Fashion

[maddiecat]

A recent article in the WSJ (9/4) indicated that there is a slow-brewing movement in fashion to buy less, but better clothing.

In 2005 consumers bought roughly the same dollar-amount of clothes as today. The difference is that consumers wound up with more items in 2005 than in 2013.

The article indicated that younger consumers were experiencing sticker shock because they had grown up on "fast fashion," the term applied to retailers such as H&M and Zara, who are able to bring trends into stores more quickly than others. Young consumers, who are used to buying a dress for $50 or less, are taken aback when they discover that a nice dress can cost upwards of $200. They also have technology competing with their fashion dollars. Do they spend $200 on a new dress or put it toward the new iPhone?

In any event, I hope it will become a reality that we as a society begin to put more value on quality instead of quantity.

Your thoughts?

[chrystaltree]

I think we will never go back to having ""two good dresses"" and one ""good black skirt"" in our closet and feeling good about it.....lol

[DoneTryin]

We should have been shopping that way all along, but somehow it seemed more fun to buy new & add to our wardrobes every year. From high school until I got to about age 40, I used to make most of my clothes, so was able to be trendy without spending a lot. After that, I lost interest in sewing & now wish I'd shopped smarter than I did. Now I'm downsizing & wishing I had back some of the money I spent on multiple pairs of black pants & shirts, etc.

[Debbie1426]

On 9/15/2014 chrystaltree said:

I think we will never go back to having "two good dresses" and one "good black skirt" in our closet and feeling good about it.....lol

I agree and maybe 2 dresses and one skirt is a stretch, but I would much rather have one good skirt that 4 disposable ones.

[Kathlen]

I don't shop H&M or Zara. I don't even know what Zara is!

I have ""good"" clothes and I have everyday clothes. What I don't have is cheap clothes.

[brii]

I have always been quality over quantity.

[ahoymate]

It's fun to buy new, fresh designs. I used to always buy quality, but you get tired & bored with it and want something different. Prefer spending less and tossing.

Besides, it looks dated no matter the quality. Things change and then you're stuck with dated clothes. Cashmere sweaters change, shoes change, cut of pants, jackets.

[kate2357]

Not sure if the quality over qty will make great headway among the youngest of shoppers. But I do think that more folks I know are looking at quality, sustainability, country of origin, employment practices...etc when making shopping decisions.

Started w/ food...moving towards other items...like furniture and fashions. May take awhile...but I do think buying w/ a conscious could catch on. :::shrug::: maybe not. But cheap clothes are not my thing...never really have been since maybe high school.

Hey...I like a deal as much as the next person. But that $5 tshirt at such and such store...do any of us really think that item is going to hold up for more than a few months? If they're selling it for $5...they didn't spend more than $2 on it. So you have the cost of the material...how much money did the person who made that tshirt get paid? Pennies.

So...yeah, I like a deal. I like clothes. But at this point in my life...I want to buy fashion that is fairly priced, is not going to be out of fashion a year from now...and I don't want to buy something made by some poor person who is stuck in a fire hazard building.

[kaydee50]

I agree with Skylands. First of all, I never pay full price for anything. There is nothing that I need or want so badly and immediately that I would pay $50 for a top or $150 for a cashmere sweater. Plus, I honestly have not found that more expensive means better. I get bored with my clothing faster than it wears out and stylish clothing is found in all price ranges so I'd rather have 3 lower priced items than 1 expensive item.

[Annabellethecat66]

Look. I haven't worked in over 40 years (when I had my first daughter I became a stay-at-home mom and never went back).

When I leave the house I often wear JR jackets, leather coats, some SG tops, Isaac sweaters, etc. I have the money. I could go out and spend a lot of money on expensive clothes but it wouldn't make any sense.

There are more and more women like me (my age) or a few years younger who are probably retiring from the work force but want to look nice when they go out.

I often wear Denim and Co around the house and if I go to a neighbor's house. No one would call me a 'fancy dresser' but I do get compliments on my outfits (they are very simple, but match).

What difference does it make what something costs? If someone likes expensive clothes but can only afford a few pieces, yet they realize they don't have a lot of money. More power to them to only get a few pieces.

If someone wants to spend their money on a lot of less expensive clothes, good for them too. Thank goodness we live in a world where people can buy and wear what they want to.

My complaint are these 20 somethings who go out in public looking (to use a phrase my Grandma used), "Like the cat dragged in". I have never in my life seen such a mess! There is a difference between buying inexpensive but tasteful clothes and throwing on old rags you found somewhere.

It looks like maybe QVC is moving in the direction of offering some clothes that younger people might like. I don't know. Everyone is different. I can't go into those brick and mortar places they talk about because I have a bad back; but those that can do.

Good. Everyone go do what works best for them/you/those/everyone.

I've found that things on the TV and on the news in general are greatly exaggerated.