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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

#71

Post by noodlesUK »

bananatron wrote: post #68
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).

Despite being seen as the stereotypical tech-worker uniform, Patagonia seems to use well-sourced, high quality material (and they have repair centers).

I’m familiar with Patagonia, but I’ve mostly seen them as an outdoor clothing company, not anything that I’d consider (non SV tech) business casual/smart. Are there any companies that make that sort of stuff that aren’t evil? Like more what you’d find at GAP or a department store, but not made by slave labour.

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

#72

Post by rfwhXQ5H »

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).

Uniqlo

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

#73

Post by equalunique »

tachion wrote: post #58
fiachamp wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Dated a top F21 buyer for a few years and I can say that: 1) Prototype to street was way more than 3 weeks. More like 3 months (still faster than most fashion which makes buys 6 months ahead). Zara is the main large retailer that is actually about 1 month from concept to store. 2) The quality of their men's wear was pretty good for the price. 3) They worked their corporate employees to the bone and paid them 60-70% a…

There's something I'll never understand: how come they left here a pile of work and she worked till 5 AM? Clock shows 5PM (or whatever your end of schedule is) and that's it, you're done for the day, whatever hasn't been finished couldn't clearly be, turn off the computer, clear your desk from the litter, grab your coat, bag and off you go (unless you're a heart surgeon in the middle of a surgery, that is). If they'd…

Maybe her friendship with her coworkers motivated her to do her best to leave things in a semi-workable state for the team. It could be that she was uniquely capable in her role, which is why she felt responsible for completing certain work that would lead others to struggle even more. Capability as well as the attitude that accompanies it may explain why her pay doubled at the new job. For several people I know and myself, this seems to be the most prominent reason for staying past the committed time. Twelve hours after closing time is extreme, though.

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

#74

Post by dehrmann »

> Mr. Chang, the company’s chief executive, said in a 2012 interview that the chain was named Forever 21 because it targeted 20-somethings and because “old people wanted to be 21 again, and young people wanted to be 21 forever.”

I like how he felt like he needed to explain that one.

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

#75

Post by aedron »

Milner08 wrote: post #36
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 is much, much bigger than Forever 21. Forever 21 barely exists out side of North America, but H&M can be found everywhere. I mean everywhere. That may be a factor in how cheap they can be - The scale of the business.

H&M is the Ikea of clothes.

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

#76

Post by Danieru »

kalleboo wrote: post #45
hoschicz wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is Uniqlo fast fashion? Or cheap?

They claim they aren't, but their parent company is called "Fast Retailing", and by the definition the GP is using "cheap sweatshop clothes" they match.

Fast Retailing also owns the GU brand of stores which is fast fashion. Uniqlo is upper scale, with higher prices, and long lead times on products. Uniqlo plans its offerings a year in advance and designs their cloths to meet a need.

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

#77

Post by ajsnigrutin »

atoav wrote: post #34
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…

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…

> The stuff literally disintegrates if you have it in the drier to often. Sadly enough this is also true for the men’s wear.

H&M stuff for me never tears or gets holes. Mine just stretches in places where it shouldn't stretch (eg. T-shirt sleeves - how the hell do those stretch?! I don't have steroid-monster arms. I have a <1 year old t-shirt where I can put my whole head through the sleeve (usually by accident), and there's still some space left, and i remember it was fitted well when new... So yeah, it's my 'yard work' shirt. ).

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

#78

Post by trampypizza »

rfwhXQ5H wrote: post #72
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).

Uniqlo

I would second Uniqlo, and also suggest GAP. But honestly I am not really aware of either of their ethical records, but have found their clothes to be a good balance of price and quality, and they are about the only shops I can find as a Mid-20s male where you can buy good quality 'foundational' items, rather than fashion fads.

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

#79

Post by subroutine »

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).

Winter is coming so if you're in the market for light-weight fleeces I'd recommend the Fjallraven Keb fleece (http://bit.ly/2os5DNh) and the Patagonia TechFace (http://bit.ly/2osecHV).

REI stocks a number of more-or-less equally high-quality options (http://bit.ly/2orY7C2)

If you're bored of Dockers, I'd suggest grabbing a pair of ABCs from Lululemon, in brown (http://bit.ly/2oAN4qr) and black (http://bit.ly/2mfiYb1)

If you're not sure what you want, other than to browse items of decent quality without getting ripped off, hit up Nordstrom Rack.

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

#80

Post by ehnto »

furyg3 wrote: post #39
ehnto wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From what I have been reading, quite a bit. The plastic lint ends up in the water ecosystem pretty quickly compared to other plastics through washing and drying, and they're not obvious being so small. I imagine most people don't think about their plastic fabrics being plastic at all, they really don't feel like plastic. So when you see lint balls or bits of lint floating about the house you don't think to yourself "…

Somehow in most of the apartments I've lived the toilet was always really close to the dryer. So for many many years I would just throw everything from the lint trap into the toilet to be flushed next time I use the restroom. Without thinking about it, it seemed like 'organic' material. Probably most of it was (I tend to use the dryer mostly for towels and bedding, which is mostly cotton). One morning it occurred to…

Even if they did clean it out, they would probably put it in the trash anyway. Some cities could process it in their recycling process, but that's not every city. I don't think there is a way for us to have plastic fabrics without the microplastics ending up in the environment.
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