What is the attraction to expensive clothing brands?

Jessica

I’ve been thinking, when did it occur to buyers that we should pay ridiculous prices for expensive clothing that often the only reason it’s super expensive is because the name brand makes it so?

Granted, some clothing is expensive because the fit and material are supposed to be made higher quality and last longer and look better on us. But does it really, or are we just inclined to believe it does?

Does a pair of Gucci jeans really look and fit better than a pair from Walmart? Do we have to pay high prices for good fashion or are they really no different; brand name aside?

If I buy a cheap belt from Target and love how it looks and save myself $100 because it’s not a Hermes brand belt is that so wrong?

Should high price fashion really matter in what people consider “stylish and trendy”?

1 month ago

Shopping

18 replies

Latest reply was from Lisa

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Of course that’s not so wrong, I refuse to buy those named brands like Gucci, Chanel etc because I think a lot of the time it’s because they are those brands that they are bought, not because they’re actually more interesting. Just my opinion.
I do realise that the original founders of some brands have had a huge effect on how we dress- Coco Chanel for instance, but she is long dead.

1 month ago

VioletMyra

Active Member

The women in my workplace firmly believed the more you paid the more you got for your money: Aus$125 for a rayon dress that hand washed like a dishcloth and needed to be damp to iron the creases out . . . where's the extra value in that? It's why I've always been honest about where I "get" my admired garments - they're couture, custom made by me for me. Best wishes to all.

1 month ago

Irina

Veteran

It is a complicated issue. No one can denied the fact that certain high end brands are bought solemnly to display wealth and status. At the same time, these brands have money to hire talented designers, use expensive materials and highly skilled professionals. Sometimes, people buy items to own a piece of history or craftsmanship. And, yes, the designers still influence how we dress today. And they push other brands to create interesting pieces.

There is an enormous gap that is between Walmart and Chanel, so to speak. Would one ever want to inherit a Walmart bag? Anyone?

What is a goal? To buy cheap? To buy often? To impress others?

Mine is to buy the best quality I can afford.

The choice is yours, there is plenty of good quality and good design brands at more or less fair price.

Style is not trends, high end or low end products. It is ability to put things together in an outfit, to express a point of view, imo.

1 month ago

cat2

Veteran

If you buy a pile of cheap polyester stuff, you are exposing yourself to chemical dyes and shedding plastic fibers. We don’t know the long term effects of having a bunch of plastic in your system, but I seriously doubt it’s good for you. So I would first urge you to switch to more bamboo or cotton for jeans and tees. If you buy shoes that aren’t well made, you will give yourself foot and knee problems. Beyond that, we all make decisions on how we spend our money, and if you don’t put a high value on clothing, that’s absolutely fine.

1 month ago

Dee

Veteran

I agree with IRINA and CAT2, there's a whole host of reasons as to why people want expensive designer vs the cheaper brands or even the mid range price points.
I prefer less polyester, acrylic and other man-made blends, I'm not comfortable with the environmental impact they may cause and I don't like how they feel on me either. I'm also looking for the best quality I can afford, because I want to enjoy my clothes and have them last for several seasons of wear.

1 month ago

Olive Green

Veteran

I have spent 300 dollars on a very nice panama hat, which I love because the more beat up it gets, the better I like it. Very occasionally, something just hits all the style and quality buttons.
Currently looking for pants, particularly jeans, in all cotton. Lost some weight and clown pants are not a good look on the short. The prices are breathtakingly diverse! The quality is generally thin and already bagged, the details too specific to a style tribe of whatever sort. And cotton is now a premium fabric, apparently.
Went into a cowgirl, rodeo queen type store here and walked out with the ONLY pair of all-cotton they had. Not embellished, whiskered, or ripped.
I am ok paying for the least fussy, best matériels for the job.
Next week a friend and I will saddle up and head for a distant mall. Fingers crossed I can find something I can tolerate, lol, irrespective of price.
At this point, it is the actual item quality that I look for, thrifted or a high end brand. The brand name or price is not really a factor if it has utility (lots of wears) or is perfect for a special need.
Getting picky in my old age!

1 month ago

elena

Active Member

I agree that quality can be an issue with cheaper brands, and that status-seeking can drive buying high-end designer items, especially brand new, full-price, trendy things. Being seen spending a lot is the goal for some people, I guess. And of course, you can find quality at every price point if you try. But! I have been dabbling in thrifting designer clothes - not the Chanel/YSL level, but also not basic “mall” brands. Think Isabel Marant, Vince, Veronica Beard, that kind of thing. I’m not comfortable spending these brands’ full retail prices, so I’m enjoying the hunt for excellent condition items at a fraction of the original cost. It’s fun, and I’m getting spoiled by how very nice my new-to-me items are. It’ll be hard to shop at the mall now! I honestly think there’s a huge difference in fabric, design, fit, and quality of construction even with sort of mid-range designer brands. You do need to be picky about fabric and avoid the polyester that seems to be everywhere, but you will find a lot more 100% cotton, silk, cashmere, etc. with designer brands.

1 month ago

Stella

Active Member

Cost is not only about labels or fashionability; it’s about labor, environmental considerations/sustainability, and other ethical considerations. Anything sold at a very low price point is almost certainly made by workers who are exploited. Which is not to say that all items which sell at a higher price point build in fairer wages and better conditions for the workers who produce them into their sticker price; they definitely don’t! But some do, especially with small, local businesses, which tend to pay workers better and have smaller environmental footprints. Which comes at a cost. Consumers have to decide which kind of costs matter more to them.

1 month ago

Peri

Veteran

For me it's the fabric. Up to a certain point (and that point is individual) I will pay more for quality, but only if the quality is there. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. I don't care what the name brand is, but I want good fabric. However, the lower the price the more likely you also get cheap fabric. I don't think there is any blanket answer to this.

1 month ago

Star (Lise)

Veteran

I dont think price matters but quality certainly does. They are not always in synch though.

1 month ago

Debbie

Veteran

It is often a quality issue. Not always but often. I try to buy items that are going to last more than one season. It I buy the item at a really cheap price and I have to keep replacing it. It doesn’t help my wardrobe or my budget. There is a happy medium and each person has to make their own decisions based on their personal experience.

1 month ago

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

It is a complicated issues. Price does not always indicate quality, and at the higher echelons you are also paying for status markers, which matters to some people in some contexts. But as pointed out, there is a difference between a polyester and silk blouse, and there are differences between the quality of design and construction between garments that sometimes corresponds with price (but not always!).

1 month ago

cat2

Veteran

I was just pulling out my long sleeve Ts to wear for winter and was thinking about your thread. I try to head into winter with half a dozen of these tees, assuming some will wear out by Spring. The tees I have bought from Macys and Nordstrom house brands and Madewell at $ 15-20 or so don’t last much more than a year. I take great care of them all with a delicate wash and hang dry. The tees I have bought at $25-40 from Boden, Hobbs and Talbots last years. So by stepping up for real quality I save money and don’t need to shop as often. But it’s trial and error to figure out which brands are worth stepping up for.

1 month ago

avicennia

Veteran

I agree with you in that in general price doesn’t equal quality. I have a number of clothes from Target (denim jumpsuits, and t-shirts) that are stylish and wear well. But I do have a few pricey items that wear like iron and were totally worth the cost. My best investment is a wool sweater jacket by Avant-Toi that I’ve worn to professional meetings, touring, ice skating, birdwatching and hiking. I bought it 5 years ago on a 50% sale. The price per wear is about $2 by now and I expect it to drop over the years. Wool is much more sustainable than synthetic (plastic) fleece, doesn’t pill and the jacket has never needed to be cleaned. Other good investments have been silk scarves and blouses. I guess what I’m saying is that cost per wear is a key metric.

1 month ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Quality is not the only potential factor. I have bought items that definitely gave me a big pause because of the cost, but the big factor that made me choose the item (besides quality, which of course is a big deal) is design. A clever, innovative, or distinctive design perspective in a designer makes me pay attention and consider spending more. Items like the Bao Bao bags (of course now there a a hundred knockoffs), my Maria Cornejo trousers, a Burberry trench, etc, have design details that set them apart from anything you’ll find at Old Navy or Walmart.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with choosing inexpensive or expensive items as long as they work for you and fit your budget. People have all kinds of reasons for their purchases. For me, quality, fit, fabrication, and design will often warrant a higher price tag.

1 month ago

avicennia

Veteran

Popping into this thread again. In my experience good design can be found at all price points. Target places a premium on clothing with good design. And this isn’t just when they do collaborations with famous designers. And honestly it’s hard to distinguish the quality of their cotton knits from cotton knits from high street stores like J Crew or Madewell, or even higher priced brands. I’m currently focused on price per wear, and I get the best price per wear when design and quality align.

1 month ago

Carol

(website)

Veteran

I think it was the great Isaac Mizrahi who said: I like a $60 pair of pants, or a $6,000 pair of pants, but not a $600 pair of pants. And he was (still is?) a huge part of Target. I think he meant that $60 is reasonable for a very good pair of pants, $6,000 yields something world class, and $600--what is that?

I could go on and on about this subject. I think many clothes/items at the Wal-Mart end last a very long time. I think it is a myth that things are just "falling apart." It is wonderful that clothes at this price really are pretty good! Quality is often there. But paying more for designer can yield something artistic, totally weatherproof, avant-garde, or many other benefits.

3 weeks ago

Lisa

Veteran

I find quality can be found at all price points, both good quality and bad quality. I think some people go for the status that a designer, heavily logo item provides. Others go for quiet luxury, you don't know it's bespoke unless you know (because there's no logos). And sometimes it's nice to get a "cheap" item that has great quality and lasts. I've also seen designer items fall apart in a short amount of time. It's always a game of chance to me, you just never truly know how the item will do until you put it through it's paces.

2 weeks ago

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