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I don't get it

Two things are kind of ticking me off this week:

1. Gwyneth Paltrow's extremely expensive GOOP "basics." Made in Italy, and she says they're "luxurious ready-to-wear at a direct-to-consumer price." The tagline is Buy Now, Wear Now, Keep Forever. Hahahahahaha. Let's take a quick look at the fabric content of that affordable $695 blazer:



37% wool, 29% acrylic, 22% polyester, 6% nylon, 5% silk, 1% elastane. I'm guessing that acrylic/poly/nylon isn't all in the lining. Which means it's going to pill like crazy, no?

(FWIW, I have a similar blazer from the Gap. It's ~10 years old (wait, no, it's around 20! holy shit, I am old), 100% wool, and still holding up great. It was also less than $695, I'm pretty sure.

2. This story's been making the rounds over the past few days, and the comments are driving me up the wall. I'm really tired of (presumably) well-off women instructing each other to buy less, by which they mean saving up and buying high-end designer clothes, because they last longer.

Hmm.

And steam comes out of my ears every time these same clueless people declare that those on a limited budget should "just save up and buy better clothes." I just don't even know what to say about that. (Wait, I do, but I'm not posting it here).

I'd sure love to know how many of those $695 blazers are going to be around in 5 years. (Answer: All of them, in a bale somewhere, because polyester takes decades to decompose!)


Comments

  1. Kansas SkySeptember 12, 2016 at 4:14 PM

    You are spot-on.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jane W.September 13, 2016 at 7:16 AM

    Sounds lovely in theory, but sometimes the numbers just won't allow it--a $375 pair of pants will never be a bargain for a certain income bracket.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TracySeptember 18, 2016 at 8:43 PM

      agree. and there's really no reason any pair of pants should cost $375!

      Delete
  3. craftspacecontinuumSeptember 16, 2016 at 5:31 AM

    I hear you and agree. I'm glad I have a better knowledge of fabrics since I've become a sewer. I've noticed that garments that are mass marketed tend to use a more substandard fabric probably to cut costs in manufacturing. Its a shame because the garments even though they are a great cut or design suffer because the fabric is crap. I was amazed at the quality of the fabrics that were used in the design shops you took us to in NY. The Anna Sui and the especially the other place (can't remember the name) both used what I thought was quality fabrics that were probably produced in smaller batches. I'm still bummed we didn't get a pic of that Anna Sui jacket, LOL.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TracySeptember 18, 2016 at 8:42 PM

      Thanks, James! I feel the same way. I love the quality of Oak + Fort's pieces -- they really hold up.

      Aw, no pictures of the jacket? That was amazing! I'm still astounded by the curved welt pockets.

      Delete

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