Interesting episode of “you and yours” on Tuesday about clothes buying habits

[Newmeagain]

I listened to this yesterday on bbc sounds. Some very interesting comments from the guests, that were consistent with my impressions and of many others on mumsnet.

research showing a lot of us who used to buy more expensive brands are buying from M&S etc because the quality of many more expensive brands I now no better - lots of polyester, etc.

Harriet Walker, fashion editor from the Times, was saying how she doesn’t buy designer brands as they have now become so expansive. It was interesting to hear her say that. I have always bought things from a variety of sources but would, in the past, occasionally buy something “designer” as a treat - I remember a gorgeous coat from Miu Miu that was around £700. Now the equivalent is £6,000!! (I just had a look on their website.)

Lots of interesting comments from callers talking about buying from Vinted etc. There was one lady who called in and said “how she felt very fortunate to have never had to buy anything from a charity shop or Vinted”! I think she slightly missed the point… 😄

I heard the first ten minutes or so, but then turned over (because I find the programme generally depressing, and didn’t think this episode would tell me anything I didn’t know).

(I always raise an eyebrow now if anyone uses the term ‘designer’ around clothes - Zara designs everything in-house, and you have to be assiduous in your reading to have any clue who’s at the head of any big name brand these days - with whole teams of designers beneath them.)

More than 15 years of MN suggests to me that around 80% of posters on S&B (so those with a higher level of interest in clothes) have no knowledge of, or interest in any clothing source beyond their local High St / shopping mall - so they’re basically trapped with whatever lazy, bog standard crap legacy brands fill their shops with. Or they’re throwing away money on very cheap, very sub-standard products thrown up by newer brands who know their customers aren’t making an active choice.

Obviously there’s some crossover with Vinted shoppers - though it must surely be the same stuff being continuously redistributed for smaller and smaller amounts of money.

Honestly in the UK I think we get what we deserve - just as with food. People don’t care - they think clothes are a stupid thing to spend money and thought on - so we get stupidly bad clothes.

I do buy a few things on Vinted & I’m always surprised by the very high number of clothing sellers who don’t include what the fabric consists of in the listing, despite that being one of the recommended data fields when uploading an item. I stick to natural fibres but it seems most buyers don’t care.

As has been said many times before on here, the quality differential between high street M&S, or even H&M/Zara and higher end clothes costing 5x as much is no longer worth it. Why should I spend $$$ for Me&Em trousers that are made out of polyester or viscose? You're certainly not paying for premium fabrics, and the high end stuff - unless you're talking Hermes - is made in the same places in Turkey, China or Bangladesh.

Agree that Y&Y is depressing/as is everything on the BBC.
Amazed that anyone buys from M&S //overpriced and frumpy snd no more virtuous thst Primark/Shein etc.

Where do you buy your clothes from?

It’s this sort of clothing snobbery that puts me off posting on Style and Beauty.

It's not the consumer's fault. Most of us are not in a position to influence fashion and quite rightly have more pressing concerns.

But if you disagree with a post why not put your own argument rather than just dropping in to name call, @Chobby?

What name did I call you?

Many people do care about their clothing. However we are constrained by time (most of us have jobs, houses to run, children etc), budget and practicalities. How do you suggest that the average working parent influences the clothing industry?

I buy the best quality clothing that I can afford, and generally that is available on the high street for practical reasons.

I would pay more for higher quality with long-term usage, but when I look at designer stuff, it's either hideous (ie. fashion, and therefore no long-term usage) or no better made than something I can buy on the highstreet (and I'm not paying just for a name)

I prioritise fabric (natural fabrics of a sensible weight) well put together - and buy it where I find it, whether that's 15 quid at Asda or 150 somewhere else. The fact of the matter is, that price doesn't guarantee quality.

So where do you shop?

I must admit I did find your “I turned off because I know everything there is to know” a bit odd if it’s a subject you are clearly aerated by.

I agree that price doesn't reflect quality any more. I'm not going to spend £100+ on something made out of polyester, so I get basics from Uniqlo and M&S and scour vinted for other bits

Before Covid I regularly shopped on Net a porter, My Theresa etc. Would buy myself designer shoes, bags and clothes.
Now I don’t even look at high end bags and shoes as the ones I like are usually over 2.5k+ whereas in the past you could get the same bag for around £800/£1000 and shoes for £300.
I now shop at Sezane, Rouje, Rixo, Mango, Zara, Primark, Reserved, Vinted, Ebay.
Max I will spend on a bag is £500 but prefer less than that.
I never buy designer shoes anymore.
I still spend a lot on jewellery though but much prefer vintage jewellery than new.

What I find depressing is how little consumers and retailers care about human rights - it's very difficult to find out where fabrics where made (particularly cotton where about 65% of global production involves forced labour) or what employment & environmental standards were used for fabric production, dying, sewing. I try and shop ethically but finding the information is really hard. At least M&S doesn't use Chinese cotton (most Chinese cotton uses slave labour).

Retailers could be much more transparent about their supply chains but unless the regulators or public force them to it won't happen.

Anyone claiming to care about human rights or the environment should care about where their clothes come from.

@BitOutOfPractice as I’m not a clothing or retail professional I certainly don’t claim to know ‘everything’ about the subject! At your behest I am making myself listen to the whole programme - and it really isn’t bringing me any new information. Whereas MN Style & Beauty is a real window onto people’s shopping habits. I do like the fact Y&Y features a woman in her early 90s, as there’s an ingrained belief on MN that no one over 45 should even bother getting dressed.

@CinnamonCinnabar provenance is pretty much the first thing I look for on any site and in relation to every single item. Obviously some places (Community Clothing, for example) make it easier to find the relevant information than others - and I’m always conscious that there may be details a website isn’t revealing.

I think there can be alot of snobbery around S&B but just because you know what is cutting edge fashion doesnt mean you know what will suit you!
I usually know what is trending for the season but I'll pick out bits that I know I will wear (and keep wearing) then look for them in cheaper shops or on Vinted.

I do try and find more ethical brands though, one of the reasons I love Joanie so much! But Im not giving up my sidepiece Primark either!!LOL

I found the most interesting part of the program was towards the end, where they interviewed someone who was doing research into the durability of clothes.
They said they washed and washed, then looked at how much pilling, how much going out of shape, how thin the fabric became etc.
They said that the most expensive brands came out among the top AND THE BOTTOM performers. Likewise for the cheaper versions.
So price is not a reliable indicator of quality.

I can't remember when I last bought clothes - oh, yes I do, a black linen dress for a funeral, early this summer, from TKMaxx. Have since worn it to work, too. I'm currently wearing cotton Laura Ashley trousers, so they're definitely not new, a supermarket cotton t-shirt and a cashmere cardigan which may be pre-covid - certainly not very recent. I like natural fibres, and I don't mind paying for them, as I expect clothes to last for years, but IME, I'm as likely to get something good I cotton, with pockets, in a supermarket as much as in somewhere more high-end.

I can sew, but mostly it's restricted to mending. I haven't made anything from new for years, as it's difficult to fit in with full-time work and all the other things I do.

I’m glad I’m not the only one who finds Y&Y depressing!

I wonder if designer brands are just catering to the super rich now?

@OffToSeaInABlizzard i didn’t insist you listened but thank you I think! 😬 Tbh I can’t stand the programme. I just found it strange that you switched off when it’s a subject you care about. And i Agree with you that S&B is a great board but has some very rigid ideas about what people should wear at what age.

I agree with all that. I am really not sure who is buying all the super expensive clothes now. I work in London with lots of women in their late 20s/early 30s with very healthy 6 figure salaries and bonuses but they are certainly not buying those clothes.