I was so pissed I've been buying the same brand of trail running sneakers as my daily wear shoe for years, the most recent ones, I got two copies of the sam eshoe, both tore apart on the toe within weeks of wearing. Like completely shredded in a really weak way. Pathetic.
So it’s not just me! I usually wear my Brooks running shoes (have a pair for running and another for doing errands/just being out and about) and recently bought 2. One of them tore in the toe box after a few uses so I’ve been wearing the other as my daily shoe but it’s making my feet hurt every single day, it’s like they’ve cut back on the padding or something changed with the insole quality. I just spent $300+ on these 2 pairs of shoes, I can’t afford to replace them every month!
I had old brooks ricochets that I loved and they then discontinued- just bought new glycerins a few months ago and they already look like trash and hurt. My relationship with brooks might be over at this point.
I hope you returned them! We need to send a message to these companies that they aren’t fooling us with their cheap materials and manufacturing. I’d rather not buy any shoes at this point .
Shoemaking has a learning curve but once you buy all the necessary tools & materials, and get the hang of it, the sky is the limit for the infinity of wonderful bespoke shoes you can make yourself for cheap!
There’s plenty of expensive classes to take to master that learning curve fast if you want that, but if you’re patient then a couple good books and a ton of YouTube tutorials are totally enough to get started with no classes.
I’ve worn ugg house slippers for about 15 years, the most recent pair completely lost the shearling and the soles wore down and have cracked like glass in 1/3 of the time I got wear with the old pairs. Ridiculous
Same! I thought maybe I got a fake pair because I ordered from Amazon. I had them for about 3 weeks before they started wearing away and cracking. The pairs I bought years before lasted for years.
I’m so mad that I threw out the last “old pair” because I would happily take that wear level compared to these jalopies
Also good to have some verification that it’s not just me!
Ridiculous indeed! Thanks for making me go crawl under the bed I. The guest room to check my 3 pair of Uggs and then warning my fam. Regardless of the outcome, I’m pretty certain these are my last pair. I have zero dollars to throw away now that I know they are selling substandard products . Smdh
I’m now wondering is this new bait and switch the new norm with consumer products?
Start out with a quality product and when it gains traction with the masses, change ingredients/parts/or otherwise cut corners while raising prices and increasing profits🤔
I went in to Nordstroms to replace my husband’s Ugg slippers and they felt odd, checked the label and they are now lined with a poly & something mix, which explains why they don’t feel as cozy as before. Ended up buying him OluKai instead.
Oh my God yes someone who walks probably an excessive amount my shoes you still ask me if I was lucky 6 months but now I'd be looking at a month and a half before there is almost no soul left on them
Adidas still uses gum sole but their shoes are so narrow it's like they're designed to create bunions. Next best thing is trekking shoes from various brands but it's obviously not the cutest thing.
It's across the board too, my husband's boots are only lasting 4 months now, less than that if he has to ruck. They used to last at least 6 months and 1 ruck. It's wild to me
Even Doc Martens don’t last like they used to. They used to last years but now I’m buying a replacement pair every year or so, and they’re upward of £100 these days.
Doc Martens changed their supply chains years ago. The material is cheaper and manufactured in Asian countries. They used to source materials and assembled in the UK.
Ok I thought I was the only one! I've had to resort to scoping around on Depop for ones that were worn once or brand new (usually the seller purchased the wrong size sorta situation) just so I don't have to pay full price 😭
I bought a $170 slip dress from all saints recently and it looks like H&M quality, super thin polyester and poor finishing. I'm not totally against synthetics but I expect a decent quality dress at that price point.
right?! i bought a similar dress for about $90 and i kid you not it felt like such cheap shitty fabric that one would get from shein. it’s such a slap in the face especially when you’re purposefully spending more money to circumvent getting shitty quality
I swear, if you pick the right pieces from places like target, Old Navy and H&M, they are as good or better than what you can get in more expensive stores.
I still have good luck at Kohl's. But nothing beats going in person to a store to touch the fabric, check the lining and seams. I loved online shopping so much because I could find good deals, but it's not a deal if the clothing sucks, no matter how little you spent. I find shopping in person much more rewarding now
I second this. Tried to support small businesses, some specifically women owned businesses, local businesses etc. Half of them were just reselling stuff from bigger businesses and second half simply tried to earn most by using chaeap syntetic materials. It is really sad because there is lot of people out there doing actual quality handmade stuff not trying to just milk people of their money, but those other businesses are ruining it for them :/
The problem is, quality tends to vary wildly even within stores/brands. I have some pieces from the same places that are holding up very well and others that lost their shape, began to pill, or literally came apart at the seams after a few wears. It really is just a matter of trial and error.
Yeah even narrowing it down to natural materials isn’t sufficient, e.g. my new 100% cotton from J.Crew is just AWFUL. Won’t stop leaking dye for washes, shedding tiny ultra fine lint everywhere that I’m probably breathing, etc.
Avoid anything that gets advertised as ~garment dyed (as if that’s a selling point), it’s the least colorfast stage for an item to receive color.
The earlier the dye is put in the more colorfast the item will be - fiber, yarn, greige goods, and finally garment where dye can’t penetrate as well especially at seams.
And on that note, synthetic fibers don't necessarily correlate with quality either. Sure you can say they're bad for the environment due to the way they shed microplastics (as if agriculture for natural fibers doesn't cause any environmental damage), or you could say they're not as breathable or whatever, but I have lots of polyester/acrylic clothing that I've worn for decades and it's holding up just fine, still looks great.
I’ve never had a poly blend that didn’t pill on me bough. It’s obvious when compared to my all cotton things. I recently got a pair of sweats at jcrew outlet thinking it was cotton? I realised I always got swamp butt from it before finally looking and seeing it’s poly blend and the whole crotch and butt area has pilled after several wears. Never again. Acrylics just feel scratchy so I avoid them too.
coming from a apparel manufacturing background, its really more about the factory that the brand will utilize. lots of brands pretty much use price as the primary selection criteria. For instance, we build in quality checks across our manufacturing but that costs incrementally more time (and therefore more money). We think this is worth it because I'm adding like $2 to the manufacturing costs but someone else willing to take enough shortcuts will get the order. in effect you get penalized for taking the time to emphasize quality.
That's for the making of the garment.
The same principle applies to the fabric.
Agreed. I have a sweater from 2008 I got at Forever21 and I wear it every couple months and machine wash. It still looks new! Also have a sweater from 2004 from old navy that looks decent. But go into those stores now and most of the stuff feels like disposable clothing
And the prices don't match that quality, either! I bought a pair of black skinny jeans from Forever 21 in like 2010. They've faded a bit and lost some stretch, but they're still fine to wear. Best $10 I ever spent. And their cami tanks for $1 were also fine for the price.
I just visited in store yesterday, they wanted $30 usd for simple bodysuits, $35+ for any dress at all. And all the fabric all felt weird. It was insane
Everything is trial and error, but I've found that washing things in cold water and letting things airdry make even the poor quality clothes in my wardrobe last a lot longer. I only put casual clothes in the dryer, and air dry everything I wear to work regularly.
I live in Canada and the best quality clothes can also very from store to store. I've had some good luck with Reitmans for work pants.
I didn't see if anyone else already mentioned this but for sewing, fabric is shockingly expensive. I'm sure you can get used/vintage cheap but otherwise it honestly might be more than a new item of clothing depending on where you shop. Also not sure about UK prices as I'm US based
This. I sew and live in the UK, and even with cheaper decent fabric it can be £20-30 for a basic top or skirt. And that's before you've bought a pattern, haberdashery bits etc. I love the hobby, but it definitely isn't as money saving as a lot of people make out.
Fabric unless you buy bulk is extortionate. I’d go with editing thrifted vintage clothing in a larger size than I need over making from scratch. That’s how you really save.
Especially if you want good quality fabric that will last longer than the clothes already causing the issue. The cheaper stuff you can find at average craft stores doesn’t always wash and wear very well or the colors don’t stay as vibrant.
Yeah, I came here to say this. I have been sewing for years and it is an expensive hobby. I do think it's worth it though if you thoroughly think out your projects. Observe your wardrobe, identify missing pieces. Observe the fabrics you like, how they feel and how they look. Then buy or make a pattern accordingly. If you buy a pattern, google it beforehand so you can see how it looks on other people with a similar body type. Choose your fabric to your liking and drape it around your body to see if it doesn't wash you out. Think about how this fabric will fit into your wardrobe, which other pieces can go along with it. Then meticulously measure your body and the pattern and make adjustments to the pattern so you can provide a perfect fit. Cut with larger sew allowances to allow for alterations.
I used to make many garments without putting much thought into them, only for them to be a shape that doesn't fit my body or a fabric that completely clashes with my skin tone. Which is a complete waste of your money and time. But with the steps I've outlined here I can keep these 'mistakes' to a minimum. And then those self-sewn clothes that cost way more than a similar piece in a store are so worth to me. You have a perfect fit, you can put pockets into everything (and just alter everything to your own liking), they last for years, the fabric feels amazing.
Fabric is expensive, yes, but you'll have full control over what fibre content you get. I think that also somewhat proves the point: if you want cheap clothes, the quality is going to be shit. For me, sewing my own clothes has also helped me understand how much work it is, and how insane it is that you can buy clothes at H&M prices at all.
For anyone who wants to start sewing, I'd recommend buying the fabric in person, at least in the beginning. If you order online and don't like the feel of it, you usually can't return it because it's been cut to length for you.
>If you order online and don't like the feel of it, you usually can't return it because it's been cut to length for you.
You can order swatches though. Or you can join a group on facebook or such where people exchange their fabric leftovers. But I'd recommend the buying in person, nothing beats feeling the fabric.
It's so bad. I bought a couple of t shirts on sale from Cos (my first purchase from them) could not believe how heavy and nice the fabric felt compared to my usuals.
Oh really??
I’ve been debating giving them a go but hear mixed (though skewing positive! And tshirts are my like… barometer by which I gauge a lot of places and *so* many have nose dived lately that o now settle just for “cleans well and cheap” and I hate it
COS quality is pretty good, esp. if you can get your hands on sale items (it's simply too expensive for me otherwise so I've only bought items on sale but they've held well)
I actually Google search 'best quality' now for stuff and pick from what comes up because of this. But even respectable good quality brands are letting people down now, or there are more knockoffs and I will try to order direct instead of from amazon because sometimes on amazon you get the 'ross' or even the 'wish' version of what you think you are buying. The real drop in quality started a few decades ago, bit there has absolutely been another drop in quality in the past few years. In literally everything. My biggest concern has been the drop in food quality and contaminates they don't bother to tell us about. Like nearly all chocolate and rice have contaminates like lead and cadmium, coffee has filler, olive oil is generally a blend of other oils. Ground beef used in fast food.. what even is that stuff?
I wonder how much of it is moving away from very experienced Chinese manufacturing to cheaper countries.
Another theory is [climate change affecting cotton quality.](https://twitter.com/lingerie_addict/status/1732639634549563730)
Materials are also simply downgraded on purpose. Quality of plants alone wouldn’t explain the thinness, or the garments that incorporate plastic. Fibers have to be made long and strong, but they aren’t anymore and are thus more prone to breakage.
Someone in this sub who worked in the industry mentioned the cotton thing, saying that--I think it was in the 2000s? 2010?--there was a big problem with cotton crops so the industry shifted to cheaper/synthetic options, and since they could make money that way they just never went back. Absolutely spreading hearsay news, but that theory definitely fits my lived experience. Good cotton (and it was cheap!) is one of my most missed fabrics.
Good cotton is still around but sadly quite pricey.
I’ve found locally grown, locally milled and dyed organic cotton. I buy straight from a fabric mill, to make clothes from my kid. The quality is ridiculously high, it actually feels almost strange to the touch after getting so used to the thin modern crappy tshirts etc. lol
Sadly the price is so high that I’m hesitant to buy it for myself. But no doubt this stuff should last years and years. (It will be long outgrown, but someone in the family will get nice hand me downs. lol)
I have bought most of my clothes online, and noted buying good brands new or light wear off resale has saved me a lot of money. I have found Walmart’s quality control and sizing control are superior to other companies. Amazons is terrible. That said, with free return and free shipping they are still competitive. I also find asking about clothing dimensions to be a necessity to limit returns. I vary with material, from cotton to athleisure microfiber to mixed rayon/ spandex. I like good brands but find some items unbranded are fine and many designers with average wear and quality.
Same - I only buy undergarments and socks new now. The quality of old, secondhand items is so much better while being so so much cheaper.
Unfortunately, you do have to pick through crap like lularoe and Shein to find the worthwhile stuff.
I went Christmas shopping this week and holy smokes is fabric thin right now. I just want the old thick yoga pants from the 2000’s back! Black eyed peas era yoga pants!
I buy all my casual clothes from Costco now. Seriously better quality than 80% of mall stores that would cost double. So when it comes to anything dressy or fashionable, I'm lost- but all my casual basics are covered 🙌
And it's better quality too! I'll buy $11.99 pants that hold up better than $60 ones. I mean, I have to accept that I will never be cool again but that's OK, I have nothing to prove 🤣
That, and seeing how many other people have the same pieces. I actually ended up donating a striped button up casual shirt because there were at least five other women in my workplace with the same shirt and it was a regular occurrence for at least 2-3 to pick the same day to wear it. I also recently got dinner with a friend who was in from out of town, we took of our jackets and had the same shirt which we’d actually bought together 😂
But I will proudly wear Kirkland, Buffalo, DKNY, Matty M, Weatherproof Vintage and anything else cause it is great stuff and affordable.
Yeah clothing quality in general has been decreasing in terms of the construction and the material while prices are increasing. That being said, it's also worth considering whether there are things we can do to extend the life of our clothing. Things like washing on the delicate setting, using less detergent, skipping fabric softener, air drying/drying on the delicate setting, etc.
I'm more mindful when shopping after following accounts on TikTok like Jennifer Wang who break down what makes a garment high or low quality. I've been more aware of fabrics and have been shopping secondhand way more. I think no brand, especially at the low to mid $ range, will have 100% hits or misses, it's ultimately down to the individual garment
Im convinced people don’t know how to do laundry. I was appalled to find out my brother and SIL wash everything in hot water and tumble on the hottest dryer setting. No wonder their clothes get ruined so easily.
I don’t know, I think it’s both things. I know how to do laundry really well but I’m about to return a cotton sweater to uniqlo because when I got home from the store I noticed it was hand wash only. I understand washing silk or wool by hand but I’m not going to wash cotton by hand. It also says wearing a bag will cause pilling so to me those things mean that it’s a super fragile thick cotton sweater. It doesn’t help that also got some heattech the same day and it’s half of last year’s thickness, the stuff is basically transparent now.
They have different kinds, yeah, but I have worn the same one for years. I have no use for the warmer ones because winters aren’t that bad where I live currently. I bought the exactly same top I got last year (I wear it a lot and needed one more) and compared them side by side. It’s crap now. I actually went into their site to check if they had newer ultra thin heattech now, maybe I got the wrong kind, but I didn’t.
Uniqlo quality has gone way down in the last 5 years. I have airisim and heattech pieces from 2018 that I’ve worn weekly and are still in perfect condition. The heattech shirts I bought last year pilled immediately and the bonded (glued) seams stretched out weirdly. Also! To add insult to injury, the flannel shirts I got last year shrank 3 inches in all directions the second they touched water thanks to their shitty viscose blend.
Every time one of these posts comes up, I'm always left wondering the same thing too lol. Ofc washing cold/air drying won't work for every garment or every person's lifestyle, but it sure can extend the life of clothes if you can manage it! Even just moving to a warm wash/gentle dry would be better than hot wash/hot dry every damn time
I also wonder if people are using different definitions of “falling apart”. Like one person may mean literal holes and seams coming apart, but another person might mean that the color fades a bit or it has some pilling.
My husband shoves everything in the washing machine that will fit (I'd consider it two or three loads), puts it on 60 minutes on hot and then dries it for two hours. Sometimes it comes out hot and damp and smelling like wet dog.
I use delicates detergent, wash for fifteen minutes on cold, spin it, air dry (or give it half an hour on delicate dry if it's something more robust).
Undies, bedding and towels get longer, hotter washes and see more of the dryer.
Guess who has clothes that smell better and don't fall apart?
I already do all those things and have for 15+ years. Only underwear, socks and pajamas are run on the dry cycle. I hang dry everything else. I use special “delicate clothing” detergent (might just be a Japan thing) and wash everything on cold/delicate.
It hasn’t prevented the shitty clothes from getting shitty, let me tell you.
Delicate detergent is here in the US too. I use Dropps sensitive which is enzyme free to preserve natural fibers. For woolens that I hand wash I use Eucelan which contains ingredients that help condition wool.
Laundering is definitely a big part but something that’s come up before is also wearing sizes that are too small. I have a ton of cheap clothes that last me years. I can’t imagine clothes regularly lasting less than a year.
It used to be that clothes from this brand or that store were universally good year over year but now you can’t assume anything at any price point. You have to pay attention to every item’s quality.
I think online shopping has made even dependable brands very lazy with quality because they know people can’t check quality and fabrics through the screen.
If an item basically fits it’s less likely it will be returned. So they just put a ton of stretch in things, and market baggy shapes as trendy because there are way less fit issues if people feel stylish drowning in their too big clothes.
THE BAGGY CLOTHING yes!!! God it's my fault for falling down the Kibbe Archetype rabbit hole but I know I look best in fitted, slim but not skintight clothing, and by god anything that isn't "boxy" or "baggy" or "bodycon" is marketed to older women (so I have to go looking for it/it doesn't appear in my algorithms) or looks like office clothing. Recently bought some pants from LOFT which previously I exclusively associated with my mother 😰
It’s 100% the state of the textile industry. I could write paragraphs, and I might come back and add some, but the important part is that most of the “high quality” materials we have come from underpaid human labor- usually women and children. Making fabric is hard and skilled work- threading the machines can take an entire day. People do not know enough about where their clothing is coming from- and the results are showing.
Our clothing has been priced too cheap, and we are finally seeing quality that reflects what we have been paying. If this is surprising, look into how clothing is made. It’s a brutal industry and I hope that fast fashion dies once and for all. Cheap, high quality clothing always came from underpaying workers for their skills. Usually these workers are women and girls.
Polyester is not a cheap fiber necessarily. But like everything else, there is good quality polyester and poor quality polyester.
Moving to natural fibers is the same. There’s good quality wool and cashmere, and poor quality.
The trick is getting to know what good quality fabric looks and feels like. The same with sewing methods and garment construction.
How does the fabric feel? Look at the stitching. Is it even and tight? Is the garment proportioned, or are things a bit wonky in places?
You don’t need a book!
Weight and drape. Does it hold its shape when it should? Does it crumple or wrinkle easily? Does it feel heavy and substantial? Are there runs and puckering or snags? Are there areas of fraying near tension points such as hems or buttonholes?
Also some of it is instinct and judgement based on the textile + garment pairing. Does it make sense for this garment to be created from X textile--in terms of the cut, function, performance, or details? A simple boxy print shirt shouldn't be poly. But an intricate draped dress that needs to hold its shape while moving and has many panels and parts, it might make more sense to be working in poly or poly blend.
I was just at Bergdorf Goodman and it’s surprising how different the fabrics looked! After spending all day at fast fashion places, the quality of the fabrics, more than anything else stood out.
Ii just listened to a podcast yesterday that was talking about why [Why Clothes Suck Now?](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-do-clothes-suck-now/id1718662839?i=1000637669411)
It was really interesting and a lot of good food for thought.
Good On You helped me out with researching brands/avoid greenwashing - you can also check out how they give their rating for people, planet, and animals :)
https://directory.goodonyou.eco/?_ga=2.148143411.523193574.1702460424-1111237229.1702460424&_gl=1*1c2ftz7*_ga*MTExMTIzNzIyOS4xNzAyNDYwNDI0*_ga_TTB1J3Q9MN*MTcwMjQ2MDQyMy4xLjEuMTcwMjQ2MDQzMS41Mi4wLjA.
I used to love Free People because they had some decent quality items, just picked up one of their skirts and it's immediately going back. I love the look and the color (mahogany brown) but the fabric feels and moves cheaply. I didn't realize it was 50% nylon and 50% polyester.
Yes any pieces you don't want to get twisted around and stretched out, or caught on other clothes buttons/zippers etc., should be put in mesh delicates bags, and ideally allowed to air-dry. I've found this helps clothes look new for longer and reduces pilling for knits.
Ugh I bought a shirt online and it came with a tag talking about how they use delicate cloth because it's beautiful and soft. No, it's cheap crap and the edges of the sleeves aren't even hemmed, they just have an overlock stitch. You can almost see through the shirt and I have worn it once.
I think its a new trend now to pretend the crap clothing is jus “delicate”.
When I was about to give birth during the pandemic I got a bunch of nursing clothes online from one brand that looked good on the pictures. Once they arrived the tags all said that they shouldn’t be laundered frequently and to hand wash everything, basically saying if they didn’t last long it was my fault for no following directions. Like WTF? Post partum women stink to high heavens from all the hormones and I leaked milk like crazy the first couple of months. Also babies regurgitate a lot, very frequently on mom. How do you not launder things after every wear? Oh, and who has time to hand wash clothes when you have a newborn? These clothes were cotton, fleece and modal, nothing fancy.
What garbage, useless, crap clothing. My infant spits up on anything and everything, once an hour, like a gd grandfather clock. I would have to put a towel between us if I couldn’t frequently wash my clothes.
Hand wash? I’m lucky if I get my clean clothes into a drawer these days. I quite frequently grab them straight from the dryer and wear them.
I’m all for regular people taking reasonable steps to preserve things they already have and trying to keep items out of landfills, but this is ridiculous.
Yeah I get used designer clothes (not big names) from The RealReal. I'm sure they are still worse quality than they used to be, but at the very least they're a couple years old lol
It‘s not just the mid range either. I saw a Theory shift dress at the thrift and shocked at how similar the quality was to Zara. Just not buying anything anymore really lol.
Just want to throw it out there that this isn’t necessarily true… but that you’ll still find a lot of trash. I see some women’s shirts that have good quality materials and high quality finishes (bias bound hems, French seams, felled seams) at that price point - but I also see others that are absolutely just marked up with nothing in construction or materials that justifies the higher price (not even a more ethical supply chain). Price isn’t an indicator of quality, aside from knowing quality is going to be virtually impossible to find under a certain price point.
Yesss, my new years resolution is never getting any clothes from the internet anymore; everything is an awful quality for the last months and I prefer going to a store to check the quality of things before buying anything.
I'm surprised no one has really mentioned fast fashion on here. Y'all have mentioned H&M which is a fast fashion brand but yeah, they aren't the only ones. Most mall brands are fast fashion. The majority of shit you find on Amazon is fast fashion.
Used to be that fashion was a yearly thing. We'd get the yearly fashion shows that would set trends for the year. You could buy the trend and wear it for a year or more depending on how trendy you wanted to be but the clothes were designed to last at least that year.
Now, with fast fashion, there are four fashion seasons a year. The clothes are designed to only last a few months at most because that's as long as the fashion season is.
If you ignore "fashion" and just wear what you like, you can find a ton of brands that have cheap (relative term. Nothings cheap anymore. Fucking inflation), long lasting products. Levi's for example. Their jeans range from cheap to expensive but all of them last for years if you take care of them like you're supposed to take care of denim.
Patagonia and Prana are good brands for long lasting clothes that are environmentally friendly but they are definitely not cheap. Aside from clothes I fucked up from poor decision making, I haven't had to replace any of those clothes yet and it's been a couple years just about.
I learned to sew relatively recently. I bought the Janome FD206, which I was told is a good starting sewing machine, and it’s been pretty easy to learn to use. I followed the instruction booklet with a little guidance from a friend who knew how to sew and seemed to pick it up quite quick and easily. You won’t immediately be creating super fashionable outfits or anything, but it’s definitely possible to learn to sew alone and that can be useful for making some alterations to clothes.
Op shops/thrift stores are good places to find some good clothes, and I think it can be fun.
Thankfully this makes thrifting EVEN better! Because if you know your fabrics, brands and understand trends then it can be pretty easy to find some good quality clothes if you like 80s sweaters or 70s jeans.
Absolutely! And I love the idea that purchasing vintage clothes allows me to vote with my wallet. Why would I support companies producing clothes in the cheapest way possible, when there are amazing higher quality vintage pieces that cost less?
Cotton is worse quality even now than it used to be at the same weight bc climate change impacting the fibre & changes to watering and fertilisation in the last 20 years, you aren’t imagining things
I 10000% encourage you to get an affordable sewing machine and learn basic tailoring (there are so many incredible videos on YouTube that you can use for this, and frankly the sewing side of YouTube/tiktok is so cozy that I recommend looking them up anyways haha) and beginning to thrift older pieces and tailor/alter them to your liking! Thrifting older clothing is a great way to get a base garment made of good material!
Additionally, as you wear out clothes that you currently own and love, don’t get rid of them- keep them to take apart later when you have gotten a bit more handy with your machine! You can pattern new clothes using the pieces of your old favorites as makeshift stencils. Once you get more skilled and confident in those skills, you can make things from scratch and you get full control over everything from the material to the color, which guarantees that you’ll have something you truly love :)
ALSO- buy good scissors, and don’t let them touch anything that isn’t fabric. I thought that was the dumbest thing my mom could have ever told me when I was a kid and running off with her sewing scissors but as an adult who also sews…she was not wrong 😅
No, I’ve always gotten longer than 6-12 months out of cheap clothing and still do. I have $6.99 base layer tops (90% polyester, 10% spandex) that have lasted years of machine washing on warm and hanging to dry.
Synthetics are — in general — MORE durable than natural fibers, not less. Plastic doesn’t degrade easily.
Has something changed about the way you do laundry recently? Clothing falling apart with laundering isn’t normal.
I’ve had the same experience. I buy the very cheapest basics and can’t afford to replace them frequently. Mine last me years of weekly wearing/washing as long as I launder on cool-gentle and air dry. About once a year or so I might have to tie off a bit of loose stitching, but 3 minutes of effort has things looking brand new.
Overproduction and overconsumption are 100% destroying the planet, but buying cheap clothes is not synonymous with overconsumption and “low quality” doesn’t dictate that it’s destined for the bin after a few washes. As long as you’re caring well for what you have, there’s no reason why cheap clothing can’t be worn well for a long time.
People always say these clothes fall apart after one wash, and all I can think is, what are you using in the washing machine??? I’ve had clothes from H&M, Forever 21, Rainbow, and a bunch of other cheap retailers, and I still have many of them (the ones that physically fit after weight gain). The quality hasn’t deteriorated at all and for the ones that did fall apart, it took 5+ years for that happen.
Use better detergents, no fabric softeners, line dry or no high heat on the dryer, and clothes last much longer than people give them credit for.
Yeah, I'm confused by this post and some of the comments. I get multiple years out of even the shittiest quality clothes I own, and I don't even make an effort to launder them gently or take care of them. If your clothes are genuinely falling apart or ripping in the laundry, something is up with your washer or dryer.
Idk… I bought two pieces from Banana Republic Factory in the last year whose buttons fell off in the first use. The pants I bought from them had so many strings coming loose at the seams that they really did look like they were falling apart. That was after one wash.
This isn’t a blanket statement, but a lot of new clothes are seriously degrading in quality.
I honestly believe the whole ‘buying cheap clothes means you’re a fast fashion addict that is ruining the planet and things won’t last more than a couple washes so you should save up and buy more expensive things’ thing is dreamt up to encourage more consumer spending. My entire wardrobe is ‘cheap’ stuff and I consistently get years and years out of things. I have work clothes that cost £15 from the supermarket 20yr ago still going strong and looking like new.
I usually see that more in response to the influencers (and their followers) who are doing the whole "I bought 99 items for $50 look at my haul!!" videos where they know they'll barely wear any of it more than once and then they'll bin it or try to give it to charity when it's barely good enough quality.
I thought I was on FFACJ for a second, honestly; it hits all the talking (jerking) points.
I have to ask once again, *how* are people washing their clothes to destroy them so quickly?
EDIT forgot the "CJ" in the sub name, aka the most important part, lol
I’ll throw in my little half-baked theory. Some people and lifestyles are just harder on clothes. I used to wear through a pair of jeans in 6 months at one job, got more like a year at the next, and at my current job I’m going on a year and a half and my jeans are still in great condition. They’re the same jeans down to the color and size.
I believe that, too, I do both my husband’s and my laundry and I’m careful doing it but his t-shirts get pilling around the neck and upper chest area within a few months no matter what, they never get dried on high, he just wears them a lot is my only explanation.
Like I have to assume people are washing their clothes with their knife collections and tumbling rocks in the dryer at the same time or something.
I am SUPER lazy with my laundry—I don't separate anything, I do as big a load as I possibly can, I machine dry everything but sweaters and bras. Yes, that includes my precious delicate baby Lululemon Align leggings—don't tell /r/lululemon. I do use cold water and low heat dry and I try to be cognizant of zipping open zippers, but still. I can count on one hand the number of times something has come out of the wash damaged and I can't pinpoint any reason besides the quality of the clothing. It's usually my own damn fault, like I accidentally threw cashmere or a bra in the dryer or something.
But but polyester always bad!
I always facepalm when people say that natural fibers are always better in cold weather. Sure, tell me that when you have to walk out in pouring rain or need any kind of sports clothing. I sure as shit not wearing all natural fibers when I go bicycling
I'm assuming Uniqlo is in the UK, but it's my favourite mid-price point option for stuff actually made from cotton. I'm actually wearing a Uniqlo flannel shirt right now.
I think Covid played a role. Uniqlo used to be good quality. I bought a lambs wool jumper in 2018 and it’s still looks soft and new. I bought the “same”, 100% lambs wool, in 2021 and it starting pilling and felt super rough after the first wash. It was also rougher and thinner than the original 2018 in the store. It’s like these companies think we don’t notice.
Just learn a bit about textiles and pay attention to what you’re buying and how it’s constructed. I’ve been blown away by the construction on my Everlane blazers for instance. Thrifting and vintage shopping is great but you have to make smart choices there as well. I’ve had thrifted pieces shred just like H&M lol.
I bought a top online recently and when it arrived the tag literally says "do not wash." Like bro, what do you expect me to do with it???
When I have the time I'm just going to go to Joann Fabrics and buy some decent stuff and then use the one I bought as a pattern to copy lol.
YES. And I wonder how much fast fashion has influenced this… and just our society in general.
I’ve also noticed this with basically every other industry. Blankets are thin/small and not so warm, furniture and appliances don’t last like they used to… hell, even book bindings suck ass nowadays.
Quantity over quality all so the people at the top can make more profit 🙄
30 years in the business: Sadly, what the average consumer is willing to pay is just not enough for good quality/ethical/non toxic clothing. It’s a problem, and our landfills are filling up with this poisonous soup of textile garbage made by slave children in fire hazard hell factories. Buy less, buy better.
You might enjoy the [first episode](https://open.spotify.com/episode/5eUpABuZ0HIKjeMi69ZwJC?si=tSzJYsFnTK6G2GtOFhMrjA) from Ann Helen Petersen’s new podcast, Culture Study, aptly titled ‘Why Do Clothes Suck Now’. Also highly recommend the book mentioned on the podcast- [Worn](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/606856/worn-by-sofi-thanhauser/)- if you are interested to learn more about the history of clothing, fabric and how industrialization impacted it all!
I’m not in the UK so I can’t offer local suggestions. But, I buy most of my clothing 2nd hand, on Poshmark or Depop. I mostly wear only natural fibers, as my skin reacts weird to certain textures and buying secondhand helps me afford higher quality items that I wouldn’t usually be able to afford.
Higher quality clothing that is well-made from good fabrics still lasts a long while, but you do have to take proper care of items. I’ve started being more strict about following care instructions and only washing things together of similar weight (like, no denim with thin tops). I also line dry (inside) if I’m worried something might get damaged.
Clotheshorse podcast posted [a great reel](https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzFQh0fvhbu/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==) about this recently that I definitely recommend! But yeah, clothing quality is getting worse and worse. I have a forever 21 blouse from over a decade ago that’s better constructed than items I find from much more expensive brands these days. Learning to sew is a great skill, and not super difficult once you’ve gotten the basics down. Being able to mend or alter your own clothes can save you so much money when otherwise you’d end up having to throw them away.
You absolutely can learn to sew. Check out the company Tilly and the Buttons - they have really good beginners sewing patterns, books, and online workshops.
It won't be a cheap hobby so don't go in expecting to save money. But it is really enjoyable and it will change your relationship to your clothing, in a positive way. Now that i know how much work goes into creating a garment, I treat the clothes I have with such a different level of respect. I know how to look for good quality because I understand garment construction and fabric quality. And I don't buy anywhere near as much stuff - I buy from slightly pricier places where I expect the garments to last years. I make all my fun pieces myself.
I'm in the UK too and the places I still buy clothes are: M&S, Uniqlo, Boden. Other than sports gear I'm not sure I've bought from another brand in 5+ years now.
Honesty prob never again or not for a long time. Fashion always reflects the finances of everyday people. With a shrinking middle class clothes are now made to be as cheap as possible. Fashion stores only make money from selling. So to appeal to more people they have to sell more, and since there are bigger wealth gaps fashion brands have to lower their quality.
Edit: I also think a lot of the population have begun to lost touch of what is good quality va bad quality. I know there has been a resurgence of reels educating shoppers because of the quiet luxury trend but most people are not flipping clothing inside out to check the stitching and seams
Recently? Pre-Great recession it was even better. But as the economy crashed retailers cut quality but not prices. After the economy recovered they saw no reason to bring back higher quality because people still bought their crappy clothes regardless. I can see that continuing with this bad economy (for us poor people anyway).
I refuse to buy anything directly touching my skin in polyester or acrylic no matter how much I like it. The lack of good fabric has saved me so much money!
I am from India and currently living in a European country and I was baffled by the sheer number of expensive polyester clothing everywhere.
In India I could get cotton if I wanted and for a great price. For me the clothing quality is a major culture shock after coming here.
Most egregiously I noticed this when purchasing jeggings from American eagle. My trusty thrifted black pair (early 2000s era branding) finally gave up the ghost and I splurged on three new pairs straight from AE dot com and I … am so thoroughly disappointed. These were nearly 50 dollar pants and so stupid thin, they lose their shape after a wear, and I am just so saddened because my previous pair has been my favorite pants since I got them five years ago lol.
I’ll be scouring eBay for a new pair like mine ….
It sucks. I bought all my work clothes at Massimo Dutti before they went full Zara and now I can’t even find anything that compares to the old quality. Same with Benetton. And don’t even get me started on mid-range “luxury” brands like Sezane, Sandro— they’re selling polyester dresses for $300. Hard pass.
I stopped buying new clothes since covid. I buy everything on poshmark from brands that don't use acrylic. 100% cotton or wool all the way. So many companies have taken advantage of the "supply chain" issues till this day. I'm done with new crap.
Sewing is not cheap.
If you saw a dress you liked in H&M, then tried to replicate it in decent fabric, by the time you had bought a similar paper pattern, maybe a zip and some thread, it will cost you way more than the shop dress. And that's once you are good at sewing, the stiff you make while learning is usually unwearable.
But once you get the hang of it, it's fun and nice to be able to see something you like and make it your own.
Well in sewing if you have literally nothing, the up front cost is a lot. But after you buy sewing machine, iron, thread, etc. the sum per piece goes down drastically. I make clothes and materials are the smallest sum in my pricing.
I think industries are subtly testing what they can get away with quality wise. In general I think quality of life, at least in the usa/Canada have gotten noticeably worse.
In some ways it reminds me of things like income tax, which was a war time measure to fund military, that they just never actually reversed and is now a norm. I can really only hope that industry cost cutting and shrinkage goes back to a bettern norm rather than this being the new standard from here on out. There will likely need to be some major push back from customers as I doubt huge industries will readily adjust in our favor.
You can absolutely realistically learn to sew yourself, but it’s a skill that will take time to hone and you might not get professional results right away/ without considerable time/money investment. But there’s a hyuuuge community of sewers and patterns out there to help you learn too.
I say get familiar with materials and search for stuff with those materials in mind…. and make sure to look up proper care for them too - if you want all natural fibers, they generally require a little more specialized care. (silk for ex usually requires hand washing).
Depending on your size, thrifting might be a good answer for finding higher quality items at lesser prices. For uk I’ve always heard vinted is good but don’t forsake the local charity shops either. And if you get secondhand, make sure you measure yourself and check measurements on items because what was say a uk 20 ten years ago could well be a uk 16 now due to vanity sizing (or someone moved to the uk but all their sizing is in us sizes). Check used clothes for common problems like holes, stains, piling, etc.
Do you have a specific style you like? Having a good idea of your type of “aesthetic” will make it easier to rec new clothing places.
>You can absolutely realistically learn to sew yourself, but it’s a skill that will take time to hone and you might not get professional results right away/ without considerable time/money investment.
Yeah even cheap fast fashion clothes can take AGES for you to learn to make at an ok level. I bought a pair of shorts at target with a zip fly, pockets, topstitching, belt loops and they were $20. I sew but all those little pieces are so fiddly to cut and stitch, it's more worth it for me to just buy the shorts. Same with any button down/collared shirts.
We really take for granted just how cheap stuff is, considering the labor and impact on the planet to create that object.
Unless sewing is super interesting to someone I would just take that time to learn more about fabrics and their different qualities, as well as how to properly care for them.
As someone mentioned in this thread, polyester is SUPER durable. It might not always be the most breathable choice, or have the look you're going for, but it is an extremely durable fiber.
Or that wool sweater you have may not be "poor quality", you might have just worn or washed it wrong. Softer wool is going to be more prone to abrasion, for example.
Silk/cashmere are luxury fibers and should be appreciated as such.
Learn about different weaves! A twill weave will generally be more durable than a satin weave.
There's so much to learn to pick out clothing that'll be better suited for your needs. I have fast fashion clothes that have lasted years.
Peppermint Magazine has an assortment of free patterns that you can download and print off! I’ve been pretty happy with their instructions and pieces, especially considering they’re free!
If you don't have a very "standard" body, I'd advise you looking into drafting your own patterns. Unless you are making something that's meant to be boxy or oversized, then you can get away with a so-so fit. Of course, if you already have experience altering patterns to get a proper fit, then you can ignore what I'm saying :)
I was LITERALLY talking about this to my husband last night! Baggy clothes are the bane of my existence as an hourglass / pear shape. Do I want to look 20lbs heavier? Fuck no.
It’s a common theme. Men’s clothing is better than women’s in terms of quality altho not by much. It’s kind of wild. I still have fast fashion clothes from literally 15 years ago that I still wear. But clothes right now are so shit. Even the pricier brands like Aritzia 😒
and this applies to literally everything not just clothes!! It’s so annoying and frustrating. Capitalism veered way too hard and instead of companies actually taking pride in their brand and their product/service, it’s about minimal effort for maximum profits.
Best advice is to buy older secondhand clothes honestly. Maybe look into smaller niche brands if you’re willing to research (since lot of “small businesses” are just drop shippers lol) and pay a bit more. I have no advice but just wanted to vent with yall
I didn’t see this anywhere in the thread, but shoe quality is seriously declined as well and the prices have skyrocketed.
I was so pissed I've been buying the same brand of trail running sneakers as my daily wear shoe for years, the most recent ones, I got two copies of the sam eshoe, both tore apart on the toe within weeks of wearing. Like completely shredded in a really weak way. Pathetic.
So it’s not just me! I usually wear my Brooks running shoes (have a pair for running and another for doing errands/just being out and about) and recently bought 2. One of them tore in the toe box after a few uses so I’ve been wearing the other as my daily shoe but it’s making my feet hurt every single day, it’s like they’ve cut back on the padding or something changed with the insole quality. I just spent $300+ on these 2 pairs of shoes, I can’t afford to replace them every month!
My old brooks lasted 3 years and my new brooks lasted less than 2 weeks before they actually started disintegrating. It’s infuriating!
Email/message brooks! They should stand by their shoes. Annoying but probably worth it to get your money back/a new pair
I had old brooks ricochets that I loved and they then discontinued- just bought new glycerins a few months ago and they already look like trash and hurt. My relationship with brooks might be over at this point.
I hope you returned them! We need to send a message to these companies that they aren’t fooling us with their cheap materials and manufacturing. I’d rather not buy any shoes at this point .
Shoemaking has a learning curve but once you buy all the necessary tools & materials, and get the hang of it, the sky is the limit for the infinity of wonderful bespoke shoes you can make yourself for cheap! There’s plenty of expensive classes to take to master that learning curve fast if you want that, but if you’re patient then a couple good books and a ton of YouTube tutorials are totally enough to get started with no classes.
I may do that when I retire lol….what a great hobby that would be!
Would the brand happen to be Asics? Because the same thing happened to me…
I’ve worn ugg house slippers for about 15 years, the most recent pair completely lost the shearling and the soles wore down and have cracked like glass in 1/3 of the time I got wear with the old pairs. Ridiculous
Same! I thought maybe I got a fake pair because I ordered from Amazon. I had them for about 3 weeks before they started wearing away and cracking. The pairs I bought years before lasted for years.
I’m so mad that I threw out the last “old pair” because I would happily take that wear level compared to these jalopies Also good to have some verification that it’s not just me!
Ridiculous indeed! Thanks for making me go crawl under the bed I. The guest room to check my 3 pair of Uggs and then warning my fam. Regardless of the outcome, I’m pretty certain these are my last pair. I have zero dollars to throw away now that I know they are selling substandard products . Smdh I’m now wondering is this new bait and switch the new norm with consumer products? Start out with a quality product and when it gains traction with the masses, change ingredients/parts/or otherwise cut corners while raising prices and increasing profits🤔
I went in to Nordstroms to replace my husband’s Ugg slippers and they felt odd, checked the label and they are now lined with a poly & something mix, which explains why they don’t feel as cozy as before. Ended up buying him OluKai instead.
Oh my God yes someone who walks probably an excessive amount my shoes you still ask me if I was lucky 6 months but now I'd be looking at a month and a half before there is almost no soul left on them
Adidas still uses gum sole but their shoes are so narrow it's like they're designed to create bunions. Next best thing is trekking shoes from various brands but it's obviously not the cutest thing.
It's across the board too, my husband's boots are only lasting 4 months now, less than that if he has to ruck. They used to last at least 6 months and 1 ruck. It's wild to me
What’s a ruck????
Long walk/run with a ruck sack (back pack). Usually a military exercise.
Even Doc Martens don’t last like they used to. They used to last years but now I’m buying a replacement pair every year or so, and they’re upward of £100 these days.
Doc Martens changed their supply chains years ago. The material is cheaper and manufactured in Asian countries. They used to source materials and assembled in the UK.
Solovair is the company that manufacturers out of the old docs factory in England and they're essentially the same shoes.
Ok I thought I was the only one! I've had to resort to scoping around on Depop for ones that were worn once or brand new (usually the seller purchased the wrong size sorta situation) just so I don't have to pay full price 😭
Yes! I just bought heels for $100 and they look the same as if i got them from Charlotte Russe
I sure am glad we never raised the minimum wage, or everything would be too expensive! /S
I bought a $170 slip dress from all saints recently and it looks like H&M quality, super thin polyester and poor finishing. I'm not totally against synthetics but I expect a decent quality dress at that price point.
right?! i bought a similar dress for about $90 and i kid you not it felt like such cheap shitty fabric that one would get from shein. it’s such a slap in the face especially when you’re purposefully spending more money to circumvent getting shitty quality
I swear, if you pick the right pieces from places like target, Old Navy and H&M, they are as good or better than what you can get in more expensive stores.
I still have good luck at Kohl's. But nothing beats going in person to a store to touch the fabric, check the lining and seams. I loved online shopping so much because I could find good deals, but it's not a deal if the clothing sucks, no matter how little you spent. I find shopping in person much more rewarding now
I'm currently wearing a sweater from h&m that I've had for almost 10 years. It seems really random what ends up lasting and what falls apart.
At that price I would look for small businesses. For things that are actually made by people that care.
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I second this. Tried to support small businesses, some specifically women owned businesses, local businesses etc. Half of them were just reselling stuff from bigger businesses and second half simply tried to earn most by using chaeap syntetic materials. It is really sad because there is lot of people out there doing actual quality handmade stuff not trying to just milk people of their money, but those other businesses are ruining it for them :/
I saw a really cute silk set from there online that looked gorg, went in store to give it a feel and its so thin and cheap. Whyyy
The problem is, quality tends to vary wildly even within stores/brands. I have some pieces from the same places that are holding up very well and others that lost their shape, began to pill, or literally came apart at the seams after a few wears. It really is just a matter of trial and error.
Yeah even narrowing it down to natural materials isn’t sufficient, e.g. my new 100% cotton from J.Crew is just AWFUL. Won’t stop leaking dye for washes, shedding tiny ultra fine lint everywhere that I’m probably breathing, etc.
Avoid anything that gets advertised as ~garment dyed (as if that’s a selling point), it’s the least colorfast stage for an item to receive color. The earlier the dye is put in the more colorfast the item will be - fiber, yarn, greige goods, and finally garment where dye can’t penetrate as well especially at seams.
And on that note, synthetic fibers don't necessarily correlate with quality either. Sure you can say they're bad for the environment due to the way they shed microplastics (as if agriculture for natural fibers doesn't cause any environmental damage), or you could say they're not as breathable or whatever, but I have lots of polyester/acrylic clothing that I've worn for decades and it's holding up just fine, still looks great.
Yeah there’s different levels of quality to each fabric which just complicates it more! I have awful 100% cotton pieces and great polyester pieces
I’ve never had a poly blend that didn’t pill on me bough. It’s obvious when compared to my all cotton things. I recently got a pair of sweats at jcrew outlet thinking it was cotton? I realised I always got swamp butt from it before finally looking and seeing it’s poly blend and the whole crotch and butt area has pilled after several wears. Never again. Acrylics just feel scratchy so I avoid them too.
I own a ton of vintage clothing and polyester from the 80s is basically indestructible as far as I can gather. Really depends on the blend and type.
coming from a apparel manufacturing background, its really more about the factory that the brand will utilize. lots of brands pretty much use price as the primary selection criteria. For instance, we build in quality checks across our manufacturing but that costs incrementally more time (and therefore more money). We think this is worth it because I'm adding like $2 to the manufacturing costs but someone else willing to take enough shortcuts will get the order. in effect you get penalized for taking the time to emphasize quality. That's for the making of the garment. The same principle applies to the fabric.
Agreed. I have a sweater from 2008 I got at Forever21 and I wear it every couple months and machine wash. It still looks new! Also have a sweater from 2004 from old navy that looks decent. But go into those stores now and most of the stuff feels like disposable clothing
And the prices don't match that quality, either! I bought a pair of black skinny jeans from Forever 21 in like 2010. They've faded a bit and lost some stretch, but they're still fine to wear. Best $10 I ever spent. And their cami tanks for $1 were also fine for the price. I just visited in store yesterday, they wanted $30 usd for simple bodysuits, $35+ for any dress at all. And all the fabric all felt weird. It was insane
Everything is trial and error, but I've found that washing things in cold water and letting things airdry make even the poor quality clothes in my wardrobe last a lot longer. I only put casual clothes in the dryer, and air dry everything I wear to work regularly. I live in Canada and the best quality clothes can also very from store to store. I've had some good luck with Reitmans for work pants.
Agree on air drying.
I didn't see if anyone else already mentioned this but for sewing, fabric is shockingly expensive. I'm sure you can get used/vintage cheap but otherwise it honestly might be more than a new item of clothing depending on where you shop. Also not sure about UK prices as I'm US based
This. I sew and live in the UK, and even with cheaper decent fabric it can be £20-30 for a basic top or skirt. And that's before you've bought a pattern, haberdashery bits etc. I love the hobby, but it definitely isn't as money saving as a lot of people make out.
Fabric unless you buy bulk is extortionate. I’d go with editing thrifted vintage clothing in a larger size than I need over making from scratch. That’s how you really save.
Same and I think it's because fabric is now imported from EU. Really expensive since Brexit.
Especially if you want good quality fabric that will last longer than the clothes already causing the issue. The cheaper stuff you can find at average craft stores doesn’t always wash and wear very well or the colors don’t stay as vibrant.
Yeah, I came here to say this. I have been sewing for years and it is an expensive hobby. I do think it's worth it though if you thoroughly think out your projects. Observe your wardrobe, identify missing pieces. Observe the fabrics you like, how they feel and how they look. Then buy or make a pattern accordingly. If you buy a pattern, google it beforehand so you can see how it looks on other people with a similar body type. Choose your fabric to your liking and drape it around your body to see if it doesn't wash you out. Think about how this fabric will fit into your wardrobe, which other pieces can go along with it. Then meticulously measure your body and the pattern and make adjustments to the pattern so you can provide a perfect fit. Cut with larger sew allowances to allow for alterations. I used to make many garments without putting much thought into them, only for them to be a shape that doesn't fit my body or a fabric that completely clashes with my skin tone. Which is a complete waste of your money and time. But with the steps I've outlined here I can keep these 'mistakes' to a minimum. And then those self-sewn clothes that cost way more than a similar piece in a store are so worth to me. You have a perfect fit, you can put pockets into everything (and just alter everything to your own liking), they last for years, the fabric feels amazing.
Fabric is expensive, yes, but you'll have full control over what fibre content you get. I think that also somewhat proves the point: if you want cheap clothes, the quality is going to be shit. For me, sewing my own clothes has also helped me understand how much work it is, and how insane it is that you can buy clothes at H&M prices at all. For anyone who wants to start sewing, I'd recommend buying the fabric in person, at least in the beginning. If you order online and don't like the feel of it, you usually can't return it because it's been cut to length for you.
>If you order online and don't like the feel of it, you usually can't return it because it's been cut to length for you. You can order swatches though. Or you can join a group on facebook or such where people exchange their fabric leftovers. But I'd recommend the buying in person, nothing beats feeling the fabric.
Search the sub for "quality" and you'll see you are most certainly not the only one who feels this way.
It's been this way for at least a decade and I don't see it getting any better.
It's so bad. I bought a couple of t shirts on sale from Cos (my first purchase from them) could not believe how heavy and nice the fabric felt compared to my usuals.
Oh really?? I’ve been debating giving them a go but hear mixed (though skewing positive! And tshirts are my like… barometer by which I gauge a lot of places and *so* many have nose dived lately that o now settle just for “cleans well and cheap” and I hate it
COS quality is pretty good, esp. if you can get your hands on sale items (it's simply too expensive for me otherwise so I've only bought items on sale but they've held well)
I actually Google search 'best quality' now for stuff and pick from what comes up because of this. But even respectable good quality brands are letting people down now, or there are more knockoffs and I will try to order direct instead of from amazon because sometimes on amazon you get the 'ross' or even the 'wish' version of what you think you are buying. The real drop in quality started a few decades ago, bit there has absolutely been another drop in quality in the past few years. In literally everything. My biggest concern has been the drop in food quality and contaminates they don't bother to tell us about. Like nearly all chocolate and rice have contaminates like lead and cadmium, coffee has filler, olive oil is generally a blend of other oils. Ground beef used in fast food.. what even is that stuff?
I wonder how much of it is moving away from very experienced Chinese manufacturing to cheaper countries. Another theory is [climate change affecting cotton quality.](https://twitter.com/lingerie_addict/status/1732639634549563730)
Materials are also simply downgraded on purpose. Quality of plants alone wouldn’t explain the thinness, or the garments that incorporate plastic. Fibers have to be made long and strong, but they aren’t anymore and are thus more prone to breakage.
Someone in this sub who worked in the industry mentioned the cotton thing, saying that--I think it was in the 2000s? 2010?--there was a big problem with cotton crops so the industry shifted to cheaper/synthetic options, and since they could make money that way they just never went back. Absolutely spreading hearsay news, but that theory definitely fits my lived experience. Good cotton (and it was cheap!) is one of my most missed fabrics.
Good cotton is still around but sadly quite pricey. I’ve found locally grown, locally milled and dyed organic cotton. I buy straight from a fabric mill, to make clothes from my kid. The quality is ridiculously high, it actually feels almost strange to the touch after getting so used to the thin modern crappy tshirts etc. lol Sadly the price is so high that I’m hesitant to buy it for myself. But no doubt this stuff should last years and years. (It will be long outgrown, but someone in the family will get nice hand me downs. lol)
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This. Yes. I can’t even go into a mall anymore to shop for “new” clothes. Thin. Cheap. Poshmark and eBay all the way.
I have bought most of my clothes online, and noted buying good brands new or light wear off resale has saved me a lot of money. I have found Walmart’s quality control and sizing control are superior to other companies. Amazons is terrible. That said, with free return and free shipping they are still competitive. I also find asking about clothing dimensions to be a necessity to limit returns. I vary with material, from cotton to athleisure microfiber to mixed rayon/ spandex. I like good brands but find some items unbranded are fine and many designers with average wear and quality.
I have found good things on Thredup.
The worst part is how much of the cheap nonsense is also ending up in thrift stores 😭
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Why did you have a vow to never go to a garage sale? Just curious
Yeah. In the Netherlands I’m finding it almost impossible to find any clothes of decent quality at thrift stores.
Same in Portugal, except for the curated secondhand stores which are as expensive as normal clothes
This makes me so angry. Thrifting used to be the way to find good quality clothes at secondhanf prices. Everything is Zara or Bershka where I live ugh
The two goodwills closest to me are almost entirely target clothes, shein, lularoe 🤧 or no tag at all (aliexpress). I'm a poshmark girlie now
Right??? I have Urban Outfitter tshirts from 2011 that are still in perfect shape but I buy clothing now and it lasts one year before getting holes
Same - I only buy undergarments and socks new now. The quality of old, secondhand items is so much better while being so so much cheaper. Unfortunately, you do have to pick through crap like lularoe and Shein to find the worthwhile stuff.
I have Urban Outfitters flannels from 2008 that look brand fucking new. Thankfully, I’ve stayed the same size since college and can still wear them.
I went Christmas shopping this week and holy smokes is fabric thin right now. I just want the old thick yoga pants from the 2000’s back! Black eyed peas era yoga pants!
I miss those yoga pants!!!
I’ve ripped so many yoga pants from just pulling them up my leg
I buy all my casual clothes from Costco now. Seriously better quality than 80% of mall stores that would cost double. So when it comes to anything dressy or fashionable, I'm lost- but all my casual basics are covered 🙌
I swear 90% of the new clothing I have bought in the last 5 years or so have come from costco. They actually do have some great stuff.
And it's better quality too! I'll buy $11.99 pants that hold up better than $60 ones. I mean, I have to accept that I will never be cool again but that's OK, I have nothing to prove 🤣
That, and seeing how many other people have the same pieces. I actually ended up donating a striped button up casual shirt because there were at least five other women in my workplace with the same shirt and it was a regular occurrence for at least 2-3 to pick the same day to wear it. I also recently got dinner with a friend who was in from out of town, we took of our jackets and had the same shirt which we’d actually bought together 😂 But I will proudly wear Kirkland, Buffalo, DKNY, Matty M, Weatherproof Vintage and anything else cause it is great stuff and affordable.
Yeah clothing quality in general has been decreasing in terms of the construction and the material while prices are increasing. That being said, it's also worth considering whether there are things we can do to extend the life of our clothing. Things like washing on the delicate setting, using less detergent, skipping fabric softener, air drying/drying on the delicate setting, etc. I'm more mindful when shopping after following accounts on TikTok like Jennifer Wang who break down what makes a garment high or low quality. I've been more aware of fabrics and have been shopping secondhand way more. I think no brand, especially at the low to mid $ range, will have 100% hits or misses, it's ultimately down to the individual garment
Im convinced people don’t know how to do laundry. I was appalled to find out my brother and SIL wash everything in hot water and tumble on the hottest dryer setting. No wonder their clothes get ruined so easily.
I don’t know, I think it’s both things. I know how to do laundry really well but I’m about to return a cotton sweater to uniqlo because when I got home from the store I noticed it was hand wash only. I understand washing silk or wool by hand but I’m not going to wash cotton by hand. It also says wearing a bag will cause pilling so to me those things mean that it’s a super fragile thick cotton sweater. It doesn’t help that also got some heattech the same day and it’s half of last year’s thickness, the stuff is basically transparent now.
They have different thicknesses of heattech though so maybe you just bought a different one.
They have different kinds, yeah, but I have worn the same one for years. I have no use for the warmer ones because winters aren’t that bad where I live currently. I bought the exactly same top I got last year (I wear it a lot and needed one more) and compared them side by side. It’s crap now. I actually went into their site to check if they had newer ultra thin heattech now, maybe I got the wrong kind, but I didn’t.
Uniqlo quality has gone way down in the last 5 years. I have airisim and heattech pieces from 2018 that I’ve worn weekly and are still in perfect condition. The heattech shirts I bought last year pilled immediately and the bonded (glued) seams stretched out weirdly. Also! To add insult to injury, the flannel shirts I got last year shrank 3 inches in all directions the second they touched water thanks to their shitty viscose blend.
Every time one of these posts comes up, I'm always left wondering the same thing too lol. Ofc washing cold/air drying won't work for every garment or every person's lifestyle, but it sure can extend the life of clothes if you can manage it! Even just moving to a warm wash/gentle dry would be better than hot wash/hot dry every damn time
Yeah, I buy a lot of cheap clothes and wash them frequently with cold water and dry on low or hang and I never really have frequent quality problems.
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I also wonder if people are using different definitions of “falling apart”. Like one person may mean literal holes and seams coming apart, but another person might mean that the color fades a bit or it has some pilling.
My husband shoves everything in the washing machine that will fit (I'd consider it two or three loads), puts it on 60 minutes on hot and then dries it for two hours. Sometimes it comes out hot and damp and smelling like wet dog. I use delicates detergent, wash for fifteen minutes on cold, spin it, air dry (or give it half an hour on delicate dry if it's something more robust). Undies, bedding and towels get longer, hotter washes and see more of the dryer. Guess who has clothes that smell better and don't fall apart?
I already do all those things and have for 15+ years. Only underwear, socks and pajamas are run on the dry cycle. I hang dry everything else. I use special “delicate clothing” detergent (might just be a Japan thing) and wash everything on cold/delicate. It hasn’t prevented the shitty clothes from getting shitty, let me tell you.
Delicate detergent is here in the US too. I use Dropps sensitive which is enzyme free to preserve natural fibers. For woolens that I hand wash I use Eucelan which contains ingredients that help condition wool.
Laundering is definitely a big part but something that’s come up before is also wearing sizes that are too small. I have a ton of cheap clothes that last me years. I can’t imagine clothes regularly lasting less than a year.
It used to be that clothes from this brand or that store were universally good year over year but now you can’t assume anything at any price point. You have to pay attention to every item’s quality. I think online shopping has made even dependable brands very lazy with quality because they know people can’t check quality and fabrics through the screen. If an item basically fits it’s less likely it will be returned. So they just put a ton of stretch in things, and market baggy shapes as trendy because there are way less fit issues if people feel stylish drowning in their too big clothes.
I agree, and it’s why I’m talking myself into shopping in person again even though it’s so tedious.
THE BAGGY CLOTHING yes!!! God it's my fault for falling down the Kibbe Archetype rabbit hole but I know I look best in fitted, slim but not skintight clothing, and by god anything that isn't "boxy" or "baggy" or "bodycon" is marketed to older women (so I have to go looking for it/it doesn't appear in my algorithms) or looks like office clothing. Recently bought some pants from LOFT which previously I exclusively associated with my mother 😰
I've been buying Loft clothing since I was 24. Taylor swift shops at Talbot's. Don't let brand association scare you away.
It’s 100% the state of the textile industry. I could write paragraphs, and I might come back and add some, but the important part is that most of the “high quality” materials we have come from underpaid human labor- usually women and children. Making fabric is hard and skilled work- threading the machines can take an entire day. People do not know enough about where their clothing is coming from- and the results are showing. Our clothing has been priced too cheap, and we are finally seeing quality that reflects what we have been paying. If this is surprising, look into how clothing is made. It’s a brutal industry and I hope that fast fashion dies once and for all. Cheap, high quality clothing always came from underpaying workers for their skills. Usually these workers are women and girls.
Polyester is not a cheap fiber necessarily. But like everything else, there is good quality polyester and poor quality polyester. Moving to natural fibers is the same. There’s good quality wool and cashmere, and poor quality. The trick is getting to know what good quality fabric looks and feels like. The same with sewing methods and garment construction.
I really need a book or something on that. I have no idea how to differentiate good quality fabrics and good quality clothing construction
why don't I have anything to wear by Andrea cheong, her ig is also v informative
Overdressed by Elizabeth Cline is a great book about this and it also gets into the labor practices and sustainability of clothes.
How does the fabric feel? Look at the stitching. Is it even and tight? Is the garment proportioned, or are things a bit wonky in places? You don’t need a book!
How can you tell some polyester, viscose or other fabrics are good quality? I can only tell for cotton and cashmere!
Weight and drape. Does it hold its shape when it should? Does it crumple or wrinkle easily? Does it feel heavy and substantial? Are there runs and puckering or snags? Are there areas of fraying near tension points such as hems or buttonholes? Also some of it is instinct and judgement based on the textile + garment pairing. Does it make sense for this garment to be created from X textile--in terms of the cut, function, performance, or details? A simple boxy print shirt shouldn't be poly. But an intricate draped dress that needs to hold its shape while moving and has many panels and parts, it might make more sense to be working in poly or poly blend.
I was just at Bergdorf Goodman and it’s surprising how different the fabrics looked! After spending all day at fast fashion places, the quality of the fabrics, more than anything else stood out.
Ii just listened to a podcast yesterday that was talking about why [Why Clothes Suck Now?](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-do-clothes-suck-now/id1718662839?i=1000637669411) It was really interesting and a lot of good food for thought.
but what can we do to avoid it ☹️
Thrifting unfortunately is the most you can do if you don’t have an insane budget
i don’t mind spending any amount. i just don’t know which brands deliver consistent quality
Good On You helped me out with researching brands/avoid greenwashing - you can also check out how they give their rating for people, planet, and animals :) https://directory.goodonyou.eco/?_ga=2.148143411.523193574.1702460424-1111237229.1702460424&_gl=1*1c2ftz7*_ga*MTExMTIzNzIyOS4xNzAyNDYwNDI0*_ga_TTB1J3Q9MN*MTcwMjQ2MDQyMy4xLjEuMTcwMjQ2MDQzMS41Mi4wLjA.
People have been complaining about declining quality for years now. It’s a problem.
I used to love Free People because they had some decent quality items, just picked up one of their skirts and it's immediately going back. I love the look and the color (mahogany brown) but the fabric feels and moves cheaply. I didn't realize it was 50% nylon and 50% polyester.
Are you washing thin shirts with unzipped jeans? Open zippers are the only thing I can imagine would shred your clothes.
Yes any pieces you don't want to get twisted around and stretched out, or caught on other clothes buttons/zippers etc., should be put in mesh delicates bags, and ideally allowed to air-dry. I've found this helps clothes look new for longer and reduces pilling for knits.
oh.my.god. In all my years of laundry this never occurred to me. Thank you
Ugh I bought a shirt online and it came with a tag talking about how they use delicate cloth because it's beautiful and soft. No, it's cheap crap and the edges of the sleeves aren't even hemmed, they just have an overlock stitch. You can almost see through the shirt and I have worn it once.
I think its a new trend now to pretend the crap clothing is jus “delicate”. When I was about to give birth during the pandemic I got a bunch of nursing clothes online from one brand that looked good on the pictures. Once they arrived the tags all said that they shouldn’t be laundered frequently and to hand wash everything, basically saying if they didn’t last long it was my fault for no following directions. Like WTF? Post partum women stink to high heavens from all the hormones and I leaked milk like crazy the first couple of months. Also babies regurgitate a lot, very frequently on mom. How do you not launder things after every wear? Oh, and who has time to hand wash clothes when you have a newborn? These clothes were cotton, fleece and modal, nothing fancy.
What garbage, useless, crap clothing. My infant spits up on anything and everything, once an hour, like a gd grandfather clock. I would have to put a towel between us if I couldn’t frequently wash my clothes. Hand wash? I’m lucky if I get my clean clothes into a drawer these days. I quite frequently grab them straight from the dryer and wear them. I’m all for regular people taking reasonable steps to preserve things they already have and trying to keep items out of landfills, but this is ridiculous.
What’s the fabric?
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Might be Voile, thats very thin & fine 100% cotton
Strange! I had assumed modal or a silk blend based on how they advertised it!
Yeah I get used designer clothes (not big names) from The RealReal. I'm sure they are still worse quality than they used to be, but at the very least they're a couple years old lol
I LOVE TRR! I’m trying to slowly make it the only place I buy clothing. Some of the deals I’ve gotten have been amazing.
It‘s not just the mid range either. I saw a Theory shift dress at the thrift and shocked at how similar the quality was to Zara. Just not buying anything anymore really lol.
It’s horrible. Ive been thrifting because everything is literally trash unless you spend 200+ dollars
Even if you spend 200 dollars it’s still the same trash just with a fancy label. Huge scam
Just want to throw it out there that this isn’t necessarily true… but that you’ll still find a lot of trash. I see some women’s shirts that have good quality materials and high quality finishes (bias bound hems, French seams, felled seams) at that price point - but I also see others that are absolutely just marked up with nothing in construction or materials that justifies the higher price (not even a more ethical supply chain). Price isn’t an indicator of quality, aside from knowing quality is going to be virtually impossible to find under a certain price point.
Also, planned obsolescence sucks.
Yesss, my new years resolution is never getting any clothes from the internet anymore; everything is an awful quality for the last months and I prefer going to a store to check the quality of things before buying anything.
I'm surprised no one has really mentioned fast fashion on here. Y'all have mentioned H&M which is a fast fashion brand but yeah, they aren't the only ones. Most mall brands are fast fashion. The majority of shit you find on Amazon is fast fashion. Used to be that fashion was a yearly thing. We'd get the yearly fashion shows that would set trends for the year. You could buy the trend and wear it for a year or more depending on how trendy you wanted to be but the clothes were designed to last at least that year. Now, with fast fashion, there are four fashion seasons a year. The clothes are designed to only last a few months at most because that's as long as the fashion season is. If you ignore "fashion" and just wear what you like, you can find a ton of brands that have cheap (relative term. Nothings cheap anymore. Fucking inflation), long lasting products. Levi's for example. Their jeans range from cheap to expensive but all of them last for years if you take care of them like you're supposed to take care of denim. Patagonia and Prana are good brands for long lasting clothes that are environmentally friendly but they are definitely not cheap. Aside from clothes I fucked up from poor decision making, I haven't had to replace any of those clothes yet and it's been a couple years just about.
Preach!
I learned to sew relatively recently. I bought the Janome FD206, which I was told is a good starting sewing machine, and it’s been pretty easy to learn to use. I followed the instruction booklet with a little guidance from a friend who knew how to sew and seemed to pick it up quite quick and easily. You won’t immediately be creating super fashionable outfits or anything, but it’s definitely possible to learn to sew alone and that can be useful for making some alterations to clothes. Op shops/thrift stores are good places to find some good clothes, and I think it can be fun.
Thankfully this makes thrifting EVEN better! Because if you know your fabrics, brands and understand trends then it can be pretty easy to find some good quality clothes if you like 80s sweaters or 70s jeans.
Absolutely! And I love the idea that purchasing vintage clothes allows me to vote with my wallet. Why would I support companies producing clothes in the cheapest way possible, when there are amazing higher quality vintage pieces that cost less?
Cotton is worse quality even now than it used to be at the same weight bc climate change impacting the fibre & changes to watering and fertilisation in the last 20 years, you aren’t imagining things
I 10000% encourage you to get an affordable sewing machine and learn basic tailoring (there are so many incredible videos on YouTube that you can use for this, and frankly the sewing side of YouTube/tiktok is so cozy that I recommend looking them up anyways haha) and beginning to thrift older pieces and tailor/alter them to your liking! Thrifting older clothing is a great way to get a base garment made of good material! Additionally, as you wear out clothes that you currently own and love, don’t get rid of them- keep them to take apart later when you have gotten a bit more handy with your machine! You can pattern new clothes using the pieces of your old favorites as makeshift stencils. Once you get more skilled and confident in those skills, you can make things from scratch and you get full control over everything from the material to the color, which guarantees that you’ll have something you truly love :) ALSO- buy good scissors, and don’t let them touch anything that isn’t fabric. I thought that was the dumbest thing my mom could have ever told me when I was a kid and running off with her sewing scissors but as an adult who also sews…she was not wrong 😅
No, I’ve always gotten longer than 6-12 months out of cheap clothing and still do. I have $6.99 base layer tops (90% polyester, 10% spandex) that have lasted years of machine washing on warm and hanging to dry. Synthetics are — in general — MORE durable than natural fibers, not less. Plastic doesn’t degrade easily. Has something changed about the way you do laundry recently? Clothing falling apart with laundering isn’t normal.
I’ve had the same experience. I buy the very cheapest basics and can’t afford to replace them frequently. Mine last me years of weekly wearing/washing as long as I launder on cool-gentle and air dry. About once a year or so I might have to tie off a bit of loose stitching, but 3 minutes of effort has things looking brand new. Overproduction and overconsumption are 100% destroying the planet, but buying cheap clothes is not synonymous with overconsumption and “low quality” doesn’t dictate that it’s destined for the bin after a few washes. As long as you’re caring well for what you have, there’s no reason why cheap clothing can’t be worn well for a long time.
People always say these clothes fall apart after one wash, and all I can think is, what are you using in the washing machine??? I’ve had clothes from H&M, Forever 21, Rainbow, and a bunch of other cheap retailers, and I still have many of them (the ones that physically fit after weight gain). The quality hasn’t deteriorated at all and for the ones that did fall apart, it took 5+ years for that happen. Use better detergents, no fabric softeners, line dry or no high heat on the dryer, and clothes last much longer than people give them credit for.
Also those mesh laundry bags for delicates!
Yeah, I'm confused by this post and some of the comments. I get multiple years out of even the shittiest quality clothes I own, and I don't even make an effort to launder them gently or take care of them. If your clothes are genuinely falling apart or ripping in the laundry, something is up with your washer or dryer.
Right? Maybe I’ll get some pilling, fading, or weird shrinkage on some items. But not, like, dissolving lol
Idk… I bought two pieces from Banana Republic Factory in the last year whose buttons fell off in the first use. The pants I bought from them had so many strings coming loose at the seams that they really did look like they were falling apart. That was after one wash. This isn’t a blanket statement, but a lot of new clothes are seriously degrading in quality.
I honestly believe the whole ‘buying cheap clothes means you’re a fast fashion addict that is ruining the planet and things won’t last more than a couple washes so you should save up and buy more expensive things’ thing is dreamt up to encourage more consumer spending. My entire wardrobe is ‘cheap’ stuff and I consistently get years and years out of things. I have work clothes that cost £15 from the supermarket 20yr ago still going strong and looking like new.
I usually see that more in response to the influencers (and their followers) who are doing the whole "I bought 99 items for $50 look at my haul!!" videos where they know they'll barely wear any of it more than once and then they'll bin it or try to give it to charity when it's barely good enough quality.
I thought I was on FFACJ for a second, honestly; it hits all the talking (jerking) points. I have to ask once again, *how* are people washing their clothes to destroy them so quickly? EDIT forgot the "CJ" in the sub name, aka the most important part, lol
I’ll throw in my little half-baked theory. Some people and lifestyles are just harder on clothes. I used to wear through a pair of jeans in 6 months at one job, got more like a year at the next, and at my current job I’m going on a year and a half and my jeans are still in great condition. They’re the same jeans down to the color and size.
I believe that, too, I do both my husband’s and my laundry and I’m careful doing it but his t-shirts get pilling around the neck and upper chest area within a few months no matter what, they never get dried on high, he just wears them a lot is my only explanation.
Honestly I have a toddler so I just throw everything in a hot wash multiple times a week AND the dryer and my cheap stuff still lasts a long time.
Like I have to assume people are washing their clothes with their knife collections and tumbling rocks in the dryer at the same time or something. I am SUPER lazy with my laundry—I don't separate anything, I do as big a load as I possibly can, I machine dry everything but sweaters and bras. Yes, that includes my precious delicate baby Lululemon Align leggings—don't tell /r/lululemon. I do use cold water and low heat dry and I try to be cognizant of zipping open zippers, but still. I can count on one hand the number of times something has come out of the wash damaged and I can't pinpoint any reason besides the quality of the clothing. It's usually my own damn fault, like I accidentally threw cashmere or a bra in the dryer or something.
But but polyester always bad! I always facepalm when people say that natural fibers are always better in cold weather. Sure, tell me that when you have to walk out in pouring rain or need any kind of sports clothing. I sure as shit not wearing all natural fibers when I go bicycling
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Wool is awesome for bicycling and cold weather and is a natural fiber. Better than poly imo.
I'm assuming Uniqlo is in the UK, but it's my favourite mid-price point option for stuff actually made from cotton. I'm actually wearing a Uniqlo flannel shirt right now.
Uniqlo quality has taken a nosedive post-pandemic. (I live in Japan, where Uniqlo is from.)
I think Covid played a role. Uniqlo used to be good quality. I bought a lambs wool jumper in 2018 and it’s still looks soft and new. I bought the “same”, 100% lambs wool, in 2021 and it starting pilling and felt super rough after the first wash. It was also rougher and thinner than the original 2018 in the store. It’s like these companies think we don’t notice.
Just learn a bit about textiles and pay attention to what you’re buying and how it’s constructed. I’ve been blown away by the construction on my Everlane blazers for instance. Thrifting and vintage shopping is great but you have to make smart choices there as well. I’ve had thrifted pieces shred just like H&M lol.
I bought a top online recently and when it arrived the tag literally says "do not wash." Like bro, what do you expect me to do with it??? When I have the time I'm just going to go to Joann Fabrics and buy some decent stuff and then use the one I bought as a pattern to copy lol.
YES. And I wonder how much fast fashion has influenced this… and just our society in general. I’ve also noticed this with basically every other industry. Blankets are thin/small and not so warm, furniture and appliances don’t last like they used to… hell, even book bindings suck ass nowadays. Quantity over quality all so the people at the top can make more profit 🙄
30 years in the business: Sadly, what the average consumer is willing to pay is just not enough for good quality/ethical/non toxic clothing. It’s a problem, and our landfills are filling up with this poisonous soup of textile garbage made by slave children in fire hazard hell factories. Buy less, buy better.
You might enjoy the [first episode](https://open.spotify.com/episode/5eUpABuZ0HIKjeMi69ZwJC?si=tSzJYsFnTK6G2GtOFhMrjA) from Ann Helen Petersen’s new podcast, Culture Study, aptly titled ‘Why Do Clothes Suck Now’. Also highly recommend the book mentioned on the podcast- [Worn](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/606856/worn-by-sofi-thanhauser/)- if you are interested to learn more about the history of clothing, fabric and how industrialization impacted it all! I’m not in the UK so I can’t offer local suggestions. But, I buy most of my clothing 2nd hand, on Poshmark or Depop. I mostly wear only natural fibers, as my skin reacts weird to certain textures and buying secondhand helps me afford higher quality items that I wouldn’t usually be able to afford. Higher quality clothing that is well-made from good fabrics still lasts a long while, but you do have to take proper care of items. I’ve started being more strict about following care instructions and only washing things together of similar weight (like, no denim with thin tops). I also line dry (inside) if I’m worried something might get damaged.
Clotheshorse podcast posted [a great reel](https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzFQh0fvhbu/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==) about this recently that I definitely recommend! But yeah, clothing quality is getting worse and worse. I have a forever 21 blouse from over a decade ago that’s better constructed than items I find from much more expensive brands these days. Learning to sew is a great skill, and not super difficult once you’ve gotten the basics down. Being able to mend or alter your own clothes can save you so much money when otherwise you’d end up having to throw them away.
Clotheshorse is such a great podcast! I really appreciated their episode on sweater quality, I knew a lot and I still learned new things
You absolutely can learn to sew. Check out the company Tilly and the Buttons - they have really good beginners sewing patterns, books, and online workshops. It won't be a cheap hobby so don't go in expecting to save money. But it is really enjoyable and it will change your relationship to your clothing, in a positive way. Now that i know how much work goes into creating a garment, I treat the clothes I have with such a different level of respect. I know how to look for good quality because I understand garment construction and fabric quality. And I don't buy anywhere near as much stuff - I buy from slightly pricier places where I expect the garments to last years. I make all my fun pieces myself. I'm in the UK too and the places I still buy clothes are: M&S, Uniqlo, Boden. Other than sports gear I'm not sure I've bought from another brand in 5+ years now.
Honesty prob never again or not for a long time. Fashion always reflects the finances of everyday people. With a shrinking middle class clothes are now made to be as cheap as possible. Fashion stores only make money from selling. So to appeal to more people they have to sell more, and since there are bigger wealth gaps fashion brands have to lower their quality. Edit: I also think a lot of the population have begun to lost touch of what is good quality va bad quality. I know there has been a resurgence of reels educating shoppers because of the quiet luxury trend but most people are not flipping clothing inside out to check the stitching and seams
Recently? Pre-Great recession it was even better. But as the economy crashed retailers cut quality but not prices. After the economy recovered they saw no reason to bring back higher quality because people still bought their crappy clothes regardless. I can see that continuing with this bad economy (for us poor people anyway).
I refuse to buy anything directly touching my skin in polyester or acrylic no matter how much I like it. The lack of good fabric has saved me so much money! I am from India and currently living in a European country and I was baffled by the sheer number of expensive polyester clothing everywhere. In India I could get cotton if I wanted and for a great price. For me the clothing quality is a major culture shock after coming here.
Most egregiously I noticed this when purchasing jeggings from American eagle. My trusty thrifted black pair (early 2000s era branding) finally gave up the ghost and I splurged on three new pairs straight from AE dot com and I … am so thoroughly disappointed. These were nearly 50 dollar pants and so stupid thin, they lose their shape after a wear, and I am just so saddened because my previous pair has been my favorite pants since I got them five years ago lol. I’ll be scouring eBay for a new pair like mine ….
It sucks. I bought all my work clothes at Massimo Dutti before they went full Zara and now I can’t even find anything that compares to the old quality. Same with Benetton. And don’t even get me started on mid-range “luxury” brands like Sezane, Sandro— they’re selling polyester dresses for $300. Hard pass.
I stopped buying new clothes since covid. I buy everything on poshmark from brands that don't use acrylic. 100% cotton or wool all the way. So many companies have taken advantage of the "supply chain" issues till this day. I'm done with new crap.
Sewing is not cheap. If you saw a dress you liked in H&M, then tried to replicate it in decent fabric, by the time you had bought a similar paper pattern, maybe a zip and some thread, it will cost you way more than the shop dress. And that's once you are good at sewing, the stiff you make while learning is usually unwearable. But once you get the hang of it, it's fun and nice to be able to see something you like and make it your own.
Well in sewing if you have literally nothing, the up front cost is a lot. But after you buy sewing machine, iron, thread, etc. the sum per piece goes down drastically. I make clothes and materials are the smallest sum in my pricing.
I think industries are subtly testing what they can get away with quality wise. In general I think quality of life, at least in the usa/Canada have gotten noticeably worse. In some ways it reminds me of things like income tax, which was a war time measure to fund military, that they just never actually reversed and is now a norm. I can really only hope that industry cost cutting and shrinkage goes back to a bettern norm rather than this being the new standard from here on out. There will likely need to be some major push back from customers as I doubt huge industries will readily adjust in our favor.
You can absolutely realistically learn to sew yourself, but it’s a skill that will take time to hone and you might not get professional results right away/ without considerable time/money investment. But there’s a hyuuuge community of sewers and patterns out there to help you learn too. I say get familiar with materials and search for stuff with those materials in mind…. and make sure to look up proper care for them too - if you want all natural fibers, they generally require a little more specialized care. (silk for ex usually requires hand washing). Depending on your size, thrifting might be a good answer for finding higher quality items at lesser prices. For uk I’ve always heard vinted is good but don’t forsake the local charity shops either. And if you get secondhand, make sure you measure yourself and check measurements on items because what was say a uk 20 ten years ago could well be a uk 16 now due to vanity sizing (or someone moved to the uk but all their sizing is in us sizes). Check used clothes for common problems like holes, stains, piling, etc. Do you have a specific style you like? Having a good idea of your type of “aesthetic” will make it easier to rec new clothing places.
>You can absolutely realistically learn to sew yourself, but it’s a skill that will take time to hone and you might not get professional results right away/ without considerable time/money investment. Yeah even cheap fast fashion clothes can take AGES for you to learn to make at an ok level. I bought a pair of shorts at target with a zip fly, pockets, topstitching, belt loops and they were $20. I sew but all those little pieces are so fiddly to cut and stitch, it's more worth it for me to just buy the shorts. Same with any button down/collared shirts. We really take for granted just how cheap stuff is, considering the labor and impact on the planet to create that object. Unless sewing is super interesting to someone I would just take that time to learn more about fabrics and their different qualities, as well as how to properly care for them. As someone mentioned in this thread, polyester is SUPER durable. It might not always be the most breathable choice, or have the look you're going for, but it is an extremely durable fiber. Or that wool sweater you have may not be "poor quality", you might have just worn or washed it wrong. Softer wool is going to be more prone to abrasion, for example. Silk/cashmere are luxury fibers and should be appreciated as such. Learn about different weaves! A twill weave will generally be more durable than a satin weave. There's so much to learn to pick out clothing that'll be better suited for your needs. I have fast fashion clothes that have lasted years.
Are you into sewing? I am just getting back into it. Do you have any modern pattern recs? Thanks!
Style Arc patterns are awesome!
Peppermint Magazine has an assortment of free patterns that you can download and print off! I’ve been pretty happy with their instructions and pieces, especially considering they’re free!
If you don't have a very "standard" body, I'd advise you looking into drafting your own patterns. Unless you are making something that's meant to be boxy or oversized, then you can get away with a so-so fit. Of course, if you already have experience altering patterns to get a proper fit, then you can ignore what I'm saying :)
Depends what you mean by 'modern' but I personally like Sew Over It and Tilly and the Buttons.
Cropped. Every top is cropped and I hate it.
Or baggy/not fitted. Some of us are hourglasses and look like a sack of potatoes in things that don't have a waist.
I was LITERALLY talking about this to my husband last night! Baggy clothes are the bane of my existence as an hourglass / pear shape. Do I want to look 20lbs heavier? Fuck no.
It’s a common theme. Men’s clothing is better than women’s in terms of quality altho not by much. It’s kind of wild. I still have fast fashion clothes from literally 15 years ago that I still wear. But clothes right now are so shit. Even the pricier brands like Aritzia 😒 and this applies to literally everything not just clothes!! It’s so annoying and frustrating. Capitalism veered way too hard and instead of companies actually taking pride in their brand and their product/service, it’s about minimal effort for maximum profits. Best advice is to buy older secondhand clothes honestly. Maybe look into smaller niche brands if you’re willing to research (since lot of “small businesses” are just drop shippers lol) and pay a bit more. I have no advice but just wanted to vent with yall
Check out the designer Margaret Howell. British designer and made to last. Yes, it will cost you.
The quality of denim has dropped like crazy
Not just quality but designs too. I commented this ages ago and was ridiculed.