Why is everything such shit quality!?

[gigipom]

even higher end brands.

I spent £150 on a dress from Massimo Dutti, which was machine washable 30 degrees. I hand washed cool to be extra safe and it shrunk.

my dresses from COS, Sezane all feel a bit naff after a few wears and have pulls in them. Knitwear bobbles so fast.

I went for a look around some shops today and I couldn’t believe how shit the quality was of everything. Everything is mixed with a synthetic fabric, but still charging an extortionate amount.

that and just the general styles coming in for autumn are 🤮 (looking at you, Zara).

Not sure that’s true. Other types of goods, e.g. cars, white goods, TVs are at least as reliable as they were 10 years ago.

I don’t know much about cars but feels like tvs have planned obsolescence in the same way as clothing. Our last tv lasted 7 years and it wasn’t cheap. My dad’s tv from the 70s was going strong 40 years later. Think you’re right in saying there’s not much difference from a decade ago though.

I think there are several factors going on.
-online shopping means a huge searchable range of fashion from all over the world so consumers start choosing the cheapest, end result - Shein.

• loss of knowledge of fabrics and how garments are made. Over generations we have gone from made to order clothes to UK manufactured to cheap imports. It's clear from MN there's a lot of confusion over fabric types, "I hate viscose" might as well be "I hate flour". See also, clothes care/ironing.

-all black trousers look the same online so cannot choose on quality except by reputation

• cheap clothes may be accessible for people on low income (bad value though) but people with more money have just bought large amounts of cheap clothes rather than choosing quality or sustainable options. Shops have moved their offer to what sells.
• speed of communication/fast fashion means available clothes are trend led even when they dont need to be. We don't all want to follow fashion but we all deserve good quality clothes. We're being sold a dud - have this cheap thin cropped t shirt not a lasting less trendy one which looks expensive in comparison.

The fashion industry has failed the human race on every front - value, sustainability, employment, pollution, carbon, economics and waste. I dont know where it will end, unless there are massive disincentives. And people will just complain about "extortionate" prices when something costs more than a takeaway.

@Cyclingmummy1 I'm not sure I agree on the Reiss trousers (I have some similar I think). What would you have preferred them to be made from? For tailored clothing you have either wool: usually dry clean or some sort of polyester/viscose blend which can still be a durable good quality fabric. Also the fabric cost is a fraction of the garment price, there is manufacturing and transport etc. Obviously a huge premium for the Reiss name. I was so impressed by my polyester trousers , they are a good cut and thick fabric, I'm still watching eBay for them.

@NotMeNoNo I expected some wool. Or even some viscose. It was a shame that they were so creased as well.

@Cyclingmummy1 you can nearly always find the fabric composition on the online description. I always check and if it’s not there, I’m not buying. I hate polyester too.
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I had a quick mooch around New Look today and everything just looked so cheap, usually you can find the odd gem in there (faux leather mini skirts a few years ago), they had a winter coat with no lining. Lots of highly flammable,don't stand too close to the fire, clothes. I've found better quality from Amazon.

Also I'm getting frustrated with vegan leather. I wanted some nice leather sandals to replace my slightly tired gladiators this summer, but all I could find were vegan leather. it's not leather if its vegan. I don't want plastic shoes pretending to be leather! I want leather because it lasts longer.

Where do you shop? Share your secrets!

I posted a link above to another thread on 21/08/2023; it’s full of recommendations - if you have the patience to read all the way through.

Thanks - didn't see it amongst the messages (I'm not reading every single one carefully 😄)

My problem is that I've reached a point in my life where I can afford to buy more expensive pieces and they won't get ruined (full time, better career and older teen children) but I see no difference in the quality of the expensive branded pieces compared to cheap.

I don't want to spend loads when shopping online - I want a shop where I can see and feel the pieces first.

Menswear is much simpler and better quality.

I don't want fashion. I what good quality style.

J Crew, Banana Republic and Abercrombie & Fitch all have very good quality for the mid-high price range. Their pieces are wearable for years despite regular washing (even plain cotton t-shirts). It's interesting that they're all American. Maybe there's more competition stateside or companies manufacture differently. Sadly the first two are no longer available in the UK but still deliver online.

Comparable brands from Europe/UK with similar price points are crap. Constantly disappointed with Sezane, Cos, &OtherStories whose pieces look great when new but literally disintegrate after a few washes. Most things from those brands don't even hold up even for a single season.

Uniqlo falls somewhere in between. Some pieces are pretty solid and can stand repeat washing, others aren't that good.

I don't want to spend loads when shopping online - I want a shop where I can see and feel the pieces first.

Thing is, that isn’t the optimum shopping model now, @ImDoingThisNow … Not in England, anyway. Most of the really good stuff either isn’t available in a physical shop here, or may be for a brief period in one place in London. Stores don’t operate as they did in the last century. Matches Fashion, f’rinstance, sells a vast array of ever changing stock; I don’t know whether they still have the Notting Hill shop any more, I do know they have one relatively tiny and forbiddingly ornate ‘house’ on Mount St in Mayfair. If you want to see something in particular you have to make an appointment. They may let you in if you turn up on the off-chance, but they won’t have more than a couple of pieces of your favoured designer actually available to buy without advance notice. Net-a-Porter and Browns both have slightly different models - but they’re predicated on customers ordering online.

There’s a much smaller, independent designer whose clothes I adore - they sell internationally online but only have one UK shop, in Glasgow.

Pre-Brexit I ordered more from Europe, now that’s rare - but I’m not quite ready to run down to Paris or Marseilles or wherever to have a look at a jumper. Instead I favour websites that give all the necessary information - fabric, measurements, video, provenance, and make returns easy.

My wardrobe would be dull as fuck if I never shopped beyond my nearest, otherwise perfectly fine, city. Even very ordinary chains stopped caring about their concrete shops long ago. Costs are too high - they want you to use their website.

It's interesting because logically actual shops should be vastly more expensive for businesses compared to a website. But I've read that customers ordering large quantities and then returning most of it is also a massive problem because so much stock is out and then has to be returned, and the costs of shipping back and forth too. So it's often not necessarily all one way.

I have a difficult shape and would love to get things made for me or copied but I'm not sure where to do that or what it would cost. There are some places online but it's an expensive experiment. I waste a lot of time and money trying to find things that fit.

Thank you @gigipom for a great thread. I don't often read everything from beginning to end, but this topic's been engaging. I'm now looking forward to reading @CapaciousHag's link tonight. After my M&S thread, I think I need to go 'back to basics'...

These are the sorts of shops that I used to wander round thinking that I'd buy from there one day. Now I wander round them and think that I wouldn't waste my money on such bad quality stuff

Agree, wouldn’t touch oasis, warehouse or French connection these days, the stuff I’ve seen recently practically unravels as you touch it.

I know other posters have criticised sezane but I’ve not had anything bad from there, everything has worn and washed well, perhaps it’s the fabrics people don’t like.

Define ‘people'. I don’t think the majority of people have the desire for fast fashion. Most people stick to their own 'uniform' of the types of clothes they want to wear.

It's only fashionistas/ the business side of the fashion industry that seems to want to force fast fashion onto people.

Found it. Brilliant!

When I graduated I bought a suit from French Connection it was so well made, I didn't mind spending nearly £300(I think it was) on a skirt, jacket and trousers because I also looked the part at interviews. I had a jumper from there that was still in good condition when I got rid of it (it was too small). I loved going to their shop in Covent Garden.

Fat Face used to be great quality too. They had some brilliant knitwear and jackets at one point. I find their stuff so drab and dull. I only get slippers there now.

Are you able to provide a link pls ?

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/4753001-can-we-talk-about-clothing-brands-and-target-demographics?reply=124266319

Thanks so much @ImDoingThisNow much appreciated.

I agree. I've generally veered towards higher end high street, particularly Whistles, but now feel that their quality is not sufficiently better to warrant the price increase. Everything shrinks so badly, I've taken to ordering a size up in a lot of things, though can't do that with jeans or skirts really.

Brora is pretty good but the prices are eye watering. Plumo the same. The Outnet has some great options too.

I think far fewer, high quality pieces is the way to go. The irony is that so many things look terrible after a couple of washes that I end up wearing only a fraction of my wardrobe anyway! I also agree that a good iron transforms a lot of things and looking more 'put together' can do the trick better than seeking out more newness. Bags, jewellery and hair can make all the difference to an outfit you've worn loads.