We can’t be guaranteed quality wardrobe items, no matter what we pay for them. Whether it’s Old Navy, Banana Republic, Marc Jacobs or Chanel, across the board of fashion brands and price points quality will slip at some point because the retail industry just doesn’t make things the way it used to.

The world wants lower prices, which means that manufacturers and retailers cut corners in order to achieve optimum profits. We can return inferior quality problems, but that’s not the solution I’m looking for. When I purchase something I expect it to last for at least a season. And I expect better-end merchandise to look fabulous and last for many seasons. I think those are fair expectations.

I’m not alone in this point of view — my recent rant about quality evoked passionate and frustrated comments from many readers. What can be done about the spiral of inconsistent retail quality? Can things improve? Will new technology allow lower prices and better quality. If so, why hasn’t it done so to date? I’m more skeptical than optimistic, but I would love to hear your thoughts on how the industry could turn this around.

I take quality seriously and I’m prepared to pay for it. But I might need to settle for today’s level of inconsistent quality and that’s an unpleasant thought.