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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think the quality of a lot of stuff has drastically reduced in recent years

78 replies

Tommalot · 04/08/2024 17:54

Maybe over the course of around 20 years or so. I'm concerned this is a symptom of side effects of widening social inequality generally.

I'm sure I remember being able to buy pretty decent quality natural fibres clothes from the early 00s and before from high street shops for a semi-reasonable price. Now it seems very polarised, like you can buy either cheap synthetic nasty shit from Shein or New Look which falls apart or hangs poorly, or have to pay £££s at a very upmarket outlet for anything approaching quality that will last.

Food is similar. There's been a lot in the media recently about UPFs but the majority of most supermarkets are packed with unwholesome products. Whereas buying good quality, natural food is now a lot more expensive.

I feel it may be the case with other products and services as well, that there's increasingly just a choice between something cheap but shit or decent quality but out of reach of most people, with very little in between.

AIBU or am I just blinkered to affordable middle of the road stuff? Am I doing John Lewis all wrong? Help me out here 😁

OP posts:
Malahide · 04/08/2024 17:59

YANBU at all. Clothes seem to fall apart within a few wears, even from more expensive brands. Shopping is soul destroying these days. I now make a point of returning any bad quality items to the store for a refund, even if they’ve been worn a few times.

I do most of my shopping on Vinted now and buy vintage designer items mostly. Half the price and they actually last.

Turophilic · 04/08/2024 17:59

You're right, the T-shirts I bought in the late 90s and early 2000s are of such a better quality of cotton than the nasty shite Primark and other places sell. Even my M&S socks and underwear are of poorer quality.

But although fast fashion is terrible for the environment and garment workers, people want cheap stuff and they want it NOW.

Hatty65 · 04/08/2024 17:56

I think you are right, but I think people want cheap goods/services, will pay for crap from China or wherever and are living in a throw away society where they don't expect stuff to last.

It's consumerism at its very worst. The rise of stores like B&M, Home Bargains, Primark have just fuelled this.