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Why are people willing to pay more for mainstream high fashion brands when they are predominantly ch

hardtobeagod

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It's shocking how much prices have increased over the years. Of course we can contribute this increase on the price tag due to inflation (which does not exactly affect any problems with the pricing of raw materials used in processes of building garments, as they are no wear near as costly as the price tag) and other factors economically throughout the progression of our world. However, this particular increase of price in mainstream high fashion clothing is clearly analogous to the quality decline of the actual material, construction, and design of the clothing. Buyers would expect the clothing of one or two decades back to actually be more costly, as many designers were utilizing mostly local manufacturing in the past. Now, it is evident that RTW garments are being constructed with cheaper quality materials as well as being outsourced for production.

When human beings such as myself walk into a store with high expectations, self respect, and self worth are paying close to a grand for a pair of pants that are extremely overpriced for their actual quality... how do we arrive at peace and justify wearing something that has a grand price tag while being no where near equivalent to the actual quality provided. The value related to name and legacy may be present, but in my eyes this means close to nothing when something lacks the quality to be worn.

Why are people willing to pay more for something of cheaper quality?

Of course, the jewelry, furs, leathers, etc. will always have a higher value than the rest because of the raw materials used. Luxury cars or boats are used daily or weekly, and are practical to own in certain areas of the world; as well, they can even go up in value as time progresses forwards. There is a certain air of bull-investment being made when buying into this particular luxury. However, when it comes to clothes, it is a clear and evident fact that by how the system of high fashion progresses in seasons, clothes go out of style after a few seasons, and you watch the value of what you're wearing plummet for not even their raw materials are worth the price tag to begin with. As though these 100% cotton pants I just purchased for close to 350 euros is actually worth that amount of money. It feels like plastic, but looks great.
 

Transcendental

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A lot of fine clothing makers still use semi-automatic and/or by hand processes. It simply takes longer and there is a premium. The problem here is that you're using your opinion to guide the mixing of logic. Just because something was local does not mean it should be more expensive, but indexes can give you a rough sketch on that. To fully back up local vs international you'll probably have to do some more analysis of the weighted sum variety for a total picture at a high level. Also, outsourcing no longer means strictly poor quality.

Where your material costs go down, other aspects of the supply chain may have been impacted. Logistics costs and handling? Correlated with oil. Also my guess in this matter is that they simply can keep their prices the same.
 

TOstyle

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Short answer: brand names have cache and product knowledge is low, therefore people perceive that they are buying higher quality. Interest in menswear is growing, but knowledge of what makes a quality garment and where the value lies has not caught up. Therefore name brands, which have an imprimatur of quality, still dominate.
 

pine tree

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I would say that most people are clueless about clothes. They know nothing about construction or fabric so they resort to brand whoring. And even then they still get it wrong by choosing only the brands worn by famous celebrities. No one I know even knows what Brioni or Kiton is.
 

MikeDT

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I would say that most people are clueless about clothes. They know nothing about construction or fabric so they resort to brand whoring. And even then they still get it wrong by choosing only the brands worn by famous celebrities. No one I know even knows what Brioni or Kiton is.


The many who've seen 007 movies in the recent years may have an idea who they are, especially if they read something like GQ or Esquire as well.

FWIW I'm sure almost everyone I know, knows what Zegna is that's for sure. LOL
 
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pine tree

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The many who've seen 007 movies in the recent years may have an idea who they are, especially if they read something like GQ or Esquire as well.

FWIW I'm sure almost everyone I know, knows what Zegna is that's for sure. LOL

Which is certainly not a large number of people. They definitely know Gucci, Versace, Louis Vuittons, Tom Ford, and Prada but brands like Kiton, Charvet, Isaia, and Savile Row are unknown to them and to most Americans.
 

TOstyle

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I'd say a lot of people know Zegna. But maybe not that they make fabric you could buy elsewhere, and that you could still have a great Zegna suit without buying Zegna off the rack. It's a good brand name, and surely some do, but it's kind of where the knowledge breaks down.
 

Jmm722

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It's a status symbol to many, and once others start buying it they jump ship to the next most expensive thing they can buy. Christian Louboutin (which are now all of twitter worn by strippers and Appreciation stars), Louis Vuitton, etc. They are not good quality, but they tell everyone you have money.

It's particularly rampant in Asian cultures. Go to Woodbury Commons outlet sometime and you'll see exactly what Im referring to.
 
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hardtobeagod

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It's a status symbol to many, and once others start buying it they jump ship to the next most expensive thing they can buy. Christian Louboutin (which are now all of twitter worn by strippers and Appreciation stars), Louis Vuitton, etc. They are not good quality, but they tell everyone you have money.

It's particularly rampant in Asian cultures. Go to Woodbury Commons outlet sometime and you'll see exactly what Im referring to.
Of course, it is a symbol of status to wear expensive clothing, it is also a luxury, and something that portrays the self-worth of the wearer. It is also, however, a great lack of self-respect and a harm to the self-worth of a person to wear something that lacks good quality. One must feel offended to wear garments that lack the quality to be worn, not to mention it is a even worse of a par to be wearing something that not only lacks quality, but also comes with a grand price tag for no good reasons at all... and I am sure there are many others who agree with my logic here.

The moment something is expensive for no reason it is but a fugazi; a playtime luxury. To me, not wearing clothes of good quality is certainly not luxury, or a luxury, it is the opposite, however, this is just similar to playing with toys if you think about it. It seems that the ones who find the need to wear expensive clothing which are not good quality do so because they are insecure with their person and are just trying to fit in.

I am quite upset in a way that I cannot spend good money on a high fashion brand as Lanvin, for example, and be certain I am being given the top quality to wear. It really makes absolutely no sense that the quality is missing from these garments when you spend good money on them, but I guess it is just the ignorance of the masses that fuels this era of cultural superficiality and high fashion.
 

MikeDT

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Which is certainly not a large number of people. They definitely know Gucci, Versace, Louis Vuittons, Tom Ford, and Prada but brands like Kiton, Charvet, Isaia, and Savile Row are unknown to them and to most Americans.


Tom Ford is probably widely known, yeh another 007 suit sponsor. Do gents periodicals like GQ have a wide readership in the US?

Well Savile Row is a street, and I'm sure there's many Americans know what it's famous for, and is famous all over the world. :D
 
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TOstyle

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But they couldn't name one store/tailoring house on that street. I'd be sure of that.
 

TOstyle

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People buy expensive designer crap because they're idiots.


A little unfair, since you'd have to allow that brand names as a concept does exist, and its rational for people to buy based on at least perceived quality. Everyone isn't an expert in everything, and you yourself surely buy based on brand names for things you might not know as much about - ie, computers or women's perfume.

I'd say it's lack of product knowledge, though it's getting much better.
 

Shinystuffbuyer

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Generally, people are lazy to do the research and also time and energy invest in what could be a life long learning process. They just default to the easiest option which is buying the high fashion brand. But then, they have a life unlike a style forum lurker like me :).
 
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Shinystuffbuyer

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But even when I buy fabric these days and when I am beginning to get a hang of "hand", I still get swayed when a more expensive fabric option is presented.

Today, I was browsing Huddersfield and Dormeuil fabric when my tailor presented me with (much) more expensive Zegna options. I admit I was distracted for a long time before I returned back to the Huddersfield swatches. Not that Zegna is not great quality, but brand name has that effect on you.
 

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