Which brands do you think still make quality clothes?

[BoogleMcGroogle]

Inspired a little by the British (un)style thread. It's really hard to look stylish when you have paid sixty quid for what is essentially hankie fabric with holes (I'm looking at you Hush) or an item that gives a mild static shock if you move too much (Next, and doubly sad when I compare it with the lovely cashmere cardi I got there seventeen years ago, still going strong).

Pottering along the high street of an unremarkable French provincial town was a very different story. I expensively updated my knicker collection and the quality and level of service were a joy!

Are there any UK (or available in the UK) brands that you think still make quality clothes? I am sure that there are lots of us who would rather wear classic, stylish clothes, even if they are not the height of fashion

I think that Hobbs is still pretty reliable for quality, although I'm sure it's very un-cool. I've also been impressed with Cos and got some nice cotton summer clothes (shorts, pima cotton t-shirts) from Fat Face this year. I also have some nice items by Jigsaw, including a lovely coat.

Any thoughts?

M & S for t shirts (not the cheapest ones though, the supima cotton ones, hang beautifully, and wash beautifully)
John Lewis.
Me & Em
Joules is fab quality, but I agree re the fox hunting

I'll add one to the "dunno what the fuss is about" list. Mint Velvet. I ordered some t-shirts from there, which even in the sale were £30 each, thinking a) at that price they would be v good quality b) all the MN posts saying how fabulous MV is couldn't possibly be plants by MV employees

They are awful- weird shape, the colours are nothing like the website (a bright summery turquoise turns out to be a faded almost khaki green) threads pulling and bobbling all over the place. The M&S are a million times better quality for about £9.

I also ventured to Hush concessions over the summer given how Hush fans have their own long-running thread. Maybe it's me but....nothing that you don't see in Zara but at 8x the price. And such a mishmash of colours and fabrics. It was like Primark trying to set up stand in JL.

Agree that Seasalt is good for stripy basics, but the stuff with anchors on that looks like the fishermen off Doc Martin would wear it is weird. (also much shorter in the body than usual tunic-y stuff, they basically sell "longline t shirts" as tunics with an extra £20 added on.

I like Missguided but then I may be misguided!

My mum rates Joules but it’s not my thing personally.

The White Company used to be good so worth looking on EBay for their previous quality stuff.

Jigsaw is excellent esp coats, shoes and bags.

Jaeger- for coats. Expensive but pick a classic cut and you get years of wear.

Woolovers - variable. Pure wool seems the best bet.

Pure Collection. Esp older stuff when it still had a brown label.

Next- but only for jeggings/jeans/ Signature shoes.

Phase Eight - for knitwear.

Mint Velvet- excellent for shoes but I don’t rate anything else.

Autograph - well made and pretty good cashmere.

John Lewis weekend- occasional gem.

Toast - stuff from years ago before they went bonkers.

Can I suggest that you look at men's T-shirts and jumpers. I have a thick white cotton T-shirt that I bought from Next a couple of weeks ago, and a cotton jumper from M and S. I have long arms and am fairly tall so they are a better fit as well as better quality.

@Misty9 an app I have (good on you - which gives you a rating based on how ethical a brand is gives Primark a higher rating than new look, joules, Next to name a few.

Agree with that. Also men's jumpers, cardigans, socks, shirts.
If you compare the quality of men's and women's clothing in M&S I think there's quite a big difference.

Why do clothes shops think that women are happy with poor quality clothes? Not all of us buy a new wardrobe at the change of every season.

I volunteer in a charity shop and see the other end of this - the brands which come to us worn but still in good enough condition to sell, and the stuff which is done and only fit for recycling.

Agree with Cos and Toast, I am wearing at the moment a Cos top which I bought second hand a year ago and have worn at least 40 times since. Still looking great, no fading, no bobbling. Even if I ignore the "dry clean only" and put it on a gentle wash.

Other premium brands like Hobbs, Jaeger and Mint Velvet seem to hold up better too. Agree that men's M&S clothing appears to be much more robust than ladies.

Other brands which are seen as pricey - Joules, Boden, Sea Salt, White Stuff - are hit and miss. Some of their jackets and dresses last well, other times their jersey tops and t-shirts are just shapeless and badly faded. It's rare that we'll find Zara/Primark/New Look in good enough condition to sell, unless it's a "going out" top whivh has only been worn once or twice.

Uniqlo stuff lasts forever esp work trousers and knitwear

I agree that Mint Velvet is very variable. I have a lovely biker jacket from there, but a pair of jeans that at least I bought in the sale, literally disintegrated while I was wearing them . A lot of their fabric composition is weird too, very synthetic.

Men's clothes do seem much better quality, I think men generally buy less stuff whereas a lot of women (not me) buy new stuff all the time, fast, cheap fashion, sadly.

Interesting to hear the charity shop angle and how stuff holds up for resale. There must be so much that they can't use and goes for rags/landfill. Such waste.

I often trawl charity shops for jeans. I get so irritated when I buy a pair of brand new well fitting jeans to find that they have shrunk after the first wash. I haven't found any yet as they are all bootcut with 27/29" leg

Is there anywhere decent that caters to shortarses? Looking at stuff on Arket I'm thinking it looks nice, but would drown me. Same goes for buying mens instead, I have trouble with womens clothes having much too long sleeves and the waists trying to fit my hips as it is.

I don't know about the quality, but Next, Principles and Wallis stock loads of petite clothes. My gripe is that I often see something in the petite range that I like the look of, but they don't stock it in the standard sizes.

I get a lot of People Tree second hand as the quality is great.

Next are terrible quality these days. I have clothes I bought from there 18 years ago that are in getter condition than things I bought 3 years ago (whuch is when I stopped bothering to shop there). I'm actually wearing one now, a knitted cardigan with a hood, it's got plenty of life left in it yet! All the stuff I bought from Next in the last decade has been just terrible, & started to develop holes etc within a couple of years.

Jigsaw are good quality but can be aging
Boden tshirts are excellent, other items can be dreadful
M&S are usually quite well made but obviously design wise hit and miss
Nike and Tommy Hilfiger are excellent for sportswear
In department stores Gerard Darel, In wear, Marella are all excellent quality.
A.P.C are excellent for simple well made clothes that stand out but you pay.

For special occasions I now buy really well but very little - so Needle and Thread, A.P.C, Isabel Marant etc

Good thread

Agree OP with Fat Face, I don't especially like the style of their clothes but for plain basics the quality is good, a bit overpriced though IMO, usually shop in the sales.

Agree also on cheaper brands, TU used to be good, not sure whats going on with them, some of my fav jeans (bought a few years ago) are from there but can't find anything now.

I have had the opposite experience re Fat Face. Their jumpers look rubbish in no time at all and the material they use for tops is flimsy and cut so it twists when it washes.

Most of mine have already been mentioned: Uniqlo, Cos, People Tree, Pure Collection, Celtic & Co, Toast, Me and Em, John Smedley (knitwear). I buy a lot of these second hand. Likewise Margaret Howell and Joseph. I’ve heard good things about Arkett but not tried it yet. Landsend rarely gets a good word on here but their very plain basics can be reliable,

In almost every case you still have to rummage. I find I make far more poor quality buys when I shop online because by the time it arrives I’m already half committed and more likely to make allowances.

I

Next are appalling now. I bought some of the wide leg drawstring linen trousers earlier this summer...washed once, and they are now 7/8 at a push, crops at best. Dreadful.

I have some Jigsaw dresses (plain navy and black) which are still fab. And I bought them from ebay in the first place.

Boden trousers are good- though still over-priced at full price. T-shirt quality is rotten. Transparent. Some of the tops are OK.

I think it’s often due to the fabric of the item rather than the shop.

I’ve got a lined coat from Primart which looked really good for 7-8 years. But I bought a dress from Oliver Bonas last year that was machine washable, but after washing it shrunk and looked all faded.

Nutmeg and Tu. Primark isn't too bad either but their value tops are not very good! See through and very thin.

Next are appalling now. I bought some of the wide leg drawstring linen trousers earlier this summer...washed once, and they are now 7/8 at a push, crops at best. hmm Dreadful.

I live and die in these (probably awful) trousers every summar BookMeOnTheSudExpress, and for balance I have to say this isn't my experience at all, even with ones I've bought this year.

Do you tumble dry them, I wonder? I struggle to get length in trousers in the first place, so definitely never put them near tumble drier.