Has clothing quality gone downhill or have I just had a run of bad luck?

[WardrobeDisaster]

I bought a whole pile of new clothes recently and most of them seem to have fallen apart within 2 wears:

• trousers have split across the knee
  
• hook and eye fastening fell off replacement trousers
  
• buttons fallen off other trousers
  
• tassel on shoes fell apart
  
• sole coming away on shoe
  
• seams have frayed and split on a dress
  

These aren't the most expensive end of high street, but decent quality brands - or so I thought (Clarks, Mint Velvet, Somerset by Alice Temperley etc). Admittedly my more expensive branded clothes seem to have held up so far.

Have I just been unlucky or is quality dropping generally? I'm so tired of mending or returning items.

[burnishedsilver]

Quality is dropping generally and paying more no longer guarantees better quality.

[WardrobeDisaster]

Depressing. How do they get away with it.

[KnottyPineHell]

DH dissed my H&M purchases they other day as "cheap poor quality crap" you should shop in Fat Face he said, the quality is much better, because it's not as cheap! Oh how I laughed as I explained higher price does not necessarily equal better quality. I sew so think I have some understanding about garment construction, I look at seams, lining, fabric etc. Before buying anything from anyplace. but Fat Face is shite

[KnottyPineHell]

Anyway.....I blame the whole fast fashion thing. Things are not designed to last because it's expected that you will get bored of them before they fall apart.

[Floisme]

Agree with Knotty. It's what we get when we stop manufacturing ourselves and start buying stuff made in shite conditions with no quality control. And I'm as bad as anyone.

[BeattieBowRisenFromTheDead]

Yes it's gone downhill across the board. It's not just 'fast fashion' that's poorly made of cheap materials these days; everything is.

[OldBootNewBoots]

I think clothing quality has generally gone downhill in the last 10 years and more in the last 5. Is it shops cutting costs due to price pressure from discount labels or just profiteering? White Company, Boden, Next, Laura Ashley all brands where I think the quality has declined.

[Pisssssedofff]

I remember Boden and next tshirts I bought for DD1 13 years ago, thick cotton, nicely shaped etc, fast forward even 7/8 years and it was rubbish, we will be wearing tissue soon

[DelphiniumBlue]

I think you've just been unlucky - take them all back.

[AgathaMystery]

I think the quality of Mint Velvet is shocking actually. Years ago their jeans would last years. Last few years I've not got more than 8mth wear out of them. Never again.

[e1y1]

It's dropped. Everything from clothing to appliances are now in a race to the bottom; it's our desire for affordable fashion and homewares.

But on the flip side, also agree with PP - cost no longer guarantees quality, I have had some stuff from Primark that has lasted so long (10 years+), that I actually don't wear it anymore, but not because it has worn out, anf had more expensive "quality" stuff that has fallen apart within a year.

I now forget cost, forget brand and actually look at the quality of the fabric and stitching, after a while you pick up what to look for to see if something will last.

[FANTINE1]

Absolutely refuse to buy Polyester for £60+.
Whistles, terrible quality, as is Zara, and m&S not far behind.
Cos is good quality.

[BikeRunSki]

I ageee that the quality of clothes has declined massively in the last 10ish years or so.

[daisychain01]

I bought 2 identical tops online from a make called ONLY.

The black one was my size, the cream one was a good 6 - 7 inches wider. Think size 10/12 and size 18/20. Same size on labels.

I sent it back and they replaced it, but it shows how inconsistent the quality is.

[Helpisathand13]

I adding my agreement about declining quality. Simple things like hems of skirts, jackets, trousers barely tacked and of course fall down. I've had a few seams next to zips undone and fabric washing wide very quickly and pilling and bobbling of fabric. Poor quality indeed

[singleandfabulous]

Yes, across the board its getting worse.

Mint Velvet is like cheap Per Una in grey for £££££!!

White conpany has gone downhill too.

Most of the high street is shit.

One thing I have noticed is that what's advertised online isnt the same as what's delivered or in the shops. E.g. a gorgeous Zara blouse or coat will look amazing in an ad or online but when it arrives or you look ar it in the shop, the cut is horrible, the fabric cheap and dull and poorly finished.

So tired of hoping to buy the picture and ending up with a rag.

[VeryPunny]

Another one fed up of paying north of £60 for polyester.

[Fairylea]

I've also noticed a massive drop in quality for price. I tend to do most of my clothes shopping at sainsburys at the moment as it seems to be good quality!

[Floisme]

I think People Tree is still good quality and ethically made too. I just wish I liked more of their stuff but I always look at their website first if I'm after something specific. After them I'm struggling, high or low end though I've also heard good things about Cos (must order that jumper).

[OldBootNewBoots]

yes the boden polyester blouses at £50-60 - where have the ethics gone? They still cut their clothes in a way that suits me otherwise I'd have ditched them by now.

[WardrobeDisaster]

Mint Velvet is like cheap Per Una in grey for £££££!!

Nooo!!! Please don't say that. I've just aged 25 years. Ok, maybe 15

Agree, People Tree are good. LK Bennett and Jaegar seem to be holding up so far, but not my style for everyday wear. Jigsaw still reliable (well, the pieces I have anyway). But I have clothes I bought 10 years ago that are still going strong but I can't imagine finding similar today.

I'm having the same issue for kids leggings - bought some from John Lewis, thin as rice paper. It's winter, God dammit. Where are all the decent leggings? Is it only Frugi that do a decent weight legging these days?

Actually likewise for women, where are the best (ie decent thickness, don't fall apart) leggings? (Stylish maybe not, but I'm missing them).

[Floisme]

I've just revived some velvet trousers that I bought in the mid-late 90s and haven't worn for 15 or even 20 years. I can't get over how good the quality is: really thick, plush velvet. They're not a high end brand - they were from Next. I can't remember exactly what I paid for them but I've a feeling it was around £40. I've just had a look on the Next website and their velvet trousers are now £28. I think that's our answer.

[missyB1]

It's true I used to have clothes that lasted for years,now I'm lucky if a pair of jeans last 12 months. I bought a coat from Joules recently and yesterday noticed one of the seams is coming undone grrrr!

it's the same for white goods though, washing machines, kettles, irons, hoovers etc.. they aren't built to last.

[taybert]

But Flo, even the more expensive (but still high street) brands are going down in quality and up in price. Someone else mentioned Boden, I've got some long sleeved t shirts from there from a few years ago and they've outlasted one I got last year which was more expensive. I guess it's a market wide change though-higher quality materials etc will be harder to source if prices are always being driven down.

[scheepjes]

I notice it the most with knitwear. £50 jumpers from Boden, White Stuff etc. look terrible after a few wears. Not just bobbles you can remove either but sort of matted looking.

Woolovers and Pure Collection are better but very boring looking.