Clothes gone crazy!

[WeirderandWeirder]

Everything is as thin as a piece of tissue paper. Huge floppy proportions and saggy crotches. See through tops and tshirts and elasticated everything...

I haven't been shopping for a long time. A couple of years. I loved clothes but something has really changed. Even spending more guarantees nothing. I can't be arsed with the touted, trending eco brands either, as I have witnessed their corner cutting and cheapening over time, too. I used to have a ton of fave shops and now there isn't even one.

I have just gone back to wearing outdoor stuff. Like a man, kind of. They never seem to have to deal with this crap. I spent a good while searching for a decent tshirt that didn't have a choking high neckline and actually covered my arse. Spent £40 on two organic cotton tees from Seasalt and both produced holes in two washes.

It can go the hell for me, now. It used to be exciting, and I do love the re-emergence of 90's styles. But the cargo's ain't what they were back then. They're floppy, thin and formless with randomly placed pockets and gussets as long as the Gaza Strip. I just can't anymore. Fuck em all. Greed got the better of them I guess.

I ain't paying for a £400 fancy sheep wool, artisanal brick shaped jumper this winter. And I won't be paying £200 to avoid polyester this summer either. I'm just going with what I already have and hoping to god it lasts.

I bought a Ralph Lauren cotton jumper in sale last year and am quite impressed with the quality.
Proper chunky knit you can wear in winter even though it’s not wool. Washes really well too.

If I remember correctly, Lucy & Yak were “called out” a couple of years ago because their size range went “only” up to size 22.
I’d imagine that larger sizes (beyond 20-22) would not only require more fabric, but also a redesign of the pattern though?

TBH Im not mad about it at all! I cant afford to shop in 'decent' shops most of the time but I have noticed very little difference in quality in an M&S or Seasalt tee shirt and one of my regular Poundland ones!
I think mid range brands are getting poorer quality items in, conversely alot of cheaper brands are upping their quality meaning there is less of a divide these days.
Of course there is a point where clothes become so expensive that the quality starts to match the price again but I cant afford those ones anyways!😄

Same thing with knitting patterns. Reddit is full of knitters and crocheters complaining about designers (most of whom make almost nothing from pattern designing and are doing this in addition to a day job) who don't offer knitting and crochet patterns in every possible size, and moaning about the ones that do because the pattern designers can never do a good enough job or cater for every last possible variation in plus size bodies.

Plus-size pattern creation (for knitting and for sewn fabric clothes) is just really hard, because whereas slim bodies tend to all be relatively similar to each other (other than height), plus size bodies vary a LOT because as humans gain weight, they gain weight in different ways, with some people gaining more in their busts, some in their stomachs, some in their hips, some in their thighs and so on. I kind of get why some fashion designers are apparently just giving up and creating plasticky tents with loads of elastic.

Nope, @HeapsOfStuff, I got an armful of cotton jersey tops and an assortment of 'ponte' bottoms. They had cotton dresses too. All the supermarkets do offer a lot of polyester, though, because it's easy care and affordable.

I think you have answered the question I would have asked.....I am plus sized (20 on top 16 ish on the bottom and tall, about 5'10) and was tentatively wondering about starting to make some of my own clothes but I think I would struggle to find patterns suitable for my size.
I am finding the quality of everything, not just clothing going down hill rapidly. I work in a similar industry to clothing and the corners being cut to create a profit margin are unbelievable. Sadly with things like shipping costs (eye watering) being taken into account something has to give and 99% of the time it is the end product that suffers.

On the other hand that is exactly why you should be looking at sewing patterns. They come in multiple sizes so you can adjust the top and bottom to your measurements. It obviously depends on what you are making how involved that is, but it means you get a made to measure garment. Fitting and adjusting patterns to suit you is part of the skill of knitting or sewing. It can be as easy as adjusting the length.

Would you mind messaging me about the groups please. I'd love to sew more than just hems and repairs! No experience though

I came on here to say Community Clothing (the company started by Patrick Grant) as their ethos is make well (in the UK) and it will last loner so you buy less. He was interviewed recently and said that manufacturers these days reduce costs by cutting uite significant corners like not preshrinking fabric.

You mentioned Brora - if you can afford their prices then its worth seeking out smaller indie brands. I've just discovered Justine Tabac who sells well made clothes often made from deadstock etc.

I think the fact that so much shopping is online makes a huge difference - I used to use my hands so much when shopping to feel quality and comfort, as well as looking to see how well things were finished. But online you can't do that so looking good in a photo is the main factor we have to go by.

I do most of my shopping on vinted for environmental reasons but generally like the quality too. And while I miss being able to touch before buying, it definitely beats spending hours trawling charity shops and getting nothing that I wanted!

M&S quality used to be really good but is terrible now. One example is one of their cool comfort slips which I bought in 2009. They were lovely for summer nightwear and I wore it all the time. I still have it now and it’s just starting to develop a few tiny holes so will be thrown away soon. I bought another one the same around 2015 and the treads started coming loose and the hemming came undone within a few washes. I assumed it was faulty, but I bought another one a couple of years ago and it was exactly the same. The manufacturing process and materials used cannot be the same as they used to be when the old garment stayed intact and looking good for 15 years and the other two fell apart within a month or two.

“gussets as long as the Gaza Strip”

What kind of joke is that?
joking about somewhere experiencing brutal attacks and genocide?

get a fucking life, May karma come back to you tenfold!

Yes it was a nasty and pathetic joke and deeply offensive

so sick of some people’s flippancy and stupidity!

op You say men don't have to put up with this crap...but we do!

Men's clothes department tucked away in the rear of the dept store tiny in comparison to women's so there's no actual room for clothes.
Little choice, this time of year it's shorts, joggers, tees
Clothes so thin you can almost see through
Everything is slim fit...great if your 15, looks shit if your 35.
Nothing for the more mature man except cotton traders or grandad wear from m&s...everything is geared towards tweens...and at my age of 55 that just looks weird
Tailored shirts...just no one is shaped like that
Sleeves and thights too tight (tried on trousers two sizes too big and still felt my skinny legs would split them)...because companies save a penny when they can
A 36 isn't a 36 waist in most stores...some it's a 38 some a 40 (I kid you not)
Suits that look shiny before you have left the store
God knows where you buy a tie these days
Trousers that had a row with the ankles
And don't even ask about shoes

Nothing lasts or looks good for long

I buy a lot of clothes, I like to have a traditional look of jacket, shirt trousers, perhaps a suit, or a waistcoat. But it's difficult to find them. My last suit was m&s and is ok, but things like the top pocket for the handkerchief(pocket square) is too deep get on my wick. I now trawl the charity shops religiously looking for what I want

I buy mostly wool, cotton and linen, hand wash cycle in the machine and have no issues. I do have to pay more than I want to though!

I’m in my mid-40s and I’ve got stuff from H&M and New Look that’s 20 years old (I kid you not) and I still wear it and it’s still in good condition.

M&S quality is SHOCKING, and imo has been for years.

Best quality I’ve found lately is Uniqlo - I got some of their striped shorts and they’re really thick cotton. I’m a small size and I love their range of sizes too.

https://www.uniqlo.com/uk/en/product/cotton-striped-easy-shorts-short-467053.html?dwvar_467053_size=SMA001&cgid=IDw-shorts

@WeirderandWeirder - I suggest you check out Lands End as their quality is similar to how M&S used to be and on a par with Uniqlo.

I was delighted when I moved from the USA to the UK and discovered that Lands End sells online in the UK (no international shipping and customs charges) and they do have an outlet store in Rutland.

They sell the basic wardrobe staples for women, children and men, petite and plus sizes, swimwear and footwear and a limited amount of bedding/towels.

Everything I’ve purchased from Lands End washes (and tumble dries) well and lasts for years. They are always having promotions and sales so it’s worthwhile going on their mailing list:

www.landsend.co.uk

I've also noticed a marked downturn in quality accompanied by higher prices. Lesser quality fabrics, pieces poorly cut, and they don't wear or wash well. M&S and Next are both prime examples, FCUK I've always thought were overpriced for the quality of goods you received, but labels like Mint Velvet, Reiss, even Hobbs and All Saints, have gone the same way. Another thing I've noticed is that style has gone out of the window. A lot of the designs stocked in these outlets are really unflattering and frumpy these days; even the colours are uninspiring. And coats? Where can you get smart winter coats in beautiful colours that are not puffa jackets? If I want one of those I'll go to Mountain Warehouse ...

DMs are a shoe brand that were once high quality, but since becoming more of a fashion brand and outsourcing to the east their quality has gone through the floor.

There are only a handful of online retailers who seem to remain unchanged; places I've purchased from for years. But - partly from a desire to shop in more sustainable ways - I've become a real vintage shopping connoisseur of late. Recently snapped up a velvet blazer, a cashmere-blend winter overcoat with a beautiful velvet collar (which unbelievably I've needed in June), a maxi skirt in thick fabric, and three cotton dresses, at an absolute steal compared to what you'd pay on the high street. It's more challenging, sure, and some days you come back with a haul whereas others you find nothing - and of course it all has to fit. Also it takes more time, and you need to track down the right places to shop in the first place. But somehow the whole experience is more satisfying than buying from the high street or online, and for some reason I've treasured my unique finds a lot more.

(NB. I can't sew 😪)

I live about 30 miles from Oakham where the Lands End outlet is. Just a few minutes walk from the train station.

Not been since 2022. It’s hit n miss with what’s at the outlet store. Remember going there about 20 years ago and rows of sunflower yellow tracksuit bottoms!

My winter coat cost me about £33 and was £225. I’m difficult to find a coat which 1. Is long enough 2. Room for wearing jumpers underneath and 3. Pockets.

Seriously recommend to anyone who is going in that direction to do a detour to Oakham

Am I the only one who is strongly put off by the brand name ‘Community Clothing’? I can;t put my finger on the reason for it.

I’m about halfway through Patrick Grant’s book ‘Less’ so I’ve been thinking about this all day.

@Catnipcupcakes - I hear you - it sounds a bit Village people crossed with 1970s communism. The styles are a bit utilitarian but the quality is good.

Also the shopping experience is gone as well.
i used to love a good day out, going for lunch, then getting home & opening my bags. A spree never broke the bank! And I had some really gorgeous, well-made clothes. I really miss it…

I went into Ted Baker, as there was a big sale (only 40% actually!) and everything was awful. And still so expensive! I remember having lovely stuff from them years ago… No wonder so many young women just go around in yoga pants nowadays…

The average UK high street has a poor selection of shops considering the international brands available. Places like COS, Maje, and Sandro are higher price point but what you'll get will be better quality and fit. They're all in London and I guess maybe other big cities?