Is bad quality OK...?

[miserylovescompany]

Falling apart?

Now, I didn't know where else to put this. I've been reading a lot of posts where people claim to have bought something a bit cheaper/of lower quality and have claimed that it "falls apart". I want to know where you are buying this crap so I can avoid it.

What do you people do to your clothing/shoes/bags that causes these things to "fall apart" on you? I mean, I've owned things from cheapo little mall stores for years and rarely have a problem. If I do have a problem it usually happens within a few days, and I take it back with the reciept. I mean, I can't even comprehend having a $500 designer bag for a few months and having the seams coming apart. Do you load it up with bricks? i've had the same $12 purse with a silk/rayon lining for over a year, and have yet to have any problems with it. I've put forks in there, thrown up on it, and tossed it in the washing machine. Now this is canvas, so I undertsnad leather bags are a completely different story. Do you put them over your head in the rain or something?


What are you people doing to your stuff?
Why is it that I can buy a shirt for $10 or a pair or pants for $25 that I can wear for years, and some people are buying stuff for 10-100x that amount and it's ruined the second time they wear it?


I don't get it.




Em




Em

 

[saturnine]

I imagine it's just poor quality and workmanship. And in my experience, it doesn't matter in what price range an item is in, if it's poorly made, it will 'fall apart'.

I've had cheap items that have lasted me ages, and relatively expensive items that show wear and tear after being used once or twice.

 

[utopia]

yeah, I agree with saturnine...I think it doesn't really matter how cheap or expensive your stuff is...it can be the random one-off that is poorly made...that escapes inspection or something. I've bought cheap stuff that's lasted forever too...but I do tend to be pretty careful with my clothes and accessories. I handwash things quite a lot, and I don't have things dry cleaned very frequently.

 

[orlem]

Hems come unraveled, buttons fall off, hook and eye closures fall off (happens all the time), fabric pills, or fabric wears very thin where it has been rubbed against.

 

[tott]

I was just thinking about shopping, quality and expectations about quality...

If you buy expensive stuff you expect quality, right? If the handle falls off a designer bag, or a piece of expensive clothing twists and disintegrates in the laundry, I suspect you usually complain? Return it for a refund? What do you do?

And if you buy cheaper stuff, like a 10 € t-shirt at H&M? Do you accept that it's bad quality and not made to last? Throw it away and hope that the next purchase will last longer, chalk it up to bad luck?

Is bad quality acceptable if it's cheap enough?

 

[softgrey]

um....no...

 

[faust]

I was just thinking about shopping, quality and expectations about quality...

If you buy expensive stuff you expect quality, right? If the handle falls off a designer bag, or a piece of expensive clothing twists and disintegrates in the laundry, I suspect you usually complain? Return it for a refund? What do you do?

And if you buy cheaper stuff, like a 10 € t-shirt at H&M? Do you accept that it's bad quality and not made to last? Throw it away and hope that the next purchase will last longer, chalk it up to bad luck?

Is bad quality acceptable if it's cheap enough?

I think it is acceptable. A lot of it is how you treat clothing, really. I've had my H&M shirt for years, and at $13, I say it was a pretty good buy. I think there should be clothing at all price levels. My problem with cheap clothes is that too often it's just plain ugly, but this is mostly limited to the US, where dressing is still not a prerogative for a majority. You guys don't know how good you have it in Europe. Walk into a mass market store here, you'll be horrified.

Also, some clothes are just meant to be disposable, like underclothes. Most of my clothes is designer, but I wouldn't buy $30 Comme des Garcons socks

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

Well thats the thing...a garment is good quality if it meets it's requirements for it's price range in my opinion, quality isn't either 'good' or 'bad' it's whether or not it's sufficient for the specification of the product...including making costs, material costs etc, cut of the garment...basically, how well thought out it all is, basically how expensive the processes/materials going into it are...it's a bit like a sum or ratio...the background of the garment is directly relative to the sustainability of the product...and as long as these are always balanced in some sort of equilibrium it makes the product a 'quality product'
...hope you understand that, I'm not sure if I worded it effectively

The stuff on the high street is basically disposable fashion, and that's what it's made to do, wear out quite easy so the shops get the customers in the next season too...

 

[fashionista-ta]

I was just thinking about shopping, quality and expectations about quality...

If you buy expensive stuff you expect quality, right? If the handle falls off a designer bag, or a piece of expensive clothing twists and disintegrates in the laundry, I suspect you usually complain? Return it for a refund? What do you do?

And if you buy cheaper stuff, like a 10 € t-shirt at H&M? Do you accept that it's bad quality and not made to last? Throw it away and hope that the next purchase will last longer, chalk it up to bad luck?

Is bad quality acceptable if it's cheap enough?

Bad quality is never OK with me ... I don't shop anyplace I know I'm guaranteed to get it (for example, Payless ... never never never).

If I have a quality issue where I think I shouldn't, I open my big mouth online

 

[tott]

I think it is acceptable. A lot of it is how you treat clothing, really.

To a certain level, yes. But if you wash a shirt or sweater properly and it gets twisted and destroyed in the first laundry? If seams come apart?

Qualities of leather/fabric/finishes is another topic, sort of.

I think the standards of quality are sinking constantly...

And yes, you can find great stuff at places like H&M. I'm just thinking the tolerance for bad quality, or workmanship/technique, seems to be very high.

 

[faust]

To a certain level, yes. But if you wash a shirt or sweater properly and it gets twisted and destroyed in the first laundry? If seams come apart?

Qualities of leather/fabric/finishes is another topic, sort of.

I think the standards of quality are sinking constantly...

And yes, you can find great stuff at places like H&M. I'm just thinking the tolerance for bad quality, or workmanship/technique, seems to be very high.

Honestly, I think most people don't know any better, or don't want to know any better.

I also liked FFF's comment, very good observation

 

[softgrey]

i don't think price should make a difference...
a dollar is still a dollar...and i want VALUE for my dollar...

i expect quality in all things...
it's peoples' lowered expectations which make it possible for the 'cheap' stores to keep churning out more junk...
why would i buy a top i know i am going to throw away or give away?...
that's like throwing away money...
and i cannot afford to throw away money...most people can't...

**it's like renting instead of buying ...
not a smart business move...

it's simple math...and common sense...
you don't get rich by giving all your money away...

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

I agree that the tolerances shouldn't be so low, but they generally are, and when alot of the people buying for 'current trends' in high street stores, they probably will not even like some of the stuff by the end of the season and it will be pushed to the back of the wardrobes, so the consumers don't see why they should loosen the purse-strings to cater for longevity in a garment when alot of the time it isn't required.

 

[softgrey]

you're right fff...
of course...
but that is very short-sighted and rather foolish imho...

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

...but generally money making, and isn't that what they're out for? You don't really get dedication from clients at their ages, they shop where they shop, and it depends on what comes in each season rather than a particular aesthetic or idea. In the end, it's all about money

 

[softgrey]

who are THEY..??


i thought the question is posed from a consumer's point of view...
as in ...is it ok to BUY something that is poor quality...?

now if you want to ask ...is it ok to SELL something that is poor quality...?
that is a whole other topic...
with lots of ethical issues attached...

 

[nqth]

now if you want to ask ...is it ok to SELL something that is poor quality...?

Good question:-)

Buy and throw away is not just money issues. It's wasting energy, resources and such, imo.

I am just thinking about eating, heehee. More bad food, or, less, but good. (Or maybe good food is never enough:-D)

 

[tott]

i thought the question is posed from a consumer's point of view...
as in ...is it ok to BUY something that is poor quality...?

From a customer's point of view, yes.

But I was more curious about what you do if an item turns out to be of an unacceptable quality. I complain and return everything that doesn't meet some basic level of quality, even if it's a 5 € t-shirt. It's not really about the money if it's very cheap stuff, more about the principle. Expensive or cheap, it shouldn't transform after a wash/wear.

I have a feeling that people often don't bother to return cheap stuff that turn out to be disappointing. It's to be expected almost...

Producers/retailers see that they can get away with it, so why should they do something about quality issues?

 

[meowmix]

tott, i find that's often true that ppl dont bother to return cheap things or aren't as concerned if they don't meet up to expectations.
great response, fff and i definitely agree...i often think that people buy "cheap" things with low expectations, so if a shirt falls apart after one wash, it's not really devastating. i may even liken it to buying a disposable camera... instead of investing in one good camera, they buy one to use when the need comes up and then toss it out and develop the film... except with clothes, most of the cheap ones are really trendy, so its like trendy clothes one purchases when the need or desire arises, but then "dispose of" in one way or another after the trend goes out and there's no longer a need.
personally, i don't believe in buying tons of cheap clothes that will often inevitably fall apart... those $10-20 items add up.

 

[tott]

^ I think you're right, sadly. I just don't understand this throw-away mentality.

I really don't like "fashion" because of it. Style is so much more substantial.