Can most people really tell expensive clothes from good high street pieces?

[pontipinemum]

I'm listening to an audiobook at the moment and the main character talks about her clothes a lot. About how expensive clothes look better etc.

Now I am absolutely NOT a fashionist by any stretch.

I am wondering though can others tell the difference? I'm not talking about really cheap shein clothes etc. Or really unusually designed dresses.

But say a regular clothing item like this Chanel pull over, it is nice but I absolutely would not be able to tell if it was $3,500 or if it was £40 from Marks and Spencer

https://www.chanel.com/us/fashion/p/P82481K11949UA790/pullover-wool-silk/

You scared me! 😅

I’m so sorry 😆. I know I must have done something to make it happen but I think the fault lies with the new multi focal glasses I’m trying to get used to.

Totally agree with this 100%. Have a good friend who likes her designer bags, some clothes but also looks equally elegant and chic in something from the local independent boutique for £50. It’s how she accessorizes and as you say carries herself, try as I might I just can’t carry it off 🤣🤣🤣

Because I’m a bit clothes-obsessed and like talking about them I’m constantly being pulled into threads ‘asking for advice’.

Half the time, someone wanting something Unusual and not typical MOB wear really just wants to see the reassuring words ‘Phase Eight’ written down in front of them.

97% of the time, the OP doesn’t return or respond in any worthwhile way - and I just have to conclude there was no ‘real person wanting advice’ behind the OP.

I never learn …

The lower price points are mass manufacture, at a much higher scale than the higher price point items, and the quality and workmanship differs, hence why it’s such a high price differential. The higher priced item is not made to the same quantities and shipped out.

brands don’t price as they know it will be discounted, it’s market based pricing model. The cost of the material the quality control, the workman ship plus market value factored in. What does the market pay for a product of this quality. What is the value.

and that’s the same at both high end and low end. Primark knows the max it can get for a pair of trousers is x, so they will manufacture on a cost plus basis to meet that price point, me and em will do similar, but have a higher margin with lower unit sales as it is not the same mass manufacturing model.

Or maybe they go with the mantra of if they can't say anything nice about the suggestions, say nothing at all?

As long as you get some enjoyment from posting, that's the main thing. Some of these threads are fascinating though, as long as everyone remains polite and tactful!

With M&S yes. Unfortunately M&S have gone down the fast fashion route. Their clothes often look good online, but when you try them on the cuts are often terrible. You can tell that they’ve cut so many corners to keep the price as low as possible.

I think it might be less obvious with higher end high street. Maybe somewhere like White Company or Jigsaw - although even here, the quality isn’t what it was. It’s possible to make nice quality items for substantially less than 3.5k, but the problem is that nobody wants to pay those mid range prices. Either they have enough money to spend 3.5k, or they ‘wait for the sale’ somewhere like Me+EM. The trouble is that is everyone ‘waits for the sale’ and doesn’t buy full price, then brands are under constant pressure to cut corners and make stuff cheaper.

I think only the cheapest sort of clothing is identifiable at a glance. Beyond that, not really. IMO it's generally impossible to distinguish an ordinary T-shirt from one that costs £100 or a nice wool jumper from one that costs £500. At a certain point, you're not really paying for better quality and I have no idea why people would pay ridiculous prices for items that are genuinely indistinguishable from less expensive versions.

I feel that often too, there is often a lot of very dated frumpy clothes recommended. Particularly in the dress recommendations.

What isn’t feasible to see is if the op met the recommender in real life they’d actually wish their style advice or even if they are considered stylish or have an eye for it by people they know. Getting a compliment isn’t the same. My sil has shocking dress sense, she’s the cheap polyester queen, but for family harmony I often find myself telling her she looks lovely or her outfit is. People seem to think a compliment means it’s stylish, it doesn’t. It’s often just social currency.

it used to be a lot of joannie on here, now I see a lot of Roman recommended, none of these clothes are usually considered stylish, and often the ops own request goes unheard, next also features heavily. As does get a personal shopper at John Lewis.

it can also go two ways, someone says budget of 100 pounds and someone recommends a 500 pound dress. Or someone says 500 budget and someone fronts up with the frocky horror show from Roman.

i think people post what they like, rather than actually reading whay the op is asking for,

As long as everyone remains polite and tactful.

Well, that would be dull, @Dragonscaledaisy!

I think you can tell if something is a nicer fabric, cut/drape, and high end from details like zips and buttons. However, imo, it’s far easier to tell them apart when comparing £20-40 price range and £100+ vs £500 and thousands. There is a limit past which paying more makes no difference.

I personally don't think most people notice other people's clothing/shoes/bags that much really. I wouldn't have a clue as to what is high end and what is not, of similar styles I mean! Those who do, are interested in fabrics and so on. Many of us are not that bothered. Speaking for myself of course!

The only time I see comments on clothing etc. is when the Royals come out to play and grace us with their presence!

It is funny OP yesterday we were parked to a very expensive ship Hyatt Regency in Croatia. A lot of people on this other ship came back avec Zara bags!!

I agree with this.

you can easily spot the difference between say markies/ primark and me and em /studio Nicholson as an example.

but spotting the difference between me and em /studio Nicholson and Chanel/gucci very difficult, other than style, quality doesn’t really come into it.

Me and Em always looks very much a high street brand to me and is very ubiquitous. Certainly nothing like Chanel.

Which is agreeing with my comment it was just style was the differentiator ? I was saying the quality was hard to differentiate, you could only tell by style.

Many Me and Em pieces are not great quality or well fitting in my experience.

If you know you know but honestly I’ve seen someone post a jumper they’re wearing here, it was Gucci or something and I wouldn’t have guessed that.

My wardrobe is/was a mix of both. The designer items are from when I did spend a lot on clothes in the past which I often saved for (eg ally capellino, Katherine Hamnett). I bought a lot less though, quality over quantity. And I accessorised with high/mid end footwear/accessories like belts. I don’t do that now or rarely. I’ve got a vintage Chanel boucle skirt suit (doesn’t fit me now) I’ve kept which my mum had in 60s. The jacket just about fits me.

I think thays different, that’s do people with money only buy high end brands, and I think tn4 answer is no, not at all.

people value all different things, the people on that boat may spend all their money on holidays for example. Or they may buy a lot of higher end brands but also happily buy from the likes of Zara. People with lower incomes may save up and buy higher end brands.

im currently booking an expensive holiday, price will be about 18k, but I buy some clothes on vinted. My fave jeans are from H&M and cost me 20 odd quid. Yes I also buy new and from higher end retailers, but I also got some shoes delivered from markies this morning.

I wouldn't have a clue, and neither would I care, other than possibly raising an eyebrow if someone told me they'd paid £3k for a jumper.

It was an eye opener for me walking past Gucci in Bond Street. Nothing about it said style to me.

I wouldn’t say I know my stuff, but I like what I know and do know about some designer brands. I’ve got a friend who owned her own boutique (non designer), was a fashion designer and sold preloved designer items too but wore and loved Vivienne Westwood and other designers, I’ve never been a VW fan though. We’d have discussions about cut and fabric. To be honest big designer brand shops like Chanel scare me as their assistants are so snobby, so whenever I’ve bought designer I go to Browns, Matches (London) and there were designer boutiques local to me in SE/SW London now closed called Question Air. Sales assistants in all of the these second to none, non snobby and would tell you about the pieces, fabrics, colours you wanted to buy and what went with what or for what they occasion. Joseph staff are nice too. Selfridges/Harvey Nicks I preferred too over Harrods.

Have to agree! Once in Berkeley square one evening I saw a woman in an obviously designer outfit but she looked awful. Didn’t suit her at all.

I can tell between a high street item (ie Next, River Island etc) and a high end item such as Max Mara, Ralph Lauren, Toteme, maybe even Cos. But I don’t know if there’s a big enough difference between Max Mara and Chanel to see the difference in quality. I can spot Chanel from design choices and fabric. However, Chanel is well known for overpricing their items to make them unattainable for the masses - so that jumper is not worth thousands. More fool anyone who actually pays that.