Educate me on designer vs brand name vs plain good quality

amother

Seashell

Thu, Feb 08 2018, 9:58 am

Specifically about clothes. I am so confused. What is the difference between those three? Is it the price? The brand on the outside vs the inside? Are the 600$ dresses (for kids) better quality than the 70$ ones or do people pay for the brand at that point?
Also, why are people so hung up on labeling others as either caring about brand names or not? Why is it so weird if my kid is wearing an H&M dress and I walk into a store that sells 70-100$ dresses? Why do the salesladies either pretend I’m not there or they’re all like “I can show you the regular prices merchandise...”? Or “those are more expensive...”?
What, does no one like H&M prints and also sometimes the more expensive brands? Is it some kind of faux pas or some such thing?
I am genuinely curious. I feel like there are rules here that I just don’t know. Not that I will necessarily follow them but at least I’ll know why I’m being stared at.
TIA

amother

Apricot

Thu, Feb 08 2018, 11:15 am

I would say a “ designer “ is a brand name that does so well that it becomes valuable for the actual brand name itself. As for h and m dresses vs. $200 dresses for girls in Jewish stores, realize you are paying for 1. Quality. 2. Name. The average dress that costs $200 vs. h and m for $20 will have more creative design, nicer fabrics, much better and more complex pattern/ fit. In addition I find that the brand name clothes washes better, for example whites will come out clean and the cheap ones will stain. But! It’s not a rule, and if you’re savvy you can definitely do well in cheap stores and it’s not necessary to always have only the best! You do what works. And of course, expensive clothes don’t always work out. The one thing I find doesn’t compare to cheap knockoffs is leather shoes. That’s where I spend. As for the snobs... they need to grow up

amother

Papaya

Thu, Feb 08 2018, 11:20 am

Quality is in the fabric and the stitching. Lined clothes are usually better quality than unlined. Designer clothes are usually of high quality, but not necessarily the highest. At some point you really are just paying for the name. European clothing isn't necessarily better made than North American clothing. After all, there are cheap stores in Europe too.

It sounds like you need to move to a more down to earth neighborhood.

amother

Seashell

Thu, Feb 08 2018, 11:24 am

amother wrote:

Why do I need to up and move just because I don’t understand the intricacies of fashion?

amother

Apricot

Thu, Feb 08 2018, 11:25 am

Not sure what jnj is but as a general rule as you jump from quality clothes to designer, you are definitely paying a large part for the name Burberry, but if you’re observant, you will also usually see finer details in the construction of the garment. Also, one of the hardest parts is the pattern, that also gets more detailed. But at the end of the day, how necessary is this perfection for children who don’t even take care of their clothes... that’s a whole other conversation.

amother

Papaya

Thu, Feb 08 2018, 11:27 am

amother wrote:

Why do I need to up and move just because I don’t understand the intricacies of fashion?

You don't need to do anything. I guess I'm just protecting, because I'd hate to live in a neighborhood where you are valued for the way you dress. If shopkeepers actually look down at you for not wearing designer clothes, it sounds like you're living and/or shopping in a very superficial neighborhood.

Fox

Thu, Feb 08 2018, 11:46 am

amother wrote:

. . . if you’re observant, you will also usually see finer details in the construction of the garment. Also, one of the hardest parts is the pattern, that also gets more detailed.

Just want to highlight this. Construction details count for a lot. For example, does the print or plaid match at the seams? Are the seams serged with 3 or 5 threads? Are the hems long enough to be let out an inch or two?

Complexity of the pattern is also a factor in the cost, and I learned this the hard way when my girls were little, back in the late 90s. At the time, dresses with fitted bodices, gathered or flared skirts, and built-in petticoats were all the rage. They sold for $85-$150 -- well beyond my price range.

I thought, "Hey, I sew stuff for my kids all the time! How hard could it possibly be?" So I pranced off to the store and got a pattern and some inexpensive fabric.

Well. The dratted thing had about 350 pieces, and it was like solving a jigsaw puzzle, only worse. It required three different types of interfacing, netting, lining, stabilizing tape . . . I never finished it, and I think it's still in a pile in a closet somewhere. I realized that $150 was a bargain.

Of course, that didn't mean that I could actually spend $150 on a child's dress. It just meant that the price wasn't unfair. So I focused my sewing skills on jumpers and simple dresses (the Hanna Andersen look was also big) and shopped sales for the more complex stuff.

Kids' fashion was just emerging back then, so there wasn't so much pressure (everybody still bought their kids' shoes at Payless!). But, of course, it's fun to have your kids look nice for Shabbos and special occasions. My strategy was to go cheap for the everyday stuff that is worn out and outgrown quickly anyway, and spend a little more on the handful of special outfits, especially if they can be passed down.

cnc

Thu, Feb 08 2018, 12:44 pm

I never purchased $500 Burberry dresses so I can only compare the $4.99 jumpers at H&M and the $150 jumpers and shirts at Ladida and the like. I have found H&M to be excellent quality.The stuff washes beautifully and I was even able to pass down some of it to younger children. The expensive clothing was a hit or miss. I have purchased from these stores when they're 70-80 percent off at the end of season. Some of the stuff lasted beautifully and others didn't, like the shirts that I bought for my boys at $30 a piece (originally $100) that pimpled after the first wash, or a girls' Shabbos jumper that I purchased for $50 (originally $150) that literally fell apart after a couple of wears.

Perhaps the construction of the clothing is more complex on the expensive clothing, as Fox pointed out, but for someone like me that doesn't sew, I have no appreciation for those details and have not found the expensive stuff to be better quality at all.

allthingsblue

Thu, Feb 08 2018, 12:52 pm

I have found H and M to be terrible quality, at least for kids clothing.
I'd much prefer to buy more expensive clothing on sale, this way it'll last two seasons or from child to child.
Personally, I don't buy the expensive kids clothing at full price. I stick with classic and cute instead of trendy (and skimpy- how does your baby stay warm and cozy in those rompers etc).
I usually go in at the end of the season to by the trendy items at huge discounts or at the beginning of the season and buy last year's stuff.

Last edited by allthingsblue on Thu, Feb 08 2018, 1:15 pm; edited 1 time in total

cnc

Thu, Feb 08 2018, 12:55 pm

allthingsblue wrote:

I have found H and M to be terrible quality, at least for kids clothing.
I'd much prefer to my more expensive clothing on sale, this way it'll last two seasons or from child to child.
Personally, I don't buy the expensive kids clothing, at least not at full price. I stick with classic and cute instead of trendy (and skimpy- how does your baby stay warm and cozy in those rompers etc).
I usually go in at the end of the season to by the trendy items at huge discounts.

That's so interesting. I have a couple of kids that are extremely hard on their clothing but the H&M pants are the only ones that I can pull through the season.

amother

Azure

Thu, Feb 08 2018, 1:12 pm

amother wrote:

Okay I get that a 70$ dress will be of a better quality and finer material than a 10$ dress (although I find Zara to be of really good quality and they are pretty cheap sometimes)... my question is between the 70$ dress and the 500$ dress does the quality go up even more? Will a Burberry dress wash better than JNJ?

Funny. I found Zara to be a gamble, and their customer service is horrible.
Specifically regarding Burberry, I found their quality and comfort level to be amazing. Their clothing lasts forever. (Haven't tried their children's clothing.)

allthingsblue

Thu, Feb 08 2018, 1:19 pm

cnc wrote:

That's so interesting. I have a couple of kids that are extremely hard on their clothing but the H&M pants are the only ones that I can pull through the season.

Just this morning I saw a really cute outfit for my baby at H&M but decided against it when I remembered that the two outfits I bought there in September are already ruined.
A lot of their shirts and tees are very very thin.

amother

Orange

Thu, Feb 08 2018, 1:42 pm

Quality is in the construction, brand names give you not much surprise because you rely on consistency in their quality. Designer is top quality which lays more beautifully but mainly you are paying for their art. Paying for quality/consistency makes sense. Art is a luxury. Super trendy passing whims for one season doesn't always make sense to spend much on unless you are very financially well off.

amother

Cerise

Thu, Feb 08 2018, 1:58 pm

I think the exception to this rule is some brands of Jewish clothes. They cost a lot, but buttons fall off the first wear or the seams start unraveling in the first few wears. I’m not naming names, but in my experience some brands price like they’re an exclusive brand, and I would really be better buying a nice Gap or Zara outfit for the money.

amother

Seashell

Thu, Feb 08 2018, 2:33 pm

amother wrote:

Yes and I still buy those brands for stuff I can’t find at Zara, like shabbos robes, and tznius dresses for my daughter for school, with closed necklines, full length, and sleeves. It’s definitely a hit or miss.

SixOfWands

Thu, Feb 08 2018, 2:47 pm

allthingsblue wrote:

I'm never successful at H&M. My sons always are.

Feel the fabric. Look at the seams -- are they even, are they tightly sewn, are they too narrow. Look at how the buttons are sewn on.

And think about how the item will be used. I don't need high quality for trendier items, or for things that I am unlikely to wear more than once or twice (think the dress your DD is wearing to a wedding, that she will almost certainly never put on again -- get something that will look good for the night, even if its not going to hold up for years). But I'll invest in classics and in work clothing.

DrMom

Thu, Feb 08 2018, 3:50 pm

amother wrote:

Law of diminishing returns.

Yes, a $70 dress will most probably have better construction and/or materials than a super-cheapo $10 dress.

And there may be some difference between a $70 dress and a $150 dress.

But the difference between a $150 dress and a $700 dress will be minimal relative to the price differential. Unless it's trimmed with fur and diamonds, you are paying for the brand name.

And what kid needs a $700 dress anyway?