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Americans are spending less on clothing

bloomberg.com

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Re: Americans are spending less on clothing

#61

Post by mozumder »

martinsb wrote: post #14

I think this is very good news. Fast fashion leads to resource and people exploitation. This is great that people use their old clothes and refrain from buying new ones for no other reason than the old ones have become unwearable. (edit: typo)

> I think this is very good news. Fast fashion leads to resource and people exploitation.

Not a fan of fast-fashion, but what does "people exploitation" mean?

Should a Bangladeshi factory worker go back to begging in the streets instead of working a job at a factory? They provide value in terms of making a product that you buy.. what's the problem with that?

Re: Americans are spending less on clothing

#63

Post by mozumder »

B-Con wrote: post #11

tl;dr: They buy less in quantity and value expensive brands less. This is in line with the "spend money on experiences not stuff" trend we're watching rise in popularity, particularly in the younger generation. People aren't flocking as quickly to flaunt their status via possessions, particularly in clothing. The right $20 shirt can look great and last you forever. I found a $8 t-shirt and $20 pair of pants that I li…

> This is in line with the "spend money on experiences not stuff" trend we're watching rise in popularity, particularly in the younger generation.

The irony is that vacations ARE the exact same thing as buying stuff. It's just you're buying stuff for your time. The worst part is that these vacations are commodity items. It's not like people are having new adventures and unique experiences - they're doing the same shit millions of other people do, the way people buy the same shit millions of other people buy. Nothing interesting in that...

Re: Americans are spending less on clothing

#64

Post by gonzo41 »

dandare wrote: post #8

European here: when visiting my company HQ I was surprised how casual Americans dress for work. I am not saying devs should wear suit and tie, nothing like that, but even my bosses boss* was wearing what looked like a rumpled sweater with worn out jeans. And I don't mean like fashion statement rumpled and worn out, more like the "great depression" crumpled and worn out. Jules and Vincent in their new t-shirts would f…

Does the VP deliver value for the company? If so then it doesn't matter.

Re: Americans are spending less on clothing

#65

Post by dagurp »

eesmith wrote: post #55
dandare wrote: post #8

European here: when visiting my company HQ I was surprised how casual Americans dress for work. I am not saying devs should wear suit and tie, nothing like that, but even my bosses boss* was wearing what looked like a rumpled sweater with worn out jeans. And I don't mean like fashion statement rumpled and worn out, more like the "great depression" crumpled and worn out. Jules and Vincent in their new t-shirts would f…

Not quite 20 years ago I did my first consulting work in Europe. I was concerned as I did not have business clothes. I had only worked for and consulted for companies in the western part of the US. I knew that European dress standards were higher than the US, and even that East Coast standards were higher. When I visited my sister's then-Big-Five company she had me change my socks as I apparently wasn't dressed up en…

> "But in Sweden we dress down compared to other countries."

That's very surprising to me. To me, the Swedish think more about their looks than any other country.

Re: Americans are spending less on clothing

#66

Post by twostoned »

utellme wrote: post #33
jmadsen wrote: post #17

One thing the article missed but for me personally is an important point: the rise of minimalism I'm not the type of minimalism you write about, but clothes last for ages now & I just don't want lots of stuff. Especially here in Japan we do laundry every day, so I just don't need very many items. Just some comfortable layers, enough to have a little variety, I'm all set. (I'm leaving in the morning for 2 weeks in Flo…

Oh, I'm feeling just opposite on your phrase "clothes last for ages" if you speaking about its quality. 10 yr old jeans looks ugly but their endurance is much better than modern ones has. And if you wash your clothes so often, it should last few months before became completely garbage.

I think drying is harder on textiles than washing. I hang dry my clothes and am baffled by how long they last vs. when I used to use a dryer. This could be personal experience.

Re: Americans are spending less on clothing

#67

Post by perseusprime11 »

bballer wrote: post #58

With the exception of shoes and jackets I buy all my clothes at Goodwill. It's awesome! Every couple of months I spend around $20 dollars and I always have nice new tee shirts, button ups, pants etc. You wont believe how many nice clothes people simply give away. Plus it makes me feel great knowing I'm contributing to reuse and giving money to a company that helps employee less fortunate people.

I wish more people follow your lead.

Re: Americans are spending less on clothing

#68

Post by dazc »

johnpowell wrote: post #7

Maybe I just live in a weird place. But I see a lot less branding when I walk around town compared to 20 years ago. My sister has 17 year old twin girls and they pretty much refuse to wear anything that makes them a "walking billboard". I live close to the university of Oregon and when I was in high school it was all Nike clothes all over campus. Now I still see some but not nearly as much. It is like "Likes" instead…

In the UK wearing branded 'designer' clothing is a kind of status signal people with a low status tend to gravitate towards.

People of a higher status are more likely to dress conservatively since they don't have anything to 'prove'.

/*generally speaking

Re: Americans are spending less on clothing

#69

Post by analog31 »

darpa_escapee wrote: post #5
Hextinium wrote: post #2

I think a major contributor that isn't pointed out in the article is that clothes can last forever. I haven't needed to step into a department store in over two years not because I don't want to but because I don't need to. I wear the same clothes year-round and they have worked for the last 3-4 years before they even start to show wear. The only thing I need are new shoes and socks. Heck now with microfiber underwea…

Higher end clothes last longer. However, what is availably priced for most people are poorly made clothes that will last a year if they don't fall apart in the wash before then. Take a look at what's available at Kohl's, Walmart, Old Navy etc and you will see what I mean.

I've found this to be true in a limited sense if I buy clothes made from better fabrics geared toward what I would call semi-athletic or outdoorsy style. For instance I have some hiking pants that are made from a synthetic fabric, and they are greatly outlasting jeans or khakis. One thing is that the synthetic material doesn't seem to take on permanent stains as easily.

Re: Americans are spending less on clothing

#70

Post by analog31 »

MandieD wrote: post #35
megaman22 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's all in what you buy, though. I have clothes from Walmart I've been wearing daily for nearly a decade - they're Carhart and Dickies jeans and sweatshirts however. That's better runs than I've gotten out of higher-end pants that cost 5x more. But I'll admit, I've no idea how women's clothing compares; men's clothing is blessedly simple and robust and fashions change at glacial paces.

Women's clothing is generally terrible - fragile, thin fabrics that snag way too easily and pill up after a few machine washings. Oh, and random shiny things and frills sewn on. On top of that, we get to pay extra for the privilege. I want simple, unornamented women's size and proportioned tops and trousers made out of the fabrics men's clothes are.

My mom noticed this in the 1950s, and started wearing dress shirts from the mens or even boys department. The only difference was the orientation of the buttons. She got a reputation for it, but it didn't actually seem to bother anybody.
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