The Declining Quality of Clothing & Goods

[fashionista-ta]

^ That's interesting. I don't have the latest technology, but I do think my washer can be hard on things--and I dry clean virtually everything I wear out of the house. What about your gentle cycle? I have seen really impressive 'sweater' and 'handwash' cycles in higher-end machines that what I inherited with my house.

PS Pardon my curmudgeonly mood today I am feeling a bit impatient this week, and not suffering fools gladly ...

 

[smartarse]

It's sad and disappointing nonetheless.

It's all about supply and demand. Cheap makes for fast production.

I do find Uniqlo to have top-notch quality and stitching for such an affordable price however, it's not your Zara's, H&M's, etc.

 

[wildtussah]

Let's discuss/vent/b*tch about the declining quality of clothing, extending even to shoes and accessories.

Am I the only one who sees this as a significant problem?

Popular American brands like The Gap/J. Crew/Banana Republic/Ann Taylor/Madewell [a new brand that was stellar in quality in their first year, now I can't wash a t-shirt without it falling apart]/L.L. Bean, etc. result in : Sweaters that are itchier. Things piling when washing. T-shirts, are all see-through and stretched out. Pants, unlined. Tailoring, non-existent. Denim has gotten thinner. ......I could go on and on.

Brands I used to be able to count on for quality products that wouldn't break the bank.

More disappointingly I feel like I'm starting to see designer brands declining as well. A designer pair of shoes I just bought, is falling apart after just a few wears. The leather goods of luxury brands doesn't seem quite as soft. The silks not as high quality....

What's the reason? What are your complaints and thoughts? Or maybe wax rhetorical about what you used to be able to buy for the same amount of money. Would love to hear it.

The quality for those brands have gone down because they are trying to make as much of a profit as possible, which means using cheap materials, using cheap labor and designing seasonal clothes to fall a part within a couple months so that you have to buy a new one.

That's why there's been a lot of noise around the importance of replacing fast fashion with slow fashion. I bet if you added up all the money spent during the year on cheap clothes, you would have saved money if you bought clothing from brands that make quality a priority.

Anyone else agree?

 

[ssgghh]

^I do agree but I also have a hard time finding brands that do good quality and good interesting design (that I like anyways...).

 

[de minimis]

Fashion is inherently disposable, I don't think that's compatible with "buy it for life" articles of clothing

 

[eizhowa]

^How many articles of clothing do you really buy for life though? I don't think I will have any of my clothing for another 60 years (average life span). I won't even have my national costume (which is already 100 years old) for that long, because I will no doubtly grow out of it and/or give it to one of my daughters. I imagine I will wear out or grow out of all my clothes at some point.

 

[Uemarasan]

I do find Uniqlo to have top-notch quality and stitching for such an affordable price however, it's not your Zara's, H&M's, etc.

I agree. Buy from Uniqlo if you want quality at affordable prices. I admire how they emphasize that they aren't about trends but about creating their own aesthetic. The Japanese seem to have a keener understanding of the importance of quality even in a fast fashion label, especially with Naoki Takazawa (former head designer of Issey Miyake) handling creative direction at Uniqlo.

Maybe it would be worth exploring the other labels under Fast Retailing. It seems like they share the same design philosophy: Theory and Comptoir des Cotonniers.

 

[thisismyname]

I agree. Buy from Uniqlo if you want quality at affordable prices. I admire how they emphasize that they aren't about trends but about creating their own aesthetic. The Japanese seem to have a keener understanding of the importance of quality even in a fast fashion label, especially with Naoki Takazawa (former head designer of Issey Miyake) handling creative direction at Uniqlo.

Even Uniqlo has become inconsistent with quality, in my experience. Many years ago I bought a cashmere sweater from Uniqlo, and was impressed by the quality for the extremely reasonable price. A couple years ago, I bought another cashmere sweater from there. It appeared to the same style/cut, but the fabric did not feel nearly as soft as the one that I had bought previously. Honestly, after that experience I stopped looking in Uniqlo, so I'm not sure if the decline in quality is across other items that they offer, but I wanted to share my experience.

 

[eizhowa]

^Is it possible your sweater got softer with time? I don't know how Uniqlo was "in the old days", but I know that my oldest (budget) cashmeres are the softest I own. I have also heard that cashmere can become softer over time.

 

[MulletProof]

I feel the same towards Uniqlo. I love them but some things last longer than others. It's all built smartly so that makes up for the lack of durability in some items I guess. But I will agree the Japanese know what's up when it comes to quality and accessibility.. not a single Muji garment has been a disappointment, I've tried pretty much everything, even their 7 dollar tees feel infinitely softer and nicer than the 19.99 ones from H&M ... the only item that was ruined right away.. it was my fault, and I'm still so sad.. it was a red cashmere sweater from their Labo by Margaret Howell line.

 

[Uemarasan]

I feel the same towards Uniqlo. I love them but some things last longer than others. It's all built smartly so that makes up for the lack of durability in some items I guess. But I will agree the Japanese know what's up when it comes to quality and accessibility.. not a single Muji garment has been a disappointment, I've tried pretty much everything, even their 7 dollar tees feel infinitely softer and nicer than the 19.99 ones from H&M ... the only item that was ruined right away.. it was my fault, and I'm still so sad.. it was a red cashmere sweater from their Labo by Margaret Howell line.

I probably love Muji even more than Uniqlo! I do agree that not all lines under Uniqlo are created equally. I tend to check out the collaborations or special lines more than anything, and in my experience the quality tends to be better. I still have my +J stuff and it's still great! But Uniqlo is so cheap I can understand how some items may not be as lasting.

 

[kissmesweet]

I think that the Uniqlo items that I buy tend to last in my experience, but I agree it's different for different lines.

Muji lasts for sure, but there is a lot less variety with styles and colors. They're good for basics though. Also the material always feels so good!

 

[Tali16]

I'm completely upset with the quality of apparel currently being produced. When I buy vintage(which I usually do) the difference in quality is astonishing and is the reason why most of my wardrobe is now vintage because I refuse to buy clothes that will fall a part after a few months use. But I still want to wear new styles and be excited about the clothing that's being produced now so I think that something news to change with the quality!
Tali

 

[rosiecheeks]

I agree with pretty much every thing has been said about this topic. It's frustrating entering a ZARA store and see a t-shirt costing 15€ and was made for the price of 1€.
People always criticize me when I buy designer clothes, saying that I've got expensive habits. Well, I just bought a Acne leather jacket. And I think this is the secret for a smart wardrobe: invest in timeless, classic items!

The production cost vs. sales price is misleading though. How much do you think your Acne jacket production cost was? In luxury retail the sales price can be as much as 800% the production price. And you also have to consider things as shipping, designing, storage, stores, salesclerks etc. Not to mention insane campaigning costs.

Now that we've established the industry is in dire need of some quality, does anyone know a good jeans brand that is also trying to be more ethical? (bio cotton, fair wages) I had a look at monkee genes, but wasn't too impressed. Also I'd like to try them on physically before buying (living in Paris).

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Edun makes jeans ... not sure where they're available in Europe though.

 

[AshaAndriana]

I can honestly say that the quality issue isn't just with certain American brands such as JCrew/ Madewell I have also come across this problem with certain ready-to-wear brands. I have bought a Vince sweater that started pilling before I could even get it dry cleaned. I have also had this problem with certain of my Diesel items, Alexander Wang, etc. take extremely good care of my clothes and have still had these issues. This makes me think that buying vintage is the way to go. An older lady came into my store when I worked at Club Monaco & told me how much better the quality of clothes were back in her day. Now I wish that I lived in that time. *sigh*

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Yes, I've had an issue with Alexander Wang as well ... and it's not like it was cheap! (The price tag I mean ...)

 

[eizhowa]

I can imagine that as brands get bigger, they can devote more time to figure out how to reduce costs and find cheaper materials, cheaper labour etc... A small local family company doesn't have the time and resources to continously look for ways to make production cheaper and cheaper and cheaper.

 

[Fewormany]

Now that we've established the industry is in dire need of some quality, does anyone know a good jeans brand that is also trying to be more ethical? (bio cotton, fair wages) I had a look at monkee genes, but wasn't too impressed. Also I'd like to try them on physically before buying (living in Paris).

You could try Nudie Jeans, it's target towards men but I know some women who love theirs to death. They are pretty transparant, on their site you can find the production locations by product and the names of the subcontractors.

 

[reesewu]

Is GAP polo high quality? I am having a hard time trying to find a good polo that last because all the stuffs I bought fell apart just about one or two months