Decline in clothing quality?
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Anonymous
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Anyone else noticed decline in quality at clothing stores? I am nearly 50 and am definitely more picky than I was 25 years ago. Plus a little more money to spend now helps. But I have noticed a decline in quality at my regular go tos. Even regular Ann Taylor. Loft started going down in quality a few years ago. Lilly Pulitzer is still reliable but I prefer their lined dresses when possible. Haven't shopped at Brookes Brothers but quality looks good. I went into Victoria Secret to but some sexy lingerie for hubby. Hadn't been in there for 12 or so years but saw decline. Walked out with no lingerie. J. Crew is still generally decent. I do buy from Boden too which is decent.
Has anyone else noticed? Where do people shop for quality pieces? I shouldn't have to go all designer high end for good quality. |
Anonymous
| This is so cranky. Can we move on from 1999? |
Anonymous
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I noticed about 10 years ago.
Around that time I was in Ann Taylor and picked a dress out of the rack that looked nice. I held it up and could see right through it. It’s all crappily made, everywhere. |
Anonymous
| Yes, clothing quality has gotten worse and worse as companies everywhere outsource production to ever poorer countries and compete with fast fashion brands like H&M or Zara. It’s terrible for the environment, workers, and consumers! Look for high quality second-hand stuff. |
Anonymous
| OP here. There is a consignment store I go to in Connecticut when I visit in laws that has great quality items. Any good consignment you can recommend in this area? |
Anonymous
| If you buy cheap clothes, you get cheap clothes. Sales of today are just constant markdowns. You are not getting a great deal. You are just buying cheap clothes. |
Anonymous
| Yes, there’s absolutely been a decline. I’ve been searching for some specific items that should be high enough quality to last a decade (wool coat, thick wool sweater, solid boots that can withstand resoling) even without costing many multiple hundreds. I’ve been feeling like I’ve somehow gotten priced out of the high quality items that used to be available at mid-range prices. I’m 49 if that matters. And despise fast fashion for the waste it promotes. |
Anonymous
There is no reliable midrange anymore. The brands that used to be midrange are mostly crap now because most consumers don't value quality, just the price. I graduated from college in 1995, and when I was buying suits to start working, the low end but still decently made suits in Macy's, Lord and Taylor, etc. were about $120-150 for women. Given the inflation, the starting point should have been somewhere in $300 range now, but Macy's is full of $100 suits and the quality us atrocious. |
Anonymous
| 47 and have the same issues with all the crap clothes out there. I hate shopping with my teen. She loves all the fast fashion stuff, it is hard to pay for it. Has anyone been in Alter'D State? Quality of Forever 21 but sky high prices. |
Anonymous
| There has definitely been a decline in quality across the board for all the brands I have historically purchased, and it's been happening for several years. I don't know about super high end because that's out of my price range. It doesn't seem to be limited to clothing; it's everything. Have I just become a curmudgeon who says "They don't make them like they used to"? I don't think so. |
Anonymous
This app happened 20 years ago. No significant decline since then. Where have you been living since 2000 that you didn’t notice? |
Anonymous
I was talking about this recently with a much younger parent at my son’s school. She was shopping for new boots. I mentioned my Frye’s, which I’ve had for approximately 15 years and just had resoled. She looked horrified and said she’d never want to wear the same thing 15 years from now 
I turn 50 soon. That conversation made me feel like a cranky old lady with a root cellar. |
Anonymous
| It's so frustrating. I don't mind Brookes Brothers price point but that is my max. Someone gifted me a Burberry merino wool scarf in 1995 and I wear it yearly often. It is very dense and hasn't pilled yet despite frequency of use. Someone else gifted me a merino wool scarf. Came from Nordstrom I believe. (Regular, not rack). But within one year of use it started pilling. I don't understand. I shouldn't have to send Burberry money for a decent wool scarf that holds up for at least a few years. I personally don't have the pocket book for Burberry as normal purchases. So frustrating. |
Anonymous
OP here. See I am happy to wear something Ike Frye boots and high price point items that last years. Comfort and quality is amazing. Maybe that's our problem. We don't want to buy something for one season. |
Anonymous
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This app happened 20 years ago. No significant decline since then. Where have you been living since 2000 that you didn’t notice? OP here. No need to be snarky. Was living in the UK 20 years ago. |