Sweatpants Forever: How the Fashion Industry Collapsed • Hacker News Board

Re: Sweatpants Forever: How the Fashion Industry Collapsed

#181

Post by neutronicus » Mon, Aug 10, 2020, 1:25 AM UTC

wirthjason wrote: post #90

Larrikin wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This kind of thinking is why I tend to buy as close to a full years worth of clothing whenever I make a trip out to Tokyo. Even in Chicago relatively fashionable men's clothing shops are few and far between

What do you find so interesting and where do you shop? I like Uniqlo and Muji but now that Uniqlo is available (in-store) in Chicago theres no need to buy it in Japan. I’m not particularly into fashion but I like mainstream but trendy clothes. I think Japanese fashion is less about the clothes themselves than the acceptance to let people wear what they want and and not judging. I think it’s more acceptable to match d…

Highwaters are in in the US, too, at least judging by what basketball players wear to the NBA draft

Re: Sweatpants Forever: How the Fashion Industry Collapsed

#182

Post by bgeeek » Mon, Aug 10, 2020, 1:31 AM UTC

wyclif wrote: post #169

wirthjason wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you find so interesting and where do you shop? I like Uniqlo and Muji but now that Uniqlo is available (in-store) in Chicago theres no need to buy it in Japan. I’m not particularly into fashion but I like mainstream but trendy clothes. I think Japanese fashion is less about the clothes themselves than the acceptance to let people wear what they want and and not judging. I think it’s more acceptable to match d…

One strap shoulder Man-bags are all the rage. They are pretty practical, especially when you can’t fit your checkbook-sized wallet in tiny pockets. But in the US it looks like you’re wearing a fanny pack. Especially true in SE Asia. I resisted the trend because it looks effeminate, like you're wearing a purse. Asian guys love them because they're super practical if you ride a motorbike or scooter tandem style. I thin…

Not effeminate at all. Look up reporter bags, smaller than a messenger bag. Classy, not effeminate. Mostly older men wear them in the UK (I’m on my third) whereas the younger men wear cross-body sports-type bags. Most majors make them. I can completely under the rise because of the increase in phone size. Phone + wallet + headphones + tissues, sanitizers, and a mini Fulton umbrella. Then I’m set :)

Re: Sweatpants Forever: How the Fashion Industry Collapsed

#183

Post by causality0 » Mon, Aug 10, 2020, 1:36 AM UTC

kazen44 wrote: post #5

The collapse of the fashion industry does not mean the clothing industry will collapse. People still need clothing obviously (cheap and of good quality preferably). Also, what do we consider the fashion industry exactly? Most long term clothing trends seem to be dictated by a couple of factors. Consisting of: - practicality. Jeans are good example of this. It's cheap and practical clothing that lasts a long time. - c…

Well said. Aside from formalwear and tattered outdoor work outfits my clothing may as well all be identical. Every morning I reach into my closet and grab a shirt and pair of jeans without looking.

Re: Sweatpants Forever: How the Fashion Industry Collapsed

#184

Post by wayoutthere » Mon, Aug 10, 2020, 1:38 AM UTC

matchbok wrote: post #152

stevenicr wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

After buying mostly levi's jeans for 30 years I started noticing huge differences in quality / durability.. upon inspecting the waist seams I noticed the 'made in pakistan / mexico' and other labels of origin. The same style/numbers from different years had different fabric thicknesses and were made in various places, and they did not last as long. So I started to question this "American brand". Then they started goi…

Sad to see that the nuts think requiring background checks is now "reducing gun rights". Reasonable limits on rights has always been constitutional. Perhaps you should give that document a read. I guess fox news is winning that battle.

Didn't you get the memo? The left is all about the guns now too.

Re: Sweatpants Forever: How the Fashion Industry Collapsed

#185

Post by seveneightn9ne » Mon, Aug 10, 2020, 1:39 AM UTC

wolco wrote: post #162

Nasrudith wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see an obsession with local but would they actually be more environmentally friendly? Specialized higher yield locales are more efficenct for land usage. Efficencies of scale and more optimal environments and container ships of scale as well. Aside from that more stringent local environmental regulations are the only advantage I can see mattering.

Transportation costs.

I assume local food is more well-studied than local fashion, and may have similar environmental cost profiles. This study: http://www.iufn.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Making-local-... found that transportation is actually less important than other factors.

On the other hand, local food has other important advantages: resiliency (perhaps less important for clothing), and supporting the local economy.

Re: Sweatpants Forever: How the Fashion Industry Collapsed

#186

Post by interfixus » Mon, Aug 10, 2020, 1:44 AM UTC

b112 wrote: post #141

on_and_off wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

there are tons more than 5 styles for guys (workwear, techwear, superfuture, dark, etc) but strongly agree that there are enormous differences in male vs female clothing trends. Male fashion is on something like a 10 years cycle and you can find tons of brands focusing on quality or durability. Female fashion seems to obsess about the latest trend and change dramatically every 3-months to a year. Probably lots of cul…

I've always believed that the pants are almost meaningless, it's the shirts that need to be different daily. So I used to have 8 pairs of pants, 2 colours total. Black and beige. Then, once a year, I'd go buy 2 more pairs of each colour. On a 'bad' year, I'd buy 4 pairs. EG, I'd rotate the worn out, always only having 8 pairs. This persisted until, 20 years later, the company that sold them went bankrupt. As my gut a…

> Don't wear the same pants for 20-30 years, while you gain your middle-age gut and ass. Just don't.

I'm 60 and absolutely fine with the same sizes and basically the same cuts that I've worn for more than 40 years. If something starts squeezing, it's a timely reminder that I need to adjust some behaviour, not a signal to give in and upscale my wardrobe.

Re: Sweatpants Forever: How the Fashion Industry Collapsed

#187

Post by grawprog » Mon, Aug 10, 2020, 1:46 AM UTC

grawprog wrote: post #121

aries1980 wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Is that not an effect of marketing though? Above a given level, for sure. But you can tell the difference of a $20 shirt and a $100 from a distance. I am not sure about the $100+ range. If you check the brands I mentioned, they are not overly expensive (in London, UK you can find them at 50% now, at outlets even less), yet they are considered hard-to-beat. > Because in the end, those designer clothes are pumped out…

>The fabric, maybe, but the amount of time some workpiece requires can be vastly different and might require more experienced hands. This can be especially true for tricky materials, such as leather and wool. The thing is, for things like high quality clothes from leather and wool, I'm going to hit up a leatherworker's shop or something like the sheep wool clothes store they have in town here. Those things cost a bun…

This typo really bugs me and I can't edit my post any more but..

Not faze...phase

I have no idea what i was thinking there.

Re: Sweatpants Forever: How the Fashion Industry Collapsed

#188

Post by ghaff » Mon, Aug 10, 2020, 1:47 AM UTC

b112 wrote: post #141

on_and_off wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

there are tons more than 5 styles for guys (workwear, techwear, superfuture, dark, etc) but strongly agree that there are enormous differences in male vs female clothing trends. Male fashion is on something like a 10 years cycle and you can find tons of brands focusing on quality or durability. Female fashion seems to obsess about the latest trend and change dramatically every 3-months to a year. Probably lots of cul…

I've always believed that the pants are almost meaningless, it's the shirts that need to be different daily. So I used to have 8 pairs of pants, 2 colours total. Black and beige. Then, once a year, I'd go buy 2 more pairs of each colour. On a 'bad' year, I'd buy 4 pairs. EG, I'd rotate the worn out, always only having 8 pairs. This persisted until, 20 years later, the company that sold them went bankrupt. As my gut a…

You can always get custom-tailored clothing. If it's that big a deal, it's not that expensive. Especially in Asia but, again, if it's a big deal...

Re: Sweatpants Forever: How the Fashion Industry Collapsed

#189

Post by dade_ » Mon, Aug 10, 2020, 1:49 AM UTC

0xdeadb00f wrote: post #159

taurath wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(All comments on culture US centric) - This thinking is why the men’s section is 1/4 as large as the women’s in most stores. Culturally for men clothing is supposed to be above all practical. There are 5 genres of men’s clothes - business (pressed shirts, suits), casual, workout, skater, and comfort (hoodie). Contrast this with the women’s section. Women have an expectation to express themselves and their personality…

> This thinking is why the men’s section is 1/4 as large as the women’s in most stores. This is so true, and it annoys me for reasons I'll mention later. > Contrast this with the women’s section. Women have an expectation to express themselves and their personality. I'm a young man, but I also like to express myself by dressing a certain way, which is why I'm especially disappointed when literally three whole floors…

Yes, but men’s fashion cycles run far longer than women, so we can buy higher quality clothing that lasts much longer. This also means custom clothing is very practical. I deal with a guy, his family has a factory in India. All the grades of fabric, styles, etc, all made custom based on my measurements. A few weeks later, it arrives. Most comfortable clothing available, and looks killer. He travels to me, or I go to his shop. Far better experience than retail and prices are less than off the rack and better quality.

Women’s fashions are much shorter cycle, so they are often made with terrible quality fabrics that are quite uncomfortable. Worse, custom clothing is very expensive and by time it arrives, the season is changing.

Re: Sweatpants Forever: How the Fashion Industry Collapsed

#190

Post by DoingIsLearning » Mon, Aug 10, 2020, 1:51 AM UTC

dominotw wrote: post #85

mthoms wrote: post #8

I'm saddened by the job losses, but the fashion industry (esp. the high end) seems nothing but a toxic drain on society and the environment. New "trends" dictated by celebrities and designers every year do nothing but sow personal insecurities and environmental destruction. Good riddance.

> Good riddance. Its just a manifestation of human need to be in a hierachy. Makes no sense to me to attack a particular symptom. I can think of a lots examples more destructive than fashion expensive cars single family homes with 5 bedrooms and 4 toilets yatches driving/flying vacations suburbs/ need for "space" overeating meat I think its a common kneejerk reaction against fashion in nerd circles because we never f…

That is an unnecessary ad hominem.

There is nothing kneejerking about being against 'fast fashion'.

The fashion industry is the second-largest consumer of the world's water supply. [0]

The fashion industry produces 10% of all humanity’s carbon emissions. [0]

For comparison it produces more carbon than international flights and maritime shipping combined. [0]

The wastefulness of it all is even more dismaying. 85% of the world's textile production ends in a landfill every year.[0]

I agree that all the things in your list are as non-essential as the fashion industry but none of them (except maybe for the meat industry) have the business volume and carbon impact of the fashion industry as it currently operates. None of this is sustainable.

[0] https://www.businessinsider.nl/fast-fashion-environmental-im...