to think women's clothing should be as high quality as men's?

[ethelb]

An afternoon jeans shopping with my (male) DP has left me seething!

We both needed new jeans and headed off shopping this afternoon to find some. I won't claim that DP necessarily had an easy time finding a pair that worked for him, but it was generally the case that when he picked up a pair of jeans they were actually jeans. MADE OUT OF DENIM.

On the other hand, all but one of the shops I looked in (Topshop, River Island, Zara) basically had jeggings (stretchy denim legging things) where they used to have jeans. Thin material in teeny, tiny 'skinny' shapes only.

The place that really took the biscuit was the Levi's shop, where upon commenting that the jeans were made out of very thin material, the (actually quite helpful) shop assistant said that "women who want that generally buy the men's skinny jeans".

So it is acknowleged that the women's jeans are made out of crappy fabric compared to the men's ones, and other women have mentioned this and the company is aware of it!

The rub? The crappo women's jeans cost as much as the men's ones! For half the fucking fabric!

AIBU to think this is a royal pisstake on the part of the highstreet?

(And had me thinking that perhaps women don't 'feel the cold' more, their clothes are just made rubbishly with lower quality fabric than men's)

[Catsize]

I have always thought this about work shoes. A pair of Churches can last a man 30yrs and are beautifully made.

[ethelb]

Don't even get me started on shoes.

Nothing but skyscraper heels or ballet pumps.

The occassional brogue is available but that is about it with regards to a pair of shoes one could actually, you know, shop in!

[specialsubject]

oh yes. There's actually very little choice in women's clothes and shoes.

bras - forget it if you don't want padding or itchy lace, and do want comfy wide straps.
shoes - yep, stupid girly things you can't walk in.
trousers - fall apart in seconds, no pockets.

twice the price, last half as long.

[NaffOrf]

I buy men's clothes. And shoes. It can look fierce if you shop wisely.

[msrisotto]

Yes, I agree completely OP. Women aren't allowed proper warm jumpers either. They probably aren't flattering enough.....

[ethelb]

It was the price that suprised me most. They must calculate that women will pay more for less. There is no way that the women's clothes would have cost as much as the men's to make. Less material for a start, and what there was was thinner and more synthetic. I mean wtf!

[BrianTheMole]

I agree op.

[harticus]

YANBU - most women's clothing is tat.

I refuse to succumb to the unparalleled fucking awfulness of "jeggings" and stick doggedly to genderless Levi 501s that I have worn for 30 years or more

[NoArmaniNoPunani]

I buy Paige jeans, they are great quality

[Dwerf]

I tend to wear men's jeans. Asda's cheapest jeans for women are over a tenner, their men's jeans are a fiver. Where is the bloody fairness in that?

Also, they have deep pockets you can get more than a tampon in.

[ethelb]

Paige jeans look nice and will consider them next time. Crikey they aren't cheap though!

In the end I got some GAP jeans. They were in the women's section though they did seem to be a similar quality to the men's ones, so well done GAP (I don't like the rest of their stuff though).

[ethelb]

harticus the joke was they weren't even being sold as 'jeggings'. That was in the jeans section in the store and that was ALL THERE WAS!

[southeastastra]

was going to suggest gap. though i love zara jeans and find them quite hard wearing, they aren't that expensive either. Levis are overpriced but you can usually get cheaper ones in tk maxx

[Dromedary]

Women have been ripped off like this for as long as I can remember. Really rubbish clothes, nothing warm for the winter (you're just supposed to stay indoors with the heating on high), no pockets (drives me mad - how would the men who design them like it), overpriced. Shoes which hardly last 2 minutes before falling apart, and are often uncomfortable and let the wet in. Why are women supposed to be happy with this?

[slightlyglitterstained]

YANBU.

Over the last year, it has first perplexed me that jeans and trousers for baby boys have actual, real, deep, pockets, FFS (long before they have the dexterity to actually put anything in them and get it out again!), and then ROYALLY pissed me off when I realised that ALL of DS's trousers have better pockets than his mother's trousers. Except for the occasional pair from the girls section. Those are lightweight, and have no real pockets, just fake ones.

[TheEmpress]

Was thinking this about jumpers. Dh can get cotton, wool etc all natural for less than the women's version, which use man made fabrics or a mix. Flattering cuts for women use cheaper fabrics, good materials often have frumpy cuts.

I would prefer less choice but better quality.

[TheEmpress]

I agree about children's clothes.

Although on the other hand, boys' fabrics ten to be stiff( ie jeans) whereas girls' have a stretch in them. Why can't they both be comfortable?

[WeShouldOpenABar]

You wouldn't expect much of a difference in a hoody but they're heavier better quality and last longer, best of all the choice if colours are much more interesting, I only buy mens ones now

[NoArmaniNoPunani]

I find the total opposite, men's clothes are much more expensive than women's. DH is very fussy about his shirts and they cost at least £50 each. I can buy 2 or 3 tops for that. My hoodies are usually less than his too and we both get them from surfdome and like similar brands

[slightlyglitterstained]

Need to get some new jeans, so noting suggestions.

And, not jeans, but have relatively recently discovered that a large proportion of Peopletree's dresses have pockets, real honest to god fucking pockets, so I can shove a largeish smartphone into one side and a wallet in the other and go out for lunch with my hands free, like I'm a real person or something.

[ethelb]

@noarmani I'm talking like for like with regard to quality. This simply wasn't available in some shops (ie proper denim jeans vs jeggings) but the same price.

Would you be able to find a women's blouse of the same fabric and quality tailoring for the same price as your DP's shirts for example?

[AGoodPirate]

I have a dress with pockets. I often wish I'd bought three of it.
I have daydreamed that I go to India to find a tailor to make me some copies.

[NoArmaniNoPunani]

I'm not really a blouse kind of person but from a quick look at women's shirts on surfdome (the site we both buy most of our clothes from) the women's shirts are much cheaper than men's

[ethelb]

www.surfdome.com/Womens_Shirts-728/

www.surfdome.com/Mens_Shirts-175/

Umm, not really. And a few of those women's shirts are sleeveless.