> Different grades perform differently, making it tricky for consumers to live by hard-and-fast shopping rules like “no polyester.”
I still prefer to avoid it entirely, mostly for health reasons, but also because it's never felt good on me. These days I simply won't buy something unless it's made of cotton, wool, or silk, manufactured in US, Europe, or Japan.
Needless to say I don't buy many new clothes. Thanks to second hand sellers in Japan, I don't have to.
In person ideally. I had a lot of good finds in Shimokitazawa, but any Hard Off or 2nd Street in a tier 2/3 city will have some remarkably quality material for reasonable prices.
buyee.jp will let you shop online, but the shipping is nuts for single items. It's not as bad if you commit to buying dozens of articles within 30 days.
I mostly search for classic brands that don't attract hypebeasts. Less competition and scams: Brioni, Zegna, Givenchy, Aquascutum, Pringle, etc.
There's tons of secondhand clothing stores in Tokyo. There's also individuals selling online on Yahoo! Auctions and Mercari, and also in-person at the weekend flea markets around town.
What happened is that mass produced goods became essentially free whilst scarce goods skyrocketed in price such that most people don't feel that they can afford to spend on quality items any more.
50 years ago, rent was a lower proportion of the weekly budget, food, clothing, household goods etc were higher.
Now it's basically all rent/mortgage/land cost and people expect to be able to spend 2% of their budget on clothes which obviously results in endless plastic crap. It's no different in other areas of consumer goods, see smart TVs, phones that go obsolete after two years, etc.
I have a cotton t-shirt from the 80's that has been in the washer probably over 100 times and still looks almost new.
Meanwhile, recently bought t-shirts last about 10-20 cycles tops before they are worn out completely, regardless of the price paid. Of course there are still large quality differences, but you realy have to check the fabric, not the brandne or pricetag.
My most recent good plain Ts came in a 3 pack for 10€, an are much higher quality than an A tier brand one that I had to buy in an emergency for 30€.
Most of my tee shirts are washed most weeks--at a guess five out of six weeks. Now that I no longer hang them on hooks overnight, they really don't wear out. I have to think that the go at least 200 wash cycles. My wife will grumble if they start to look mangy, but the last one she pitched was an REI nylon tee shirt purchased in 2002 or so, and worn probably once a week in cool (running) weather.
They do this with economic consumer price indices all the time. Swap out the stuff that people bought before with the new inferior alternative and call it even. You'll accept the garbage clothing and garbage food (bugs, soy crumbs, oat flavored water), cramped apartment, rushed doctor appointment, etc., and you'll like it.
Of course the root of the problem is inflation which is a result of debasement of the money, a consequence of unrestrained (federal) government spending.
New socks in the last 5 years have been visibly poor quality. The nylon band that hugs your leg loses it's stretch after a few dozen washes.
My older socks of the same price and (seemingly visible) quality from 10+ years still have nylon going strong.
I've had to adapt to this by now rolling my socks together before putting them in the drawer, instead of bundling them, as I have done for these past X decades.
I'm curious how you make socks last for 10+ years?
I have around 25 pairs of socks, rotate them, wear socks daily and have to retire them after around two years, because they start getting holes. Never had problems with the nylon band though.
You can easily stitch up "toe-holes" and tears on the vertical can be patched with other socks. I draw the line at holes on the sole though, they never quite feel the same so I toss those into the use-as-scrap pile.
I think it's become too cheap to be a status symbol anymore. Well heeled used to mean rich because you had to have money to get decent shoe heels. Now anyone can get decent shoes so why worry about it.
Tangential to the topic of garbage quality clothing is the whole idea of "distressed" clothing. Brand new clothing deliberately damaged, faded and worn - presale. All in the name of fashion. What does that say about us?
Pre-holed jeans for instance are basically a way to make the garment more interesting and show some skin. Clothing is as much for self-decoration to attract mates as it is for protection from the environment. All it says to me is that we are apes.
> Different grades perform differently, making it tricky for consumers to live by hard-and-fast shopping rules like “no polyester.”
I still prefer to avoid it entirely, mostly for health reasons, but also because it's never felt good on me. These days I simply won't buy something unless it's made of cotton, wool, or silk, manufactured in US, Europe, or Japan.
Needless to say I don't buy many new clothes. Thanks to second hand sellers in Japan, I don't have to.
How do you find secondhand sellers in Japan?
In person ideally. I had a lot of good finds in Shimokitazawa, but any Hard Off or 2nd Street in a tier 2/3 city will have some remarkably quality material for reasonable prices.
buyee.jp will let you shop online, but the shipping is nuts for single items. It's not as bad if you commit to buying dozens of articles within 30 days.
I mostly search for classic brands that don't attract hypebeasts. Less competition and scams: Brioni, Zegna, Givenchy, Aquascutum, Pringle, etc.
There's tons of secondhand clothing stores in Tokyo. There's also individuals selling online on Yahoo! Auctions and Mercari, and also in-person at the weekend flea markets around town.
What happened is that mass produced goods became essentially free whilst scarce goods skyrocketed in price such that most people don't feel that they can afford to spend on quality items any more.
50 years ago, rent was a lower proportion of the weekly budget, food, clothing, household goods etc were higher.
Now it's basically all rent/mortgage/land cost and people expect to be able to spend 2% of their budget on clothes which obviously results in endless plastic crap. It's no different in other areas of consumer goods, see smart TVs, phones that go obsolete after two years, etc.
I have a cotton t-shirt from the 80's that has been in the washer probably over 100 times and still looks almost new.
Meanwhile, recently bought t-shirts last about 10-20 cycles tops before they are worn out completely, regardless of the price paid. Of course there are still large quality differences, but you realy have to check the fabric, not the brandne or pricetag.
My most recent good plain Ts came in a 3 pack for 10€, an are much higher quality than an A tier brand one that I had to buy in an emergency for 30€.
Most of my tee shirts are washed most weeks--at a guess five out of six weeks. Now that I no longer hang them on hooks overnight, they really don't wear out. I have to think that the go at least 200 wash cycles. My wife will grumble if they start to look mangy, but the last one she pitched was an REI nylon tee shirt purchased in 2002 or so, and worn probably once a week in cool (running) weather.
They do this with economic consumer price indices all the time. Swap out the stuff that people bought before with the new inferior alternative and call it even. You'll accept the garbage clothing and garbage food (bugs, soy crumbs, oat flavored water), cramped apartment, rushed doctor appointment, etc., and you'll like it.
Of course the root of the problem is inflation which is a result of debasement of the money, a consequence of unrestrained (federal) government spending.
New socks in the last 5 years have been visibly poor quality. The nylon band that hugs your leg loses it's stretch after a few dozen washes.
My older socks of the same price and (seemingly visible) quality from 10+ years still have nylon going strong.
I've had to adapt to this by now rolling my socks together before putting them in the drawer, instead of bundling them, as I have done for these past X decades.
I'm curious how you make socks last for 10+ years?
I have around 25 pairs of socks, rotate them, wear socks daily and have to retire them after around two years, because they start getting holes. Never had problems with the nylon band though.
Brother make more than printers :-)
You can easily stitch up "toe-holes" and tears on the vertical can be patched with other socks. I draw the line at holes on the sole though, they never quite feel the same so I toss those into the use-as-scrap pile.
I think it's become too cheap to be a status symbol anymore. Well heeled used to mean rich because you had to have money to get decent shoe heels. Now anyone can get decent shoes so why worry about it.
Tangential to the topic of garbage quality clothing is the whole idea of "distressed" clothing. Brand new clothing deliberately damaged, faded and worn - presale. All in the name of fashion. What does that say about us?
Pre-holed jeans for instance are basically a way to make the garment more interesting and show some skin. Clothing is as much for self-decoration to attract mates as it is for protection from the environment. All it says to me is that we are apes.
You are right. What is sad is that that explains so much. But that's off topic here. Have a good one...