Have you noticed how expensive clothes are now?

[higgyhog]

I don't have a bad income but recently everything from Council Tax to pension contributions has increased a lot. Browsing the shops for some summer clothes now and I'm thinking there have been massive price rises since last year. I used to buy Whistles and jigsaw, they are unaffordable now. I splashed out on some Mohedra clogs ( the green ones, they are lovely) and two T shirts at Toast last week, and that was £179! I used to buy two or three pairs of sandals each year but I think the old ones are going to have to last a bit longer. Has anyone else noticed that the things they like to buy are now unaffordable?

millythepink are the clothes you buy from ebay new or do you buy used too? I like your idea of buying from there in order to be able to afford nicer brands but I’m not sure about buying worn clothes and also I find getting clothes to fit me properly tricky. I think I might end up with things that were not right for me and then not be able to return them. How do you make it work well for you? Sorry for post hijack op!

Oops sorry for the duplicate post!

My Boden cotton top from 2010 is still going whereas my Laura Ashley cotton top not so old similar style is misshapen. Former much better cotton with elastane possibly.

I ordered 2 JL scoop neck cotton tops reduced. They are my wardrobe staple, hate crew necks. Trouble is they seem to run up or don't look right.

It is true that the big name chains have progressively decreased the quality of their products whilst keeping their prices the same or increasing them. I have never shopped in places like Topshop or H&M due the the sheer amount of cheap synthetic materials, but I really lament brands which used to have great products, but have declined due to over expansion and the need to keep profits up. Even more expensive high street labels like Zadig and Voltaire, which I used to love, or Maje, which used to be a place I could fine decent quality fun pieces, have seriously declined in the materials they use and I won't pay £200-£300 for something in a cheap scratchy material, no matter how cute. I would have to say that even the much lauded Cos is difficult to shop in now.

Luckily, there are small brands out there which are trying to fill the void - it is just a matter of finding them. Granted, the items won't be cheap, but they are fairly priced and excellent quality in good materials. Unfortunately, most are on-line and thus people who are not standard sizes (like short me) just have to take a gamble and place an order.

Am I the only one who buys expensive clothes in winter and much cheaper clothes in summer. My winter coats are 100% wool or wool/cashmere mix from Jaeger Sales. I buy Cashmere from Brand Alley or Tk Maxx. In summer I live in Linen T’s from H&M and Oysho, with the occasional buy from Wrap in the sales. Likewise linen crops from M&S and cotton jumpers from the Jigsaw sale.
There is really no need to buy clothes from certain brands because they’re expensive and therefore thought to be superior. They’re mostly not. H&M are one of the best shops for natural fabrics in summer online. The only exception is tailoring where quality really does pay.
What you wear and buy depends on the environment you mix in. Dd2 (14) attends a international school where everyone dresses indentically casually in very expensive designer gear. Hence she wants a pair of expensive jeans because she says they fit much better. Dd1 at Uni is perfectly happy to wear Primark jeans and actually they look pretty good on her.

@Poppysball I know your question wasn't aimed at me but I buy used clothes from eBay all the time.

I mostly buy from private sellers so returns aren't possible but I always make sure I buy cheap enough to immediately resell for my money back (or close) if they don't fit.

eBay will support refunds for items which are damaged or wrongly described as 'worn once' when they're only fit for rags - but I rarely have a problem with this. In my experience most sellers are honest and happy to answer questions - if they're not I don't buy from them!

I also rarely pay more that £20 for anything, including postage charges. Brands I like include COS, Masai, Toast, Hobbs and some Laura Ashley.

Hope that helps a little!

Am I the only one who buys expensive clothes in winter and much cheaper clothes in summer?
I agree. I don't see the point of spending a lot of money on clothes I may only wear for a few weeks a year so I normally buy cheaper in the summer and also stick to a bit of a uniform (although I got caught out by last year's heat wave and was bored senseless by October).

I can't agree with you about H&M though, unless you mean their premium range?. They used to be one of my favourite shops and I still wear a couple of pure cotton jumpers I bought there about 4 years ago and wish I'd stocked up as I've not seen them since. I find any cotton or linen they do now is pretty shite - I tried on one of their linen shirt last summer and it was see through.

My exception to buying cheaper in the summer is T shirts. As I've already said, I'll spend more on them because it's so hard to find what I like.

Actually to be fair, I found one really good cotton shirt in H&M two summers ago. I think it cost £27 so expensive for them. But I rarely spot anything decent there now, even though I still call in regularly

Good cotton should not be cheap. It is extremely environmentally expensive and really should reflect that.

Floisme my local shop is rubbish. I always buy online. I’m forever hunting for T shirts that have a deep v or scoop and I don’t find J Crew T-shirt’s particularly brilliant. H & m do linen T-shirt’s like this every year. They also usually do a deep v in a linen mix in Green or Ochre. The cotton Monsoon like shirts they did last year were also very good quality cotton or linen. I think they were around £40?

I absolutely hate summer dressing and resent spending any money at all on everyday summer clothes. So until the horror of last year I tried to get away with buying a few vests to wear with lighter all season skirts /trousers.

It does look as if I may have to change my habits now ...

I have to say topshop still has good quality stuff.
Not as good as years ago but it’s hanging in there. I bought a heavy long cream dress that could have easily gone out of shape after getting washed with other clothes loads of times and it’s still going strong. It’s going to get another winter out of which I’m delighted about.
I have 2 good quality items in my wardrobe that have lasted and still look like brand new.
A viviene Westwood shirt and a Diane von fursenburg silk shirt that I got on sale. I will have them forever.
We are all crying out for good quality clothes.
2 basic items that I have searched for for no exaggeration years now is a decent pair of jeans and a plain white round neck t shirt.
I don’t want to buy new white T-shirts every year.
I want one good one to last me.

What are you looking for in a pair of jeans? I ask because there are so many jean makers out there that surely there must be some brand which would suit.

Plain white round neck tee shirts - how thick, how low in terms of neckline, what length?

But aren't the other fabrics like polyester bad for the environment as the fibres wash into the oceans.

Things used to be made of cotton at sensible prices. I'm not into throwing stuff out and keep things for ages

I agree that polyester is bad for the environment (don't get me started on the huge amount of microfleece out there!), however paying less than 10 pounds for a cotton tee shirt is shocking also. I do think that this culture of fast fashion needs to die, and that clothes need to be made better, from better materials and thus the price needs to reflect this. I have tee shirts which have lasted 20 years. None of the "bargain" ones have lasted that long - expensive lessons learned painfully.

Am I the only one that favours small independents. There are three I frequent where I always find something to wear. I tend to hit them in the Spring buy a few pieces at a time. They have to try harder to source quality clothes at a good price I find. I found some good v necked 3/4 sleeve t shirts in M & S a couple of years ago so bought half a dozen in black and white, I find they are great under jumpers in the winter and good to wear in the spring and autumn.

Well, I like Laura Ashley still
Have a few kin dresses for work

Monsoon have had a cpl of great dresses but in bottle green and khaki.

Actually bought a cpl of fab navy work dresses last summer from m&s and a great black polka dot on-line only black winter one.

Quite like White Stuff for casuals/hols even though dd calls it shite stuff.

Phase 8, Reiss, Jigsaw, Boden, all seem to have gone off - Hobbs too. Or I have got old - nudging 60 and shape has changed.

I mourn Jaeger, Country Casuals, Alexon, Austin Reid - all old "go to's" for work. Oh and Basler for coats :(

Oddly enough, on the question of quality, I'm currently wearing a wonderful navy wool sweater for which I paid £150 in Top Shop just over 10 years ago. I forget the name of the designer - a knitwear specialist. It's now so beautifully frayed around the neck that people think it was made like that.

The only other really successful thing I've bought there was one of the cheapest dresses I've ever owned (black mesh and ruffles) - so perfect and exactly what I wanted at the time.

How can people know whether clothes are "too expensive"? What is this based on?

I can't honestly say I know how much it would cost to produce an item of clothing in a socially and environmentally responsible way. But if anything I suspect the clothing we buy is cheaper than it should be, compared to how much it should cost to make.

Loving some of the Toast dresses having just googled

Op yes I agree clothes have imcreased in price access the board.

There is a small independent shop where I useds buy myself a few pieces s year. It was always expensive but i could justify it.
Well now it is just ridiculous. I has some birthday vouchers (£80) and other than a t shirt for £48 there was no a single thing I could buy without adding another £20 or £30 to it. Sweatshirts for £95! Wtf.
Also lots of the clothes in there dresses etc are polyester and I can bring myself to buy a polyester dress for nearly £200 when I could get one else where for about £30.

They're a small shop and I suspect rising overheads are taking their toll but I just don't see how they will carry on if prices just keep increasing.

I had a little shopping trip on Saturday to check out less expensive things. Cos is wonderful, a fair bit less expensive than my usual brands and very "creative" looking clothes, not all would suit me but there were some things that were not T shirts that would fulfil the same function for around £30. In M&S there were some nice mules and some slingback sandals that would be fine for the office. i don't spend much on "summer holiday" type clothes, I have just dug out my strappy 5 year old Primark maxi dress which will be fine for yet another trip to Portugal this year. I don't like Next much but there were 3 dresses there that I might buy, would be OK at a push if it is very hot at work and fine for meals out in the evenings.

I think part of the outrage here about the amount you’re paying for clothes is that people have lost perspective on how much clothes should actually cost

This. We have got so used to really good sales and discount codes. So 'full price' has gone up to balance out the bargains. I bet hardly anyone pays full price in clothes shops these days.

I have really enjoyed reading this thread, thanks, OP. I made a decision last year to try to buy better/buy less, so one pair of perfect (for me) Cos trousers instead of several from Topshop, for example. I think it helps to know which shops’ sizes work for you, so you can swoop in on discount codes - I know a Cos 10 is going to be right, but I would have to be mad to try that in Zara. Currently I am not buying anything/clearing out my wardrobe for Lent, and it has been interesting to see what I am reaching for and rejecting.

I agree with PP about buying cheaper in summer. I favour Cos, Stories, Whistles, and bits from Warehouse, Topshop, and Zara, but unless it’s something completely plain I know will last years, I am unlikely to pay Whistles prices for something I might only wear twice, because weather. I know lots of people find lovely things in Primark, but just stepping through the door gives me a headache.