Are expensive clothes worth it?

[strawberrydonuts]

On the back of another thread, I've been browsing some online clothes stores.

I tend to like places like FatFace, Weird Fish, Sea Salt, Boden occasionally... just decent quality, casual stuff. I usually buy stuff in the sale but I might splurge £40-50 for a really good quality top or shirt which will last me years. I have some clothes from these places that have lasted me 10 years.

But looking at some of the online stores people suggested on another thread, I am seeing cotton tops/ shirts costing £100+ that look no different in quality to what you can get at FatFace for half the price.

Things like:
www.toa.st/collections/womens-tops-tees/products/seed-check-boxy-shirt-french-blue

AIBU to ask what's the difference? Are they really worth it? If you would pay £100+ for a casual top/ shirt, why? (Not in a judgemental way... I'm just genuinely wondering if I'm missing something!)

It can't be just about quality because the clothes I buy are good quality. Is it design/ fit? Is it about the materials and where they are sourced?

Some times you do get you pay for

Gap leggings for the gym kept falling down although the correct size, they bobbled in less than a year and looked awful and show sweat patches to the extent it looked as if I had wet myself after a gym class.

Sweaty Betty's stayed put, fit great, had a compression factor that was flattering and stayed been dry even after a HIIT class. A pair I have had for 3 years and worn and washed several times a week still looks good as new. Money well spent there

*bone dry

Something that’s always stuck with me is “Only rich people can afford cheap shoes”. I guess it’s the Terry Pratchett principle.

I have a Toast dress I bought five years ago, I’ve worn it a lot and it still looks like it did when it left the shop. The cotton is beautiful, it’s very soft yet not limp. The seams are taped and the pattern’s matched.

I think cost per wear is a good indication of value for money and on that basis my Toast dress is one of the cheapest things in my wardrobe.

For me it's mostly about materials these days, and choosing items that suit my style. I buy mostly organic cotton for day to day wear, and a top can cost around £30-40. Compared to a £5 or £10 t-shirt from a supermarket or New Look, the ones I buy feel soft on the skin, wash well, and tend to be made ethically by people who work in good conditions and the brands generally have higher quality standards so stitching won't just unravel and the cut has been designed so it doesn't go a weird shape after two washes. So it's absolutely worth it for me for those reasons.

Also with things like knitwear, cotton or merino will last and look much better for a long time compared to a cheaper acrylic version that looks awful after a few wears.

On the other hand, I wouldn't spend more on something just because it's a particular brand as in your example in the OP.

I also try to pay attention to ethics because it's absolutely obvious that brands selling £5 dresses can't possibly be paying the people in their supply chains a living wage.

I think it is if you understand clothing construction and fabrics. Look at cheap, fast fashion clothes carefully and you will see wonky seams etc… They are likely made in an unethical way with cheap fabrics. Fabric is a large percentage of the cost of clothes.

I don’t shop high end because I can’t afford it, I shop mid range like Somerset by Temperley and Ghost because they have decent fabric and are cut in a way that suits my shape. I have clothes from here that 6/7 years old that I wear all the time and look like new.

I think shoes are the best thing to invest in. My fairfax and favor explorer boots at 6 years old and look as good as the day I bought them despite daily wear on the farm. They were £400 but worth every penny.

@Tarcietiger

There is a type of jersey made by some high end retailers that is a cut above (literally). It’s a bit heavier in weight and just sits more nicely/ washes better etc. I’m thinking Baukjen/ Pure Collection/DKNY. I wouldn’t spend £100 on a tshirt like this but I would spend up to £50 in a sale for something I’d get a lot of use out of.

I agree; cheap t shirts don’t wash well ( in general), are not square after washing and are often thin ( m&s guilty here). I pay for quality and definitely get more wear from those items. I have a Baukjen coat which makes me feel good every time I wear it. I bought it in 2015 and I still get admiring comments every time I go out in it.

Things like a pair of winter boots might only last a season or two if you wear them every day...but twenty or thirty pounds every year is still cheaper than 150 for a good quality "classic" pair that you feel you have to keep wearing forever even though two years into buying them knee high black leather you can only wear with skinny jeans is completely out and everyone else is wearing brightly coloured ankle boots with their mom jeans!

I have a pair of classic black riding boots that I bought 15 years ago for £150.
No amount of cheap £20-30 boots will ever come close to the quality of these.
They are cleaned, reheeled as needed and treasured.
I dont wear them with skinny jeans.
What happens to your cheap boots?-they fall apart and you put them into landfill.
Mom jeans and brightly coloured ankle boots -been there done that in the 80s so its a no from me !

I buy toast.
Im tall and I love the fact that their dresses and skirts are long.
I set a budget and try to buy in the sales.
I probably spend less than someone who buys cheaper.

Cheaper ranges are always made from horrible fabrics and cut really skimpily, particularly in terms of length.

I worked in an office where everyone spent saturdays in Primark, they crackled with static!

My size is pretty steady, through the pregnancy, birth, BF stages.
I love nice fabric, yarns and I get my clothes second hand, knit and sew.

I also loathe the word "frumpy"
Nasty,judgemental and misogynistic.

Reading with intrigue

I also loathe the word "frumpy". Nasty,judgemental and misogynistic

Absolutely. And completely meaningless.

There is a complete disconnect between quality and price in many areas. I have Somerset and Whistles pieces that have cost over £100 and they are made poorly, with crap finishing. My Uniqlo and M&S knitwear costs less than £40 and item and is going strong after years of good service. My £16 Sainsbury jeans are lasting as well as my more expensive, high end jeans; colours being the only thing I find high end denim does better.

With the exception of shoes and coats I don’t tend to agree with investment pieces; lifestyle and clothes style moves on. The poster writing about not wanting to get baby sick on a Burberry trench had it spot on! I’ve moved beyond the baby years, but I cycle to work, so my smart work clothes also have to work on a bicycle. In 5 year’s time there’s no telling what I’ll be doing, so spending thousands on posh work wardrobes wouldn’t be great.

When people say you get what you pay for I cringe

Totally agree. Some things you are paying for quality and others you are paying for the brand.

I buy good quality on ebay and in charity shops. I can't justify paying $150 for a new Tommy Bahama swimsuit which has great reviews so I found it on ebay for £18 Inc postage brand new with tags.

If you're willing to put in effort and shop around you can buy great quality for similar prices to Primark.

@girlmom21

The clothes you're talking about are expensive to most people. Are they worth it? Is the quality much better than say Matalan or New Look?

A few people made this point and yes this is very true - FatFace and Boden etc. are quite expensive to me as well, hence I usually will buy stuff in the sale if I can.

I absolutely do find the quality worth it compared to the brands you mention, yes. I don't like Matalan and New Look and have found things I've had from there have not lasted. Some supermarket stuff is surprisingly good but I am very dubious about how they make it so cheap so I try to avoid that too.

As others have said, it's all about the way you look at clothing I guess. I try to limit my purchases (even though I love clothes) for ethical/ environmental reasons and it also saves me money in the long run. This means I can afford a decent quality item from a shop I feel is worth giving money to.

Consensus seems to be that once you get to a certain price point you are paying more for the brand... so probably the £100+ shirts aren't worth it... and it's more about looking at material, cut and the company ethos.

Thanks for your input everyone, it's been an interesting read.

If I buy more expensive stuff, it’s because it looks nicer - better colours, fabric sits well, etc.
in my experience they don’t last longer. White stuff in particular don’t last well. Neither do Barbour tops and jumpers - mine are all shapeless after a year.

If I want something that will last I get it from Matalan or M&S.

@nordica

I assure you, not one of the cheap tops/t shirts I’ve bought for £15 or less have unravelled after two washes (or any number of washes tbh!) and they feel very soft against my skin. You seem to have a really inaccurate view of what affordable clothes are actually like.

I lolled at a PP comparing an £80 coat with a £250 one as if the former was a cheap option. £80 for a coat is an awful lot for the majority of people. I have a decent household income and comfortable live but there’s absolutely no way I’d ever consider spending that much on a coat!

Oddly that was not the concensus I got from reading this thread.

To me the consensus seems to be it is about what qualities you are looking for. If ethically sourced environmentally kind cut and fit are important for you then you go that both higher. However this does not mean ALL brands of 100+is worth it.

Ita about knowing the brand and their ethos.

Personally I dislike the shops you mention as their styles are not mine at all my dd loves fat face so has a fair bit of their clothing
For me I am happy paying the money shops like peopletree want because I feel I support the planet that way. I like their cut and their sizing. So I am willing to pay a bit more for this hence to me it is worth it.

The best pieces of clothing I have had were homemade.

That's actually very interesting @Enko, does anyone on here actually make there own clothes?

As a general rule? Not reliably, no.

However a £50 cashmere jumper compared to a £400 cashmere jumper will generally prove your point very clearly, different brands aimed at different price points do not always provide a different level of quality across their range.

You can find really good pieces anywhere these days, as well as bad. Depends on having a good eye for design, colour and fabric - also a lot depends on the wearer's size and shape for compatibility and fit.

@FannyBrice

That's actually very interesting *@Enko*, does anyone on here actually make there own clothes?

I do!

I follow sewers on Insta,buypatterns and ethical fabrics.
I also knit, I buy british wool only.
I do have the time and money to do so though.
But also I alter things, buy in charity shops and can mend things.
I appreciate that if you have young DC/ FT jobs etc you might not have the time.

I ordered a few things from PeopleTree once and thought the quality overall pretty awful, unfortunately.

I invested just under £200 in a “good”pair of winter boots about 10 years ago. Classic design- black, under the knee, zip up side, block heel, yes I’ve had to replace the soles and have them reheeled a couple of times but they are still going strong.

ironically organic cotton is awful environmentally.
it needs a lot more water to grow and a lot more area for the same output that could be used for other kinds of farming.
plus cotton is poisonous and can therefore not be part of traditional crop rotation.

I also make, alter & repair clothing. I was also a size 8 in my youth and have a few lovely things I've kept and will pass down to my dds.
I am a whizz at laundry!
Things last in this house!

@EatYourVegetables

I’ve had children’s Tshirts from Primark outlast the ones from Boden, Next, and especially Frugi (which seems to lose all vibrancy and bobble in fear as soon as it sees a toddler approaching a spoon of food). So I’m honestly not convinced- I think it’s all produced for 25p in same appalling conditions, and the £50 and £100 ones are sold to us at a premium for the gullible.

Yep agree - I've got cheap primark tshirts we bought for eldest for summer and beach holidays that have lasted him a couple of years and now being worn by youngest son and look as new. Vs some more expensive tshirts that def have not lasted

Wow @TempleofZoom, I'm impressed, you are very talented !

£80 for a coat is an awful lot for the majority of people

I would have to challenge that statement - an awful lot for your friendship group perhaps but not for the majority of people where I live. Although I think the most I’ve ever paid for a coat is £195 I was lusting after a coat by Raey which is £800 and wondering if I could save up for it. ( probably not )

With regards sewing - I have made one or two skirts in the past. I did a sewing class where we ended up producing our own block ( pattern) and it was pretty technical. You’ve really got to sew regularly to learn how to get the fit spot on - make the necessary adjustments etc but I hope it’s something I do when I retire. I have found a fantastic seamstress whose day job is making costumes for the West End and for films. I was bloody thrilled to find her… she’s done a great job altering some dresses that were no longer fitting after weight loss. That’s when better quality items are worth the cost of alterations (although anything can be improved with good tailoring ). It makes it a bit easier to take that gamble buying preloved online if you know it could be altered by someone good.