Oh the buttons. Am I the only one that must sew all the buttons again to not lose them? 😂

@sparklie962

28 күн бұрын

O. M. G. I bought a Brooks Brothers wool winter coat 2 seasons ago on their 50% off end of season sale. It originally retailed for around $1000Cdn and I had to re-sew the first falling off button within 2 weeks of buying the damn thing. Otherwise great coat, but the buttons were poorly sewn on - no shank, no backing button (lol, as if) - and they used cheapo sewing thread, not button thread. Ay carumba. For that price point they should have done a whole ton better.

@Kate-lk6tw

28 күн бұрын

No. It’s so normal.

@jl82714

27 күн бұрын

I do this too. And so few of the buttons seem to be reinforced at the base.

It's so true that there is no longer a guarantee that price is going to equal quality. Even formerly solid brands are starting to sell rubbish pieces unfortunately. I am a hand knitter and have a colleague who is a sewist and we've noticed that our friends who don't hand craft honestly have no idea what quality construction looks like, nor what actually goes into making a quality/durable piece. I always look at the fabric/care label and scan the finishing details inside a garment before I'll even try it on. I was disappointed to see that a pretty good Canadian brand had opted to manufacture its signature silk blouse with overlocked seams and kinda poorly installed buttons - but something in a trendier print was beautifully made, with fully french seams and pattern quite well matched at the side seams. Same brand, same price point. I feel like every brand is bringing in a few loss leaders that are well made just to draw customers - and then junking everything else. Buyer beware is as relevant as ever.

@jl82714

27 күн бұрын

Another hand knitter here (in the US), and I completely agree with what you said. I’m mostly opting to make my own knits at this point, unless they are extremely fine gauge.

@sparklie962

27 күн бұрын

@@jl82714 Ah, me too, especially since getting into top down, seamless construction lol. I have never had an issue with my sweaters twisting and no more tedious seaming!

@jl82714

27 күн бұрын

@@sparklie962 that’s my favorite style of construction! And I discovered saddle shoulders last year which is so nice for a “non-raglan” too. I will never go back to seaming sweaters :)

Next time, could you talk about ease of online orders and free returns and its effects on the carbon footprints? Thank you.

I want to point out that the hand of the fabric can feel much different after a wash. That is another quality of thrifted clothing, much of it is already washed. Clothing that is new has a finish on it that makes it feel smooth and crisp.

@Kate-lk6tw

28 күн бұрын

Yes!

@cate20000

27 күн бұрын

I find this very true with linen in particular!

The quality of Tee Shirt material has definitely dropped back in the last few years and the price has gone up. I am now on a very focused hunt in the Thrift shops to find quality Tees but that supply will soon age out. We are being conditioned to accept a lesser standard. Great podcast and discussion girls.

Love the idea that the price of a luxury brand item reflects the right to show off yourself with this thing, whatever status it brings. As a jewellery lover I have collected some of the most expensive Cartier/Chaumet rings and some stunning stainless steel/black ceramics/CZ stones rings costing several euros each. A few times I shared the value of the expensive rings and was met with lukewarm comments that this ring actually doesn't look like anything special. On the other hand, on numerous occasions I've been complemented on the cheap rings, receiving timid questions where it is from and if it's affordable. How a piece looks on you, and in general, has no connection with the price tag. Cheers for the great podcast, it's my pleasure to listen to it!

The Wool standards are worth knowing about.

How ironic that the ad I got when clicking on this video was for SHEIN 🙃 I really enjoyed this topic though, it’s so important to talk about!

@AlannaLightheart

28 күн бұрын

😂 me too they are pumping them out (and temu... no thanks)

You advice is excellent but it's so rare that I find something that I love, fits me well and I can afford, whose pattern/detail I like, that checking everything else sadly becomes secondary. I find it very difficult to just find something that is really "me", to the extent that when I do, I tend to buy multiples. e.g. of the "perfect" pair of jeans. A couple of months ago I spotted a beautiful Japanese crepe dress at Jigsaw online, it was almost £300 so way beyond my budget. Yesterday it was in the sale at just £57, so I bought it even though the material is 100% polyester, which I wasn't keen on. But the colour and style are so gorgeous, I decided to try it and I'm waiting for it to arrive. I can always return it if the fabric does not feel good on my skin, but if I want this dress in this colour at this price I don't have much choice, I bought from Jigsaw before so I trust the brand, the only thing I can think of to avoid the feel of polyester on my body (if it doesn't feel good) is to wear a thin cotton long-sleeve vest underneath the dress, but other than that it's "take it or leave it" and you can't have always perfection. Also, most brands now claim to be fairly ethical, but how can you prove it? I have little faith in all of them to be honest, but I've got to wear something. I buy less, I buy better, I wear more. I take care of my clothes and make them last a long time. That's the best I can do. I no longer buy cheaper basics at Primark even though their quality is not bad, I switched to Marks & Spencer's but actually some of their jeans are not great quality (fraying belt loops, variations within the same size), it really makes you wonder how different these brands really are, except one is more expensive and trades on past reputation of not being fast fashion. But I think they both are.

I totally agree that the inside should look as good as the outside as my Grandmother was an excellent seamstress and I learned from her. I think vintage pieces definitely had better insides 😂

I so much miss shopping in brick and mortar stores. I wear a petite size, and they really do fit me better. Almost all brick and mortar stores have discontinued carrying petites in stores. I DONT GET IT, THE VAST MAJORITY IF WOMEN IN THE WORLD ARE UNDER 5'3!!!

Still listening but "timeless" for an individual also depends on that individual's shape and size and life needs to stay the same for all time.

Timeless is noticing that I’m basically wearing the same clothes in all of my vacation photos from the last 10 years. 😊 They pack well, are comfortable to wear, wash well, dry quickly and some offer UV protection. Many are made of polyester.

I was glad to learn in this podcast that there are different qualities of polyester. I thrifted a pumpkin orange, 100% polyester peacoat/pencil skirt suit that is absolutely gorgeous. The fabric tags and construction definitely indicate that it is vintage. The feel of it is awesome, and it looks brand new.

I live in Italy half of the year and have purchased good quality Italian fabric and created a few beautiful outfits that will last for years.

Excellent pod cast with so many great topics! I got a pair of pants one year and the next year I got same pair, different color. The drop in quality was astounding. When I was a teen, a long, long time ago, my friend was coveting an Ann Klein tee with the AK on the front. That was the beginning of my journey of really disliking branded goods.

I heard on another style podcast that quality has gone down in an attempt to continue to make margins in stores that constantly have sales. So perhaps another sign of quality might be found in business that perhaps only have 1 or 2 sales per year rather than every month. Like many on here I also sew my own clothes. So from a garment construction perspective looking at the seam finishes and looking at stitches per inch, pattern matching, lining fabrics etc are also ways to monitor quality.

Looking forward to the fabric/material guide!

Fab podcast, so relevant. Totally agree that he inside of a garment should look as good as the outside, epic fail on me for not doing this more often as I've brought far to many garments that are not made well over the more recent years, where as I would always look at this when I worked in fashion. I really wish that more company's would be transparent about there processes, the logistics costs and there make and overhead costs within each garment, actual price per garment shows a true reflection of how sustainable and the quality of garments. For years I never had 'basics/ casual/ standard pieces' everything was funky and miss matched causing me to buy more stuff because noting ever quite worked together... Setting up a basic wardrobe (that worked for me) Blue jeans, neutral blazer, white & neutral tees/vests and a striped shirt has been transformational for me, I have picked higher end items which are lasting, I gravitate to these again and again. I don't regret it, it's helped me buy less and makes replacing items easier as I can focus in on a pair of light Jeans for example. A black second hand channel bag is on my bucket list and has been for many years, I can't believe the prices! I was saving for a £2,000 one and now It's way above that. I'm hoping they will become less fashionable again so I can afford one otherwise it's going to be another six years before I can get one! 😞

a fabric and material guide sounds amazing 🙌 🤩

A pale pink moto blazer made in a ponte fabric is one of my "timeless" pieces - and it's totally because I make it timeless based on my style and how I want to move and be in the world

I thrifted a Play by Com de Garçon 100% wool sweater that is soooo soft and exquisite that nobody guesses its wool. The whole side seam was missing on 1 side that I got for less than $10 and used my new serger to repair. Definitely high quality

Yes! I've noticed quite suddenly over the last 2 years (it's now July 2024), most of the stores that used to be my go-to's at the mall, their clothing was all thin, scratchy, or shiny - I realized it was the same quality - sometimes same CLOTHING - as what Shein clothing is like (my friend buys from there - *shudder *). I am assuming retailers at malls are constantly trying to save/make money ...and then the prices went up. Argh.

I am shocked regarding the drop in quality of Levis jeans. The denim feels so stiff and cheap now. I have vintage Levis, and there is absolutely no comparison in quality compared to current stock in stores. I definitely won't buy these online as I want to feel the denim. The button, zipper, and even the traditional Levis waistband tag is also shockingly poor quality. However, the price has not stopped increasing!

@lorrainekemp2909

27 күн бұрын

True. Bought a jacket in the thrift store 8 years ago. That jacket is now back in the stores and the quality has definitely plummeted.

Here in the US, all the quality that we should expect is becoming more and more out of reach price-wise, for a retired person. It has always been a problem design-wise for the plus gal. I have to search hard for the most basic plus size with quality. Then comes the budget issues.

Feeling definitely first, then looking at seams (if they are clean), looking for production faults, looking at the label and materials. :)

This could be an interesting point to go into on another podcast.

CCQ of shopping 🛍️ cut colour quality 😊😊😊

So true about quality, I got a vintage Chanel mini 20 years old and the quality is amazing compared to one from 2020. I got it so it I can have it longer and enjoy it more.

Such a great topic! I get so excited when I see you have a new video up! This is my favorite podcast. I listen to the episodes several times so I catch it all. Love you guys!!! Christina, I can't stop making your salmon recipe :)

Is quality TOO MUCH to ask for any more!??! I recently bought a baby tee that got a hole after one wash. I knew quality was declining but WOW was not expecting that, from a spendy brand as well. 🥶

You have to be patient read fabric labels and plan. But thrifting is the only way I can purchase quality

Certification is very important for like wool/cashmere/silk/leather and the like - especially for the animal’s quality of life.

@AD-wm9if

26 күн бұрын

No it isn't. Clearly you don't work in a field with certification. Certifications are things clothing companies buy from 3rd parties to "prove" something. There is no consistency across these entities, they can be bought off, they can be basically just a labeling agency. It's like saying "this top is certified made from recycled materials" when in reality, it's about 1% recycled plastic because it's incredibly difficult to recycle plastic and fabric. "This coat is made from certified humane fox fur" when in reality, the producer of the fur is doing the same exact thing they have for the past 50 years because any injury to the animal, sickness, or stress causes the fur quality to decline and hurts sales. Also, you would never certify for leather for quality of life of the animal. Because leather is a food waste output product. There are very very few types of exotic animals you would raise exclusively for leather. That's why tanneries are typically right next to slaughter houses, except in recent years where environmental regulations prevent creation and running of the tanneries so instead we now ship the skins to China and India to be tanned. Grading of fibers to be turned into fabrics is something done by textile manufacturers--it's not a matter of certification. Now some companies may sell the service of doing the work to go look at a lot of fiber or yarn to be sold to a mill to make textiles. But that isn't certification for the quality of animal life, it's quality of textiles.

@lbeard7661

26 күн бұрын

@@AD-wm9if ha, I actually do. That’s why you check into the certification itself instead of just being like “oh boy this says certified blah blah”. We’re holding stores of information literally in our hands. We can look up the certification company and what exactly the certification means.

I feel like high end designer brands are a bit of a scam. In the early aughts, I remember living in Toronto and the Louis Vuitton logo bags were EVERYWHERE. It seemed like every day on the subway I'd see dozens and dozens of people with some variation of a LV logo bag and I wanted one SO badly. But it was vastly out if my budget so I couldn't get one. When I was reflecting on this want I had had later on, it occured to me that at least some of these people likely had similar financial situations to me, meaning either the bags were fakes, or they had spent a massive amount of money on a bag they really couldn't afford. They were searching for that cachet. I have a handful of high end designer items that I've thrifted, but even now I don't feel quite right wearing them too obviously, like I don't want to feel like "look at me! I'm wearing Gucci" or whatever. I'm a huge thrifted, but I think it makes sense if a person wants to buy something high quality, to go for brands like everlane or cos or something. Most of folks probably aren't still using their LV bags 20 years later anyway.

@AD-wm9if

26 күн бұрын

I feel like LV has always been a marketing company because they're most famous for an embossed canvas with their logo. Imo it makes more sense to buy a good fake than the real thing because you're not looking at something made of a top grade leather to begin with. Same with like ... Hermes sandals. You can get a super similar design, in full leather, for less than $300, because you're not paying the luxury mark up.

Tbh I've bought fakes and they last longer than Nike and all these high end clothing

Synthetics don’t break down. How is that not always bad? That’s our legacy - shit that gave us five mins pleasure will permanently need to take up land. On a massive scale.

@cate20000

27 күн бұрын

For sure!!! Although I do allow myself recycled polyester in suiting as it keeps it out of landfill.

I recommend fellow Canadian’s @shiftafashiongroup podcast and channel to answer any questions about how much it cost to make a garment.