Clothes are really bad right now?

[Anonymous]

I walked through a bunch of stores and was struck by how bad the fabric and styles are. Where’s anyone getting nice things now?

[Anonymous]

I have this question also. I could pay $100 for rayon tops or $15 for rayon tops. I know some rayon is nicer than others, but why?

[Anonymous]

I’ve been buying on EBay and Poshmark. It’s galling to pay $200 for a synthetic dress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have this question also. I could pay $100 for rayon tops or $15 for rayon tops. I know some rayon is nicer than others, but why?

Well you might pay more for a rayon top because it has a better design, i.e., more stitching so that it properly wraps around your body, which actually requires more labor cost to make.

[Anonymous]

We've been having threads about this for the last five years.

Fast fashion and the power of influencers/social media have people losing their appreciation of quality goods.

[Anonymous]

You’re way behind OP. This has been going on for a decade at least! It’s so frustrating.

[Anonymous]

I remember shopping for my first work clothes in the 90’s. I’d walk into the mall and find nice things in normal, mid priced stores. In the early 2000’s, I’d buy my mom new outfits at the same sort of stores. That’s not what is in the stores now. I guess it’s the Amazon/ Shein effect. I’m shopping my closet!

[Anonymous]

If you're in the DMV area, I really like stopping into Current Boutique in Clarendon, Old Town, and soon to be Georgetown. It's like a curated thrift store, and I am pretty amazed at how much better made these expensive brands are, but once they are secondhand, they are the price of stores like Loft, H&M, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I remember shopping for my first work clothes in the 90’s. I’d walk into the mall and find nice things in normal, mid priced stores. In the early 2000’s, I’d buy my mom new outfits at the same sort of stores. That’s not what is in the stores now. I guess it’s the Amazon/ Shein effect. I’m shopping my closet!

Yes, all of this is true. It used to be possible to buy quality, affordable clothing that could literally last decades. Now you're lucky to get a year out of clothing. At some point there will be nothing left but the new crap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've been having threads about this for the last five years.

Fast fashion and the power of influencers/social media have people losing their appreciation of quality goods.

It's more than that, though. It's a trend that's been accelerating since the 80s or 90s due to trade opening up and economic pressures as much as anything.

[Anonymous]

Fast fashion is a cancer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have this question also. I could pay $100 for rayon tops or $15 for rayon tops. I know some rayon is nicer than others, but why?

Well you might pay more for a rayon top because it has a better design, i.e., more stitching so that it properly wraps around your body, which actually requires more labor cost to make.

Sure, but often the $100 rayon top is just as poor quality and all I'm paying for is the fact that Nordstrom or similar carries the label instead of Old Navy or Wal-Mart.

[Anonymous]

But haven’t you always wanted to look like a synthetic cupcake?

[Anonymous]

Clothes have never been worse.
Out and about looking at women my age (late 30s) and there are two outfits: "Hot Mom" which consists of lycra sports bra and bike shorts, and "I Give Up" which consists of baggy Disney t-shirt and leggings. Just awful.

[Anonymous]

It’s better than the years with all the cold shoulder and shredded jeans or those years you couldn’t find a suit without tight cropped pants on the bottom. I like the diversity in leg width now. I like the number of stores also just selling classics that will not immediately go out of fashion. The quince stuff isn’t bad. Boden has some decent quality basics. My goal is to buy decently made stuff that I can wear for the rest of my life. Like a cashmere sweater and wide leg pants. Or a shirt dress. I don’t want bell sleeves or weird flounces or random rips or holes in my clothes. I would love some fun patterns but I’m giving up on that.