Is bad quality OK...?

[helena]

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)

very good points nqth - people don't consider the energy & resourses wasted with all the cheap crap they buy & then bin. (ot:i was thinking of starting a thread about eco/environmental issues as I am sure many members would have a lot to contribute).

 

[pucci_mama]

The thing is.. and ive discussed this with some friends they would rather have the whole of Topshop than a cople of items from balenciage (or another designer)..

the thing is not everyone can afford to splurge out on chlothes and if you are seen going around in the same outfit day after day- a quality top- no-one can see that it is good quality, or most people anyways, but what they do see is that you wear the same top, over and over.

Get where i am coming from?

More and more people are more into quantity than quality. It's sad, but that's the way it is.

Excuse my spelling, english isen't my first language.

 

[juzuxel]

I think that bad quality is never ok even though if the clothing piece is cheap. If I buy something for cheap and it strats to break down (week after when I have bought it) I go to the store and want my money back or I want to change it to an other clothing piece.

 

[QuirkyCool]

Shoddy workmanship is never ok.If I bought something,no matter what the price,and it fell apart,then I would return it and complain.

As far as the quality of materials go,though,one wouldn't expect fabric from zara and fabric from a big name designer to be of similar feel and quality.Often the cut isn't as precisely flattering and the details aren't "just so" either. This you unfortunately have to expect when you pay 20 euros for something vs 200 or 2000.

This does NOT mean that it should come apart in the wash or shrink or twist.It should still be a good quality cheaper garment,and if it isn't one should complain.

I think that when people are really young,what pucci mama says is true: They value quantity over quality;they feel that they have to keep up with "trends" or be villified.The current fast food,fast friends and fast fashion mass culture has amplified this.

But when you get to my ripe old age (over 30!!) and you've seen a few "trends" come by for the second time ( Bubble skirts!!!! ) you are unmoved by any of this...you know what you like and you want it to feel good,be well made,and reflect your own views and tastes rather than the prevailing whim.

Then you're prepared to pay for the real deal even if you're the only person who will ever really appreciate it for what it is...who else is as important?

 

[indie]

I expect quality, I don't want to waste my money on sh*t, I'm on limited budget !

And even when I had all the money in the world I wouldn't waste my money on crappy things.

I have few H&M T-Shirts, and one of thems fabric is really bad(wear it one day and the smell..) & others are okey .

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

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...

Yes, sorry. from a consumers point of view though (me being the consumer) I think I'd weigh stuff up, all the factors, how much it cost, how long I've had it (how often I'd worn it) and what I expected from it in the first place...as to whether or not I'd go and ask for a refund etc. I am a great hater of wasting resources however, so I almost always keep things after they're a bit damaged because I can always use the material for something else. I would definitely take a piece back though if I'd payed alot for it. It's probably just the mindset, low expectations as tott says in his first post.

 

[faust]

I think you guys are talking only about one group of customer, the one who has money to burn and rather buy ten cheap pieces than one good one. This is still a minority. The majority of the people are poor and they can't afford to buy one good piece, they can only afford to buy one cheap piece and hope that it doesn't fall apart.

Having said that, it is still a valid point about people's low expectations.

 

[QuirkyCool]

I think you guys are talking only about one group of customer, the one who has money to burn and rather buy ten cheap pieces than one good one. This is still a minority. The majority of the people are poor and they can't afford to buy one good piece, they can only afford to buy one cheap piece and hope that it doesn't fall apart.

Having said that, it is still a valid point about people's low expectations.

This is very,very true faust. I spent about 12 years in university/med school,wasn't bankrolled by my dad (or anyone LOL),and had to dress from chain stores. Of course I loved fashion even then and had my own style,and I would have been VERY upset and disappointed if things fell apart when I'd spent my last cent on them.

Of course I realise that I was very fortunate to even be in tertiary education with a hope of doing better someday.Very many people are just stuck in this economic situation.

When you think about it in this way,it is really unethical to sell low quality stuff and even more unethical to make the selling ok by carelessly buying it.

 

[faust]

/\ Same here. My parents are poor, and I've been working all kinds of crappy jobs (on top of school/college) since I was 15 (that's when we came to the US). I remember my mother's horror when I bought a hoodie for $20 from one of my first checks - how could I throw money away like that?!

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

I think you guys are talking only about one group of customer, the one who has money to burn and rather buy ten cheap pieces than one good one. This is still a minority. The majority of the people are poor and they can't afford to buy one good piece, they can only afford to buy one cheap piece and hope that it doesn't fall apart.

Having said that, it is still a valid point about people's low expectations.

I don't have that choice, I earn no money of my own and don't often buy clothes (less than once a month in general) but yet again I'd generally say the low expectation mind set is there, although my clothes generally last a long time...I can still fix them if they tear or anything. I tend to dress things up with accessories, alot of which I make myself. But I'm saying if I did buy an expensive piece in the future I would obviously have higher expectations of it's longevity than I would of a 'designer' piece.

 

[softgrey]

When you think about it in this way,it is really unethical to sell low quality stuff and even more unethical to make the selling ok by carelessly buying it.

welcome back quirky...
i agree...
the lowered expectations of the consumers perpetuates the problem...
and by accepting the low quality, one is quietly complicit...

 

[helena]

people (in general) don't care about quality they care about cost - not sure its simply because people can't afford quality....in the past people just had fewer clothes but those they had were of better quality because they had to last. Nowadays people want to keep up with the trends so are prepared to forgo quality to have quantity. The generalisation I am using is obviously only applicable to 'western' relatively wealthy societies.

Its exactly the same with food as somone mentioned above.

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

Yeah that's a good comparison actually ...food. Nowadays it's alot of fast food, 'bad quality', little substance, quick to make and dispose of, just like alot of clothes on the high street, and thats what people look for because it's convenient and cheap, although when you consider all of it, it's creating alot of waste, environmental damage, and in the long run it'll still cost you a fair bit regardless of the fact that you hadn't chose the better option.

 

[helena]

^^ exactly.

I think its a shame. In 20yrs time you won't be able to get good stuff in vintage shops because clothes form the 00's will have disintegrated long ago. LOL

 

[softgrey]

people (in general) don't care about quality they care about cost - not sure its simply because people can't afford quality....in the past people just had fewer clothes but those they had were of better quality because they had to last. Nowadays people want to keep up with the trends so are prepare to forgo quality to have quantity. The generalisation I am using obviously to 'western' relatively wealthy ones.

Its exactly the same with food as somone mentioned above.

speaking as someone who came from a family with limited funds...
i will tell you that COST is not the first concern...

VALUE is...
because if you buy something cheap and bad quality but it breaks or whatever...
then you have to buy another...
so you have spent TWICE as much money...
so what you try to do is spend the most money you can afford in order to get the highest quality possible, knowing that you will not have to incur that expense again for some time...
leaving your funds available for other priorities...

this is the best way for someone with limited funds to think about spending and budgeting in order to maximise their income...

***and one should ABSOLUTELY buy the best quality food possible....imho...
it's your BODY after all...as i've said before, you only get one...



i know it's all about quantity these days...
the thing is...
if you saw my closet...i have more clothes than you can imagine...
and that is because i have checked the quality of every item before bringing it home...even if it is from zara or h&m...
and i have things that are 20 YEARS old that are still in my wardrobe...

i think it's more about the impatience...
and the feeling that you have to have EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW!!!...
there isn't so much the sense of working hard for what you want...
it's more about immediate gratification and getting something for nothing...

ok..i think i'm getting off track here...

stopping now...

 

[faust]

speaking as someone who came from a family with limited funds...
i will tell you that COST is not the first concern...

VALUE is...
because if you buy something cheap and bad quality but it breaks or whatever...
then you have to buy another...
so you have spent TWICE as much money...
so what you try to do is spend the most money you can afford in order to get the highest quality possible, knowing that you will not have to incur that expense again for some time...
leaving your funds available for other priorities...

this is the best way for someone with limited funds to think about spending and budgeting in order to maximise their income...

***and one should ABSOLUTELY buy the best quality food possible....imho...
it's your BODY after all...as i've said before, you only get one...



i know it's all about quantity these days...
the thing is...
if you saw my closet...i have more clothes than you can imagine...
and that is because i have checked the quality of every item before bringing it home...even if it is from zara or h&m...
and i have things that are 20 YEARS old that are still in my wardrobe...

i think it's more about the impatience...
and the feeling that you have to have EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW!!!...
there isn't so much the sense of working hard for what you want...
it's more about immediate gratification and getting something for nothing...

ok..i think i'm getting off track here...

stopping now...

I agree with what you are saying, but I think you are still talking about another type of customer. Limited funds does not equal being poor. Most people are poor.

 

[helena]

^^^ yes but softgrey you are different. you are interested in quality & I suspect your family are too - as are mine. I just think that for a lot of people quality is not important - the Goerge at Asda shoppers.

 

[softgrey]

I agree with what you are saying, but I think you are still talking about another type of customer. Limited funds does not equal being poor. Most people are poor.

define POOR...

and i am not arguing that most people are not interested in quality...
i am trying to point out that in the long run is it very very foolish...
and actually incredibly WASTEFUL...

 

[helena]

no I totally I agree with you softgrey - its is so wasteful. But most people don't think (about it on those terms) because most people in the 'west' (for want of a more appropriate term) are wealthy, well, compared to people in the developing world (india, africa, parts of s. america). that is poor. Faust - it might be helpful if you did elaborate on what you mean....do you mean the same as I mean?

 

[sea of stitches]

I agree with Softgrey, Quirkycool, nqth, et al. Shoddy workmanship is a complete waste of resources. Even if you are buying at lower price points, having pieces that will last should be a priority. If you are going to wear the same pair of jeans to work everyday, one needs quality and affordability in that case. And we all know that a high price does not neccessarily equal good quality. Previous good points made: expectations being lowered with the onset of convenience and trendy throw-away culture both being guilty of inducing badly made products. It's such a sad state of affairs.