Is there a significant decline in quality of clothes recently?

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cgknight1@reddit

Not recently - at least 15 or 20 years ago. That decline accelerated with the rise of primark, then fast fashion and simply that people in the UK don't want to pay for quality. Dr Martins could be still made in the UK but people don't want to pay that price - similar to clarks. People want clothes that last forever but cost buttons.

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Remarkable_Piano_594@reddit

Don’t want to pay or can’t pay…?

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cgknight1@reddit

It's a good post and I was going to add a line about the cost of living crisis but then my back sandwich arrived and distracted me.

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CindyinEastTexas@reddit

Upvoted for bacon sandwich

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MFA_Nay@reddit

Both. There's always self-reporting polls on people stating *they theoretically would pay more for quality, ethics, sustainability, etc*. But their actual behaviour is different. Probably because of money limitations. Even if historically we spend less on clothing and buy more on clothing than 50-100 years ago, a modern person doesn't even know that and isn't going to be influenced by that at all. People's spending behaviour typically only gets influenced by their own immediate or medium term spending trends.

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Bigtallanddopey@reddit

People will certainly pay, and often the poorer the person the more they will pay. However, they will only pay for certain brands. We seem to be in a weird place with clothes at the moment, the brands that were typically in the middle, M&S, Next, etc are the ones that are struggling as they are “expensive” compared to primark and the supermarkets. However, on the flip side to that, they aren’t a big enough brand to attract the business that places like Flannels, are getting. Selling brands like stone island for hundreds of pounds and it’s everywhere, so plenty of people are paying those prices, just not for those places.

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questions4all-2022@reddit

It's a bit of both. Cheap fashion incentives variety and range for cheap. My cousin for example has about 5 coats and jackets (£100 total) to match her fashion on the day. I have one coat that I spent £100 on and I've been using it for over 4 years. She says I'm dumb for spending so much and I look boring but two of her coats are falling apart. This kind of mentality is why Temu and shein make so much.

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TheDettiEskimo@reddit

Yeah completely true. I buy most of my jackets from Rohan, so good quality outdoor or waterproofs. I am now going through and trying to upgrade my wardrobe to having a few good quality items that work well together and will last. I am looking for a jacket and a Carhartt is gonna be my pick and that will be >£100. I have never bought fast fashion it was usually skate style t-shirts which aren't cheap either.

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dalehitchy@reddit

I wanted some Doc martens but I heard it was now china that made them. That led me onto the brand Solovair which was the factory that originally made doc martins. So I went with them instead

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doop_de_doop3000@reddit

i just paid £319 for a coat and when it arrived it was shit and they’d used photoshop to make it look better on the website they advertised it as “viscose lining”. it has no lining but a small amount in the sleeves. very poorly constructed. thin material, a single layer. shaped like a winter coat but would be freezing to wear. awful garment the low quality of which i am stunned by. obviously it’s going back. why not go to high street and get something in person instead? tried it, everything there was shit made of polyester and just as bad. this has been my experience of buying clothes this year, everything i see is pure shit. the internet killed the high street, and then they started selling shit when there was nothing left to stop them. they’re relying on people to lose our cultural memory of what proper garments should be like so that their trash becomes the new normal, and it’s working. i’m getting my money back on the coat and just buying a sewing machine. it has got to the stage where i am sure that i just need one or two lessons before i can literally just do it better myself

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blozzerg@reddit

Even Primark has declined. I wear tights a lot as I never really wear trousers or jeans and have been buying them from Primark for ~20 years; when I was a teenager they used to be really stretchy and you could pull them right up to your tits, they wouldn’t roll down and would last a fair while. Just cheap, comfy tights. Over time the length of them has been reduced, so now I can barely get them to sit over my hips (this is not just because I’ve grown up this happened as an adult!) and they would constantly roll down. There’s also less elastin in them so less stretch, meaning they split at the seams and you get holes in the crotch, and they slide down your legs so you’re constantly pulling them up, and they’re really easy to put holes in because of this. No joke I was buying new pairs monthly because they would disintegrate, but they were super cheap so I didn’t mind, but in the past few years the price has increased by 50%+ so I refuse to buy them now. I actually spent a lot more on better quality tights that fit and that I have yet to replace because they last. Wish I did that years ago.

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kairu99877@reddit

You know what doesn't cost buttons? Rent. You know what else you can't pay in buttons? Taxes.

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Norman_debris@reddit

Does anyone actually think of tax as an expense they can't afford? Like, I wouldn't even know I paid tax if I didn't look at my payslip.

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kairu99877@reddit

Yes. When you can't afford the cost of rent, bills and food, tax is certainly a significant factor in why you can't afford those things. Especially when you're taxed at probably 50% of your income when you income tax, student loans, national insurance, council tax, hell, even VAT on every purchase. Its all completely and utterly smothering. But who cares. Let the peasants suffer (or flee the country and live in poverty in another country just to avoid paying taxes in your own country out of spite because you refuse to support the regime that's destroyed any prospects or dreams you had of a financially viable future in your own country).

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Norman_debris@reddit

The problem of not earning enough is exactly that: a problem of not earning enough. It doesn't make sense to consider your taxes as this kind of extra cost you have to pay. Your take-home pay is what matters. Unless you're one of these who believes taxation is theft.

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kairu99877@reddit

I don't believe taxation is theft. But I do believe taxes are WAY too high in this country and they are still a primary reason why living is unaffordable. With this cost of living, the personal income tax allowance needs to be raised to march the coat of living. Which I believe to be around £1200 per month in essential costs. So the personal income tax allowance should probably be raised to £15,000 per year.

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SilyLavage@reddit

People have lost the ability to tell good clothing and shoes from bad, as well. Doc Martens, for example, are alright but by no means a premium boot. Although marketed as a rugged, durable product they use relatively thin leather and are mostly single-stitched. They lack a shank, which isn’t a disaster but means the midsection of the shoe isn’t as supported as it could be. They’re also difficult to re-sole, which in my opinion is a major negative for footwear. I’m not saying that Doc Martens are terrible and that anyone who’s bought them is an idiot, far from it. It’s more that a middling boot has been elevated to a great boot through branding and some people can’t tell the difference because they don’t know what makes good footwear.

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MadamKitsune@reddit

I always wore Docs as my every day footwear and used to be able to keep wearing them until the soles wore thin. Then the last two pairs I had both split in under 6 months (One at the heel, one between the body of the boot on the sole). I stopped getting them after that. It's too much money to spend on something that won't last.

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cgknight1@reddit

>They lack a shank, which isn’t a disaster They used to have a shank but were removed for cost purposes. Solivairs still have them. I have never owned any but used them as an example because people know what they are. If I talked about Tricker's which I do wear the comment would be disrailed by people saying "how much?"

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IneptusMechanicus@reddit

I wear Trickers among other brands and they are expensive, but honestly for most people if you want to get 90% of the way there I'd suggest scooping some Loakes in a sale, if I compare my Stows and my Bedales the Stow is a better boot but honestly the Bedales are perfectly good too.

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SilyLavage@reddit

Linking to my overall point, people know what Doc Martens are but don't know what makes a good boot; they trust the brand and don't look too closely at the quality because they don't have the literacy to do so. I count myself in this, so don't think I'm being snobby. Most people are no longer brought up with a knowledge of clothing construction, so they don't know which fabrics are robust and which aren't, or which stitches last and which come undone. It's not a personal failing, but addressing it would be a good thing.

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SatisfactionMoney426@reddit

A friend of my dads who ran a quality shoe shop for 50 years always said it's at least a weeks wages for a good pair of shoes. So around £500 today seems a fair price.

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SilyLavage@reddit

I don't think it's a bad price for something which should last you decades with the appropriate care. The issue is that many people don't have £500 hanging around, and that saving up £500 for a good pair of shoes just isn't as exciting or glamorous as fast fashion.

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SatisfactionMoney426@reddit

I bought a pair of Trickers heavy brogues in 1986 for cost price £54. Worn a lot and repaired a few times but still good condition after over 30 years. Gave them away a few years ago to a vintage shoe collector and wearer so they're still going...

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reverse_mango@reddit

Charity and vintage shops ftw! Also doesn’t make me feel guilty for buying unnecessary clothing lol.

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cgknight1@reddit

Never had much luck with Charity shops as most stuff for men seems to be from when people die and with styles to match.

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Academic-Bug-4597@reddit

> Dr Martins could be still made in the UK but people don't want to pay that price They have a "Made in England" range, which is more expensive, and it sells just fine. https://www.drmartens.com/uk/en_gb/unisex/made-in-england/c/04310000

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Sad_Lecture_3177@reddit

What would the price be if doctor Martins were made in the UK??! They're like £200 quid as it is now!

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cgknight1@reddit

So that is mainly just margin because it's not going into the product. Solovair who used to make for DM are still made in the UK and are superior for that type of product: https://uk.nps-solovair.com/

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Sad_Lecture_3177@reddit

Interesting, thanks! This whole thread has been enlightening and helpful. I had a pair of doc Martins but only because I saw them on sale for £50 at a time when I needed new boots. Seven years later they've just fallen apart and I'm confused and overwhelmed in the market for new ones!

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Consistent-Salary-35@reddit

It’s an interesting one. I only buy in person, so I can look and feel. I have coats from New Look and Tesco which have lasted years and *always* draw compliments. They were cheap (£40). I’ve also had coats from ‘quality’ and ‘ethical’ brands that didn’t last the season before losing buttons/looking tired. We can try and rationalise it, but imo it’s a complete lottery.

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Phyllida_Poshtart@reddit

Once upon a time M&S was world famous for only manufacturing in the UK. I remember a couple of my Australian relatives coming over and shopping till they dropped at M&S due to the great quality. Then M&S started to decline and couldn't keep up with the fashions and ended up like everywhere else, outsourcing

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SatisfactionMoney426@reddit

My Aunt in the 80/90s was a quality checker for an M&S supplier. The factory seconds were ridiculously cheap and indistinguishable (to me) from the shop stuff. Tiny mistakes in buttonholes etc. but quality checking was extremely rigorous then.

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Jolly_Constant_4913@reddit

Hard to bring back now. Those skills are gone and the workers move on

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Phyllida_Poshtart@reddit

Hell the factories are gone just like the carpet mills. Textile industry is no more in this country as "too expensive" to complete against China India Turkey etc

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Jolly_Constant_4913@reddit

You're right but sadly when these companies were on their last legs in the recession many couldn't survive without going abroad and the best brands failed to make the case for high quality goods. Times have improved but it's hard to reintroduce skills and reverse supply chains when the equipment costs a lot. Many other factors too obviously don't help like the lack of housing. My first job was a DIY chain who made it big because Thatcher gave away all these houses to people with disposable income. How many btl landlords want expensive stuff? They look down on tenants

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I_am_the_wrong_crowd@reddit

I used to buy Doc Martens all the time but despite still paying £180 for a pair they fall apart within a relatively short period of time. So no more DM's for me. I have still got a pair going strong from 25 years ago when they were Made in England. I know there are still some MIE available but jeez have you seen the price of those? The brand went downhill when manufacturing was started abroad.

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AfterCl0ck@reddit

I recommend solovair as an alternative. They're made in the old DM factory with DM lasts, great quality, and don't cost much more than the standard DM equivalent. I've had mine for 4 years, wear them several times a week, and they still look great.

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I_am_the_wrong_crowd@reddit

I've not heard of solovair before. Thanks for that, I'll have a look 😊

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EasilyInpressed@reddit

I saw Doc Martens mentioned and came here to spread the word of Solovair. They’re handmade in an old Doc Marten factory and cost the same as Docs except they last longer, can more easily be resoled, and they’re made in the UK and not China.

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blaisesummer@reddit

This is surprising to me. I’m on my fifth year with my doc martens (the classic lace up ones) and they’re good as new and seriously comfy! And I’ve worn the hell out of them. In that five years I also bought some Doc boots (like Chelsea boots type ones) and Doc sandals (gladiator ones) and I absolutely love them. Never had issues with the quality and I absolutely intend to be wearing them all in another five years. Had no idea some peoples docs were falling apart??

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TheDevilsButtNuggets@reddit

And I've heard that even if you do pay the extra £150-200 for the made in the UK DMs, they're still not that much of an improvement of the standard ones in terms of product life

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cgknight1@reddit

Yeah they are crap and not worth the money - various videos showing them cut in half and explaining the problem.

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Mar27w@reddit

There has been a progressive decline in clothes quality particularly over the last 5 years. As more brands look to continually cut costs and maximise profits, they have all moved to Chinese manufacturers and basically went with the lowest bidder. This means little thought for quality or tailoring to European sizes.

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DosCanones19@reddit

Check out Asphalte.com Good stuff, you can use my referral code for a discount of 15€ on your first order: AMIJANOQF3HV

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OutsideGood2007@reddit

The stitching in clothing these days are not double stitched and absence of linings in coats irritate me but still going for around £350! It’s a bit of a hit and miss across brands. Lots of expensive brands with labels from China if you look in the garment so think they get it from the same suppliers.

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Neverbeenthere-1988@reddit

That's why I always try to buy my clothes in Western Southern European countries, where there're still many small factories producing high quality clothing with very affordable prices, without polluting the environment and, at the same time, avoiding helping the rich get richer.

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SatisfactionMoney426@reddit

I moved from a decade of WFH in the countryside to London 3 years ago so needed decent smart clothing. I started at M&S, Jaeger or Autograph, most have been very very poor quality for the price, £80 a shirt I think, but it hasn't lasted. The only items I've still got after a year and in good condition are the Merino polo necks but at £100 each they should be. The best stuff I've bought for everyday is from Gant. Looks good, comfortable, and lasts. Liberty sale is my other stuff. Some of it is ridiculous at full price, £180 for a plain shirt, £500 shoes, but the fit and quality is excellent. I was lucky to get two Ted Baker 100% wool coats for about £200 each in their closing down sale as it's near impossible to find similar quality now at 4 or 5 times the price. Prices have gone up massively while quality has plummeted.

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iwanttobeacavediver@reddit

Have you looked at Charles Tyrwhitt or similar? They seem to be very good from what I've seen and they also do 2 for 1/3 for 2 deals or similar sometimes.

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SatisfactionMoney426@reddit

I have had a couple of shirts from Trywhitt, quite a while back. Will have to try them again as they were well made and good value. Hope they still are...

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iwanttobeacavediver@reddit

Nearly every man in my family owns some of their stuff and has always said it was good. It's worth a try, especially as like I've mentioned, there's often offers like 'buy X amount for Y GBP' or similar so you might find you can really bulk your wardrobe while also saving some money.

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Shoddy-Computer2377@reddit

I've noticed a terrible decline in the quality of 'proper' jeans from the likes of Lee, Levi, Wrangler etc. Some of the more recent pairs I've bought are fit for the bin within 18 months unless I take proactive measures like ironing on patches to the inside of the crotch, and suchlike. Meanwhile I have some M&S jeans that cost me £35 back in 2019 and there's still nowt wrong with them.

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iwanttobeacavediver@reddit

My uncle said this some time ago. He had a pair of jeans from Next which he'd had for 19 years until they finally got tatty enough to be not worth wearing. He then went out and bought a new pair of (I think) Levis. They lasted a year.

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Significant_Ad9019@reddit

I bought Nudie jeans thinking they would be better made and harder wearing than ones from the high street, and I managed to wear right through one knee within a year. It's not like I'm crazy hard on my clothes.

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Joemac30@reddit

If you are looking at buying good quality jumper it’s now going to cost over £60 where you used to be able to get a good quality one for £30

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maidenyorkshire@reddit

Timberlands seem good quality recently, no problems here

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Accurate-Flatworm361@reddit

I have a Reebok jumper I bought in the mid 90s which was, I think, £40 at the time. Still got it, worn semi regularly and there is NOTHING wrong with it. Now, I agree, nothing lasts. But not that recent a phenomenon.

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Alwaysonabike@reddit

It’s M&S for certain. My elderly mother likes cardigans and had bought from M&S for years. The ones she gets now only last a year as they get very wrung out looking and generate bobbles very quickly indeed. We concluded it’s their ‘recycled’ stuff they use and it’s garbage.

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poppyedwardsPE@reddit (OP)

It's so annoying!! And they're only increasing prices too!

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AnonymousOkapi@reddit

I shop pretty much exclusively in outdoor discount stores and they still seem ok. North face, Mountain Warehouse, Cragghoppers etc. Still more than M+S etc. with the mark down, but stuff seems to last.

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RedPlasticDog@reddit

All the mid range shops seems to be broadly same quality as primark but for more money.

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Honest_Scot@reddit

I noticed this especially with New Look, more expensive than primark but the quality is just the same.

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RedPlasticDog@reddit

Was new look ever trying to be mid range though? Always had it pinned as another BHS replacement.

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Honest_Scot@reddit

I class it as mid range but i don’t know 🤣

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ramapyjamadingdong@reddit

I said this to my mum just yesterday! I see it as another version of shrinkflation. Reduce the quality of fabric, move the sewing to a cheaper factory.

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roxieh@reddit

Surely SOMEWHERE must still offer decent, expensive clothes.

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IneptusMechanicus@reddit

There's a ton of smaller clothing brands in the UK like Blackhorse Lane, Hawksmill and HebTroCo that make good stuff as well as a surprising number of woollen specialists too. We also have one of the best leather jacket makers in the world in the UK in Aero Leathers.

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SomethingPeach@reddit

Uniqlo isn’t too bad.

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Switchnaz@reddit

I genuinely believe all the uniqlo comments on reddit are sponsored ads because half the shit i get from there is rubbish

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Penguin1707@reddit

Uniqlo is trash I feel like people are lying to themselves. I have tried them multiple times and all the stuff is cheap tat. Perhaps it was good at one point, but not now.

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RachosYFI@reddit

I only wear plain black t shirts, interspersed with the occasional plain grey t shirt. I've been shopping all over to try and get the best for a decent price. I quite like Rapanui for this. Last time I bought 10 t shirts for about sixty quid

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SerendipitousCrow@reddit

I've had a real problem lately with black trousers becoming faded It used to be I'd chub rub a hole in the thigh but these days it's colour fading causing me to chuck them away when their integrity has been maintained

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ans-myonul@reddit

I've noticed it too - I bought some trousers from Next last year and now the seams are frayed in multiple places. I have other pairs of jeans that I bought from a charity shop at the same time as the Next trousers and the seams on those are fine

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--BooBoo--@reddit

I bought a Phase 8 dress from John Lewis this week - what I would consider a reasonably luxury brand from a decent department store, and it was £110 so definitely wasn't cheap. It was velvet with a chiffon sleeve and top, and when it arrived the velvet was so thin it was see through (I didn't even know velvet could be see through!) and where the two fabrics joined across the top of the dress they had just been cut and stitched together, so you could see the rough edge of both fabrics - not hemmed or sewn on the inside. The design was super cute but the quality looked like something you would get from Temu or a market stall - for £110 quid!

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full_circa@reddit

I bought a pair of jeans from M&S ~six months ago and they already have holes in them. I actually cried because some jeans I'd bought from H&M literally fell apart within a few months too, major rips all over them, belt loops pulled off with little effort...I literally work in an office, these jeans don't have to go through any hard labour, and then I spent extra at M&S hoping I would get good quality and I did not. I've totally lost faith in any of my go-to brands.

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Footprints123@reddit

Yes! Not in terms of smell but the material bobbles really quickly or is thinner and breaks more easily. Example. I love F&F stuff. I bought a lovely jumper and a really comfy pair of joggers a couple of years back. They are still going strong. I decided to get the same again a couple of months back and already the joggers are really bobbled and wearing thin in places and the jumper has holes in and frayed. I've had this experience at a few places. I know it's bad, but honestly, I've got better stuff from Shein.

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I2RFreely@reddit

I bought some joggers from m and s a few years ago and they bobbled badly on the very first wash

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poppyedwardsPE@reddit (OP)

The same thing happened to my mum!! It's so frustrating they're meant to be quality brands

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I_am_the_wrong_crowd@reddit

I bought a pair of leather chelsea boots from M&S at the start of this year and within 6 months the sole had started to come off. I do think the quality of their products has gone down and they are still trading on people thinking they are a reputable brand. It needs sorting out because it's put me off from buying there again.

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kindaadulting87@reddit

I bought a pair of the leather chisel toe boots two weeks ago. I wore them for four hours and they looked like they'd been worn for months. I paid £75 for them - not cheap. I had to take them back - so a 1.5 hour train trip - to my nearest store because it was either that or post it in and they'd 'have a look, but no guarantee of timings or a refund.' so off I went to Notts and got the money back. I looked at their other shoes while I was there and the quality of most were horrendous for the price. And the sizing everywhere for their own brand shoes. Really disappointed.

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cgknight1@reddit

On the shoes front I don't ever remember M&S ever making good shoes. Always glued together stuff with a fake welt (the stitching around the sides). The only times I remember good shoes from M&S is when they did special "made in england" collections and sub-contracted out to loake or similar.

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fionakitty21@reddit

Regarding jeggings, it might sound lame, but I was low on funds and got a pair from pep and co/poundland (£9) and they are by far the best I've got! Better than the h and m and m and s ones I have! So much so, I went back the following month and got 2 more pairs! No colour transfers, no loss of colour from washing etc!

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Honest_Scot@reddit

I got a few pairs on Amazon, they’ve lasted me much longer than the ones I got from New Look or M&S.

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Inkblot7001@reddit

For me, no. I now seem to find much better quality than I used to.

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SunDriedFart@reddit

yea i just stick to the more reputable shops/brands and the quality is spot on.

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Significant_Ad9019@reddit

Can you name some names please? 🙏

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cuibksrub3@reddit

If you live in a normal town with a normal high street, you can't buy good clothes in person. By used and by online, great clothes can be had for very cheap. Obviously it wouldn't work if everyone did this but, for now it works well for me.

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Significant_Ad9019@reddit

Second hand is a good shout. I've had some good luck on Vinted. I used to buy nearly everything from Long Tall Sally (I'm 5'10") and it was quite bland style-wise but well made and fitted really nicely. I knew if I bought a certain size there, it was guaranteed to fit. The company was bought out by a fast fashion brand a few years ago, and now the quality is horrendous and the fit is incredibly inconsistent. Luckily you can find 'original' LTS on Vinted quite easily though.

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StCathieM@reddit

Pyjamas from M&S have really declined in quality. Have switched to John Lewis, their own brand is so much better.

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Significant_Ad9019@reddit

I like PJ Pan for cotton pyjamas - not cheap, but made in the UK and they have extra long leg options.

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spherical-chicken@reddit

Yep, M&S was my go-to shop for pjs but the last pair I bought shrunk in the wash.

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cgknight1@reddit

I like cyber jammies.

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Retrogamer2245@reddit

As others have said, this isn't a very recent thing. I've been noticing it for at least 10 years myself now. M&S are the one I have noticed the most though because their clothes always meant good quality in the past so you didn't mind spending more. Now, you are charged the same amount for clothes which are poorer quality than low-cost rivals. I had to buy some smart black trousers and went to M&S. The trousers cost £38 and when I tried them on, they were see-through! The material was so thin and I could tell that just one snag would potentially tear it, so I went to Matalan instead and paid £17 for two pairs of smart black trousers. Both pairs are still going strong over 5 years later. I wouldn't mind the decline in M&S quality so much if the price went down to reflect the quality, but the price is still ridiculously high!

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Ravenser_Odd@reddit

M&S have been my go-to for basics for years and I hate the decline. The cheap cotton used in trouser pockets that means my keys soon wear a hole in it. The socks that come with a misshapen bulge over the little toe, like an extra big toe. The stuff that bobbles after the first wash. None of that used to happen. I would rather they put the prices up, than cut the quality to stay at a price point. They were known for reliable quality. If they let that go, they have no reason to exist.

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Jolly_Constant_4913@reddit

Debenhams had cheap looking socks too like that. Never tried them as the fake brand names put me off

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Significant_Ad9019@reddit

I think Debenhams is now owned by one of the grim fast fashion brands. They bought the name and the website after it went bust.

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Jolly_Constant_4913@reddit

Philip Green the owner was the face of new internet fashion when they went for it and destroyed the brand as it was.

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Flapparachi@reddit

I feel the same way about Joe Browns!

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Less-Badger-7064@reddit

Yes. I started buying used older clothes because of it. I don't care about the cost so price has never been an issue. I do care that clothes can last longer than 5 washes. I like printed t shirts. Vast majority I find online that are new have been printed with direct to garment. It's super cheap for companies and usually can last 2 washes before peeling, It's utter utter shit. So now if I see a product is printed using it. I don't buy it. I just end up wasting any money spent on these type of prints. That plus the "new" type of sustainable cotton companies are using means it feels like shit as well. So Untill they sort themselves out. Il buy old

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Jolly_Constant_4913@reddit

I shop most of my clothes in Indian malls. It's the same price but infinitely better quality. UK brands lost their way a long time ago; neither unique, not cheap and incredibly poor quality

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Ironsilversaltandtea@reddit

At Indian malls in the UK?

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Jolly_Constant_4913@reddit

I go over every couple of years and do a big shop

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Ecomalive@reddit

Huge. Got a standard pack of m&s t shirts and not only is the quality poor but they're all mis-shaped too.

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poppyedwardsPE@reddit (OP)

It's so disappointing, m&s has always been my go to shop, but I think I'll have to start looking elsewhere now

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Ecomalive@reddit

Not sure there are any half decent low cost options anymore, sadly.

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thymeisfleeting@reddit

Not cheap-cheap but I recommend Rapanui for t shirts. I’m wearing one today I bought at least 3 years ago and it’s fine.

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Ravenser_Odd@reddit

I have M&S Blue Harbour t-shirts from donkey's years ago that are still good. Their new ones don't compare, the necks just stretch. You can see that the neckline used to be broader and better stitched.

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madcheco@reddit

It seems there's a significant decline in the quality of EVERYTHING.

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emil_@reddit

This will be the case until this stupid YoY growth mentality doesn't die.

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kairu99877@reddit

There's a decline in the quality. But definitely not the price.

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Vikkio92@reddit

Welcome to capitalism, enjoy your stay.

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marsman@reddit

I mean if we are talking about clothing, the decline in quality has gone hand in hand with a massive decline in price (and an explosion in variety).

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madcheco@reddit

Pay more, get less 🤣 sadly the way it will always be

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kairu99877@reddit

Good thing we have state funerals. Because I'll never own a house, will likely commit suicide when I can't afford to retire and I'm too old to work, and there definitely won't be enough left for a funeral. And I certainly won't have kids to manage my estate when I'm dead. It'll be more of a ask my friends who wants what of my few worldly possessions and then just leave my rotten corpse for the landlord to find 6 months after he realises the rent payments stopped. There's a bright future for todays generation.

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cgknight1@reddit

I wear Tricker's - if there is a decline in quality I cannot spot it.

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poppyedwardsPE@reddit (OP)

For all the comments saying it's been happening over the last 10/15 years - I agree but I feel like in recent months/years there's been a HUGE decline in quality very very quickly

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Rhigrav@reddit

I think it's both - there's been a steady decline in quality with the rise of fast fashion, but in recent years it feels like different price points are levelling out quality-wise to a point where even 'higher end' high street stuff seems equally bad. I've got t-shirts from Primark in the early 2000s that are still wearable (although obviously they were never 'high quality'), whereas ones I've bought more recently in M&S have lasted a year or two, tops. My parents have cheap t-shirts from the 80s and 90s that they still wear and are in better shape than either.

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marsman@reddit

>where even 'higher end' high street stuff seems equally bad. I think that has been a natural consequence of the 'higher end' brands realising that they can also make more by reducing costs and material quality, coupled with the need to compete with cheaper brands. A lot of brands also generally seem to have never really had the quality that people ascribe to them, just the cachet of the brand itself. That said, if you want decent clothing, you can absolutely still get it, it's just more expensive and you have to know whether you are looking at something that is good quality, or just expensive because of who sells it.

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EfficientPapaya488@reddit

I recently bought a top from m&s and the thread at the sleeve all started coming loose on the first wear. It’s happening to the other sleeve now too.

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blaisesummer@reddit

I really miss high street topshop. The quality of that was so good and even t shirts I bought from there 5+ years ago haven’t bobbled and look new. I realise they’re on asos but it was so useful to have somewhere I could try on jeans without having to order tonnes of sizes and then send loads back. The topshop jeans on asos are great anyway tbf, but I miss having topshop on the high street for sizing I knew would fit and quality I knew was worth paying for and would last. I pretty much swapped to asos exclusively since topshop went from the high street, and it’s okay, now that I ve vetted which brands on there are decent, but that took a minute when I first started using asos.

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One-Fig-4161@reddit

Long story short, yes. Clothing quality has been dropping for decades but its now reached a critical point. It’s not just cheapness, it’s the entire pipeline. If you look up “why clothing is worse now” there’s 2 videos by Future Proof and the Iron Snail that explain the situation really well.

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Phyllida_Poshtart@reddit

And as a result of our throw away society, people don't learn to sew or mend and definitely don't "make do" lol Here's what happens to the shit tons of thrown away clothing in just one place in Ghana [https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/african-beach-mountain-used-clothes-33348947](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/african-beach-mountain-used-clothes-33348947) That is a beach believe it or not This is an entire stretch of road in Chile where thousands of tons of clothing are discarded.....scroll to almost the bottom and you can see the road [https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2023/oct/18/the-missing-link-is-textile-recycling-the-answer-to-fashions-waste-crisis](https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2023/oct/18/the-missing-link-is-textile-recycling-the-answer-to-fashions-waste-crisis)

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One-Fig-4161@reddit

You’re missing the forest for the trees here if you want to blame individuals for not learning to sew. Everything sold today is made of shit, it’s not even worth repairing. People buy what they’re given, and they’re given crap because there’s no profit motive in making long lasting repairable clothing.

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Phyllida_Poshtart@reddit

There was no blame it was a statement of fact that few people nowadays know how to sew knit repair darn, because they don't need to due to the cheap shit we are used to buying now.Thought that was self evident my apologies if it wasn't hard in type

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Jolly_Constant_4913@reddit

I buy my clothes from a retailer and they last five years. Well worth the money. I don't know how they verified the quality. Otoh similar issue, used to work for a company as a export admin. Buyers didn't have a clue about quality, it was literally buy and pass off as own brand

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harebrained59@reddit

Have stopped shopping at M&S, the sizing is dreadful and quality is way down. Have always been the same size but last 2 pairs of jeans bought have been tiny! Don’t bother now…

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harebrained59@reddit

Ps go to John Lewis now, the everyday range is great

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Doomergeneration@reddit

Yeah I’ve really noticed it recently and sizing and fit are way off. I’m really struggling to buy clothes

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SilverstoneMonzaSpa@reddit

Some clothes. For work wear, my Charles Tyrwhitt shirts I bought last month look and feel the same as the ones I had a decade before donating them. Weirdly some casual brands, like Hollister, also have good quality clothes still. I picked up a few of their boxy tees and a hoody in a sale I saw posted on Reddit, and their quality has been fantastic. I've found M&S to be on the decline. Their shirts are similar to Next now, but with a higher price. I think you've just got to shop around. I'm going to buck the Reddit preference and say clothes shopping in person gives you a much better idea of the quality.

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Jacktheforkie@reddit

Show zone has certainly got very bad recently I have worn out a pair in 3 weeks, and I was driving a lot

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Gr1msh33per@reddit

Footwear. I'm a bloke and find shoes and boots in the main shocking quality. I just bought a pair of 'waterproof' boots that on first wear, in wet grass, soaked right through to my socks. I've returned them. Hush Puppies used to be great quality, now the stitching splits and the sole wears through in no time.

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DifferentWindow1436@reddit

LOL - you have to watch this SNL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKTN2OiR2R8. The answer is yes but not recently. It's been happening for the past maybe 10 years? Not sure about the UK. I live in Japan. I saw a video where they explained how clothing was being manufactured. It was quite illuminating.

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E5evo@reddit

Have a look at the label. It'll say, ' made in china'. That's why.

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Northern_Lights_2@reddit

It’s everywhere. Quality has been declining for years. I found this article interesting. It explains a lot regarding why. https://archive.ph/2023.10.11-111236/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/10/sweater-clothing-quality-natural-fibers-fast-fashion/675600/

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Northern_Lights_2@reddit

It’s everywhere. It’s been declining for years. I found this article interesting. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/10/sweater-clothing-quality-natural-fibers-fast-fashion/675600/

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Oak-Smoked-Salmon@reddit

Primark’s chinos have been okayish but they feel very cheap now. They are thinner than they used to be and the cut is not as refined. It’s like wrapping your legs in a messily sewn piece of tablecloth.

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SomethingPeach@reddit

Yes. I find it so difficult to buy clothes in shops nowadays. Everything is either polyester or polyester mixed with something even worse like acrylic. I try to get everything second hand now and make sure it's made from decent materials.

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