“I buy high quality clothes”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I avoid any synthetics. For example right now I’m wearing a Boden sweater that’s a cotton-linen blend.

But it’s not like you can just buy high end brands. I have to read the labels of every single thing I buy. It’s annoying.

Really? Is Boden regarded as 'high quality' in America still? In the UK, their quality has plummeted in recent years and I am sure the stock is the same. Their knits are so thin now and dresses and shirts immediately look worn and tired after one wash. I have some Boden pieces from ten years ago that are much higher quality. I suppose Americans will buy and worship anything they perceive as European or British, but the recent Boden offerings are laughable.

It depends what you are comparing Boden to. I buy a lot of their kids clothes and the quality is WAY way better than Gap, Old Navy, J. Crew, Target etc. Their womens stuff is better than US brands of similar or lower price. But no one is buying a Boden cashmere sweater and thinking it is Brora quality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I avoid any synthetics. For example right now I’m wearing a Boden sweater that’s a cotton-linen blend.

But it’s not like you can just buy high end brands. I have to read the labels of every single thing I buy. It’s annoying.

Really? Is Boden regarded as 'high quality' in America still? In the UK, their quality has plummeted in recent years and I am sure the stock is the same. Their knits are so thin now and dresses and shirts immediately look worn and tired after one wash. I have some Boden pieces from ten years ago that are much higher quality. I suppose Americans will buy and worship anything they perceive as European or British, but the recent Boden offerings are laughable.

No American with an ounce of fashion sense would view a mumsy label like Boden as "high quality". Or even fashionable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think high quality clothes exist any longer - at any price point. Unless you have a gown made for you for the red carpet.

I don't say this, but that's generally what I mean/think of. FWIW, it's not always a brand thing. I have clothes made of "high-quality" fabrics with solid construction from Target.

[Anonymous]

I try not to buy synthetic fabrics. I like thin wool "all season" pants, for example.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think high-quality clothes exist any longer - at any price point. Unless you have a gown made for you for the red carpet.

This isn't true. The only high-quality clothing today are luxury brands.

Designer and luxury should not be conflated.

[Anonymous]

Boden is crap. Often natural fabrics used by these big companies are sh&t. You’d be better off buying something with some reinforcement for day to day wear for it to last. Many al natural fiber clothes are just cheap cotton rags.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It depends on the item. I think some Uniqlo t-shirts are good quality for casual wear. They hold up well, are not paper thin and feel good. I don’t think Uniqlo outerwear is good quality.

I mostly buy second-hand or from places like TJ Maxx, so I am not looking for specific brand, rather how the item is made. It helps that I took some sewing/pattern making lessons, so if I see obvious cost cutting stuff there, I don’t count on the quality of the fibers. If I see something is well made, I assume they didn’t cheap out on materials either.

Agreed! It's little things like the weight of the fabric, the cut. TJ Maxx is great as long as you're not buying 12 crappy little blouses that will fall apart after one season.

[Anonymous]

Given that almost nobody irons anymore, buying all 100% cotton button ups etc. is tough. But if that’s your criteria, Zara is high quality. I think you need to go back to the drawing board on this one. When designers use some Lycra and polyester, it often improves the fit and durability. Ps, what is called linen is usually plastic. You’re not buying high quality plastic sweaters from boden.

[Anonymous]

PSA, if it’s not organic cotton, it’s full of flame retardants and pollution and plastic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:High Quality to me means 'not mass produced", mostly natural fabrics, and not made in any 2nd or 3rd world country.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:High Quality to me means 'not mass produced", mostly natural fabrics, and not made in any 2nd or 3rd world country.

+1

Same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Boden is crap. Often natural fabrics used by these big companies are sh&t. You’d be better off buying something with some reinforcement for day to day wear for it to last. Many al natural fiber clothes are just cheap cotton rags.

Yes, the shirts ALWAYS get holes in them within a few months of wearing.

[Anonymous]

Eileen Fisher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Given that almost nobody irons anymore, buying all 100% cotton button ups etc. is tough. But if that’s your criteria, Zara is high quality. I think you need to go back to the drawing board on this one. When designers use some Lycra and polyester, it often improves the fit and durability. Ps, what is called linen is usually plastic. You’re not buying high quality plastic sweaters from boden.

So if something is labeled linen it’s plastic? What?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I avoid any synthetics. For example right now I’m wearing a Boden sweater that’s a cotton-linen blend.

But it’s not like you can just buy high end brands. I have to read the labels of every single thing I buy. It’s annoying.

But I often find that stuff is crap. It looks terrible after a wash or too and worse if you take it to the dry cleaner. If you want to get deep, the content of linen matters and the quality of cotton, and you’re not getting that most of the time. Some synthetic fibers allow clothes to last much longer. The trick is figuring out which ones and what content. My 100% silk and cotton clothes often look like garbage after a few wears.

As you say, that has way more to do with the quality of the fibers, the weaving and the construction than it does with the fibers being natural. The idea of all the micro plastics washing down the drain and into the waterways has me looking for natural fiber clothes.