At a departmental store this afternoon to buy something because it is the sale season then I came across some shirts that cost an arm and a leg … “vintage” it says on the label. What vintage? Low quality more like.

Most clothing seems to have the constant … poor quality, functionality poor to acceptable, fashion so so (not that I know) …

Then I checked out the “plastic” shirt i.e. fleece … really? £50 after discount!

Then I checked the quilt blanket feather stuff jacket … really? £200!

Jeans … bloody hell … £90 for a pair of jeans! The material is so thin I doubt it will last more than a year with constant wear. Checked the jeans’ pocket … that would not last two weeks for me with all my keys in them.

I mean WTF … where are all those quality clothing?

Jumper … WTF! 15% wool? Thin like paper … WTF! Saw a reasonable thick “proper” jumper (still 90% wool made in China) … £80! WTF!

I only managed to buy a “jumper” from NEXT for £20 because I thought it was ok in terms of functionality, a plastic base layer for £10 from Millet and a shirt for £20 from a Debenham with thicker material.

Seriously! Really! 😡

Shirts? 3 for £90 here; http://www.roderickcharles.com/c/Shirts.htm

Department stores (That is to say Harrods and PJ’s) are good for buying bedlinen, kitchen kit and the Clarins counter for maternal presents. One doesn’t shop in them otherwise.

And your point is?

Then I checked the quilt blanket feather stuff jacket … really? £200!

Which make? a proper winter one with a high fill will cost that.Or was it a poncy wear to rugby or down the wine bar one?

look how much a cycling top is for what you get

don simon – Member

And your point is?

You have never had it so good. Not you but the departmental stores …

Edric 64 – Member

Which make? a proper winter one with a high fill will cost that.Or was it a poncy wear to rugby or down the wine bar one?

God knows … think it was Rab, Berghaus or something … but c’mon … “£200?

Junkyard – Member

look how much a cycling top is for what you get

Yes, that’s why I hardly buy any … except from Ground Effect or from STW Classified.

Been living a cave for while?

Don’t like that much, spend less. Go to the local cheapy store and get (guess what) cheap clothes. If you want cheap stuff that last a long time, go to the army surplus store.

£60 for a shirt is about right, they go up from there (a LONG way). Of course, if you buy your clothes second hand, then it’s of course going to be cheaper, however, you pay £30 for a shirt that’s half worn out that cost the original owner £65 really isn’t an economy – think it through….

LOLLERCOPTERS

stw poster in “surprised by reality” shocker!

LOLLERCOPTERS – that’s what’s needed for the 100 squids of amazon vouchers thread, great idea. Runs to other thread

The copters that is, not the plastic shirts

yep me too aldi for me and asda for shirts – worn only for work.

Bought some work shirts from H&M 5 or 6 years ago which are still going strong 23,00€ each.
Just bought some more work shirts from C&A, (of all places) for 17,00€.

I’ve never had it so good.

No, I don’t wear seconds all the time except the one or two that I bought from STW for mtbing.

The rest I bought from TK Maxx or somewhere during last sale season or when I need them.

I would pay more if the quality and functionality are there to last longer but they are not so that is the problem.

If it is locally produced and due to labour cost I would but they are all imported from the far east where labour cost is peanuts … Yes, yes, I can hear you saying the shareholders demand profit etc shite … but the fact is that there comes a point where bleeding everyone dry for the sake of a few is not healthy … yes, yes, I hear your capitalist thinking …

WTF! Bleed them dry while you still can …

Really £2500 for a bike frame? “niche” it says on the label – overhyped and ugly more like.

Are you my Dad?

Don’t get me started on the price of white spirit in BQ. – its cheaper to clean my brushes in <insert volatile liquid of choosing>.

90 quid for jeans is about right, if a little cheap. I’ve got 4 pairs of jeans, cost from 120 -160 each. but I’ve had the oldest pair for 7 years, the newest pair is 3 years old. I wear these 4 pairs of Jeans most evenings and every weekend. Money well spent IMO, If you buy proper denim…

chewkw. You are the guy that a couple of years ago posted about a pair of hideous Clarks shoes. I respectfully suggest that there are shops that cater for your tastes, but £60 for a shirt isn’t that much.

Unless I’m getting very confused here you appear to have gone to shops that ARE NOT reknowned for they’re cheap goods and come away complianing about the price.

Why don’t you go to TK Max or Primark or some other shop that specialises in budget clothing from cheap to operate sweat shops?

90 quid for jeans is about right, if a little cheap. I’ve got 4 pairs of jeans, cost from 120 -160 each

25 quid tops for jeans in sales 120 + for jeans ! christ its only tent canvas Levi Strauss would turn in his grave!!

Well my last Levis were £90.

I think that the op is a bit of a cheapskate personally.

Why don’t you go to TK Max or Primark or some other shop that specialises in budget clothing from cheap to operate sweat shops?

There’s an implication in there that £90 jeans aren’t from cheap to operate sweat shops 😯

I agree with the OP lots of clothing still seems expensive even in sales.

90 quid for jeans is about right, if a little cheap

😯 OK, whatever you say.
I get my jeans from the Levi’s outlet store – £70 for 2 pairs last time I went there. Wouldn’t dream of spending more than that.

I’ll confess to having a pair of Rapha trousers but I certainly didn’t pay anywhere near retail price for them!

bruneep – Member

Are you my Dad?

That depends on your age. 😆

warton – Member

90 quid for jeans is about right, if a little cheap. I’ve got 4 pairs of jeans, cost from 120 -160 each.

Whaaattt!!! £120 – £160 each!!! Bloody hell what profession are you in?

sc-xc – Member

chewkw. You are the guy that a couple of years ago posted about a pair of hideous Clarks shoes. I respectfully suggest that there are shops that cater for your tastes, but £60 for a shirt isn’t that much.

They are alright but then some of their quality has gone down too …

£60 isn’t much? Woohooo … better start importing low quality shirt from the far east …

richiethesilverfish – Member

Unless I’m getting very confused here you appear to have gone to shops that ARE NOT reknowned for they’re cheap goods and come away complianing about the price.

Not renowned for cheap goods is one thing but trying to knock off cheapos as high quality gear … you were born today.

Why don’t you go to TK Max or Primark or some other shop that specialises in budget clothing from cheap to operate sweat shops?

TK Maxx is ok if you can find the odd one that fits the quality etc and yes some of Primark stuff are fine but I am not that fashionable to shop there.

So do you just roll your credit cards to get all them expensive stuff for your lifestyle?

😯

£90 for jeans? Jeans?
You really are having a laugh, or someone is at your expense.

You know why these things are so expensive? Because muppets buy them at that price…

Don’t get me started on the price of white spirit in BQ

Go on, tell us more. Is it more expensive than it was when you were a lad?

Andyhilton – Member

Well my last Levis were £90.

I think that the op is a bit of a cheapskate personally.

Crikey! £90! You some sort of banker? Working in the financial industry? Loan shark?

LOL! Cheap means just not spending money or tight fisted but I want to invest in some proper quality stuff! But I can’t find any …

If the quality is there I am even willing to pay £200 – £300 for it but I am just not willing to throw my money away simply because someone says so.

Like I said if it is produced locally I have no complain because of high labour cost etc but if you pay peanuts to the far eastern labour then please try not to bleed people dry (or me) …

😯

Chewkw – I wasn’t aware that we’d met, but as you seem to accuse me of being born today perhaps you have seen my youthful good looks.
Anyway, even if I was born today, I’d suggest that seems to be better than still hanging onto 1920 prices like you. ‘Eh oop lad, in my day you could buy whole ouse for price o jeans the youth wear’

richiethesilverfish – Member

Chewkw – I wasn’t aware that we’d met, but as you seem to accuse me of being born today perhaps you have seen my youthful good looks.
Anyway, even if I was born today, I’d suggest that seems to be better than still hanging onto 1920 prices like you. ‘Eh oop lad, in my day you could buy whole ouse for price o jeans the youth wear’

In that case you are either a retired banker or ex-financial industry personnel or a loan shark so which one are you as you sound loaded …

My retired accountant friend is doing very well as he is good at counting money.

So what is your profession?

Or perhaps a shareholder with some of those important (or importing) firms … investor?

Like I said there is quality and there is cheapo but if cheapo is considered quality then something must be very wrong. You harvest the people but you do not bleed them dry.

😯

Jeans for £90? I bought some in Dave’s, New York, this year for (I think) about £23 a pair and they had all the Levis styles and Carharrt. He’s now doing them online but the postage is a bit prohibitive.

In that case you are either a retired banker or ex-financial industry personnel or a loan shark so which one are you as you sound loaded …

How do you work that out then? If you read my posts you’ll see I’m not suggesting that I pay these prices either, but what I do suggest is that if you want to pay £20 for shirts you need to go to Primark.
Whether I pay it or not isn’t relevent, what is is that £60 for a shirt is pretty much standard price in a high street store these days. Get used to it Grandad.

God knows … think it was Rab, Berghaus or something … but c’mon … “£200?

My Rab cost £110 15 years ago, and the equivalent would probably be close to £200 now I’d imagine. Considering the thing has kept me warm, many many times, including down to -30, I’d say that’s bloody good value for money actually. I wouldn’t pay that for Berghaus stuff mind.

As for other stuff, particularly ‘fashion’ clothing, I agree with Chewkw. We’re simply being ripped off. Importers and retailers know people will pay high prices, so they charge high prices. Maybe if credit wasn’t so easy to obtain, things might be a bit different…

90 quid for jeans is about right, if a little cheap. I’ve got 4 pairs of jeans, cost from 120 -160 each. but I’ve had the oldest pair for 7 years, the newest pair is 3 years old. I wear these 4 pairs of Jeans most evenings and every weekend. Money well spent IMO, If you buy proper denim…

Do you seriously believe that? Do you actually know what ‘proper denim’ is? It’s a basic cotton fabric that’s very easy and cheap to produce. The jeans will invariably be made in he Far East, using cheap labour. Each pair will cost a couple of quid to make, no more. Even after shipping and taxes, we’re still not talking about loads of money involved.

See, it’s this false belief that cost = quality, that drives people to overspend on overpriced stuff. I’ve got a pair of jeans I bought 4 or 5 years ago in Uniqlo for £15, that are every bit as good as jeans costing £90+. Levis in the US cost £30-40 tops. Go to cheapo outlets, and they’re £25 or even less. Why are we paying double and more for them? They’re only bog standard jeans!

And yes, having worked briefly for a company supplying fabric to Savill Row tailors, as well as in clothing retail, I do know a bit about ‘quality’. 😉

Sales are the only time I buy owt. Only time things are anywhere close to a reasonable level of ‘value’.

Now and then, I might spend a bit on something I really like. Spent about £60 on a shirt from Ted Baker about 14 years ago! Very nice shirt, mind. Still got it somewhere. But it’s a fallacy that you have to spend to get quality; all too often, the quality is standard, but the price premium.

Chewkw’s got a bloody good point you know.

department stores are needlessly expensive but there are those who will pay it

if you think that clothes are poorly made, avoid the supermarkets and primark, they are seriously awful

there is a middle ground as some have pointed out, H&M are ok, the outlet shopping places gets some bargains if you are prepared to hunt, you sometimes get lucky at matalan and tkmaxx but it’s a jumble sale with a lot of dross

richiethesilverfish – Member
How do you work that out then? If you read my posts you’ll see I’m not suggesting that I pay these prices either, but what I do suggest is that if you want to pay £20 for shirts you need to go to Primark.
Whether I pay it or not isn’t relevent, what is is that £60 for a shirt is pretty much standard price in a high street store these days. Get used to it Grandad.

£60 for a shirt is the standard price? £20 for a shirt from Primark? Crikey! Did you get your money from your inheritance?

I mean most people are willing to spend for whatever reasons but have a heart give them something that is honest even if they are ignorance of the fact the quality is not there.

So what is your profession? RichietheRich.

😯

if you think that clothes are poorly made, avoid the supermarkets and primark, they are seriously awful

This is a myth. The clothes are made in the same massive Far Eastern factories. It’s just snobbishness that makes people believe stuff from Tescos or Primark is inferior. I’ve seen some perfectly reasonable gear from both places, and some way overpriced tat with ‘designer’ labels on.

just think how better of you are for not falling into the fashion trap. I couldn’t agree with you more, even when I see some of my family buying into fashion and fashion accessories……..and these are allegedly the men!!!

I live happily knowing that I don’t have to be fashionable anymore and as long as i’m neat enough for work then the rest can hang (except when my bloddy in-laws have something to say on what i’m wearing when we go out)

What you need chewkw is a good charity shop, bargains galore and more choice than any samey repetetive high street!
😆

This thead is wonderful… People on STW in differing opinions shocker. I suspect the OP might be trolling to be honest.

Anyway, on the off chance that he’s not… If you can afford to spend 120 on a pair of jeans great. I just bought two pairs in Diesel this week. They were expensive but I like them and I can afford them so I bought them. I don’t care whether anyone else thinks they are good value or not.

I buy my work clothes from Hugo Boss. I think the OP should check the shirt prices in there, but take a defibrillator with you as you might have a funny turn.

I go with the ‘I like them and can afford them’ thang. Some my jeans are from GAP and are £40-£50. Having said that I wear through them in about 8 months. The Levis’ are still going strong after 18 months.

£60 for a shirt is the standard price? £20 for a shirt from Primark? Crikey! Did you get your money from your inheritance?

Can you read? I don’t pay that for any of my stuff. I never said I did. But I’m not going to start a thread in shock and awe when I see those prices.
As for my profession, of which you already know, I work in the bike industry. For the record I also have a small clothing company and guess what, I charge £20 for a tee shirt. Is that over priced?

So what about you? What job do you do that means you can shelter from real life and real prices?