Hand knitter here with a data point on fiber content. When knitting a sock, even the most premium yarn manufacturers will put about 20%-25% polyester fiber into their wool sock yarns. This increases the durability of the yarn which is especially important when it comes to socks. They take a *lot* of wear. If you use 100% wool, that sock you spent hours knitting is going to wear out much faster. I have no inside knowledge into why the luxury brands are going for synthetic/natural fiber blends, but its possible that they could be making similar calculations as sock yarn manufacturers.
thank you for pointing it. I wanted to add the same comment. Adding polyester/another syntetic material, will make fabric more durable. 100% wool is very durable in thick knitted sweaters, but not when fabric is knitted from thinest, softest wool. And, for cotton, also less prone to crinkling (less creases or wrinkles). Easier to wear without ironing. it is not always, and not neccesary that adding polyester = cheeper and worse quality.
@@Isamolle wrong, that is a mistaken sensation. Some synthetic fibres are warmth than wool, lighter and are more resistant to erosion or moths. However, they can still have wool-like textures and feel similar to natural fibres. The main handicap, but not for all synthetics, is transpiration. And in the other hand we have animal abuse: everybody should watch the cuts and blood in sheep, or alpacas, not to mention how they tear the fur out of the angora rabbits with their terrified screams. Does our confort justify that cruelty?
I work in the textiles industry, to be specific I own a fabric mill that manufacture and sell fabric to brands like zara, h&m, arket, massimo to haute couture that sell around 3,000 usd per piece. To be honest, on the material side, yes to lower the cost we tend to use either cotton or polyester yarns. However, i can use some the most expensive yarns such as merino wool, but this rarely reflects as “quality” on the final garment. What really makes the difference is after wash shrinkages and construction. To increase the output garment makers work with shops that basically haphazardly sew the pieces together which lowers the quality. Shrinkage is not necessary something that you can buy with more money. It occurs when the dyehouses fuck up. And they up alllll the time. I mean like 5/10 orders, there are issues with shrinkages. No matter how attentive you are or how slow you are.
So, you are basically a RICH man spending his valuable time commenting in UA-cam... And you who say to sell to haute couture, doesn't heard about sanforization... "I don't know Rick, it looks fake...".
hello I have a question for you. If one was thinking of starting a tee shirt brand but want quality fabric woul you have any suggestions on this? thank you for your time
@@jasontaylor2237 Very low margins, too many competitors, do not start For quality fabrics, search for fabric agents in your area. In the states you would have better luck in NY or LA
Simple answer: Yeah expensive clothes do have better quality but it does not justify 10 times increase in price. This however only makes sense for common folk. If someone is loaded, this whole discussion is pointless.
This exactly. A 400 dollar white t-shirt has probably better seams, is maybe thicker tissue, better QC on the sticthing, embroidery instead of print etc. But is it worth 40 times the price of a "bad quality" (10 dollar?) t-shirt. Absolutely not and no fashion influencer ever will be able to convince me of this BS
@@asdfyxcv1100 the white t-shirt / basic items are pretty much a no brainer. But for statement pieces with unique design details.. that's where the differences matter and at that point it's much harder cheap out on it while expecting the lack of craftsmanship to go unnoticed. Luckily, there are million ways to create a great outfit with only basic items. No one ever really needs expensive stuff to look stylish
No probably not. Even if I had the money to buy from ultra luxury brands, I would most likely not. I would just get everything tailor made. I dislike brands like LV and Gucci. I think most of their things just straight up look bad.
As someone who’s totally ignorant about luxury brands, some friends of mine commented after awhile about how I never even noticed their several hundred dollar designer accessories, jackets, or shirts. I just didn’t see them as so stunning to have been worth that much (nor did I really care). And after awhile, they started realizing that when the appeal of an item is its brand name and price tag rather than the actual style appeal, to the average person with an untrained eye, this flex completely falls flat… Most people will pay the same amount of attention to a $700 shirt as a $17. What they really notice is how your overall look comes together, not how much you overpaid for a marginally better quality item
Something that I truly admire and appreciate from this video, is that you gave the obvious, intuitive result; but in the process, you explained your reasoning, and gave very useful insight into how to choose a garment with a good quality-price ratio. The final answer was expected, but I take away a lot of good information, and an amazing guide into how to buy good clothing. In summary: I noticed the dedication in the video, and it's highly appreciated. Good work, and thanks a lot!
I still have in my closet two rugby polo long sleeves from Ralph Lauren that I bought 18 years ago. They still look great and there are no signs of wear on them. On the other hand I’ve had a lot of H&M clothes and they barely survived 1 or 2 years. Very interesting video. I never thought of analyzing my clothes in that way I just buy them.
I've got a fleece jumper from the local home and hardware store. It's over a decade old , worn all the time, still going strong. Ok, the fleece looks a tad worn out after over a decade, but for 16€ it's definitely high durability which means it gets a "high quality"-label from me.
Polyester isn't always all bad! Even the holy grail wool coat, the Loro Piana Vicuña has Polyester, it cost $20,000 btw. Polyester, combining with wool prevents fray and maintains structure, results in a higher durability.
He forgot to mention there is actually high quality polyester. Same with leather items that is why not all genuine leather is better if you cut down on production process.
Polyester just isn't necessary in a wool garment if the wool has been milled/woven in the correct manner. That's the reason why overcoats of the past were more durable because they were 100% natural and made with superior manufacturing techniques. It's still a cost cutting measure even at that price- as Tim says you're just paying for brand name at that level. Plus Polyester is disastrous for the planet as it uses tonnes of water and oil to make and doesn't biodegrade.
@@Wolf_of_Small_St For Loro, the choice to include Polyester is dependent for use cases and bespoke ask. Coat meant for harsh weather will have Poly, others might not. So I doubt your statement.
@@dqieu yeah that also a good point, humidity during winter would weigh down that vicuna. If its just for indoor might be fine but once you go out you need waterproof clothes.
I like the mention of the ethical supply chain on more expensive brands. Besides lower fabric quality or shortcuts in the production of garments, I think it is important to also mention that for the cheaper brands, the costs are pushed elsewhere: Exploiting workers, poor quality of life of workers, harming the environment, etc.
Bro do u know, in Bangladesh,China, Vietnam and even in some parts of India these fashion brands are produced. And the conditions are not that great. Chinese work for 14hrs a day and cant take a day off without some valid reason. And in other countries the situations are poor. So we sitting at the helm of affairs should not say that. All these businesses are the same.
@@mayankumar1312lol fake Western news. The Chinese workers wants overtime because they want to earn more. Plus hundreds are queing for their job if they dont perform. All of them can quit any day so no one is being forced.
You would like to believe that, don't you? But in reality, even the biggest of designer brands use cheap labour in what y'all term as 3rd world countries. You would to think they used only the most skilled tailors and other craftsmen from Italy, France or whatever to hand make your bags, clothes, shoes but that's not the case.
@@danlightened Labor from a 3rd world countries doesn't always equal to a bad production or poor work environment, some of the best shoemakers (specifically boots) comes from Indonesia... so some luxury brands may decide to maximize profit margin by manufacturing it in Indonesia, with a cheaper cost labor and almost the same quality as they can get if they manufacture it in Europe
Don't be afraid of synthetic fabrics in clothes! For the last year I have been working for a premium clothing brand in Russia. And I talked a lot with designers and the department that deals with clothing prototypes. And more than once they said that warm, woolen, or simply “complicated” clothes, for example, jackets, cannot be made comfortable to wear if only natural materials are used. Synthetics allow the fabric to stretch and not shrink after washing, making things light and warm. If you make a jacket from only 100% wool, it will be heavy and not very warm. And most importantly, it will not stretch so well, and it will be very easy to damage it during putting on/taking off. Often, this is not even economical, because nylon fibers need to be sewn into wool fibers, and this is a separate procedure on special fabrics. And the cost of this procedure will be included in the cost of rolls of fabric. I can tell you more if you're interested. But in general, the main idea is this - do not be afraid of 10% to 40% synthetics (especially in jackets) in clothes. Simply, feel the clothes well before purchasing, try them on to see if you like the fabric on your body. (sorry if anything is not clear, I am writing using Google Translate)
having like 10% of polyester is ok, but saying wool jacket or coat is not comfortable or warm is straight up lying. Polyester jackets are "warmer", because you are baking in your own sweat and heat. They do not breathe
100% wool is allways ramer than blends with polyester etc. The fit might not be as good, but Wool is warmer. Allso alpacca wool is warmer than sheap wool.
If you're living in a tropical country, polyester is almost always bad cause it doesn't let your body breathe and it holds on to odour. Even polyester that is advertised as light and breathable doesn't hold up as well. After a while, the garment will smell and wear out faster than cotton garments.
I have a very old cheap long sleeve t-shirt from Kohl's that was made in the US that remains the most well-made garment I've ever owned. When I fold it, it folds perfectly without effort. The stitching is so well done, that even after many washes the fabric seems to align itself. I've noticed cheaply made clothes has fabric that isn't sown such that weave is aligned with the structure of the garment, causing random warping when going to fold or, more importantly, wear the thing.
I have been sewing pants out of pure wool fro 40 years. Up to 20% of nylon or polyester is an improvement in wool for pants or skirts. Wool tends to stretch and bag, just like denim does. For knits I would prefer pure wool. Bought some merino wool Tshirts a couple of years ago. Cheap at Aldi. Wore them every day for two winters. Still look new.
You forgot about the tier above (fake) luxury brands. The tier contains things like Brunello, Loro Piana, Canali, Kiton, Zegna, Brioni and many more. Funny how they're mostly Italian brands, but it makes sense. These are brands that don't make you walk around wearing advertisements. Instead of paying $750 for a one-fit Gucci shirt covered in branding and made in Bangladesh, I'd rather spend $350 for a fully custom-fit hand finished shirt from one of those niche luxury brands.
They belong to the same groups behind the scenes, and just cater to different audiences. The bang for the buck range ends *very* soon after the mid tier tbh. Just a slim strip up there before we pay the fashion tax tenfold.
In the US old money buy 'quiet luxury' brands. Brands almost no one outside of old money circles has even heard about. Top quality but cheaper than the bling 'luxury' brands.
You really think you're better than people buying luxury brands just because you're buying different luxury brands. You're still a consoomer, you just rationalise it a different way. Get a life.
It really shows how genuine you are to reconsider the sponsor of the video and listening to the community. That's extremely rare to find these days with content creators.
I agree with you, but in reality, Uniqlo is in the same category as H&M and co in terms of production and labor. But for me, Uniqlo is a brand with a really special status compared to the average. They've managed to create a brand that's really not too expensive, because it's not very ethical (let's face it), but at the same time really qualitative, with incredible garments cuts !
Really good video. The use of polyester or other synethics into blends- Wool/Cotton for instance is an interesting one. The reason they are added according to the makers is usually something along the lines of "to increase durability" because polyester or nylon is strong. So therefore good right? But the only reason that they are being added in the first place is because even if the company has used luxury materials like high end wool, cotton, silk etc. they have skimped out on the production methods. Before the days of fast fashion when clothing manufacturing was considered and a time consuming task, they had production methods which prevented pilling and increased fabric durability in the way cotton and wool was milled and woven. But these methods have died out and fewer exist because it's easier for companies to do things quicker to make more stuff to be pumped out for us suckers to buy- hence why you can still buy quality clothing in good condition from the 60s and 70s before the advent of mass synthetics. It's all a con- except for sportswear and socks, i can see very limited argument for synthetics to be added to clothing but unfortunately that ship seems to have sailed.
Yeah and in the past synthetics were added to clothing for durability. But now it’s added to save companies money vs using more natural fabrics. I hate fast fashion clothes that looks great, but will start piling and look like crap. So even with fast fashion, I take into consideration on the fabric content and stay away from mostly synthetic fabrics, unless it a nylon jacket made out of the durable synthetic. Some nylon jackets are made out of that thin nylon and that tells me it’s not going to last I’m glad ppl. are paying attention to the quality bc when fast fashion hit the US, over night everyone was on board bc for the first time you didn’t have to have Gucci and Prada income to look that way. I hope the designers are keeping up with the quality and haven’t gone down the same path and cut corners. It’s true on vintage clothes and how they’ve held up after decades. I also didn’t realize that back in the days, they wove fabrics a certain way so that it wouldn’t pile up and that art now has been lost.I do like Uniqlo and how well their items hold up, but they also use a lot of synthetics for their jacket. I think one of their first big hit jacket was those fleece zip up ones that everyone had and bought .
Great video. About the material, actually Polyester is not always bad, rather a bit of polyester in clothes makes it less likely to wrinkle and actually increase the durability of your clothes. And also, not all cotton is the same. Some fast fashion brands do have 100% cotton T-shirts but they break down really fast (I’m talking like 1-2 washes) so feel it before you buy and choose your clothes wisely. If you don’t live in super hot climate, like tropical countries, I would say a bit of polyester in your T-shirts doesn’t hurt and honestly, it saves you lost of time ironing your clothes. Look for the good mix of polyester and cotton and your clothes will last for a good amount of time!
> If you don’t live in super hot climate, like tropical countries, I would say a bit of polyester in your T-shirts doesn’t hurt I would say the opposite, the hotter the climat, the more helpful is polyester, as it dries faster and doesn't soak in sweat
@@tsunamiminsk You dont sound like u tried it😂 In high humidity and temperature high polyester percentage shirts will literally give you rash burn and horrible body odor
Absolute best is to shop your own closet, followed by swapping with friends. Secondhand is next best. If you can sew or upcycle clothes you have all the power in your hands. If you have to buy new buying quality and only what you need is the best idea. I don't think "luxury" is ever worth it. But that's my opinion.
I happily ignore all care instructions and look only at the fabric content and the construction. For example, I just bought a high-end 100% cotton dress and saw that the label says “dry clean only”. I laughed and, before wearing it, threw it in a warm wash to get the packing creases and sizing out, hung it dry, and it looks beautiful. I wash everything except structured items like blazers and coats, which often have unwashable construction elements like interfacing in them. I have over six decades of experience and never ruined a single garment this way. (The book Laundry is great for those who don’t have wide knowledge and experience of fabrics and clothing). That said, I don’t wash my clothes until they need it and never put them in the dryer. They last a long, long time. Everything needs to be checked for spots, grime and odors after wearing, then a good airing and possibly or steaming or ironing before being put back into the closet. I also spot-clean coats and jackets a lot as needed. Putting unnecessarily and ridiculously conservative care instructions on a garment is called “low-labeling”. Brands do it to reduce return claims.
As someone who has been in the mens clothing business since the fifties and I can say it’s impossible to justify a price for a garment .The quality today of designer clothing could never justify its price .You are paying for a brand and what the consumer is prepared to pay for it .Women’s wear is completely different .You have to evaluate the fabric and the make .I used to get a polo shirt made in South Africa for £25 for a dozen.Similar to a Ralph Loren polo .
As a seamstress there is ZERO reason NOT to have a lining on a jacket that you spend $$$ for...it's ridiculous. The only exceptions MAY be that the jacket is meant for hot weather, but doing so the fabric must be extremely high quality to make up for it.
Really appreciate you putting this video together. Insanely informative for someone that has always struggled with knowing where to draw the line for new garments in terms of price. I've bought some expensive things in the past that haven't exactly correlated with what I paid. So this video helped me a huge amount. Cheers brother!!
Tim, I’m currently an economics masters student and I have to say this is one of better intuitive explanations of diminishing marginal returns that I’ve seen outside the classroom. Outstanding work, once again!
I appreciate this video and the points you highlighted. Someone who has bought a lot of inexpensive because I have a wide interest in styles, I’m finally settling down to higher quality items and buying with intention for long term.
Depends on wether your paying for the material or the brand. If it’s for the material then yes if it’s for the brand then 90% of the time no. Although there are occasions where bigger more brands do provide better quality at a higher price, even if it is still overpriced for what it is.
Oh also polyester is usually used to increase durability, and some post processes can only be applied to petroleum based filaments such as sublimation printing, pleating, crushing etc. And the main issue regarding g material durability is the weight of the material (g/m2). In order to lower the cost companies use lighter fabrics which are easier to puncture.
This guy is a gem. I've only just discovered his content and already can directly identify where I'm going wrong. His aesthetic also really appeals to me whereas I find a disconnect on aesthetic when watching other channels.
I bought a fake Tommy Hilfiger polo T shirt from China in 2006 for $5. It is as good as new even today. The best quality leather shoes I bought was from Primark. £17. Made in India. Sole is stitched. Purchased in 2017. Still wearing fine. Many well educated , professional upper middle class people shop at Primark , H&M, Uniqlo. They aren't poor, they are just not dumb.
From what i've read, with the fabric content, if you get something like 90% natural/10% synthetic, or antyhing where the synthetic is just a small percent, it often done to deliberately change the fabric properties,for example it may hold better in regular washing mashine wash instead requaring dry cleaning/ very carefull hand wash,especially with wool. So a blend like that may still make a good quality garment, just prescriberd for more mundane/practical purpose.
Awesome video! Totally agree with you on this. Ultra Lux is paying for the name and prestige. I personally like to spend a little more for a quality product. I still have some pieces that I originally purchased back in my college days. I've also sold some of those old pieces on ebay and either made a little profit or broke even. I think if everyone treated clothes like an investment, we'd def see a lot less waste out there.
The designer brands constantly change styles for this reason. So that you'll look out of fashion within a few years if you wear those or anyone else who could buy from you. It keeps going from loose to regular to slim fit to loose and so on. Can clearly see that in the case of jeans etc.
I would only consider luxury items if they have a unique look or design as well. A bland white blouse does not live up to the cost no matter the brand name or material 😑
@@ARTICFR0ST Wouldn't be nice of me to go talking about it honestly. He took it down when he realized it was maybe not the best and I think people should be allowed to recover from their poor decisions without being put on trial once they've put things right.
@@em97c His PR team (if he has one) knew full well what they were 'signing up to' when this 'unethical diamond company' wanted to sponsor Tim's video. They knew 100% and still decided to go ahead. There was no "mistake in this decision " . Tim and his team arent sorry for what they did, they are sorry they got caught.
Good quality doesn’t always mean expensive. There are some medium luxury brands that do make good quality clothing without the high price tag. The point is to become a more informed and conscious shopper as opposed to buying something because it’s in trend or hip at the moment.
I liked the points about factors to look for when buying clothes. I am now way more intentional about what I buy and am happier spending more on one item rather than several. Having better options makes getting dressed and coordinated so much easier. Its also about how I treat my clothes that adds to their longevity. I also think sticking to brands you know and like and that 'fit' you better with styles that 'suit' you is also important as you are more familiar with their styles and quality and attention to detailing etc. Avoiding super cheap stuff like Primark or the worst of the worst Shein are super important to me as for something so cheap , somebody somewhere is 'paying' for it. Being intentional and thoughtful about what you put on and buy is crucial and so thanks for the tutorial.
It's important to remember that price doesn't always equate to quality when it comes to clothing. Taking the time to inspect materials and construction can help you find great value and lasting pieces for your wardrobe.
You should do a video to show how you wash these items and maintain their quality over time. Some of the clothes by these high end brands are high maintenance and rhatd the reality that they need the extra care. Would be very interested in a video of whether considering the extra care needed has made you think twice before purchasing.
Soooo important. I personally don't care to purchase higher quality dry clean only fabrics. I'm just not going to want to spend the extra money to do that on a regular basis.
Yes, the famous name brands at very high prices tend to mostly be selling the logo and only a bit of the inflated price goes to quality. In the end their customers generally do not care much about declining quality because the name is what matter to them most.
Great video, but I disagree with your point on polyester (to an extent). Cotton/poly blends can actually be great for improving the durability of a garment. However, the key is having a higher content of cotton than polyester. For example, a 70/30 cotton/poly blend or an 80/20 cotton/poly blend are good to look out for. Flint & Tinder's 10-Year Hoodie is a perfect example. It uses a 70/30 cotton/poly blend for most colors (some like the heather grey have a lower cotton content). However, the hoodie is super durable and has a nice softness to it, which is also an added benefit of polyester. J-Crew's 14 oz Fleece Sweatshirt is another example of a great cotton/poly blend piece, with an 84/16 blend. Strong, well-crafted, and soft. For the most part, I'm fine seeing polyester implemented into garments, but I would only get higher cotton/wool blend versions. My only exception would be workout attire because it is commonly made completely out of polyester.
If Polyester brings strength in a blend, which is true. It's also nice to remember that, in history, most our clothes were made from natural fibers and they weren't that bad in terms of durability. Polyester is an essential material for technical textiles but we should maybe leave it when it comes to fashion...
I'd completely agree with this. I have always opted for paying more for quality clothing and you can tell as quality clothing doesn't look awful after many washes, cheap clothing always tends to lose its look and shape and is more prone to holes/tears in the fabric, especially jeans and trousers as when you sit down you put stress on them. Luxury brands are literally just a name slapped onto mid/high quality clothing. But you can find those that sit in the middle of the pack, focus on quality but don't charge extortionate prices. Yes you will pay more than a lot of mainstream fashion brans, but the clothing will definitely last longer.
Yes I would spend on luxury brands that are actual ateliers. My entire wardrobe is zenga, canali, maurizzio baldassari with a few other brands mixed in and I would say the cut, the fabric, finishing, and standard of construction is next level. I always have loved my clothes and even after a few years pieces still get me looks and start conversations. No flashy logos, or sub par luxury brands, my wardrobe is timeless and will definitely be something that I'll wear out for 10+ years.
I've gone through a lot of brands over the years, to the point where sometimes an outfit I put together has a few items from Primark that survived from when I was a student, a jumper from RL and some bespoke C&J boots. Kinda amusing to me.
Learned a lot from you but I would love to see color science and cohesive outfit selection based on skin tone because it really makes or breaks the outfit for anyone 🙏🏼
Great video Tim - if you are earning high six figure salaries then go for it re luxury but for most people - agree Arket, Percival (have you reviewed them?), Duti, Reiss great for most wardrobes with sprinkles of accessible luxury.
Agree on this take. Buying quality pieces from high end mainstreet brands, combined with a statement piece here or there is the way to go for me. I felt way more comfortable after transitioning from student money to working money and being able to swap out the bad quality products for pieces that last for a few years. And also don't feel too high and mighty to thrift (online) to make luxury more affordable.
I am actually wondering what makes Asos part of the ''ultra-fast fashion brands'' compared to brands like H&M and Zara. From my experience, Asos products have significantly better quality, are more durable, and have silhouettes that seem thought out. While I agree that Uniqlo's products are much better, I would say Asos fits the criteria of ''mass market high street'' way more than H&M and Zara products. Either way, great video as always!
Bought a pile of clothes from there about 8 years ago . Everything was badly sized and poorly made . T shirt collars became wavy literally after one wash . Never went there again
At one point, there was a trend amongst high fashion to buy up the material suppliers, because there was a shift to cheaper fabrics with fast fashion. Designers needed to ensure high quality fabric supply. But that move led to an exponential difference in the cost of fabrics for high quality and low quality clothing due to volume.
I liked your theory. Completely agree. I digress in that I find some clothing with synthetic materials to be worth it, even if from FF brands. I have several shirts that I use with dress pants and always get a lot of compliments. They are comfy, fit nicely, nice colors and textures, and no iron needed! I also prefer stretchy jeans to 100% cotton.
Online brands are usually the best mix of quality materials at decent prices. Stuff like Wolf Vs. Goat, Outlier, John Henric, 18 East, ONS, maybe Olive Clothing, etc. Brands with large store footprints have huge expenses unrelated to the clothing which makes them choose design over quality
Well with online brands you can’t try on the clothes before buying. Different brands have different policies for returning clothes so if the piece you bought is good quality yet still doesn’t fit you, you need to go through all of the online hassles and a lot of waiting. Thats why these brands can offer better quality fabric for a bit of a lower price, because they don’t offer the boutique experience. And I don’t like that. I would much prefer if I can try the piece before buying and really check the material and fit in the store.
Of the half a dozen or so Ralph lauren and Lacoste clothing I've bought, I had issues with many of them including: threads coming undone, colour deterioration, shrinkage, and a button coming undone on one of my polo shirts. So I'm still not particularly convinced that just because a brand is renowned, or has a higher price tag, the quality of its clothing is automatically going to be better.
Glad you have done a video on this. It applies not just to clothes but across the board that, yes, some cheap stuff is cheap because it's poor quality or less effective or whatever but that doesn't always mean that expensive is better. Some expensive stuff is simply overpriced, and in some cases a higher price is charged simply because of a brand name. As with everything, there is a balance and neither cheap= bad nor expensive = good apply to everything all the time. I've owned cheap products that have lasted ages and expensive ones which have fallen apart after not very long. You can't always be sure! I completely agree that there's a plateau. After a certain point, everything is much-of-a-muchness. My dad used to repair watches and clocks back in the day and has always said that they really cheap ones are garbage but after a certain price point there is very little difference in the quality or manufacturing. whether that has changed now I don't know. Fashion v style is a different debate. Oversized looks good on very few people, IMO.
A clue for expensive, high-quality products is when there's a diagonal alignment of warp and weft threads. This results in more waste for the manufacturer, but the fabric drapes better. This was missing in this video!
As someone who only have $300 bucks to spend on clothing annually, I stay in the middle with brands like ESPRIT, H&M, or Bass & Co. but if I was able to afford more I’d definitely go for the highest quality brands.
As others mentioned, while polyester, polyamide and other plastics cut costs they also can increase the durability or resistance to wear (e.g. blended socks last WAY longer for me than 100% cotton). But the worst part about material blends is that they cannot be recycled and all you can do is burn them to eventually get rid of them atm the end of their life. Or send them to the global south and let them "deal" with the problem. Another issue with polyester is that it smells if you sweat. So I try avoid blends altogether for those two reasons, but if you ask me what feels better on the skin, 80/20 sweaters are smoother than 100% cotton, one hundred percent of the time.
Brands like Asket have hit the nail on the head . Super high quality ,long lasting clothes for a fair price . They are also extremely sustainable minded and transparent about how and where the items are made .
My mom always said beauty is not about price. The existence of *amzclothes* makes me believe that true luxury is the expression of one's own style, not the price tag. Here, I found the best explanation of this sentence.
From an active sportsman perspective with an interest in fashion :) I'd say it's 70/30 with 70% being engineering and 30% material, that makes up the "quality" meaning lasting and performing cloths. my favorite example on 70% engineering is Nike vs. Jordan when it comes to basketball cloths. Both use similar materials but Jordan athletes seem to be giving more feedback on fit and problematic areas in their apparel. Which is why from all my apparel, Jordan products seem to stay longer in my rotation. Of course in shoes it's a different story. Thanks for your video, enjoyed the perspective and rationale :)
Mr Tim You are just going perfect in your influencing. Hats off to the hard work that you do. You are truly inspirational. Never missed your video right from the inception of your channel. You are definitely going to go places. Best Wishes.
I used to love to buy brand name mass-market clothes which were better looking, style, fit, and seemingly quality (think Calvin Klein, Joe's , Lucky Brand, Express Men). usually I would wait for a sale, because even this "attainable" brands tended to be pretty expensive. 10-15 years ago and we're talking $80 for a shirt or $90 pair of pants. but they never lasted, some fell apart after 2 or 3 wears! So I only buy these if I really like it and it's marked down like crazy. There are good quality and bad quality and it usually had not that much to do with the label. I also had the same experience with many other brands especially undergarments. The elastic will never last as long as the rest of the garment.
I’m older and back in the days, if you wanted something unique or edgy, you had to buy designer brands. But now there’s so much fashionable clothing it can turn anyone into a well dressed person. Back in the days you had to have money to look great or fashionable. So for the looks part where these fast fashion companies now you can look great for regular clothes prices. Of course if you have an eye, you can sort of tell the difference of a quality made clothing, but some ppl. still can pull it off with fast fashion on how they put it together and the pieces they pick. Like someone going thrift clothes shopping and find great items. The only thing I’ve notice with fast fashion items is much of it is made with cheaper poly fabrics and I hate when it starts piling after a few wears. So I’m careful when I buy fast fast brands like Zara and H&M. I’m sure many buying those brands go for just the look and expect the fabric to not last, but that’s not the way I am with my clothes and plan to keep and wear for a long time. But also now everyone seems fashionable bc of the lower cost of fast fashions, but back in the days bc of the cost of great clothes, there were fewer ppl. that were fashionable and if you were, you stood out and was known for being well dressed. So now, it’s harder to stand out. I mean in the 80’s when you had a Versace jacket on, everyone was envious bc they knew it was Versace, but only a few could afford. I could wear something similar now and no one would even notice. Haha!
I would never buy from high end brands, but I've been looking into more sustainable clothing and accessoires. I live in Japan but I discovered a Dutch brand that sells sustainable leather bags, it's not nearly as expensive as name brands, but still an investment for me. I am considering it since it would be better to have a bag that I really like and use daily for a long time, than to cycle through cheaper bags every 1-2 years. I have started looking at labels more too, and the plus of living here is probably that even if a uniqlo piece seems a bit pricey, I can probably find it second hand if I try hard enough to search for it. The second hand market here is pretty great.
I bought so many t-shirts: some of them are 100% cotton and some of them 80% cotton and 20% polyester and the blended fabric versions tend to last longer and retain their texture.
I shop at the Premium High Street level, or higher, to get the quality I want and need. I don’t really care that they cost more, the quality is worth it and I just buy fewer items that I really will love for years. We Americans have an unrealistic idea about what it costs to produce quality apparel and expect prices to be ridiculously low, thanks to fast-fashion.
Great video Tim👍👍. Definitely agree that more expensive brands have a higher quality but spending in ultra expensive brands never made much sense to me as clothes do not have a resale value and one cannot wear same expensive stuff everyday though I definitely consider the brand while buying overcoats.
Hi Tim here's a video idea. You mentioned exceptions on the price/quality curve in each category of brands. I'd love to hear your view on examples of these exceptions/gems in each category of brand.
I enjoyed this video. There's something I've experienced personally though, an it's 100% wool doesn't equal 100% quality. Especially when it comes to items like trousers or socks - they wear out and fray too quickly. My thighs are thick enough to chafe, so I'll never buy a 100% woolen suit that I intend to wear every day if I want it to last more than 5 times.
Love the video!! Id say if ure someone who don't like to wear the same clothes a lot, high street brands are the way to go cause ure not gonna spend 300/500€ on a sweater and wear it twice right? but for me personally brands like acne studios, ami paris, our legacy etc.. are so much better in quality than all high street brands and the pieces last very long time and keep their shape. Not to mention the silhouettes that fit my body perfectly. worth the price for sure. Ultra luxury? still hesitating honestly as I don't like the big logos/monograms but I think I might try when I find what im looking for. To conclude, 100% agree with the graph that kept going up till a certain point and then went straight.
Primark is not ultra fast fashion, lowest of the low, that's Shein. People go to Primark to get something fashionable for a good price. There really are cheaper stores than Primark.
That trenchcoat bit vibed with me so much, I bought an excellent fitting one a few years back but I never end up wearing it. I think I've used it twice. However my grandfather used to wear his trenchcoats and peacoats regularly every autumn and winter. I always feel like it would be silly unless I have something quite nice on underneath. Also weirdly I have one Sudio Nicholson sweater and quite a few Ralph Lauren ones, both are better cut but the materials used are worse than the Uniqlo sweaters. Very weird.
I would say yes! My expensive jeans lasted well over 20 years, cheap ones barely two. David Donahue dress shirts at $145 are worth every penny. They wear like iron, and last forever. They look great. My tailor thought they were custom made!
I know women who are sewing for Gucci and other hi brands, they often do bad job with stitching, but they are taught how to hide it, so you can't always inspect everything. Though they do use premium fabrics not denying that.
While i also prefer natural fibres to synthetics, I don't think using them in a blend is purely to save cost, it (some) adds anti wrinkle properties and has a different structure for different purposes. I do dislike when items are advertised as "wool" when they only have like 10% though.
I would never rely on the level of comfort or thickness of a garment to judge its quality because those not only depend on the final use of the product but also because they are very easy to fake. Example: a 100% merinos wool jumper will feel scratchy compared to a H&M polyesther one, but keep in mind H&M cheats by using fabric softeners which give a very soft touch to the clothes, a softness that only remains for one wash ! Also, a cashmere jumper will always be much thinner than a merinos one, but will definitely keep you warmer.
Hand knitter here with a data point on fiber content. When knitting a sock, even the most premium yarn manufacturers will put about 20%-25% polyester fiber into their wool sock yarns. This increases the durability of the yarn which is especially important when it comes to socks. They take a *lot* of wear. If you use 100% wool, that sock you spent hours knitting is going to wear out much faster.
I have no inside knowledge into why the luxury brands are going for synthetic/natural fiber blends, but its possible that they could be making similar calculations as sock yarn manufacturers.
@@Isamolle thanks for bringing that up. It makes total sense and was something I hadn’t considered.
thank you for pointing it.
I wanted to add the same comment. Adding polyester/another syntetic material, will make fabric more durable. 100% wool is very durable in thick knitted sweaters, but not when fabric is knitted from thinest, softest wool.
And, for cotton, also less prone to crinkling (less creases or wrinkles). Easier to wear without ironing.
it is not always, and not neccesary that adding polyester = cheeper and worse quality.
Polyester fibers : They will also last a very long time in the environnement after beeing thrown away.
No, not poliester. Nylon! Poliester is weaker. Nylon is strong! Veteran knitter.
@@Isamolle wrong, that is a mistaken sensation. Some synthetic fibres are warmth than wool, lighter and are more resistant to erosion or moths. However, they can still have wool-like textures and feel similar to natural fibres. The main handicap, but not for all synthetics, is transpiration.
And in the other hand we have animal abuse: everybody should watch the cuts and blood in sheep, or alpacas, not to mention how they tear the fur out of the angora rabbits with their terrified screams.
Does our confort justify that cruelty?
I work in the textiles industry, to be specific I own a fabric mill that manufacture and sell fabric to brands like zara, h&m, arket, massimo to haute couture that sell around 3,000 usd per piece.
To be honest, on the material side, yes to lower the cost we tend to use either cotton or polyester yarns. However, i can use some the most expensive yarns such as merino wool, but this rarely reflects as “quality” on the final garment. What really makes the difference is after wash shrinkages and construction. To increase the output garment makers work with shops that basically haphazardly sew the pieces together which lowers the quality. Shrinkage is not necessary something that you can buy with more money. It occurs when the dyehouses fuck up. And they up alllll the time. I mean like 5/10 orders, there are issues with shrinkages. No matter how attentive you are or how slow you are.
Cool insight. Thanks random person fr the internet. Learned something new today😊
So, you are basically a RICH man spending his valuable time commenting in UA-cam...
And you who say to sell to haute couture, doesn't heard about sanforization...
"I don't know Rick, it looks fake...".
hello I have a question for you. If one was thinking of starting a tee shirt brand but want quality fabric woul you have any suggestions on this? thank you for your time
@@jasontaylor2237
Very low margins, too many competitors, do not start
For quality fabrics, search for fabric agents in your area. In the states you would have better luck in NY or LA
Simple answer: Yeah expensive clothes do have better quality but it does not justify 10 times increase in price. This however only makes sense for common folk. If someone is loaded, this whole discussion is pointless.
This exactly. A 400 dollar white t-shirt has probably better seams, is maybe thicker tissue, better QC on the sticthing, embroidery instead of print etc. But is it worth 40 times the price of a "bad quality" (10 dollar?) t-shirt. Absolutely not and no fashion influencer ever will be able to convince me of this BS
@@asdfyxcv1100 the white t-shirt / basic items are pretty much a no brainer. But for statement pieces with unique design details.. that's where the differences matter and at that point it's much harder cheap out on it while expecting the lack of craftsmanship to go unnoticed. Luckily, there are million ways to create a great outfit with only basic items. No one ever really needs expensive stuff to look stylish
You'll be surprised that those "common folks" you are referring to are the ones buying these luxury items than the richer ones.
No probably not. Even if I had the money to buy from ultra luxury brands, I would most likely not. I would just get everything tailor made. I dislike brands like LV and Gucci. I think most of their things just straight up look bad.
In my opinion Uniqlo feels much better than Zara or H&M. Both the design and the materials.
not anymore for many products unfortunately its becoming more and more similar
In my country Zara wasn’t even considered fast fashion, it was considered more premium 💀
@@kaworuswife Bro In Angola(Africa), We flex with Zara😂
Same lol @@kaworuswife
@@abdeltzchibi3122yes
As someone who’s totally ignorant about luxury brands, some friends of mine commented after awhile about how I never even noticed their several hundred dollar designer accessories, jackets, or shirts. I just didn’t see them as so stunning to have been worth that much (nor did I really care).
And after awhile, they started realizing that when the appeal of an item is its brand name and price tag rather than the actual style appeal, to the average person with an untrained eye, this flex completely falls flat… Most people will pay the same amount of attention to a $700 shirt as a $17. What they really notice is how your overall look comes together, not how much you overpaid for a marginally better quality item
Something that I truly admire and appreciate from this video, is that you gave the obvious, intuitive result; but in the process, you explained your reasoning, and gave very useful insight into how to choose a garment with a good quality-price ratio.
The final answer was expected, but I take away a lot of good information, and an amazing guide into how to buy good clothing.
In summary: I noticed the dedication in the video, and it's highly appreciated. Good work, and thanks a lot!
I still have in my closet two rugby polo long sleeves from Ralph Lauren that I bought 18 years ago. They still look great and there are no signs of wear on them.
On the other hand I’ve had a lot of H&M clothes and they barely survived 1 or 2 years.
Very interesting video. I never thought of analyzing my clothes in that way I just buy them.
I've got a fleece jumper from the local home and hardware store.
It's over a decade old , worn all the time, still going strong. Ok, the fleece looks a tad worn out after over a decade, but for 16€ it's definitely high durability which means it gets a "high quality"-label from me.
@@salahuddinyusuf Keep them in your closet and they'll never show signs of wear!
H&M clothes lasting for as long as 1 to 2 years??? they must be from at least 5 years ago...
Yes this is why I explain to others that smaller purchases of more expensive, higher quality brands is more affordable in the long run vs Fast Fashion
@@salahuddinyusuf it's in his closet. doesnt mean he wears them. lol
Great tips! Now I'll check materials and stitching instead of just buying for the brand name. Quality over quantity when shopping - love it!
Polyester isn't always all bad! Even the holy grail wool coat, the Loro Piana Vicuña has Polyester, it cost $20,000 btw. Polyester, combining with wool prevents fray and maintains structure, results in a higher durability.
He forgot to mention there is actually high quality polyester. Same with leather items that is why not all genuine leather is better if you cut down on production process.
Polyester just isn't necessary in a wool garment if the wool has been milled/woven in the correct manner. That's the reason why overcoats of the past were more durable because they were 100% natural and made with superior manufacturing techniques. It's still a cost cutting measure even at that price- as Tim says you're just paying for brand name at that level.
Plus Polyester is disastrous for the planet as it uses tonnes of water and oil to make and doesn't biodegrade.
@@Wolf_of_Small_St maybe because vicuna is super soft that is why they added polyester, just a thought actually.
@@Wolf_of_Small_St For Loro, the choice to include Polyester is dependent for use cases and bespoke ask. Coat meant for harsh weather will have Poly, others might not. So I doubt your statement.
@@dqieu yeah that also a good point, humidity during winter would weigh down that vicuna. If its just for indoor might be fine but once you go out you need waterproof clothes.
I like the mention of the ethical supply chain on more expensive brands. Besides lower fabric quality or shortcuts in the production of garments, I think it is important to also mention that for the cheaper brands, the costs are pushed elsewhere: Exploiting workers, poor quality of life of workers, harming the environment, etc.
Bro do u know, in Bangladesh,China, Vietnam and even in some parts of India these fashion brands are produced. And the conditions are not that great. Chinese work for 14hrs a day and cant take a day off without some valid reason. And in other countries the situations are poor. So we sitting at the helm of affairs should not say that. All these businesses are the same.
@@mayankumar1312lol fake Western news. The Chinese workers wants overtime because they want to earn more. Plus hundreds are queing for their job if they dont perform. All of them can quit any day so no one is being forced.
You would like to believe that, don't you?
But in reality, even the biggest of designer brands use cheap labour in what y'all term as 3rd world countries. You would to think they used only the most skilled tailors and other craftsmen from Italy, France or whatever to hand make your bags, clothes, shoes but that's not the case.
@@danlightenedexactly my point.
@@danlightened Labor from a 3rd world countries doesn't always equal to a bad production or poor work environment, some of the best shoemakers (specifically boots) comes from Indonesia... so some luxury brands may decide to maximize profit margin by manufacturing it in Indonesia, with a cheaper cost labor and almost the same quality as they can get if they manufacture it in Europe
Don't be afraid of synthetic fabrics in clothes!
For the last year I have been working for a premium clothing brand in Russia. And I talked a lot with designers and the department that deals with clothing prototypes.
And more than once they said that warm, woolen, or simply “complicated” clothes, for example, jackets, cannot be made comfortable to wear if only natural materials are used.
Synthetics allow the fabric to stretch and not shrink after washing, making things light and warm.
If you make a jacket from only 100% wool, it will be heavy and not very warm. And most importantly, it will not stretch so well, and it will be very easy to damage it during putting on/taking off.
Often, this is not even economical, because nylon fibers need to be sewn into wool fibers, and this is a separate procedure on special fabrics. And the cost of this procedure will be included in the cost of rolls of fabric.
I can tell you more if you're interested. But in general, the main idea is this - do not be afraid of 10% to 40% synthetics (especially in jackets) in clothes. Simply, feel the clothes well before purchasing, try them on to see if you like the fabric on your body.
(sorry if anything is not clear, I am writing using Google Translate)
having like 10% of polyester is ok, but saying wool jacket or coat is not comfortable or warm is straight up lying. Polyester jackets are "warmer", because you are baking in your own sweat and heat. They do not breathe
100% wool is allways ramer than blends with polyester etc. The fit might not be as good, but Wool is warmer.
Allso alpacca wool is warmer than sheap wool.
If you're living in a tropical country, polyester is almost always bad cause it doesn't let your body breathe and it holds on to odour.
Even polyester that is advertised as light and breathable doesn't hold up as well. After a while, the garment will smell and wear out faster than cotton garments.
I have a very old cheap long sleeve t-shirt from Kohl's that was made in the US that remains the most well-made garment I've ever owned. When I fold it, it folds perfectly without effort. The stitching is so well done, that even after many washes the fabric seems to align itself. I've noticed cheaply made clothes has fabric that isn't sown such that weave is aligned with the structure of the garment, causing random warping when going to fold or, more importantly, wear the thing.
I have been sewing pants out of pure wool fro 40 years. Up to 20% of nylon or polyester is an improvement in wool for pants or skirts. Wool tends to stretch and bag, just like denim does.
For knits I would prefer pure wool. Bought some merino wool Tshirts a couple of years ago. Cheap at Aldi. Wore them every day for two winters. Still look new.
I really appreciate the fact that you re-uploaded the video, as I greatly enjoyed the first one! Keep up the good work, Tim. Much love from Italy.
Ooh I immediately noticed, did the last one get copyrighted?
@@Simplydivino no, he explained the reason he took it down in a community post
@@luigiheewan well, what was the reason?
@@UlasMT debatable sponsor
@@luigiheewan oeee, please do tell?
You forgot about the tier above (fake) luxury brands. The tier contains things like Brunello, Loro Piana, Canali, Kiton, Zegna, Brioni and many more. Funny how they're mostly Italian brands, but it makes sense. These are brands that don't make you walk around wearing advertisements. Instead of paying $750 for a one-fit Gucci shirt covered in branding and made in Bangladesh, I'd rather spend $350 for a fully custom-fit hand finished shirt from one of those niche luxury brands.
Brother, you are not getting anything from those brands for less than $700...
They belong to the same groups behind the scenes, and just cater to different audiences. The bang for the buck range ends *very* soon after the mid tier tbh. Just a slim strip up there before we pay the fashion tax tenfold.
The cheapest LP jacket is literally 2k usd. "Niche" luxury brands are generally far more expensive than Gucci or LV.
In the US old money buy 'quiet luxury' brands. Brands almost no one outside of old money circles has even heard about. Top quality but cheaper than the bling 'luxury' brands.
You really think you're better than people buying luxury brands just because you're buying different luxury brands. You're still a consoomer, you just rationalise it a different way. Get a life.
Primark isn't even that cheap anymore.
No, it's still cheap, just people are poorer
@@Tim0feyKOC meant that compared to few years ago, the prices aren't the same anymore. A dress that used to be sold for 7-8€ costs now 30€ in Primark.
It really shows how genuine you are to reconsider the sponsor of the video and listening to the community. That's extremely rare to find these days with content creators.
Hurts me that you piled Uniqlo alongside H&M.
I´ve never been dissapointed by Uniqlo, but H&M has had some misses with me
I agree with you, but in reality, Uniqlo is in the same category as H&M and co in terms of production and labor.
But for me, Uniqlo is a brand with a really special status compared to the average. They've managed to create a brand that's really not too expensive, because it's not very ethical (let's face it), but at the same time really qualitative, with incredible garments cuts !
Yeah, I tend to think that Uniqlo is in a category of its own. It fills that space between fast fashion and accessible luxury nicely.
they're not that bad in terms of quality but are 100% a fast fashion brand and are mass market/ are harmful for the environment
Because it is. You just have to accept it.
Perfect example of Placebo effect to think Uniqlo does not belong to the same category as other fast fashion brands
1:42 that truck swipe transition was smooth bro 👏👏👏👏👏
Oh heck yeah, my brain just accepted it as a natural temporary obstruction
Really good video. The use of polyester or other synethics into blends- Wool/Cotton for instance is an interesting one. The reason they are added according to the makers is usually something along the lines of "to increase durability" because polyester or nylon is strong. So therefore good right?
But the only reason that they are being added in the first place is because even if the company has used luxury materials like high end wool, cotton, silk etc. they have skimped out on the production methods. Before the days of fast fashion when clothing manufacturing was considered and a time consuming task, they had production methods which prevented pilling and increased fabric durability in the way cotton and wool was milled and woven. But these methods have died out and fewer exist because it's easier for companies to do things quicker to make more stuff to be pumped out for us suckers to buy- hence why you can still buy quality clothing in good condition from the 60s and 70s before the advent of mass synthetics. It's all a con- except for sportswear and socks, i can see very limited argument for synthetics to be added to clothing but unfortunately that ship seems to have sailed.
Yeah and in the past synthetics were added to clothing for durability. But now it’s added to save companies money vs using more natural fabrics. I hate fast fashion clothes that looks great, but will start piling and look like crap. So even with fast fashion, I take into consideration on the fabric content and stay away from mostly synthetic fabrics, unless it a nylon jacket made out of the durable synthetic. Some nylon jackets are made out of that thin nylon and that tells me it’s not going to last
I’m glad ppl. are paying attention to the quality bc when fast fashion hit the US, over night everyone was on board bc for the first time you didn’t have to have Gucci and Prada income to look that way. I hope the designers are keeping up with the quality and haven’t gone down the same path and cut corners.
It’s true on vintage clothes and how they’ve held up after decades. I also didn’t realize that back in the days, they wove fabrics a certain way so that it wouldn’t pile up and that art now has been lost.I do like Uniqlo and how well their items hold up, but they also use a lot of synthetics for their jacket. I think one of their first big hit jacket was those fleece zip up ones that everyone had and bought .
Great video. About the material, actually Polyester is not always bad, rather a bit of polyester in clothes makes it less likely to wrinkle and actually increase the durability of your clothes. And also, not all cotton is the same. Some fast fashion brands do have 100% cotton T-shirts but they break down really fast (I’m talking like 1-2 washes) so feel it before you buy and choose your clothes wisely. If you don’t live in super hot climate, like tropical countries, I would say a bit of polyester in your T-shirts doesn’t hurt and honestly, it saves you lost of time ironing your clothes. Look for the good mix of polyester and cotton and your clothes will last for a good amount of time!
> If you don’t live in super hot climate, like tropical countries, I would say a bit of polyester in your T-shirts doesn’t hurt
I would say the opposite, the hotter the climat, the more helpful is polyester, as it dries faster and doesn't soak in sweat
@@tsunamiminsk You dont sound like u tried it😂 In high humidity and temperature high polyester percentage shirts will literally give you rash burn and horrible body odor
Absolute best is to shop your own closet, followed by swapping with friends. Secondhand is next best. If you can sew or upcycle clothes you have all the power in your hands. If you have to buy new buying quality and only what you need is the best idea. I don't think "luxury" is ever worth it. But that's my opinion.
Tim doesn’t upload as often as other fashion influencers, but when he does you know it’s gonna be fire 🔥🔥🔥
I happily ignore all care instructions and look only at the fabric content and the construction. For example, I just bought a high-end 100% cotton dress and saw that the label says “dry clean only”. I laughed and, before wearing it, threw it in a warm wash to get the packing creases and sizing out, hung it dry, and it looks beautiful. I wash everything except structured items like blazers and coats, which often have unwashable construction elements like interfacing in them. I have over six decades of experience and never ruined a single garment this way. (The book Laundry is great for those who don’t have wide knowledge and experience of fabrics and clothing). That said, I don’t wash my clothes until they need it and never put them in the dryer. They last a long, long time. Everything needs to be checked for spots, grime and odors after wearing, then a good airing and
possibly or steaming or ironing before being put back into the closet. I also spot-clean coats and jackets a lot as needed. Putting unnecessarily and ridiculously conservative care instructions on a garment is called “low-labeling”. Brands do it to reduce return claims.
As someone who has been in the mens clothing business since the fifties and I can say it’s impossible to justify a price for a garment .The quality today of designer clothing could never justify its price .You are paying for a brand and what the consumer is prepared to pay for it .Women’s wear is completely different .You have to evaluate the fabric and the make .I used to get a polo shirt made in South Africa for £25 for a dozen.Similar to a Ralph Loren polo .
As a seamstress there is ZERO reason NOT to have a lining on a jacket that you spend $$$ for...it's ridiculous. The only exceptions MAY be that the jacket is meant for hot weather, but doing so the fabric must be extremely high quality to make up for it.
I really believe 50% of the luxury fashion brands are here just to be trolling people while still getting their money.
Really appreciate you putting this video together.
Insanely informative for someone that has always struggled with knowing where to draw the line for new garments in terms of price.
I've bought some expensive things in the past that haven't exactly correlated with what I paid. So this video helped me a huge amount. Cheers brother!!
Tim, I’m currently an economics masters student and I have to say this is one of better intuitive explanations of diminishing marginal returns that I’ve seen outside the classroom. Outstanding work, once again!
I appreciate this video and the points you highlighted. Someone who has bought a lot of inexpensive because I have a wide interest in styles, I’m finally settling down to higher quality items and buying with intention for long term.
Depends on wether your paying for the material or the brand. If it’s for the material then yes if it’s for the brand then 90% of the time no. Although there are occasions where bigger more brands do provide better quality at a higher price, even if it is still overpriced for what it is.
Oh also polyester is usually used to increase durability, and some post processes can only be applied to petroleum based filaments such as sublimation printing, pleating, crushing etc. And the main issue regarding g material durability is the weight of the material (g/m2). In order to lower the cost companies use lighter fabrics which are easier to puncture.
This guy is a gem. I've only just discovered his content and already can directly identify where I'm going wrong. His aesthetic also really appeals to me whereas I find a disconnect on aesthetic when watching other channels.
I bought a fake Tommy Hilfiger polo T shirt from China in 2006 for $5. It is as good as new even today. The best quality leather shoes I bought was from Primark. £17. Made in India. Sole is stitched. Purchased in 2017. Still wearing fine.
Many well educated , professional upper middle class people shop at Primark , H&M, Uniqlo. They aren't poor, they are just not dumb.
From what i've read, with the fabric content, if you get something like 90% natural/10% synthetic, or antyhing where the synthetic is just a small percent, it often done to deliberately change the fabric properties,for example it may hold better in regular washing mashine wash instead requaring dry cleaning/ very carefull hand wash,especially with wool. So a blend like that may still make a good quality garment, just prescriberd for more mundane/practical purpose.
Awesome video! Totally agree with you on this. Ultra Lux is paying for the name and prestige. I personally like to spend a little more for a quality product. I still have some pieces that I originally purchased back in my college days. I've also sold some of those old pieces on ebay and either made a little profit or broke even. I think if everyone treated clothes like an investment, we'd def see a lot less waste out there.
The designer brands constantly change styles for this reason. So that you'll look out of fashion within a few years if you wear those or anyone else who could buy from you. It keeps going from loose to regular to slim fit to loose and so on. Can clearly see that in the case of jeans etc.
I would only consider luxury items if they have a unique look or design as well. A bland white blouse does not live up to the cost no matter the brand name or material 😑
Thanks for reconsidering that sponsor lol
what sponsor was in the original video?
@@ARTICFR0ST Wouldn't be nice of me to go talking about it honestly. He took it down when he realized it was maybe not the best and I think people should be allowed to recover from their poor decisions without being put on trial once they've put things right.
@@ARTICFR0ST It was a diamond company.
Who gives a shit
@@em97c
His PR team (if he has one) knew full well what they were 'signing up to' when this 'unethical diamond company' wanted to sponsor Tim's video.
They knew 100% and still decided to go ahead.
There was no "mistake in this decision " .
Tim and his team arent sorry for what they did, they are sorry they got caught.
Good quality doesn’t always mean expensive. There are some medium luxury brands that do make good quality clothing without the high price tag. The point is to become a more informed and conscious shopper as opposed to buying something because it’s in trend or hip at the moment.
yes - becoming more informed / aware about cloth, and clothing is the best answer.
I liked the points about factors to look for when buying clothes. I am now way more intentional about what I buy and am happier spending more on one item rather than several. Having better options makes getting dressed and coordinated so much easier. Its also about how I treat my clothes that adds to their longevity. I also think sticking to brands you know and like and that 'fit' you better with styles that 'suit' you is also important as you are more familiar with their styles and quality and attention to detailing etc. Avoiding super cheap stuff like Primark or the worst of the worst Shein are super important to me as for something so cheap , somebody somewhere is 'paying' for it. Being intentional and thoughtful about what you put on and buy is crucial and so thanks for the tutorial.
The placebo effect hit me fr, I took extra care of my cotton/silk/wool material product which cost me a lot
I figured diminishing returns would apply here like almost every other product. A $1000 bike usually is 90% as good as $5000 bike.
It's important to remember that price doesn't always equate to quality when it comes to clothing. Taking the time to inspect materials and construction can help you find great value and lasting pieces for your wardrobe.
You should do a video to show how you wash these items and maintain their quality over time. Some of the clothes by these high end brands are high maintenance and rhatd the reality that they need the extra care. Would be very interested in a video of whether considering the extra care needed has made you think twice before purchasing.
Soooo important. I personally don't care to purchase higher quality dry clean only fabrics. I'm just not going to want to spend the extra money to do that on a regular basis.
Yes, the famous name brands at very high prices tend to mostly be selling the logo and only a bit of the inflated price goes to quality. In the end their customers generally do not care much about declining quality because the name is what matter to them most.
Great video, but I disagree with your point on polyester (to an extent). Cotton/poly blends can actually be great for improving the durability of a garment. However, the key is having a higher content of cotton than polyester. For example, a 70/30 cotton/poly blend or an 80/20 cotton/poly blend are good to look out for.
Flint & Tinder's 10-Year Hoodie is a perfect example. It uses a 70/30 cotton/poly blend for most colors (some like the heather grey have a lower cotton content). However, the hoodie is super durable and has a nice softness to it, which is also an added benefit of polyester.
J-Crew's 14 oz Fleece Sweatshirt is another example of a great cotton/poly blend piece, with an 84/16 blend. Strong, well-crafted, and soft.
For the most part, I'm fine seeing polyester implemented into garments, but I would only get higher cotton/wool blend versions. My only exception would be workout attire because it is commonly made completely out of polyester.
If Polyester brings strength in a blend, which is true. It's also nice to remember that, in history, most our clothes were made from natural fibers and they weren't that bad in terms of durability.
Polyester is an essential material for technical textiles but we should maybe leave it when it comes to fashion...
I'd completely agree with this. I have always opted for paying more for quality clothing and you can tell as quality clothing doesn't look awful after many washes, cheap clothing always tends to lose its look and shape and is more prone to holes/tears in the fabric, especially jeans and trousers as when you sit down you put stress on them. Luxury brands are literally just a name slapped onto mid/high quality clothing. But you can find those that sit in the middle of the pack, focus on quality but don't charge extortionate prices. Yes you will pay more than a lot of mainstream fashion brans, but the clothing will definitely last longer.
Yes I would spend on luxury brands that are actual ateliers. My entire wardrobe is zenga, canali, maurizzio baldassari with a few other brands mixed in and I would say the cut, the fabric, finishing, and standard of construction is next level. I always have loved my clothes and even after a few years pieces still get me looks and start conversations. No flashy logos, or sub par luxury brands, my wardrobe is timeless and will definitely be something that I'll wear out for 10+ years.
I buy used from charity shops and have found some very high quality clothes at a low price, recycling is good as well.
I've gone through a lot of brands over the years, to the point where sometimes an outfit I put together has a few items from Primark that survived from when I was a student, a jumper from RL and some bespoke C&J boots. Kinda amusing to me.
Learned a lot from you but I would love to see color science and cohesive outfit selection based on skin tone because it really makes or breaks the outfit for anyone 🙏🏼
There are many videos on UA-cam that talk about this in detail. Maybe you can check them out in the meantime.
Costco's Kirkland brand is a sleeper in the quality but low cost category on things like dress shirts and short sleeve polos.
8:25 romania mentioned 💪🇷🇴💪🇷🇴💪🇷🇴
Great video Tim - if you are earning high six figure salaries then go for it re luxury but for most people - agree Arket, Percival (have you reviewed them?), Duti, Reiss great for most wardrobes with sprinkles of accessible luxury.
Agree on this take. Buying quality pieces from high end mainstreet brands, combined with a statement piece here or there is the way to go for me. I felt way more comfortable after transitioning from student money to working money and being able to swap out the bad quality products for pieces that last for a few years. And also don't feel too high and mighty to thrift (online) to make luxury more affordable.
I am actually wondering what makes Asos part of the ''ultra-fast fashion brands'' compared to brands like H&M and Zara. From my experience, Asos products have significantly better quality, are more durable, and have silhouettes that seem thought out. While I agree that Uniqlo's products are much better, I would say Asos fits the criteria of ''mass market high street'' way more than H&M and Zara products.
Either way, great video as always!
So true Asos is not fast fashion I still have clothes that I brought from them way back in 2010 .
Bought a pile of clothes from there about 8 years ago . Everything was badly sized and poorly made . T shirt collars became wavy literally after one wash . Never went there again
At one point, there was a trend amongst high fashion to buy up the material suppliers, because there was a shift to cheaper fabrics with fast fashion. Designers needed to ensure high quality fabric supply. But that move led to an exponential difference in the cost of fabrics for high quality and low quality clothing due to volume.
I liked your theory. Completely agree. I digress in that I find some clothing with synthetic materials to be worth it, even if from FF brands. I have several shirts that I use with dress pants and always get a lot of compliments. They are comfy, fit nicely, nice colors and textures, and no iron needed! I also prefer stretchy jeans to 100% cotton.
Online brands are usually the best mix of quality materials at decent prices. Stuff like Wolf Vs. Goat, Outlier, John Henric, 18 East, ONS, maybe Olive Clothing, etc.
Brands with large store footprints have huge expenses unrelated to the clothing which makes them choose design over quality
Well with online brands you can’t try on the clothes before buying. Different brands have different policies for returning clothes so if the piece you bought is good quality yet still doesn’t fit you, you need to go through all of the online hassles and a lot of waiting. Thats why these brands can offer better quality fabric for a bit of a lower price, because they don’t offer the boutique experience. And I don’t like that. I would much prefer if I can try the piece before buying and really check the material and fit in the store.
Of the half a dozen or so Ralph lauren and Lacoste clothing I've bought, I had issues with many of them including: threads coming undone, colour deterioration, shrinkage, and a button coming undone on one of my polo shirts. So I'm still not particularly convinced that just because a brand is renowned, or has a higher price tag, the quality of its clothing is automatically going to be better.
RL SUCKS NOW
Glad you have done a video on this. It applies not just to clothes but across the board that, yes, some cheap stuff is cheap because it's poor quality or less effective or whatever but that doesn't always mean that expensive is better. Some expensive stuff is simply overpriced, and in some cases a higher price is charged simply because of a brand name. As with everything, there is a balance and neither cheap= bad nor expensive = good apply to everything all the time. I've owned cheap products that have lasted ages and expensive ones which have fallen apart after not very long. You can't always be sure!
I completely agree that there's a plateau. After a certain point, everything is much-of-a-muchness. My dad used to repair watches and clocks back in the day and has always said that they really cheap ones are garbage but after a certain price point there is very little difference in the quality or manufacturing. whether that has changed now I don't know.
Fashion v style is a different debate. Oversized looks good on very few people, IMO.
A clue for expensive, high-quality products is when there's a diagonal alignment of warp and weft threads. This results in more waste for the manufacturer, but the fabric drapes better. This was missing in this video!
As someone who only have $300 bucks to spend on clothing annually, I stay in the middle with brands like ESPRIT, H&M, or Bass & Co. but if I was able to afford more I’d definitely go for the highest quality brands.
Same!
asos design in sale is alwas my choice.
@@jemandjemand2362 is that a fast fashion shop? I looked at it and they have A LOT of clothes, which is sus for a normal brand
As others mentioned, while polyester, polyamide and other plastics cut costs they also can increase the durability or resistance to wear (e.g. blended socks last WAY longer for me than 100% cotton). But the worst part about material blends is that they cannot be recycled and all you can do is burn them to eventually get rid of them atm the end of their life. Or send them to the global south and let them "deal" with the problem. Another issue with polyester is that it smells if you sweat. So I try avoid blends altogether for those two reasons, but if you ask me what feels better on the skin, 80/20 sweaters are smoother than 100% cotton, one hundred percent of the time.
This is probably the best video I've ever seen on this subject, thanks for making it man!
Brands like Asket have hit the nail on the head . Super high quality ,long lasting clothes for a fair price . They are also extremely sustainable minded and transparent about how and where the items are made .
My mom always said beauty is not about price. The existence of *amzclothes* makes me believe that true luxury is the expression of one's own style, not the price tag. Here, I found the best explanation of this sentence.
I lol’d at the part he talked about clothes having a nice silhouette and then putting on a goofy oversized coat on
The overcoat? They're supposed to look like that.
Everyone into fashion should watch this video! Great vid!
The Categorization of fashion brands was very helpful!
2:20 should be just in three , fast fashion, premium high street and luxury
From an active sportsman perspective with an interest in fashion :) I'd say it's 70/30 with 70% being engineering and 30% material, that makes up the "quality" meaning lasting and performing cloths. my favorite example on 70% engineering is Nike vs. Jordan when it comes to basketball cloths. Both use similar materials but Jordan athletes seem to be giving more feedback on fit and problematic areas in their apparel. Which is why from all my apparel, Jordan products seem to stay longer in my rotation. Of course in shoes it's a different story. Thanks for your video, enjoyed the perspective and rationale :)
Mr Tim You are just going perfect in your influencing. Hats off to the hard work that you do. You are truly inspirational. Never missed your video right from the inception of your channel. You are definitely going to go places. Best Wishes.
the best quality clothes are tailored ones they are made to fit you and with natural materials that are durable over time
Great video, Tim! Just to add, the Issey Miyake Homme Plisse Pleated Trousers is 100% Polyester and costs 300 dollars+ lol.
the through the jackets shot at 22 seconds was so good 😂
I used to love to buy brand name mass-market clothes which were better looking, style, fit, and seemingly quality (think Calvin Klein, Joe's , Lucky Brand, Express Men). usually I would wait for a sale, because even this "attainable" brands tended to be pretty expensive. 10-15 years ago and we're talking $80 for a shirt or $90 pair of pants. but they never lasted, some fell apart after 2 or 3 wears! So I only buy these if I really like it and it's marked down like crazy.
There are good quality and bad quality and it usually had not that much to do with the label. I also had the same experience with many other brands especially undergarments. The elastic will never last as long as the rest of the garment.
I’m older and back in the days, if you wanted something unique or edgy, you had to buy designer brands. But now there’s so much fashionable clothing it can turn anyone into a well dressed person. Back in the days you had to have money to look great or fashionable. So for the looks part where these fast fashion companies now you can look great for regular clothes prices.
Of course if you have an eye, you can sort of tell the difference of a quality made clothing, but some ppl. still can pull it off with fast fashion on how they put it together and the pieces they pick. Like someone going thrift clothes shopping and find great items.
The only thing I’ve notice with fast fashion items is much of it is made with cheaper poly fabrics and I hate when it starts piling after a few wears. So I’m careful when I buy fast fast brands like Zara and H&M. I’m sure many buying those brands go for just the look and expect the fabric to not last, but that’s not the way I am with my clothes and plan to keep and wear for a long time.
But also now everyone seems fashionable bc of the lower cost of fast fashions, but back in the days bc of the cost of great clothes, there were fewer ppl. that were fashionable and if you were, you stood out and was known for being well dressed. So now, it’s harder to stand out. I mean in the 80’s when you had a Versace jacket on, everyone was envious bc they knew it was Versace, but only a few could afford. I could wear something similar now and no one would even notice. Haha!
I would never buy from high end brands, but I've been looking into more sustainable clothing and accessoires. I live in Japan but I discovered a Dutch brand that sells sustainable leather bags, it's not nearly as expensive as name brands, but still an investment for me. I am considering it since it would be better to have a bag that I really like and use daily for a long time, than to cycle through cheaper bags every 1-2 years. I have started looking at labels more too, and the plus of living here is probably that even if a uniqlo piece seems a bit pricey, I can probably find it second hand if I try hard enough to search for it. The second hand market here is pretty great.
The variety of textures in amzclothes products is impressive. From smooth leather to textured suede, there's something for everyone.
This video was really educational since now I know which particular brands are which.
I bought so many t-shirts: some of them are 100% cotton and some of them 80% cotton and 20% polyester and the blended fabric versions tend to last longer and retain their texture.
I shop at the Premium High Street level, or higher, to get the quality I want and need. I don’t really care that they cost more, the quality is worth it and I just buy fewer items that I really will love for years. We Americans have an unrealistic idea about what it costs to produce quality apparel and expect prices to be ridiculously low, thanks to fast-fashion.
Tim producing top tier quality videos as always. Thanks for all these advices
Great video Tim👍👍. Definitely agree that more expensive brands have a higher quality but spending in ultra expensive brands never made much sense to me as clothes do not have a resale value and one cannot wear same expensive stuff everyday though I definitely consider the brand while buying overcoats.
i’m not sure id put asos in ultra fast fashion - esp asos design but great video none the less ❤
Hi Tim here's a video idea. You mentioned exceptions on the price/quality curve in each category of brands. I'd love to hear your view on examples of these exceptions/gems in each category of brand.
I enjoyed this video. There's something I've experienced personally though, an it's 100% wool doesn't equal 100% quality. Especially when it comes to items like trousers or socks - they wear out and fray too quickly. My thighs are thick enough to chafe, so I'll never buy a 100% woolen suit that I intend to wear every day if I want it to last more than 5 times.
Love the video!! Id say if ure someone who don't like to wear the same clothes a lot, high street brands are the way to go cause ure not gonna spend 300/500€ on a sweater and wear it twice right? but for me personally brands like acne studios, ami paris, our legacy etc.. are so much better in quality than all high street brands and the pieces last very long time and keep their shape. Not to mention the silhouettes that fit my body perfectly. worth the price for sure. Ultra luxury? still hesitating honestly as I don't like the big logos/monograms but I think I might try when I find what im looking for.
To conclude, 100% agree with the graph that kept going up till a certain point and then went straight.
I love UNIQLO Tees, tried to purchase some but shipping cost to west Africa is ridiculous
Hopefully that improves with time
Can‘t believe how good this video is🥰
Tim vdo is not only for fashion models but helps me a student like me a lot to be elegant with dress❤❤
Primark is not ultra fast fashion, lowest of the low, that's Shein. People go to Primark to get something fashionable for a good price. There really are cheaper stores than Primark.
I would love to see a video about what options some of these brands offer. And what you like about each brand
That trenchcoat bit vibed with me so much, I bought an excellent fitting one a few years back but I never end up wearing it. I think I've used it twice.
However my grandfather used to wear his trenchcoats and peacoats regularly every autumn and winter.
I always feel like it would be silly unless I have something quite nice on underneath.
Also weirdly I have one Sudio Nicholson sweater and quite a few Ralph Lauren ones, both are better cut but the materials used are worse than the Uniqlo sweaters. Very weird.
I would say yes! My expensive jeans lasted well over 20 years, cheap ones barely two. David Donahue dress shirts at $145 are worth every penny. They wear like iron, and last forever. They look great. My tailor thought they were custom made!
I know women who are sewing for Gucci and other hi brands, they often do bad job with stitching, but they are taught how to hide it, so you can't always inspect everything. Though they do use premium fabrics not denying that.
While i also prefer natural fibres to synthetics, I don't think using them in a blend is purely to save cost, it (some) adds anti wrinkle properties and has a different structure for different purposes. I do dislike when items are advertised as "wool" when they only have like 10% though.
I would never rely on the level of comfort or thickness of a garment to judge its quality because those not only depend on the final use of the product but also because they are very easy to fake.
Example: a 100% merinos wool jumper will feel scratchy compared to a H&M polyesther one, but keep in mind H&M cheats by using fabric softeners which give a very soft touch to the clothes, a softness that only remains for one wash ! Also, a cashmere jumper will always be much thinner than a merinos one, but will definitely keep you warmer.
Really missed out on 2nd hand. I just bought an oversized 200+ euro hoodie for 55 bucks. I got some great vintage fit shirts from thriftstores too.
Agree 💯 Better with less means less waste.