Why is the quality of everything so shit?

[Notcontent]

So tired of this. For example, recently bought sine flannel pyjamas from Hush. They arrived and looked lovely and cosy - great, these will last me for years, I thought... I look after my clothes - wash at low temperature, low spin and air dry. I have washed these 3 or 4 times and the fabric has become really rough and slightly bobbled - they look like I have washed and tumble dried them about 100 times.... Same with a jumper I bought in uniqlo.

This did not happen with clothes I bought 20 years ago. I know it’s the quality of the fabric. Grrr...

I agree. I don’t know what the answer is. Lots of brands are poor quality.

Because they get away with it.

We seem to accept it and keep buying their rubbish.

I agree. If you think it's bad here don't shop in Australia or US.
Other than buying crazy expensive Nordic French and German brands I haven't found the answer.

I agree. I bought some socks off Next, usually decent quality, now there’s holes where the fabric meets at the toes within a couple of wears.

Agreed. Cos stuff wears insanely well while still being at the cheaper end FYI. My dh has loads of stuff that’s lasted him more than 5 years of constant wearing. The same for the few things I have from them, but I’m not keen on most of the styles... I find avoiding man made fibres helps somewhat, cotton and wool definitely last better.

Yup. Clothes are actually really expensive - if you want like for like quality of 10 years ago.

All ted baker used to be silk.
Most M&S used to be cotton or linen
Most coats were wool

Now it's just poor and not even cheap sometimes.

I save and still try to buy well but it costs an arm and a leg.

Because people are still expecting to pay the same for clothes as I paid 30 years ago
I rarely buy clothes now because they’re so shit, even the so called “better” brands
This is what fast fashion has done

I recently ordered some stuff from Theory, including a plain dress that retailed at £330 but was reduced to a mere £115. I couldn’t believe my eyes when it arrived. The dress was basically a short acetone/polyester sack: almost no shape at all, no lining. The fabric must have cost pennies and they don’t seem to have spent much on the design or finish either. Everything went back for a refund.

I don’t know what the answer is either. You don’t seem to get quality even by spending hundreds of pounds per item.

DDIJ - yes, the quality of fabrics has changed completely. When my dd was a toddler she had done pyjamas and underwear from the French brand Petit Bateau. The cotton jersey was really thick and fantastic quality. Nearly a decade later I bought a few more things from the same brand and the fabric was completely different - thin and badly made - they got really stretched and used looking after only a few washes.

I find a lot of men's things are cheaper and good quality. I buy mens gap teeshirts. I've had them years, and they are the thin cotton kind. I also buy their cotton and their merino jumpers - this quality, years old, look new. I think a lot of women's clothes are designed for a quick turn over so we have to shop more intelligently.

I remember buying my first Hobbs suit around 20 years ago for a job interview. It was wool crepe and cut beautifully. It was expensive but just within my range as a young professional. I’ve recently been trying to find something similar and while they do have one suitable wool blend trouser suit the cut doesn’t work for me so all I can find is suiting in polyester or other man-made fibres. One suit does look good on me but I’m dithering about whether to keep it as it’s polyester/viscose yet still costs nearly £300.

dudsville Agree re: men’s clothing. I have a men’s Uniqlo t shirt and it’s so much thicker than the woman’s equivalent. My shape means I can just about get away with wearing men’s clothes! Not much good for dresses which are now mostly polyester sacks.

I still have some work dresses from Episode, bought more than a decade ago. Still good.

As opposed to some bought two years ago that are completely worn out.

just Also agree that spending loads of money is no guarantee of quality. I love some of the prints in Rixo but I am not paying £200 for polyester!

Some of the early Boden was beautifully made. I have some skirts that are finished with bound seams and what not.

Haven't bought any recently so don't know what's happening there.

@JudgeRindersMinder

Because people are still expecting to pay the same for clothes as I paid 30 years ago I rarely buy clothes now because they’re so shit, even the so called “better” brands This is what fast fashion has done

Just what I was going to say.

I would pay about £30 in the mid to late 80s for a jumper from the high street, but people expect to pay that still, and then wonder why they aren't the same quality.

I would pay about £30 in the mid to late 80s for a jumper from the high street, but people expect to pay that still, and then wonder why they aren't the same quality.

That's very true, but even a high price doesn't guarantees quality.

It’s awful isn’t it. I guess thirty years ago, before fast fashion, you had two seasons a year and the clothes at least had to look like they’d last the season. Now I guess the retailers assume people will want new stuff within a couple of months so don’t bother to worry about making things that last.

I also think retailers rely more on online marketing and sales, so for example everything on the Hush website looks great and is styled well but you often hear about quality issues. Instagrammers put things on for a post but don’t necessarily add them to their working wardrobe and then move on to the next thing (often gifted, such stealth marketing). I think this is why the more high end brands charge ludicrous sums for cheap clothes, it’s more about image and aspiration.

I think Hush recently had some kind of change in ownership which brings me to how these companies are owned. Many are responsible to shareholders only looking for the next profit and not ethically and environmentally sustainable products. It’s a bit like how the housing market has become about profit and not just people having somewhere to live.

This is where things get very sad since even if we suck up wasting our money, cheap clothing inevitably ends up in landfill as it’s not going to be fit for a second hand market and there’s only so many dusters you need. Particles of polyester and other plastic derived fabrics end up in our oceans. Cheap clothing is destroying the planet.

My best purchases over the last year have been eBay or House of Bruar cashmere. I don’t know where the good quality mid range stuff is.

Hush is awful quality. I bout a top that looked lovely in the photo, but it's very unpleasant to wear.

I agree OP. I've had the same issue with a pair of pyjamas from Hush. I was so pleased with them initially, but they now look so bobbled and tatty despite careful washing.

I also have T-shirts from both Hush and Mint Velvet that have shrunk in length to the extent that I can't wear them after only a few washes (cold wash, careful reshape whilst damp and air dried on hangers). It's really really disappointing.

I absolutely agree, I have a set of uniqlo merino cardis from about 12 years ago, black grey cream camel, I used to wear them to work over little j crew style silk tops. They were regularly machine washed on delicate and air dried, still look flawless today.

Had to replace the camel one as left it on a bus, it’s exact replacement eight years later bobbles like crazy, is thinner, poorer quality yarn. In case it was a one off, I bought another one, exactly same thing.

I agree about the cost, and I could accept that (and avoid it), if the more expensive brands were better quality. But they aren't.

I would pay more for better, but it's doesn't work that way unfortunately

It's because here in the UK, we're so fashion-lead (as opposed to, say, France, where it's more about style).

Everything seems to be Primark quality now if it's from a high street retailer. The pp who said its all about shareholder returns and profit us right.

Its destroying the environment and for the majority, enforcing the wearing of street market quality polyester rags.

Jigsaw/ Hobbs etc now charge £70 ish for horrible synthetic blouses - it’s just too much! I’d rather pay a bit more for silk, but £30 absolute limit on viscose!