Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

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

nytimes.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

131–140 of 178 posts

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

#131

Post by amyjess »

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…

> 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.

For me, buying cheap stuff that has to be replaced often is the price I'm willing to pay for fabrics that feel comfortable and don't irritate my skin.

I absolutely cannot tolerate the feeling of cotton on my skin, and if I have a choice, everything I wear would be made out of rayon and spandex.

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

#132

Post by dragonwriter »

shantly wrote: post #120
BlameKaneda wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

> - The "cut" of it is great, as in it fits my form really well I find it odd how much better off-the-rack fit tends to be on more expensive clothes (for men, anyway). You'd think that'd be one thing the cheaper brands could easily duplicate, and that the main differences would be fabric quality & construction, but no.

> I find it odd how much better off-the-rack fit tends to be on more expensive clothes (for men, anyway). You'd think that'd be one thing the cheaper brands could easily duplicate

Cheaper bands target a wider range of body types per SKU, which naturally produces worse fit on average.

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

#133

Post by dragonwriter »

prolepunk wrote: post #126
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).

Costco. Wait hear me out. I haven't tried jackets or outwear they sell, but they always stock up of decent quality underwear, t-shirts and jeans. Their Levi's last me about 4 years.

You have to be careful with Costco,and a lot of stuff that they carry regularly drops in quality after becoming successful there, but you can find really good stuff there.

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

#134

Post by magduf »

calvinv wrote: post #114
cwingrav wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Well apparently women are supposed to only wear a piece of clothing once or twice, no? Unfortunately, yes. This is what tends to happen. My wife complains about how this is so much the case in women's fashion. Fashion is designed to encourage consumption. People buy new clothes, new appliances, etc just because of color and style. This drives cheaply made products, since they aren't going to last long anyway. Reall…

you can still buy quality products that last, you just have to pay more

Maybe, maybe not. The longer-lasting but expensive stuff might not be available in styles you like, for instance. So, for example, what good is a long-lasting shirt if it looks like something only your grandfather would wear?

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

#135

Post by magduf »

HenryBemis wrote: post #49
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…

Most brands, especially the low priced ones has reduced the quality of the weaving and textiles, and that contributes to the fast fashion. Your sweater stretches a bit and you go buy a new one (or so they think). I remember I had bought some sweaters in the late 90s from Topman in the UK and they looked brand new 7 years later. Now, nothing from Topman is nearly as good. Now though I stick to brands such as COS, yes…

>Now though I stick to brands such as COS, yes they do cost x5 or X10 what H&M costs, but the difference in the clothe is evident.

Yeah, but do they really last 5-10 times as long? If not, then from a purely economic point-of-view, they're not as good a deal. Spending 10x as much for something that lasts 2x as long really doesn't make economic sense: you can buy 2 of the cheaper thing and still spend 1/5 as much money.

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

#136

Post by magduf »

namdnay wrote: post #107
shp0ngle wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am from Europe, but currently live in Asia. I felt in love with Uniqlo. It's just perfectly what I want from a clothing store. I have heard Uniqlo in Europe and US is different from Uniqlo in Asia and they try to position themselves as slightly more expensive; I can't really tell.

FWIW I tried uniqlo in tokyo (biqlo store) and it was nearly identical to the stuff in london

I shopped at Uniqlo in Japan too, and it seems nearly identical to the stuff in the US (DC). The prices are slightly lower, and you can get it tax-free if you're a tourist, so I stocked up on some things while I was there.

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

#137

Post by Unbeliever69 »

HenryBemis wrote: post #49
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…

Most brands, especially the low priced ones has reduced the quality of the weaving and textiles, and that contributes to the fast fashion. Your sweater stretches a bit and you go buy a new one (or so they think). I remember I had bought some sweaters in the late 90s from Topman in the UK and they looked brand new 7 years later. Now, nothing from Topman is nearly as good. Now though I stick to brands such as COS, yes…

This is interested. About 20 years ago I bought a few Vans button-up shirts. These were amazing garments with vents in all the right areas. I'm not a skater but I understand why the shirts were designed the way they were. They were functional fashion. I wore one of these shirts for 10+ years and when it finally wore out, I was sad to find out that Vans carried nothing like it any more. I tried some other Vans shirts but they felt like more fashion than utility.

I expect durability when I spend a lot of money. I own five Patagonia shirts that are all 10+ years old and still look and feel like brand new. I love how I can turn the garments into my local Patagonia retailer when they reach end-of-life.

I once wore a Calvin Klein tee for 15+ years until it disintegrated. That shirt was soooooo comfy! I didn't want to throw it away, but my wife complained how horrible it looked even when I was reduced to only wearing it inside the house!

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

#138

Post by magduf »

dehrmann wrote: post #63
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, but at the expense of being less stretchy Not sure if it's the thickness or the fabric. Men's clothes are more likely to be cotton, women's have more synthetics to get stretchiness and better draping. Not sure what that does for durability, but it might explains issues in the dryer. I'd also be curious to know the staple length of the cotton used by fast fashion brands, but I'd bet it's shor…

I wonder how many of these "issues in the dryer" are caused by people using the high-heat setting on the dryer. I have clothes that are both cotton and synthetic (like exercise/sports clothes) and I really don't have durability problems with any of them, except for cotton shirts "pilling" on the back where they're tucked into my pants after I've had them for a long time. But I always run my dryer at the lowest heat setting, use the sensor drying set for least dry, and then hang-dry stuff when it doesn't come out completely dry. Even my cheap synthetic cycling jerseys from Aliexpress are holding up just fine.

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

#139

Post by robotstate »

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…

By purchasing clothes from H&M, you're supporting child labor and horrible work conditions. There's a reason the clothes are as cheap as they are.

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

#140

Post by magduf »

xivzgrev wrote: post #115

Here’s some info on potential reasons why they are going bankrupt. -they are mall centric store and mall traffic has been declining. Other chains have been “right sizing” -big discount stores (target, Walmart, TJ Maxx, etc) have upped their (discounted) fashion game -forever 21 was slow to adjust to these broader trends vs competitors I also agree with proverbialbunny. My girlfriend used to go there regularly but we…

>big discount stores (target, Walmart, TJ Maxx, etc) have upped their (discounted) fashion game

Huh? This is true I suppose for Walmart and Target, but TJ Maxx just sells overstock stuff that didn't sell elsewhere.

Post reply on HN