style notes: buying for keeps
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is it just me, or is this so common that it's becoming a cliché? (insert designer name here) builds loyalty and acclaim around gorgeous, great pieces, customers flock to the brand, brand buzz builds to the point of hype, prices increase, and...quality decreases.
this exact sequence of events seems to happen so frequently these days, across so many brands (mid-range all the way up to the luxury level), that one wonders if this has become a business model.
a number of bloggers (Amanda at assembled hazardly, Belle at Capitol Hill Style, and Sarai at Coletterie) have already written about declining quality in women's clothing. my own experience over the past few years echoes theirs. for me, shopping these days is more like a negative exercise in weeding out than a positive foray into design and inspiration. meanwhile, it seems that the number of sales never ends; the constant influx of sale emails no longer corresponds to any meaningful seasonal promotion. didn't a sale use to mean something special, something to look forward to?
i've more or less stopped shopping at certain stores due to their hit or miss or consistently 'off' quality. case in point: i have returned pretty much all of my recent orders from Zara due to flaws, tees with crooked seams, shrinking abnormally after one wash, etc. in contrast, i still love and wear as much as possible a lovely silk organza blouse i bought on sale from Zara 6 years ago.
on the other end of the spectrum, it seems that the declining quality of some brands only boosts the desirability (and price) of others that have a reputation for high levels of craftsmanship (an established brand like Hermès, or a newer label like The Row). a number of my wardrobe staples (ie: Current/Elliott jeans, Rag & Bone leather and tux jackets, Isabel Marant scarf and dicker boots, etc) were all purchased 3-5 years ago.
what do you think? what has been your experience with quality over the years?
is it just me, or is this so common that it's becoming a cliché? (insert designer name here) builds loyalty and acclaim around gorgeous, great pieces, customers flock to the brand, brand buzz builds to the point of hype, prices increase, and...quality decreases.
this exact sequence of events seems to happen so frequently these days, across so many brands (mid-range all the way up to the luxury level), that one wonders if this has become a business model.
a number of bloggers (Amanda at assembled hazardly, Belle at Capitol Hill Style, and Sarai at Coletterie) have already written about declining quality in women's clothing. my own experience over the past few years echoes theirs. for me, shopping these days is more like a negative exercise in weeding out than a positive foray into design and inspiration. meanwhile, it seems that the number of sales never ends; the constant influx of sale emails no longer corresponds to any meaningful seasonal promotion. didn't a sale use to mean something special, something to look forward to?
i've more or less stopped shopping at certain stores due to their hit or miss or consistently 'off' quality. case in point: i have returned pretty much all of my recent orders from Zara due to flaws, tees with crooked seams, shrinking abnormally after one wash, etc. in contrast, i still love and wear as much as possible a lovely silk organza blouse i bought on sale from Zara 6 years ago.
on the other end of the spectrum, it seems that the declining quality of some brands only boosts the desirability (and price) of others that have a reputation for high levels of craftsmanship (an established brand like Hermès, or a newer label like The Row). a number of my wardrobe staples (ie: Current/Elliott jeans, Rag & Bone leather and tux jackets, Isabel Marant scarf and dicker boots, etc) were all purchased 3-5 years ago.
what do you think? what has been your experience with quality over the years?
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