[vladvasiliu]

What kinda pisses me off with these things is that cost isn't a reliable indicator of quality. A lot of luck seems to be involved.

I've worn a 15 € supermarket-brand hoodie around the house for about ten years before it started showing any signs of fatigue at the elbows. I've had more expensive, "name brand" articles of clothing wear out after much shorter and lighter use. In between, the absolute worst was a 30-40 € H&M blouse which became two sizes too big after a month.

[neom]

Cost isn't necessarily an indicator of quality, but it is an indicator (often, of consistency in a brand). I mentioned the price not because of quality indicator, but because of how I approach it, is how I give myself permission to buy expensive things (I think about it over time): if I know they will last and they are made to my standard. As mentioned here[1] the whole clothes thing is a bit of a hobby/process for me. The sweater I was particularly mentioning was hand made in South Korea (I actually visited the factor) - everyone is paid properly, and most of their stuff is low impact[2] meaning they don't fly materials all over the world to assemble the garment. The sheep for their wool for example, is from Japan. For me this is part of a wholistic approach I have to living my life while minimizing my impact, I keep all my clothes with the intention of passing them down. I've yet to find anything outerwear(hoodies, jeans, shorts etc) made to my standard that is less than $100, I'm not sure it's possible if you include responsible sourcing.

[1]https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39533939 [2]https://textileexchange.org/responsible-wool-standard/

[vladvasiliu]

Oh, I agree with your point. But I can't afford to fly around the world and inspect factories. Hell, even if I could, I wouldn't have the time and the inclination to learn what to look for.

> if I know they will last and they are made to my standard

That's exactly the issue. How do you know that as a regular person?

I'm mostly happy with my shirts for example, which I think are made locally in France (but don't know how they source their materials). Their quality seems to be fairly stable, and if I buy them on sale, they're very good value for money.

But with other name brands, it's been more hit and miss. Levi's jeans, for example. One pair has lasted so long, I don't even remember when I've bought it, used it a lot riding a motorbike. Another pair has started thinning between the thighs in maybe two years of lighter use (going to the office or out around town), and it's never even been close to my bike.

> I've yet to find anything outerwear(hoodies, jeans, shorts etc) made to my standard that is less than $100, I'm not sure it's possible if you include responsible sourcing.

I'm absolutely fine with paying more for garments that last. What I hate, is paying a ton and ending up with poor quality.

If you would be able to articulate what you look for in a quality garment, I'm sure a lot of people would be more than happy to read on it.

[rob74]

That's true, unfortunately. OTOH, I have several Tommy Hilfiger T-shirts bought in an outlet that lasted for 10+ years and still look Ok. I would say you're more likely to get quality out of "actual" brands than own-brands of stores such as H&M (which follow the fast-fashion trend too), but that's still not really reliable I'm afraid...

[JumpCrisscross]

> you're more likely to get quality out of "actual" brands than own-brands of stores such as H&M (which follow the fast-fashion trend too)

Fashion brands aren't build for quality. They're built for aesthetic. If given a trade-off between ruggedness and something more frivolous and daring, a fashion brand should pick the latter. That's how they differentiate.

[rjzzleep]

I once bought a Burberry hoodie in a Turkish market (not the ones with the name plastered all over it, subtitle little tag in a corner). It lasted for many years and my girlfriend at the time who was a lawyer at a prestigious lawfirm and lived in Kensington Ave. London thought it was the greatest piece of clothing I possessed. It cost 15 Euros, but probably only because I didn't know how to bargain properly, and it never occurred to her that it wasn't a real name brand apparel.

The sibling below mentions Tommy Hilfiger, and it just reminded me that one of the worst pieces of clothing I ever bought was from a Tommy store in New York.

One store that's absolutely worth a visit if you live in NY is the century 21 outlet mall near ground zero. I've been there twice when I attended a conference and you get really good quality clothing for cheap, that was absolutely worth it. Every single one of those lasted a long time.

[dr_dshiv]

How do you just buy guaranteed classics. i.e., I want the heinz ketchup of wardrobe items. Consistency. I mean, Levi 501 is an example... but beyond that, everything I wear is so basic but it keeps changing. Even Nike Airforce One's keep changing so much. I just want a black shirt that stays black, black pants that actually fit and don't rip, a black sweater that doesn't pill much, a black jacket that I can beat the hell out of... etc.

[actualwitch]

I've seen a lot of people say that 501's got noticeably worse over the years. If you want good jeans buy traditional selvedge denim, you know the ones that can stand by themselves if you put them because they are so dense. Back then it was protective clothing so they are very durable.

[vladvasiliu]

I'm one of those people, though I don't use 501s specifically. I've noticed Levis quality has become hit-and-miss. I have two pairs, bought at the same time. Same model, same color, only the length is different [0], but same waist size.

They don't even fit the same! One is clearly larger, whereas the other was skin-tight when new. One seems somewhat thicker than the other.

[jstarfish]

Buy "work" clothes. Dickies, Carhartt, etc. for socks and jackets. Pants too if you like the fit.

Doc Martens for footwear if you like boots; they're mendable.

Tilly's shirts have held up surprisingly well for me but I think they carry Dickies stuff there anyway.

Dryers degrade most clothing and cause pilling. Avoid them and hang dry wherever possible.

[chiefalchemist]

In the last 15 yrs, I've used a dryer no more that three times. Aside from being better for clothes, it's less gas / electricity (i.e., better on the environment). Sans super high humidity, it's not a bad habit to have.

[esskay]

Yup price != quality at all.

I too have a hoodie which is probably going on 15 years old now. It's finally started getting faded and looking a bit old but still very much usable, think it came from Walmart when I was visiting the US.

In the same vein I've got an old pair of dirt cheap trainers I bought on another US trip in about 2008, still abosolutely fine and cost under $20. In contrast the expensive pair of converse I bought less than 2 years ago are already falling apart.

[adql]

Soo much that. I just want stuff that doesn't fall apart. I don't care much for fashion, I just don't want to buy pants every 2 years