Why are clothes so expensive?!?!?

[seba_boi]

Rant:

So I went Christmas shopping... I went to London Drugs and found this very nice Black And Decker electric skillet for $49.99... So I immediately got a hold of it and bought it as a gift for a family friend who had been a great help to me this past few months... They had tons of cheap appliances: slow cookers, can openers, bread makers--all brand names and not those cheap-o White Westinghouse ones... I also bought a gorgeous electric panini maker for another family friend for the same price...

Next day I went to do more Christmas shopping, this time I went to a kids store to buy my 10-month old godson some clothes... I found a nice sweater and I checked the price it's $35.99!... You mean a really tiny sweater that fits a baby doll costs fifteen dollars less than a Black & Decker electric skillet... Then I'm reminded of SwimCo bathing suits that costs more than $100!... I'm like this is totally insane!...

Even with shipping costs you'd think electronic appliances would cost more, but they don't!... I just don't get it?!... Why are clothes so freaking expensive?!....

[Nakey]

Why are clothes so freaking expensive?!....

because you fail at being thrifty and fashionable?

[Shiroiyuki]

Because you don't shop at Goodwill. Seriously.


Erm...or what Nakey said.

[seba_boi]

because you fail at being thrifty and fashionable?

I'm actually quite thrifty (and maybe a lot more fashionable than the usual preppy kid), but my point stands....

Because you don't shop at Goodwill. Seriously.


Is that like a Salvation Army?...

[Coffee]

more fashionable than the usual preppy kid

I seriously do think anyone is.

There is nothing fashionable about Hollister, Abercrombie, or American Eagle. Or even being a bro.

Well, if you think about it clothes these days are made with better fabrics, depending on what level of quality clothes you get. If you pay $50 for an oxford button down, you're going to get one of that quality. And likewise if you buy the same article of clothing but priced for $20, then you're going to receive the equivalent quality.

[Holy Knight]

^ That's a common misconception. Price absolutely does not equate quality.

The difference between a Rolex and a Timex is not how well each watch keeps time, but the perceived value you attribute to each (Rolex for the rich/Timex for the poor). Same with Abercrombie et al. People don't pay for the clothes, they pay for the brand.

So you can most certainly find good clothes at little cost, you just have to know where to look.

[Leader Desslock]

Like everything else, I wait until I find a deal before I buy clothes. It's probably the least of my expenses.

[Jon]

^There's always deals on clothes...whether it'd be a clearance from stuff that didn't sell fast enough or with a holiday rolling around the corner. And usually you can shop in the store, right it down and buy it online for a cheaper price. Though that is kind of a hassle.

[animeotaku99]

Buy surplus like i do. If fashionable, and I'm ready for any tactical situation. THough I don't think they carry clothes for infants.

[l0k1]

They're not, stop being cheap.

[Justinian]

Whenever I walk into Abercrombie I feel dirty... The music is kind of annoying too. I feel like I'm at some gay club in Seattle...

[animeotaku99]

Looks like sailorNyanko isn't the only one that might be mistaken for being jewish, lol

[waltsoph3]

Well there can be many reasons why there expensive.

supply and demand, popularity..those are just a few. :(

Thrift shops are defently cheaper if your just looking for clothes..yet if you want the rave in fashion prepare to empty the wallet. Thats just the way it is. :(

[animeotaku99]

and infant clothing also tends to be more expensive then adult clothing.
Thin about it. That child will quickly grow out of said shirt so they will need to buy a new one. They can make a lot more money if they inflate the price of said Chinese made sweater

[Coffee]

^ That's a common misconception. Price absolutely does not equate quality.

The difference between a Rolex and a Timex is not how well each watch keeps time, but the perceived value you attribute to each (Rolex for the rich/Timex for the poor). Same with Abercrombie et al. People don't pay for the clothes, they pay for the brand.

So you can most certainly find good clothes at little cost, you just have to know where to look.

Actually, it depends on the retailer as well. While you go in upper tiers such as high fashion/design, you will get what you paid for. Especially if you want articles of clothing that never goes below $200, such as suits.

A rayon/silk suit that is fitted correctly will run you around $700-$1500, and a casa-satin/polyester suit will be $500 and below and sold at malls and large department stores.

Usually when you're venturing into Burberry, Uniqlo(As a whole), or any of any of Heidi Slimane's fashion lines like Gucci, Dior, or Prada you're going to find high quality clothes that will last you, and still look good.

You can say i'm paying for brand, but why buy the knockoff that won't last as long and made of a different fabric than the original? Hey, you can't find pulled wool jackets with silk taffeta lining anywhere!

[Aragami]

If you can find something cool that you like to wear, it's worth paying the kind of money you're talking about.

If you just can't afford it, there are outlets that are cheap.

[fujyoshi]

/heh I don't even remember the last time I spend more then $10 on clothes, thrift shopping ALL THE WAY /no1

[Shiroiyuki]

Is that like a Salvation Army?...

Dude, you've never been to Goodwill?? Wow...well, erm, it isn't as poor as the Salvation Army and doesn't smell as bad, but yes, it is basically a second-hand store.

If you live in a richer area they have better things. Here you can find clothing that has been donated but still is BRAND NEW (seriously, after scoping out places like these you begin to see the subtle differences in quality and start developing what I call 'Thrift Eye', a very useful gift). Clothing is CHEAP -- $3 for shirts, sweaters, etc. $4 for pants. Seriously.

And I've gotten tons of brand name things, too, most from AE, the Gap, etc. Once I found a pair of London Jeans (Victoria's Secret I believe) that were in excellent condition.

You just have to keep an eye out.

[Undrave]

Kids grow out of their clothes way too fast to be worth investing in brand name or specialty store clothing. Just go to Wal Mart or HBC or Sears or what have you.

[Holy Knight]

Actually, it depends on the retailer as well. While you go in upper tiers such as high fashion/design, you will get what you paid for. Especially if you want articles of clothing that never goes below $200, such as suits.

A rayon/silk suit that is fitted correctly will run you around $700-$1500, and a casa-satin/polyester suit will be $500 and below and sold at malls and large department stores.

Usually when you're venturing into Burberry, Uniqlo(As a whole), or any of any of Heidi Slimane's fashion lines like Gucci, Dior, or Prada you're going to find high quality clothes that will last you, and still look good.

You can say i'm paying for brand, but why buy the knockoff that won't last as long and made of a different fabric than the original? Hey, you can't find pulled wool jackets with silk taffeta lining anywhere!

You can get some great suits at little cost. I know my brother got his locally for a little less than 150$ (Canadian!). When he went on a trip to China, my father got one fit and prepared for him in 2 hours at a mere 90$. Again, you just need to know where to look, what you want, and the production cost of what you're buying.

Now, I'm not sure what you mean by "high quality" here, but since you're equating it to brand names, I'm going to assume you mean "high-q. = luxury goods". No, luxury goods have added features that increase it's value in the consumer's eye (In this case, silk/satin/etc.). You don't need silk or fancy fabrics in your clothing because wool/cotton/whatever is good enough. I also doubt they are expensive because of their associated costs. They're probably costly just so you can say they're luxury items. I'm fairly certain a silk coat will not keep you warm through a Canadian winter the way a good, simple wool coat can do so. I'm all for looking good, but you really don't need to sport pricy items to have that effect.

Remember the Air Jordans? Those things were incredibly pricy. And yet, they were just regular shoes (as I recall, they were actually inferior, and wore out faster)! Simply adding the name of one NBA star changed the way a mere running shoe is perceived. Same for Nike shoes in general; they're artificially high in cost because people are willing to pay for the perceived value they get out of it.

I also don't see what you mean by buying knockoffs, because it's essentially the same concept: you're paying for the value of the brand name, not because the actual item is in any way superior to the original (though some might argue they are, given how they're made), but because you want to show off at less cost. In short, people won't buy knockoffs if all they're looking for is plain, sturdy clothing.

No, the fact of the matter is, price does not equate quality whatsoever (to a certain degree, to be sure). Be you Armani himself, I would not buy your jacket because I know the one I buy for 20$ will last me 10-15 years, and still look as good as any!

[Jatz]

Rant:
{snip
Why are clothes so freaking expensive?!....

Is this a rant or a are you a spambot/shill for London Drug? But yeah, just do to Wal-Mart or a thrift store and buy the brat your godson something that he wouldn't care about. Just get him something that'll keep him warm (assuming you're in a cold clime) and he'll be happy. If the parents care about such things you can say you blew a lot of money (everyone knows $=♥). Be sure that you give a through washing before you give it no matter where you git it from, you don't know where those thins have been.

[ThePhillyFlash]

Why are clothes so freaking expensive?!....

What? Don't you have K-Mart, Ross or Marshall's in your neck of the woods? :huh:

[Siendra]

I shop for clothes once a year. I get all brand names. Usually 3 pairs of jeans, 1 pair of dress pants, five shirts, socks, underwear and I do it for less than $100cnd usually (Normally like $85).

You need to learn to snoop out deals my friend. The best way to go about it is to find out when those stupid expensive stores are clearing out of season inventory or something. They're insane about marking **** down and getting rid of it for like two days every six months.

[Trefellin]

Looks like sailorNyanko isn't the only one that might be mistaken for being jewish, lol

:lol:


Looking for deals is a good idea.

[Carhill22]

No, the fact of the matter is, price does not equate quality whatsoever (to a certain degree, to be sure). Be you Armani himself, I would not buy your jacket because I know the one I buy for 20$ will last me 10-15 years, and still look as good as any!


and yet the $9 t-shirts from target are falling apart way faster than my $20 shirts from Mervyns.. (and yes I know Mervyns is out of business, thats how old those shirts are)

[Leader Desslock]

^ Well, that's just because it's also possible to buy really inferior stuff at a cheap price as well.

HK is saying that the "high price = quality" association is wrong. But don't take that to mean he's implying "low price = quality", then cite an example where "low price <> quality" to show that he's wrong. He's not saying "low price = quality", because that would be just as wrong as "high price = quality".

The point he's making is that a savvy shopper can find deals where high quality clothing is sold at an affordable price. You don't have to break the bank to look good.

[sailornyanko]

Looks like sailorNyanko isn't the only one that might be mistaken for being jewish, lol

:lol:

Did I just make it to one of the most epic AN moments of 2009?

I don't have much money for clothes (at a 2000 US salary/year it's little wonder why), but the area near where I work sells the exact same brand name clothes at a cheaper price than the ones at the flashy malls in my area. Drawback? Ugly dirty neighborhood for the most part.

Get past the area though, prices there are rather accesible for brand name clothes. I do agree that a lot of electronics have become really cheap. The chinese must be getting desperate to make a profit off plasma tv's or something.

[Holy Knight]

Indeed, Dess got it right.

I'll just add that "quality" is a largely subjective notion, though it is held to define something as "superior". More concisely, and in this case, we could hold it as the idea that something is "well-made" (agreeing that luxury items are not the standard for quality).

"Well-made" implies efficient design (in production cost and utility) and durability. This is something that applies to all products, regardless of social status. But quality does sell! ... People just have the wrong notion of quality (i.e. the idea that gold rims make better rims... but you can certainly make "high-quality" rims that last long and offer good value for what you paid).

"High-quality" is a state, not an indication of the price of materials used. After all, you can have silk and satin that's badly woven. As such, you can have cheap shirts that are high-quality simply because they're well-made items.

[animefan88]

The only places I buy clothes are Express and Aeropostale. Aeropostale has lower priced items and its easy to find deals, but I only shop at Express when I have a discount coupon and also when they have sales.

[bastet]

The only places I buy clothes are Express and Aeropostale.


i've only been in those places once... i don't shop for clothes... unless i'm in dire need of them. most of my friends or family ends up giving me clothing. i moved to va to be with my fiance and his mom gave me so many shirts it's not even funny. my mom sends me pants sometimes and if i really need something new, i go to the thrift store or walmart because i don't have money to just throw on the ground and stomp on. seriously, i could care less about fashion. i don't want to look like an old lady, but i don't feel like paying $50(us) for a shirt or pair of pants... or any article of clothing for that matter, unless it's a winter coat.

[animefan88]

I will pay at most $25 for a shirt. Don't care what kind. For pants its $50. I will pay more but only with a deal so that is equals under or about $50. For me, to have pride in my appearance is good, but don't go overboard :D

[bastet]

For me, to have pride in my appearance is good, but don't go overboard :D

totally agree. i get nice clothes for cheap... or free :P

[Siendra]

I will pay at most $25 for a shirt. Don't care what kind. For pants its $50. I will pay more but only with a deal so that is equals under or about $50. For me, to have pride in my appearance is good, but don't go overboard :D

You spend $50 on A pair of pants.

[ThePhillyFlash]

I will pay at most $25 for a shirt. Don't care what kind. For pants its $50. I will pay more but only with a deal so that is equals under or about $50. For me, to have pride in my appearance is good, but don't go overboard :D

$50 for a pair of pants? I can buy two nice pairs of pants at K-Mart for that much! I see no reason to spend exorbitant amounts of money on clothes when discount places offer good stuff for low prices. I'm proud to be a bargain shopper, that way, I save money to spend on more important things like food and anime! :lol:

[Old Ape Face]

$50 for a pair of pants? I can buy two nice pairs of pants at K-Mart for that much! I see no reason to spend exorbitant amounts of money on clothes when discount places offer good stuff for low prices. I'm proud to be a bargain shopper, that way, I save money to spend on more important things like food and anime! :lol:

and this is what fuels Wal*mart

[l0k1]

The jeans I'm wearing right now are about $70 in your heathen currency.

I mean 90% of my attractiveness is genetics, but I have to put a bit of effort into clothes and hair.

[Old Ape Face]

The jeans I'm wearing right now are about $70 in your heathen currency.

I mean 90% of my attractiveness is genetics, but I have to put a bit of effort into clothes and hair.

That's certainly true, it's especially tedious when your hair naturally balls up like a knot. I try to grow mine out but I get Crusty the Clown hair most of the time, and I don't want that.

Cloths are mediocre, I'm absurdly low maintenance so it's never too difficult for me to agree on one style of cloths for a long time.

[willag]

Ugh, I dislike shopping for clothes, atypical to the stereotype of my gender. It's like pulling teeth to make myself go. And I normally just go to Kohls due to convenience (however, I now have a Walmart nearby, so maybe I'll try there). More expensive than what the bargain shoppers on here go for, but I don't give a butt enough to actually put an effort towards finding great deals for clothes.

[Soluzar]

That's certainly true, it's especially tedious when your hair naturally balls up like a knot. I try to grow mine out but I get Crusty the Clown hair most of the time, and I don't want that.
That is a natural stage in growing out your hair, stick with it and eventually it will get to the point it is growing more or less downwards. It lasts a while so wear a hat. Then you can just trim off any stubborn bits that stick out. Since I last had the unruly ends trimmed off, I've not cut my hair in several years.

[VidelCoolGirl]

I'm very low maintenance when it comes to clothes. What I mean is, I don't need to have the name brands to look good in what I'm wearing. Yes, I shop online sometimes, and hit the clearance rack at American Eagle if I can, but I usually try to keep my pants under 30...maybe 50 if its a hoodie.

[fujyoshi]

You spend $50 on A pair of pants.

what idiot spends that much on a pair of pants -_=

[VidelCoolGirl]

People who have the expendable money to do so.

[Mizumi]

Like other people have said you just need to shop around, I buy brand names at low prices by getting the sales on various shops, a new shopping center opened up in my area and some shops were closing down in the old one and moving to the new one so they had sales on, I saved easy £150 on what I got, also after Xmas there will be the January sales in which they try to get rid of stock they got in for Xmas that didn't sell, again I will be saving a ton of money on clothes and other things there.

[VidelCoolGirl]

Yeah, most of the places that have such expensive clothing, have killer sales. You just have to know how to shop.

[Caster13]

How about the jeans that are like $70 dollars that are ripped? HA! :lol::lol:

[animefan88]

^ :lol: Right! I could rip my own goddamn jeans if I wanted to :lol:

I don't shop for clothes that often, maybe 4-5 times a year. So $40-50 for a pair of jeans or slacks isn't too bad if I like them.

[VidelCoolGirl]

Yeah, I have to REALLY like something to feel the need to spend more than $40 on it. Usually, a pair of pants that are that much, usually last you forever. Clothes are like any other product. You get what you pay for.

[fujyoshi]

I met a guy at the last con I went to that spend over $100 for these pants that were imported from some other country somewhere. Now those better be the best pants you ever wore around your waist /heh but those were also some really awsome looking pants :O

[VidelCoolGirl]

/heh but those were also some really awsome looking pants :O

Exactly. Expensive pants usually DO look great. That's why they're expensive.

[animefan88]

I agree with Videl. I buy higher priced pants because they fit right and look great!

[VidelCoolGirl]

Yeah, most people are only bitter because the pants they DO want are too expensive for them to afford. Otherwise, why would anyone be complaining? You think Bill Gates complains about how much Gas Prices are or how much clothes cost? No. Because he's Bill Freakin' Gates.

[fujyoshi]

Exactly. Expensive pants usually DO look great. That's why they're expensive.

/heh they were shiny things or something o_o

[DazzleKitty]

I hear ya. I've had to deal with this lately. I got a new job that I started today at a hospital. I worked at Wal-Mart before so all I needed really was navy or green shirts and jeans/khaki or brown pants. This job requires a casual business dress. I had to go out and buy 4 pairs of slack paints which exceeded over $200 for all of them. The places that sell my size (plus sizes, I'll sadly admit) are quite pricey. I dont' really wanna buy pants from Wal-Mart because IMO the quality of many of their clothes is severly lacking.
I did get a nice shirt that was orginally $48.99 for a little over thirty. Great deal, but even with the sale price it's a lot. I haven't had to buy new clothes in forever because I just kinda stopped caring since I went on nights at my old job. But now I am on days again. Even with my money being drained, I'll have to admit it's refreshing to be able to dress really nice again and deck myself up.

[earsofdoom]

cloths are pricey becouse retailers expect people to pay allot for brand names as some sort of status symbol, sadly allot of people do. my dress style is very business casual and i make it a point to avoid anything with logo's/brand names stitched into them if i can, now if a company wants to start paying me for being a walking billboard i might start investing in being a trend whore. (in other words never)

[Siendra]

and this is what fuels Wal*mart

I haven't bought clothes at Walmart in... ever. Or a place like K-Mart or Zellers. I just don't pay $50 for pants when I know paying attention can get me $120 jeans for $25-$30.

So I get generally better quality clothes (Admittedly not always) for less. I guess if convenience is really worth *that* much to you...

[Old Ape Face]

I haven't bought clothes at Walmart in... ever. Or a place like K-Mart or Zellers. I just don't pay $50 for pants when I know paying attention can get me $120 jeans for $25-$30.

So I get generally better quality clothes (Admittedly not always) for less. I guess if convenience is really worth *that* much to you...

I don't shop at Wally World either, I'm just pointing out that that's what makes those places sell so well.

Surprisingly the quality in those places isn't that bad, but you wont get nearly as much of a selection.

Course I shop at Kohls and Hot Topic, and even then I've never seen pants over $100.

Yeah, most people are only bitter because the pants they DO want are too expensive for them to afford. Otherwise, why would anyone be complaining? You think Bill Gates complains about how much Gas Prices are or how much clothes cost? No. Because he's Bill Freakin' Gates.

Bill Gates probably has it where his gas pays him, and he doesn't even need to go to Soviet Russia.