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Forever 21, Which Helped Popularize Fast Fashion, to File for Bankruptcy

nytimes.com

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Re: Forever 21, Which Helped Popularize Fast Fashion, to File for Bankruptcy

#91

Post by zuzun »

jesterson wrote: post #47
atoav wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My girlfriend worked as a weaving technician and she said the H&M stuff got much worse over the past decade and subjectively it is true. The stuff literally disintegrates if you have it in the drier to often. Sadly enough this is also true for the men’s wear. I certainly try to spend a little more and get quality stuff. Second hand stores can also be great because you can find great quality stuff that feels better af…

I personally can see how H&M quality went down in last 10 years. Around 10 years ago it was decent quality for reasonable price, not it's just things I'd avoid even touching.

I would say their quality improved. For example, 10 years ago their t-shirts were really thin with skewed cuts that became evident once you tried to fold them. Now the t-shirts are made of much thicker cotton and the cutting follows a proper pattern.

Re: Forever 21, Which Helped Popularize Fast Fashion, to File for Bankruptcy

#92

Post by delfinom »

proverbialbunny wrote: post #28

Back in '08-'09 Forever 21 was my favorite clothing store. They had styles there that fit well, looked good, used comfortable fabric, and was relatively cheap. Given how the economy was doing at the time, it gave Forever 21 an advantage: clothes 2-3x cheaper and clothes quite a bit more enjoyable to wear. But the fabric they used disintegrated on me, as woman's clothes tend to. (Men get thicker fabric, but at the exp…

>(Men get thicker fabric.)

Hahahaha. Not anymore sadly with most brands. Profit maximization has fixed that in the last few years.

Re: Forever 21, Which Helped Popularize Fast Fashion, to File for Bankruptcy

#93

Post by [deleted] »

donkeyd wrote: post #52
proverbialbunny wrote: post #28

Back in '08-'09 Forever 21 was my favorite clothing store. They had styles there that fit well, looked good, used comfortable fabric, and was relatively cheap. Given how the economy was doing at the time, it gave Forever 21 an advantage: clothes 2-3x cheaper and clothes quite a bit more enjoyable to wear. But the fabric they used disintegrated on me, as woman's clothes tend to. (Men get thicker fabric, but at the exp…

> I'm afraid the same fate will come to H&M that has come to Forever 21. Wasn't looking too good last year [0]. Not sure how they're doing now though. 0: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/27/business/hm-clothes-stock...

[deleted]

Re: Forever 21, Which Helped Popularize Fast Fashion, to File for Bankruptcy

#94

Post by petard »

dcchambers wrote: post #89
noodlesUK wrote: post #60

I’ve seen a lot of people going on about fast fashion recently. I’m aware of lots of shops that are considered fast fashion, but which ones aren’t ? Where should I be going to buy more durable clothes that are made of nicer materials? I’m genuinely curious. I’d like to change my buying patterns (I’m really not that fashion conscious, so long as I can have some nice button ups and trousers I’ll be happy).

Here's a couple I like that aren't over-the-top expensive or bespoke: - LL Bean - Patagonia - Everlane - Lands End My general rule of thumb: Try to stick to natural fabrics (cotton, wool, linen) for most things. Synthetics can be good but most are really cheap. If you're willing to pay a little more, there are some small shops still making stuff in America that you can feel good buying and will last a lot longer than…

Everlane touts themselves sustainable and ethical but there's a lot of greenwashing in their marketing. See also https://www.eco-stylist.com/we-tested-everlane-and-they-fail...

Re: Forever 21, Which Helped Popularize Fast Fashion, to File for Bankruptcy

#95

Post by wazoox »

proverbialbunny wrote: post #28

Back in '08-'09 Forever 21 was my favorite clothing store. They had styles there that fit well, looked good, used comfortable fabric, and was relatively cheap. Given how the economy was doing at the time, it gave Forever 21 an advantage: clothes 2-3x cheaper and clothes quite a bit more enjoyable to wear. But the fabric they used disintegrated on me, as woman's clothes tend to. (Men get thicker fabric, but at the exp…

> H&M has caught on like wildfire taking over the market Forever 21 once had. They do a lot of the same, but their clothes are even cheaper (why?)

Because of ruthless exploitation of the poor:

https://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/25/world/asia/bangladesh-fac...

Re: Forever 21, Which Helped Popularize Fast Fashion, to File for Bankruptcy

#96

Post by BlameKaneda »

dcchambers wrote: post #89
noodlesUK wrote: post #60

I’ve seen a lot of people going on about fast fashion recently. I’m aware of lots of shops that are considered fast fashion, but which ones aren’t ? Where should I be going to buy more durable clothes that are made of nicer materials? I’m genuinely curious. I’d like to change my buying patterns (I’m really not that fashion conscious, so long as I can have some nice button ups and trousers I’ll be happy).

Here's a couple I like that aren't over-the-top expensive or bespoke: - LL Bean - Patagonia - Everlane - Lands End My general rule of thumb: Try to stick to natural fabrics (cotton, wool, linen) for most things. Synthetics can be good but most are really cheap. If you're willing to pay a little more, there are some small shops still making stuff in America that you can feel good buying and will last a lot longer than…

I was looking for an excellent fleece to fit my needs, but I didn't want to spend big $$. I wasn't having any luck, so on a whim I splurged (a bit) and bought a fleece from one of the names listed above.

- I bought it from an outlet store so despite its high price it was still discounted

- It's incredibly well-made

- The "cut" of it is great, as in it fits my form really well

- Its pockets are deep

- It's warm

Zero regrets. It's absolutely one of my favorite clothing items and hopefully something I'll maintain for a long time.

Re: Forever 21, Which Helped Popularize Fast Fashion, to File for Bankruptcy

#98

Post by dcchambers »

BlameKaneda wrote: post #96
dcchambers wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here's a couple I like that aren't over-the-top expensive or bespoke: - LL Bean - Patagonia - Everlane - Lands End My general rule of thumb: Try to stick to natural fabrics (cotton, wool, linen) for most things. Synthetics can be good but most are really cheap. If you're willing to pay a little more, there are some small shops still making stuff in America that you can feel good buying and will last a lot longer than…

I was looking for an excellent fleece to fit my needs, but I didn't want to spend big $$. I wasn't having any luck, so on a whim I splurged (a bit) and bought a fleece from one of the names listed above. - I bought it from an outlet store so despite its high price it was still discounted - It's incredibly well-made - The "cut" of it is great, as in it fits my form really well - Its pockets are deep - It's warm Zero r…

Fleece is one of my exceptions-to-the-rule re: polyester. That said, there's a big difference between investing in a nice, well-made fleece jacket that you know will last many years, and one that is likely to get destroyed pretty quickly. I'm happy to spend 2x as much on the jacket if it will last 2-3x as long.

Especially because, as you mentioned, more expensive jackets are sure to have better features (bigger pockets, better cut/shape, and a higher-quality fabric).

Re: Forever 21, Which Helped Popularize Fast Fashion, to File for Bankruptcy

#99

Post by dashundchen »

Robelius wrote: post #82
atoav wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My girlfriend worked as a weaving technician and she said the H&M stuff got much worse over the past decade and subjectively it is true. The stuff literally disintegrates if you have it in the drier to often. Sadly enough this is also true for the men’s wear. I certainly try to spend a little more and get quality stuff. Second hand stores can also be great because you can find great quality stuff that feels better af…

I have similar experiences with H&M, and a lot of other cheap basically colored shirts. It’ll feel great at first. Then I’ll leave it in the dryer for a few minutes too long, and the fit completely changes while the material looks degraded. I’m more than happy to spend $30+ on a simple shirt that won’t change its fit after a few cleanings, but struggle to find a consistent brand. If anyone has recommendations, please…

> I have similar experiences with H&M, and a lot of other cheap basically colored shirts. It’ll feel great at first. Then I’ll leave it in the dryer for a few minutes too long, and the fit completely changes while the material looks degraded.

Hang dry and use a lower spin speed in the wash. It takes a little more planning and time, but I hang dry almost all my clothes and I have t-shirts from H&M type store that are 8 years old and still holding up. Some higher quality clothes brands are even older and look pretty much brand new.

I can get clothing to last until the fabric actually wears out - elbows in dress shirts, knees in pants etc and even after that you can sometimes convert them to shorts with a little sewing.

Re: Forever 21, Which Helped Popularize Fast Fashion, to File for Bankruptcy

#100

Post by dcchambers »

petard wrote: post #94
dcchambers wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here's a couple I like that aren't over-the-top expensive or bespoke: - LL Bean - Patagonia - Everlane - Lands End My general rule of thumb: Try to stick to natural fabrics (cotton, wool, linen) for most things. Synthetics can be good but most are really cheap. If you're willing to pay a little more, there are some small shops still making stuff in America that you can feel good buying and will last a lot longer than…

Everlane touts themselves sustainable and ethical but there's a lot of greenwashing in their marketing. See also https://www.eco-stylist.com/we-tested-everlane-and-they-fail...

Thanks for the information!
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