Price of clothes

[Suburbanqueen]

Is anyone else surprised by the money some Mumsnetters spend on an item of clothing as if it were a mere bagatelle?
I would never have dreamed of paying the ridiculous prices for things discussed on here sometimes. ( Even when I had money).
An example.....£125 for a bag for a teenage girl to use for school. If we all refused to pay for these things prices would have to fall.

This.

I am not fashionable in the slightest. But the "expensive" items I own are classics - good quality jeans, leather jacket, wax jacket, leather boots, wool / cashmere jumpers. My leather jacket is 20 years old as are my favourite boots. And they still look fab now!

I will spend more on items that I want / need to last for longer.

I think technically Me and Em is ‘masstige’ rather than ‘luxury’.
Can you think of any other brands where you get what you pay for in the same way? Brora?

Max Mara? Reiss? Lk Bennet? Massimo Dutti ?

This thread is making me think of those tests they did comparing Levi and Primark jeans....and found no real difference between the two! 😆
To me that shows that price or brand name really doesnt affect quality as much as people may think. I think the trick is to be discerning no matter where you shop. Its always worth checking fabric content, seams, stitching, etc no matter where you shop.
Admittedly higher end brands tend to have better quality overall but you can still find some real gems that will last for years in much lower budget shops too.

It really depends on the brand (and to some extent the individual piece!)

I think Levis have gone down the pan. DH has been wearing their 501s for literally decades. The most recent batch we bought are utter shite. Thin, cardboardy, loads of the dye washes out on every wash (black jeans which have only been washed a couple of times have faded massively, to the point where they have white bits). We can even compare them with previous batches we've bought over the years, because he still has old ones in the cupboard... they are nothing like they used to be. His elderly 10 year old ones are noticeably better, even though they've been worn to death.

And these were from the Levis website, so no possibility that they are knock-offs. Honestly, Levis are making their own knock-offs now. For £100 a pair they are shockingly bad; they are just trading on their name and previous quality. I'm pretty sure we would have got better jeans from Primark!

Which I never said. I said some people buy things to use as status symbols, and that's true.

TBH some of the brands mentioned I dont think Id buy even if I could afford it!
Nothing againest the stylish, classy, timeless look but it just isnt me.
Likewise places like Boden and Seasalt, its a vibe for some people but I just dont like their clothes.
Given the budget I would spend more on my clothes, but probably from much smaller quirky brands who are ethical and ideally uk based.

Well yes, if we're talking about individual brands, I don't think Toast is worth it any more, although I still stalk their sales and their Reworn site. I also don't think the M&S Jaeger label is worth it or, from what I've seen, Me and Em or Sezane (sorry!) or Levi jeans. But nor were the Uniqlo so-called 'Premium linen' trousers I've just sent back, or the H&M cardigan I bought for £28 in January. I used to argue that you could always find decent stuff in H&M and TK Maxx if you rummaged but I don't think that's true any more.

I do think Margaret Howell is probably still worth it, even though I can't afford it any more. So were my Eribe jumper and my Solovair shoes and probably (but time will confirm) my Grenson boots.

But none of that changes the point that clothes are, on the whole, considerably cheaper - in real terms - than they were when most of the high street was made in the UK. The trouble is that the number of posters who remember that time, is dwindling. If you cut your clothes shopping teeth in the 90s or early noughties when prices were falling in real terms but the quality was - at first - still fairly stable, then of course you're likely to take a different view from someone like me. All I can keep saying is that we weren't paying realistic prices in that period and that I can't see that time ever coming back.

Honestly I’m not sure you can put me and em an sezanne in the same boat, although I’m not sure that’s whay you’re doing, Sezanne is like Boden, at best,

I just don't think either are as good as they should be, given their prices.

I personally can't stand Sezane's 'peek-a-boo' model poses and I've not felt the same about Me and Em since they started describing jackets containing less than 10% wool as 'tweed' and charging £600+ for them.

But you can disagree with my gripes about individual brands and their practices - I still don't think it changes the point that high street prices have fallen big time.

Agree, I love me and em right now, my fave brand and generally I love what I buy, and find tne quality far outstanding to anything else; and find sezanne not even comparable, it’s more markies or boden,

but agree on high street prices, and also quality has dropped with it.

Yes and I think what can happen when there's a general drop in prices and quality is that you get some brands who might not join the race to the bottom but who can still take advantage of the drop in standards elsewhere and start taking the piss.

I do put Me and Em in that category (sorry, I know that's controversial!) and also, before I'm accused of favouritism, Toast, who (leaving aside that they're a marmite brand) aren't a patch on what they used to be, which grieves me sorely.

I am 55 and not impressed by labels but I will only buy quality fabrics. Never buy polyester, acrylic or plastic shoes. I love a charity/ vintage shop or Vinted. I’m sitting here wearing a lovely cotton, Mint Velvet jumper that I got for £10 in a charity shop.

Not sure why you have a problem with how much others spend on things. I spent £1500 on a bag last week. It's worth it to me and I can afford it.

I think that’s fair enough, and don’t see it as controversial, and I suspect you’ve not bought anything from them for some time, if ever, purely as you seem to be conflating brands at different price points. And are a little all over the place. But honestly each to their own.

I’m another Vinted user who very rarely buys anything from shops any more.

I can buy what I want brand new with tags for a fraction of the price or get lightly used secondhand items for a few pounds.

I conflate different price points because I buy at different price points and I find, for example, that Uniqlo are just as capable of ripping us off as some higher end brands.

As for Me and Em - and this is my final word on them: Yes I've bought them, in fact I was a big fan when I first discovered them. I have some linen and cotton trousers of theirs, bought for a graduation around 5 years ago, that were an excellent find and that I'll be wearing again this summer. Also some combat trousers that were a second hand buy around 3 years ago. I used to haunt them through the sales but I gave up because I think they've started taking the piss with their prices.

Oh gosh - just opened an email from Community Clothing saying they’re discontinuing their children’s wear. Essentially, they tried to make it as good as possible - but people have been resistant to the prices they necessarily had to charge. Exactly what some of us have been thinking and saying on S&B for a good few years - and perhaps even more true of children’s clothing - who’s going to pay premium prices for natural fabrics and UK skills when they can buy perfectly usable stuff from Sainsbury’s, or in job lots on EBay?

Anyway - discounts on what’s available:

https://communityclothing.co.uk/pages/kids

I can afford to spend money on clothes (recent development!) and am happy to spend it on good quality clothes, shoes etc. I don’t really love jewellery or expensive bags but I love fashion and see it as an investment in myself. My problem is finding the high quality clothing that will last as it’s difficult. I’ve recently invested in some pieces from Róhe, Joseph and Acne Studios which I think will last years. Also keep a close eye on the second hand market as obviously would like to spend less! I take good care of my things- repair and alter as needed. I have just spent a fortune having protective rubber soles added to some leather soled shoes, having clothes tailored to fit perfectly etc.

Ooh - what did you get from Rohe and Acne Studios, @TealReader? I can guarantee anything from the latter will probably last forever. I gave away a couple of things from them when my weight changed - and the recipient is still looking fabulous in them more than a decade later. 😡

Jeans from Acne, they’ve barely been off me since I got them. A beautiful grey wool cashmere mix chunky knit jumper/cape from Rohe- bought in December and has been worn several times a week since. Really impressed with both.

Their jeans are epic. And everything at Rohe is a tonic for the eyes.

But just imagine if you recommended either thing on a What should I buy? thread. <Recalls unimaginable S&B vitriol over an Acne dress>

I love close but I don’t have a high earning job or a bank balance to fund buying designer clothes. I buy a lot from vinted and the occasional charity shop. I have asked for fashion advice on here before (and won’t again) and people have linked to items that are £££. I think even if I had the money I couldn’t justify spending £100’s on one item to wear for one occasion. I do spend a bit more when it comes to shoes as I walk a lot and my feet being comfortable are important to me……also shoes and accessories are more important than the clothing, or I think so anyway.

No way would I spend £100+ on a bag for when of my daughters and now they are adults they wouldn’t spend that amount either, both of my daughters are very tight with money and love looking for 2nd hand bargains.

I am not speaking from a place of envy or bitterness. I.am just surprised at what others will pay for clothes. It's as simple as that. I enjoy a bargain. I don't like paying full price for anything so it's a kind of sport to route out good stuff in the 2nd hand market.

I think it’s important to state your budget if asking for recommendations, otherwise you will get stuff at the wrong end of the scale recommended.