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Why does everyone here dislike "high-end" brands?

post #1 of 60
8/22/12 at 8:40am
Thread Starter 

I am pretty much new to SF and I have been noticing that a lot of people here dislike "high end" brands such as Ferragamo,Gucci,Louis Vuitton,Burberry,Hermes,etc.

 

 

What's the reason for that? Did some of you guys have bad experiences?

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post #2 of 60
8/22/12 at 8:47am
"A lot of people" dislike "high end brands" - well, it's a big forum, so of course many people have different opinions. In general, members are talking about good quality - ie. craftsmanship and good materials - and are not so interested in just a brand name. However, I think a lot of those high-end brands DO have a reputation for quality and you'll see that discussed here.
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post #3 of 60
8/22/12 at 8:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Engineer View Post

I am pretty much new to SF and I have been noticing that a lot of people here dislike "high end" brands such as Ferragamo,Gucci,Louis Vuitton,Burberry,Hermes,etc.

 

 

What's the reason for that? Did some of you guys have bad experiences?

 

I dont think I've seen a lot of people hate on Hermes. Ferragamo gets some hate for their "Studio" line, but love for almost everything else (shoes/bags/leather etc that is, not talking about clothing). 

 

Gucci and Burberry - I dont think theres a broad consensus. Lack of quality for the price is a common complaint I think. 

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post #4 of 60
8/22/12 at 9:00am

I would prefer to find a specialist craftsman rather than a fashion brand.  For example, Sam Hober for ties (www.samhober.com).

 

There seems a lot of hate for Ferragamo.  I have several of their animal print ties (the very small subdued ones, that one doesn't notice).  Many people think they're naff - in my case, this is a personal whimsy (I only have elephant patterns - long story).
 

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post #5 of 60
8/22/12 at 9:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Engineer View Post

I am pretty much new to SF and I have been noticing that a lot of people here dislike "high end" brands such as Ferragamo,Gucci,Louis Vuitton,Burberry,Hermes,etc.

Nearly all people here like high end brands. Within the context of high end brands, it is inevitable that some receive preference over others.

A large part of Gucci / Armani / Prada hate stems from brand image, diffusion lines, and lack of brand exclusivity. Everyone knows they make good stuff, but with brand whores adorning themselves with douchebaggery, a lot of folks would rather steer clear.

Quote:
Originally Posted by trum01 View Post

Gucci and Burberry - I dont think theres a broad consensus. Lack of quality for the price is a common complaint I think. 

They do peddle a lot of crap, but there is good stuff in the ranks. Overpriced? Hell yeah, but so are more favored brands like Kiton / Brioni etc...
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post #6 of 60
8/22/12 at 9:21am

In my case it's a big effort to spend hard earned money on clothing (and if it wasn't one of my biggest hobbies right now I would not spend nearly as much), and if I were to spend €1500 on a suit I'd rather get something made by an artisan than some dubious quality stuff with a designer name slapped on it.

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post #7 of 60
8/22/12 at 9:30am
As others have stated a large part of it is bang for buck. High end brands make quality garments, but the markup is too high. You can often find a better fit/constructed garment for less, by opting for other brands/makers.

Ie a half canvassed Burberry suit by Hickey Freeman retails for easily 1600$ You can find an MTM service to make you a full canvas construction suit for $1k. You get a better suit and you keep $600 for a pair of shoes.

Also people here tend to enjoy clothing for said fit/construction and are not interested in becoming billboards for high end companies. Designers tend to slap huge splashy logos on everything.

But Tom Ford for example gets lots of love on the forum.
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post #8 of 60
8/22/12 at 9:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by CYstyle View Post

As others have stated a large part of it is bang for buck. High end brands make quality garments, but the markup is too high. You can often find a better fit/constructed garment for less, by opting for other brands/makers.
Ie a half canvassed Burberry suit by Hickey Freeman retails for easily 1600$ You can find an MTM service to make you a full canvas construction suit for $1k. You get a better suit and you keep $600 for a pair of shoes.
Also people here tend to enjoy clothing for said fit/construction and are not interested in becoming billboards for high end companies. Designers tend to slap huge splashy logos on everything.
But Tom Ford for example gets lots of love on the forum.

Yep and that is because the look is unique and the quality is top of the line. People are ok with paying a premium if it is a good product that holds it's value.

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post #9 of 60
8/22/12 at 9:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Balfour View Post

There seems a lot of hate for Ferragamo.  I have several of their animal print ties (the very small subdued ones, that one doesn't notice).  Many people think they're naff...

 

I have a few Hermes with similar patterns, though I find that people do notice them. Real-life reactions tend to be positive; reactions on SF less so. devil.gif

 

 

 

 

On topic, I'm sure that part of it is reverse snobbery, part of it more typical snobbery, part of it simply wanting to demonstrate they're part of a group with supposedly inside/valuable knowledge, and part of it a genuine appreciation of more traditional manufacturing & styling. It depends on the person expressing the dislike.

I leave it as an exercise for the reader to determine which commentators fall into which categories... peepwall[1].gif

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post #10 of 60
8/22/12 at 10:46am
I think there is "dislike" for designer brands in general here because most focus on classical dress, where trends are less important. Also, typically, we emphasize quality of contruction over design and cache.
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post #11 of 60
8/22/12 at 11:13am
I'm voting for the "hiding behind brand" issues. People will post, get reamed, and say "but it's a Gucci* suit!"

Spending a sh*t ton of money does not excuse a lack of taste.**

*fill in brand and item of clothing you choose.
** Not claiming that I have particularly good taste...


David Foster Wallace post.
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post #12 of 60
8/22/12 at 11:15am

In Suits & Sartorial: must be made by some pompous "handcrafted" name to wich there is a false sense of uniqueness and exclusivity (even if anyone else can request the exact same and get it too). otherwise is rubish... now lets hate Hugo Boss a litlle more...

 

In SW& D : if it is not Big in \Made in Japan it sucks. period

 

flames ahoy....

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post #13 of 60
8/22/12 at 11:50am
Brands that offer a fair price to value ratio go over fine here. Diffusion lines and trendy crap (generally) do not.
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post #14 of 60
8/22/12 at 12:12pm

In my limited time here I've learned that when it comes to high end brands, there is only one person's opinion that matters:

 

Hermes man?

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post #15 of 60
8/22/12 at 12:14pm
I tend to avoid them mostly due to the outrageous mark up although a few brands I'll avoid completely since I don't think their items are well made.
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