Are designer labels desirable due to quality or the expense?

I think certain items there is a difference in quality and function.

The most obvious one is trainers. Apart from the fact it's very difficult not to buy branded trainers (they hardly exist), I think certain types of trainers you do get good quality up to a point.

I think Levi jeans are decent quality too and have lasted longer for me than brands like Next.

And in the specialist clothing world like outdoor stuff or scuba diving again the top brands do push the boundaries on technical materials.

But I don't buy branded t-shirts or general use clothing.
 
I’d say this changes for a lot of people through different stages in life

These days I buy clothes that are branded but without the flashy logos, looking for quality and a good fit rather than to show off.

I’ve never really been one for designer clothes though I think the look is horrific and I actually chuckle at a lot of the people I see wearing them as they think it makes them look loaded when they’ve probably just spent a weeks wages on a jumper
 
Knowing it was a good fit and would last for years.

I still buy designer, but avoid those with a massive LOOK at ME logo.
 
I do think some designer brands tend to last a lot longer, feel better on and for the most part fit better.
I go through phases of buying more expensive designery clothes and back to cheaper H&M/Uniqlo type pieces as you can still pick up some really good quality stuff from retailers like them.
 
In my experience 90% of it is for the brand itself - why would you care if your £100 t-shirt is going to be full of holes within 12 months if its out of fashion in 6? Most of the designer brand stuff I've experienced has felt very poor quality - one brand in particular I've found is particulary cheap expensive and nasty is Joe Brown's - not personally, but my partner has bought quite a few of their items and they never last more than 6 months, logos fading or decals peeling, soles collapsing in shoes etc, terrible quality!

Obviously there are some brands which definitely sell themselves on quality, e.g. I used to buy skate branded shoes, e.g. DCs, Vans, Airwalk etc, which would always start to fall apart after a few months, but about 4 years ago I bought a pair of Clarks which lasted me 18 months, the next pair almost 2 years, and the current pair are 6 months old and still look almost good as new. They might not be as "cool" as the branded ones, but they're more comfortable, waterproof, and maybe 50% more expensive, but last 4-5x longer! (I'm probably too old to be wearing skate shoes anyway :cry:)
 
I think it depends on the item itself. I am more willing to spend good money on a jacket and shoes than I am on a simple item like a tshirt or even jeans to a certain extent.

But what tends to happen with designer brands is that they become popular for a reason; often starting out good quality. Then the company is bought out by another company who realy doesn't care about clothing and is just buying it to make a profit. They then offshore/reduce quality to try to cut costs and repay the massive loans that were taken out to buy the company.
 
Hades said:
I think it depends on the item itself. I am more willing to spend good money on a jacket and shoes than I am on a simple item like a tshirt or even jeans to a certain extent.
Click to expand...

Very true, I have a very nice (and expensive!!) pair of hiking boots which I expect to last basically till I can no longer realistically use them ( :eek: )
 
As a teen it's about the brand. As an adult it should be about the quality. For example take a £2.50 t-shirt from Primark and compared it to a £30 Diesel or other t-shirt. The primark ones are like tracing paper. The collar areas also tent to roll and they stretch/lose shape more easily. (I've got 5 I'll be putting in the clothing bank soon)

Take some primark socks and compare them with some Vanns stocks. The Primark socks lose their elasticity long before the Vanns.

That being said, I don't wear any brands really, I just look for a middle ground of decent quality/price.
 
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There's a few brands I gravitate towards over others but that's more a style thing than anything else.

I've never really owned proper designer stuff though. I'm too cheap! I own two Hugo Boss suits. They're probably my most expensive clothes purchase... Both purchased at the Outlet.
 
It’s not a linear scale, but up to a point you get what you pay for.

I remember getting a £20 messenger bag and put my laptop in it, the buckle where it attached to the “fake” leather ripped in less than a year. I have a Paul Smith laptop bag and a Barbour messenger that replaced it albeit £200+, which are still perfect today. However, you can probably spend £2k on a LV or Gucci bag, I doubt they will be any better made so the diminishing returns at that point you are not getting any value for money except brand tax.

For day to day things I like GAP plain T-shirts, in Asia I go to Uni Qlo, £10 each and they are really nice quality, with lots of choices from plain to graphic prints. I bought a £20 Peanut hoody that would be the same quality as £100+ ones from other designer brands. I didn't plan to buy it at the time being 30+c in Singapore, I wasn't wearing it there but it was so good value i had to get it.
 
Berry Merjinik said:
Another way to go is...
What's the most you've ever spent on a single item of everyday clothing and why?
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When i lived in Romford i used to wear an Elite-Armor Ballistic stab jacket retailed at about £450

was proof against
  • 9mm Automatic weapon
  • 44 Magnum
  • 357 SIG
  • 357 Magnum
  • 9mm Luger
  • 40 S&W (Smith & Wesson)
and had been tested to resist a blade at
  • Level 1 24 Joules (J) Test Pressure Penetration Limit 0.28 "/ 7mm
 
Efour said:
When i lived in Romford i used to wear an Elite-Armor Ballistic stab jacket retailed at about £450

was proof against
  • 9mm Automatic weapon
  • 44 Magnum
  • 357 SIG
  • 357 Magnum
  • 9mm Luger
  • 40 S&W (Smith & Wesson)
and had been tested to resist a blade at
  • Level 1 24 Joules (J) Test Pressure Penetration Limit 0.28 "/ 7mm
Click to expand...
What round is “9mm Automatic Weapon”?
 
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