I agree that it is alarming how some expensive ready to wear has gone cheap. Celebrities get a lot of their clothes for free, so what do they care? A costly label doesn’t mean much to them, but we tend to be influenced by what we see in the magazines – a brand we just have to own.

I always look at Target, Walmart, and even Costco – just in case. I also always browse the nicer stores and can easily spot something that looks like it is “worth the money.” Labels just don’t do it for me anymore, because I know what I have seen for $35 and if the high ticket item doesn’t look 10x better, then it is isn’t worth it. Prada is not a charity, they have to work for my hard earned money.

A while ago, one of my fashion designer friends from college and I were talking on the phone comparing notes about expensive designer fashion and discovered that we had both bought the same blazer at Target. It was an Isaac Mizrahi with a beautiful lining that we both touched and realized was very well made. I paid a whopping $35 and then spent $20 having it altered to fit. So, for $55 got an awesome black blazer that looks and feels like a $350 blazer (or, given Angie’s experience at Barney’s, maybe an $1800 blazer).

I have noticed that cashmere has gone this route as well. Some of the expensive sweaters pill terribly. Many of my clients have found this rather annoying and, frankly, alarming.

Glad you brought it up, Angie. Sorry about the venting. . .

Angie,

Would you consider doing a post on “quality markers” for those of us still learning?

Feel free to vent Meredeth! J Crew’s cashmere has unfortunately been a sore point all season and it’s such a shame. They have just ruined their impeccable reputation.

Before anything else, I boil a good quality garment down to great fabric because you can’t make a purse out of a sow’s ear. My absolute worst is T-shirt fabric. Polyester rocks compared to most T-shirting, and there is an incredible amount of poor T-shirting around. Even the best T-shirting quality has a relatively short life span. Cotton is not a stable fiber especially when it’s knitted (which T-shirt fabric is), despite its soft and comfortable appeal.

At the end of the day, clothing is not made the way it use to be because it’s not made to last. There wouldn’t be a thriving fashion industry if it did.

I’ll try and conger up a “quality posting” Becky.

I agree with that. I buy a lot from Wal-mart, target, and mass merchandise stores..

but that jacket on the left is fab… *drool*

Wonderful post as ever! (And of course, I’m pointing folks to it at my blog!).

I would also like to second Becky’s request — I think some guidelines on judging what is quality when it comes to shopping for clothes would be really helpful – and not just for beginners! I’m an old dog that could surely benefit from learning some new tricks!

This post brought to mind the time I first learned this lesson about 5-6 years ago. I was browsing around a Versace store and noticed a black and white check skirt that I thought was cute. When I went near it to take a closer look, I saw a machine-made hem across the bottom of the skirt in white thread. I might tolerate that on a cheap item because I can always pick the stitches out and redo the hem myself by hand so that it’s invisible, but a skirt costing several hundred dollars ought to be ready to wear right out of the store.

My mother has worked as a seamstress for many years. She pounded into my head about what to look for with clothes. You’ll see me checking every seam and making sure the patterns in the fabric match up nicely. I’d drive my friends absolutely CRAZY whenever I go shopping with them. They’ll pull up an outfit and I’ll go over it with a fine tooth comb and tell them what is wrong with the outfit and suggest that they put it back and find something that is made well.

The designers that cut corners like that need a good smack in the head. They ought to know better!