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I'm a little late to the conversation but reading through I thought of a few things to add (although I think I've forgotten most of them now) -
I sort of aggree with Faust that the prices of most designers seem outlandish.. then again, I know that even with those prices many struggle to keep there heads above water. If you you've ever seen what it takes to put some of these garments together, even in the factory, what's really a wonder is how cheap most of the stuff out there is - and the answer not only enormous production in the 3rd world but a complicated supply chain and very small profit margins all around that are regained by quantity..
Working back in the conversation, one of the initial things mentioned was the fact that a $40 Chinese made pair of jeans holds up as well or better than [fill in the blank].. I think it's a common misconception that China (or Korea, or Portugal, or the others) equals poor quality. In fact, a garment made in the US is generally made by Chinese, Koreans, or South Americans, a garment made in Japan is often made by Koreans, etc. And the seamstresses/seamsters in China, etc. are often highly "educated" and skilled. The bad rap probably comes from 1) the obvious difficulty of remote quality control and 2) brands producing there are, from the beginning, trying to cut costs and have likely done so with the design as well.
Which brings me to the last item, and that is the fact that good quality starts with the design. Although some things are an issue at the factory - for example, a silk may have been sturdily sewn together in sampling but the tension was neglected for production hence the falling apart that some experience with the thin yet strong fabrics - there are many very simply choices in the design process that can make a huge difference whether or not a garment falls apart. For example, one thing that has bewildered me is when people equate an absence of topstitching with quality. If it's not done right, this only makes the garment one stitch weaker where it sometimes really need the reinforcement. Although I'm not a fan of decorative topstiching, a little topstich around a welt pocket will go a long way to strenthen it. And some of the "experimental" garments really shouldn't have been released because they're simply acheiving what they want aesthetically and saying 'oh, fuck it' when it doesn't hold up.
Forgive the random ramble
I sort of aggree with Faust that the prices of most designers seem outlandish.. then again, I know that even with those prices many struggle to keep there heads above water. If you you've ever seen what it takes to put some of these garments together, even in the factory, what's really a wonder is how cheap most of the stuff out there is - and the answer not only enormous production in the 3rd world but a complicated supply chain and very small profit margins all around that are regained by quantity..
Working back in the conversation, one of the initial things mentioned was the fact that a $40 Chinese made pair of jeans holds up as well or better than [fill in the blank].. I think it's a common misconception that China (or Korea, or Portugal, or the others) equals poor quality. In fact, a garment made in the US is generally made by Chinese, Koreans, or South Americans, a garment made in Japan is often made by Koreans, etc. And the seamstresses/seamsters in China, etc. are often highly "educated" and skilled. The bad rap probably comes from 1) the obvious difficulty of remote quality control and 2) brands producing there are, from the beginning, trying to cut costs and have likely done so with the design as well.
Which brings me to the last item, and that is the fact that good quality starts with the design. Although some things are an issue at the factory - for example, a silk may have been sturdily sewn together in sampling but the tension was neglected for production hence the falling apart that some experience with the thin yet strong fabrics - there are many very simply choices in the design process that can make a huge difference whether or not a garment falls apart. For example, one thing that has bewildered me is when people equate an absence of topstitching with quality. If it's not done right, this only makes the garment one stitch weaker where it sometimes really need the reinforcement. Although I'm not a fan of decorative topstiching, a little topstich around a welt pocket will go a long way to strenthen it. And some of the "experimental" garments really shouldn't have been released because they're simply acheiving what they want aesthetically and saying 'oh, fuck it' when it doesn't hold up.
Forgive the random ramble
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