The Declining Quality of Clothing & Goods

[eizhowa]

^I would imagine that most polo shirts would suffer from a decline in quality. Everything with a logo will still sell fairly well, despite being of a poor quality. I think good quality is the exception rather than the rule with Gap...

If a garment falls apart in 1-2 months, I would take it back to the store and demand a refund. I know you are not in the EU, but do you have similar laws?

 

[reesewu]

^ Awww that's too bad. I just don't want to dish out $300 or more for a branded polo which I know obviously does not worth the money.

Sadly we don't have that return policy here. I tried a few local brands as well as 'well-known' one but the quality are all ...

 

[fashionista-ta]

What about Lacoste or Polo?

 

[reesewu]

Are they good? Because I see that they are also made in third world countries.

 

[Royal-Galliano]

my boyfriend has a couple of fred perry polos and they seem OK.

 

[Phuel]

Are they good? Because I see that they are also made in third world countries.

It's not uncommon for high-end designer clothes to be made--or at least have parts of it be made, in Third World countries now.

I still wear Lacoste's classic pique polos; been wearing Lacoste polos all my life. They've been stretched, pulled and they still hold up. I went through a periods when I wore polos by Armani, Dior Homme, YSL... and I always go back to Lacoste pique polos for pure practicality: They can be put through the ringer and will come out intact and for summer, nothing beats pique.

 

[Not Plain Jane]

I think a lot of people in the first world are spoiled rotten. It's really up to us to reject planned obsolescence and the consumer culture that's being foisted on us, and insist on the quality we want and need. In my experience, it is available ... and second-hand is an option too, when you want real quality at a low price.

a lot of people are uneducated about this, or worse, don't care, which is devastatingly sad. especially because all of these issues are lumped with environmental ones as well.

but i agree with you that consumers have a lot of power.

 

[eizhowa]

^I think the part about lack of knowledge is very important. I explained to an acquaintance that a good cashmere sweater can be worn for months without being washed, because the fabric "breathes" and keeps its shape without any issue. She looked shocked. Cheap clothes don't do that... They would stink up the place and look awful (sometimes bin ready) after that much wear When people don't know the many benefits of quality, why would they demand it? (There are many more benefits than needing less washing of course)

 

[adrienpegon]

The fact is also most people what quality means, and agree when their $17 tee shirts only last 2 months.
My friends always buy clothes at Zara, H&M, Asos, aso and for them, and a lot of persons, as long as your clothes can be washed more than 3 times without losing one size, its a " really great product ". Fast-retailing brands do create low-quality products because they know people won't complaint, " what could I expect with a $17 teeshirt though "… and also because their constantly renewed collections encourage customers to buy again and again so they might not notice the low quality of their clothes since they cant wear everything in such a short frame of time.
I'm now only buying at COS ( quality starts decreasing too ) and Acne for the coats and jackets, rather spend $1000 on a Acne coat than on 5 Topman ones.

 

[La bordélique]

What do we think of Everlane? www.everlane.com

I haven't bought anything from them but from what I've seen on their website, the pieces seem pretty classic and well made in an affordable price range.

 

[Amillion]

I've noticed this as well. I find myself washing items and they shrink several sizes after just one wash. Some items stretch out incredibly quickly, a lot of blend clothing and everything is see through.

My older pieces from stores like Zara, H&M and Forever21 is of much better quality than today's Zara, H&M and F21.

 

[eizhowa]

I have wondered about why people so often complain about brands quality declining in a short period of time. I feel like it is so subjective. Couldn't it be that maybe we forget all the bad tems that got worn out/ruined and only remeber the (for example) 30% that holds up? When you then go and buy something new, you might expect the new stuff to be like the good stuff you have left from the brand, but actually, 70% of whatever you buy might consistently be of bad quality...

I don't know... It was just a thought.

 

[Fewormany]

To be honest the only difference I see in quality is in the durability of the fabric. I've never had something shrink aften one wash or stretch out after being worn, not even stuff from H&M. Quality fluctuates between pieces from a the same brand. I have H&M sweaters that keep up better then one of my Acne sweaters and vice versa.

I prefer to assess the quality by piece, not by brand.

 

[rosiecheeks]

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.

Yup, I had some Nudies years ago. And recently repurchased their new Skinny Lin, which is supposedly more suitable for women. I don't like how they stretch though. My cheap Massimo Dutti jeans with loads of spandex and polyester may last but mere months (everyday wear), but they fit like a dream. Urgh. The quest goes on.

 

[rosiecheeks]

What do we think of Everlane? www.everlane.com

I haven't bought anything from them but from what I've seen on their website, the pieces seem pretty classic and well made in an affordable price range.

I've been crushing on Everlane for a while now. But only from afar as they do not ship to Europe (yet). Would like to know if anyone can share their experience

 

[Ganybelle]

I have a couple tees from Everlane that have held up very well. The quality seems very good for the price, but I am only judging on just a handful of items. I have a sweater that has developed a tiny whole in the shoulder but that might have been my fault. The problem with the brand for me seems to be the fit. Some things are too long, or sleeves might fit too tight and awkward, or sandal straps might cut into the foot too much. Little things like that.

 

[BetteT]

rosiecheeks,

I'm moving your post about lingerie brands and which to buy to the Shop Til You Drop forum and will start a new thread with it ... since your question seems to be about what you want it to look like. (We need to beef up the STYD forum anyway, so this will help.) http://forums.thefashionspot.com/f46/lingerie-brands-270123.html

 

[SummerAcidre]

Are they good? Because I see that they are also made in third world countries.

its not about where it's made, its more like how it is made.

A lot of designers are having their products assembled in third world countries because of the affordable production costs and high quality finished products.

Also, this "third world countries" are one of the highest producers of raw materials used in manufacturing textile etc.

 

[eizhowa]

^That is only partially true.

Some factory workers in 3rd world countries are pressured to assemble/create a very high number of pieces per hour, and that definitely affects the quality. Do you think the seams on t-shirts twist in the wash (or are sold with wonky seams...) because a lot of care went into he cutting and sewing of the t-shirt?

We can only judge the quality of a garment by looking at the garment itself, but I think it is very true that you get more shoddy quality from 3rd world countries, because of the different working enviroment. So it is not a completely ineffective rule of thumb.

 

[squilliam]

The problem is for many people in third world countries is that this is one of the best jobs they could get that are less shady and dangerous than others available to them. But on the other hand, many of these third world countries don't create laws to protect these workers, so the abuse continues even after major disasters. And these production companies probably help their economy. Then again, creating incentives for companies to move production to first world countries like the US would help the current unemployment and bad economy some countries are facing (if I started a clothing line, I'd try to get manufactured completely in Detroit to get that city out of the slums), and these countries are more likely to protect their workers
On another note, I have had this one Coach purse for a long time that's made in China and it's very good quality. I also strangely have 2 pieces from H&M that were made in Italy (back when H&M had better quality)