the latter having a least two more zeros on every price tag) and argued the offerings at the new store weren't really designer.

Lord & Taylor touted themselves as being the go-to for designer wares when they opened in 2014, yet many customers online compared them to our local Macy's, void of Burberry, YSL or Tory Burch clothing or handbags.

Department stores are broken down into A, B and C stores, according to Fenno. Typically, the big-city location (Manhattan, Los Angeles) are As, while the versions you find here are B or C.

"You aren't going to find the same thing (in our department stores) you find in New York City," says Fenno.

Numerous consignment stores in the area promote that they specialize in "designer" clothing and accessories on their window signs or their Facebook pages, yet their most premium brands are those originally found at midpriced department stores like Boscov's, Sears or JCPenney, leaving women looking for the collections often seen on celebrities (Rag & Bone, Vince, Theory, Rachel Roy) disappointed.

Then Eliza DeRocker came (back) into town. The FIT graduate with Glens Falls roots returned to the region to open Saratoga Closet in the summer of 2014, a consignment shop appealing to the type of consumer who lists Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales or Barneys as department stores that carry the brands they covet.

"High end is pretty much any expensive fabric or material that is made professionally, usually in Italy or Spain, or is custom cut and is made to last longer," says DeRocker, who is also a handbag designer. "Louis Vuitton, for example, uses the top grain of leather instead of using the bottom grain of leather and therefore are more expensive as they pay to have the best quality, and that is why their pieces last forever."

Which leads to another (frequent) element of high-end or designer — they're typically pieces that hold their value (kind of like a Honda or an Infiniti when you're talking cars).

"You can resell your Louis Vuitton bag in 25 years and still get your money back," DeRocker says. "The minute we have a Louis Vuitton in my store, we sell it within one day."

Chanel, Fendi, Gucci and YSL are just a few of the other brands that not only maintain their value, but sometimes become worth more as the years pass.

Outside of consignment, DeRocker says just about any brand you see in Circles is considered designer, locally. Evoke Style and Saratoga Trunk also carry many brands coveted by women who drool over, and emulate, what they see in the pages of fashion magazines.

"Diane von Furstenberg is considered higher end in our area," says DeRocker. "The fabrics Diane chooses to use are very high quality, and I know many girls that can wear her dresses for 10 years, 20 years, and they last forever. Diane Von Furstenberg may not be considered on the higher end in NYC, but she is well respected, and a lot of my New York fashionista girlfriends are wearing her line a lot, as they find it affordable and great quality."

DVF is considered average pricing for many designer-loving NYC-based consumers, DeRocker says.

"For the Manhattan consumer, Prada and Gucci are the higher-end products," she says. Women will "pay $800 to $1,600 for a dress. Around upstate N.Y., the girls don't know who Gucci and Prada are unless they visit the online retailers who carry them, or they have to travel to Manhattan, or they can find a few pieces in my store."

Who has it better?

If you're a shopper, you've likely uttered the term "the better," referring to which location of a specific store is more desirable.

The Colonie Center Macy's gets points for offering a vast variety of brands (including Coach, Michael Kors and Kate Spade)while the Gap at Crossgates Mall beats out its counterpart at Colonie Center thanks to racks and racks of sales merchandise (often offered at an additional 40 or 50 percent off).

Times Union readers on the On the Edge blog voted for which store location they prefer among retailers found at both of the two big area malls

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