Brand you hate and the reasons for it..

[CalTex]



Allen Edmonds -- imo, very unstylish and boring. Well made, good value for those who like the style, etcetera. 
Just not a fan of their products, but respect their popularity (clearly they have alot of customers who love their products).

alternative?

 

[Frankie22]

alternative?

Meermin. Sleeker -- same quality -- better value, imo.

 

[MikeDT]



This topic has indeed been covered before. I won't get into the 'so & so makes garrish items' chapter of discussion.
Styleforum is a vast site covering every clothing from Workwear to Streetwear to Dress Casual to Conservative Dress to Formal. This thread lies specifically within the Mens Clothing (casual-dress-formal).
The responses you receive here may or may not be entirely different from responses you may receive in the Streetwear & Denim section found here : http://www.styleforum.net/f/13/streetwear-and-denim
That said, common concerns here (MC) will commonly revolve around the following issues:

• Workmanship and materials that are of a consistently high quality and durability.
• Domestic labour preferred to out-sourced slave labour, thus contributing to stronger local economies.

• 
  
  
  Yup, I couldn't agree more. Can probably guess what I look for when purchasing clothes, safe in the knowledge that I'm contributing to the local economy.

 

[lostron]

jos a bank, reason - their commercials

 

[Hayward]

I despise Miu Miu. Their ad campaigns feature Chloe Sevigny, who blew Vincent Gallo in "The Brown Bunny". It was the most traumatic thing I ever saw. I was forced to watch it like eighty times.

 

[TomTom]

This topic has indeed been covered before. I won't get into the 'so & so makes garrish items' chapter of discussion.
Styleforum is a vast site covering every clothing from Workwear to Streetwear to Dress Casual to Conservative Dress to Formal. This thread lies specifically within the Mens Clothing (casual-dress-formal).
The responses you receive here may or may not be entirely different from responses you may receive in the Streetwear & Denim section found here : http://www.styleforum.net/f/13/streetwear-and-denim
That said, common concerns here (MC) will commonly revolve around the following issues:

• Workmanship and materials that are of a consistently high quality and durability.
• Domestic labour preferred to out-sourced slave labour, thus contributing to stronger local economies.
• An abiding respect to tradition and history while also, where appropriate, applying innovative methods and technology (ie-improving a product).

In laymans terms, products that are well made and made in your home country and are of excellent quality are what is preferred.
Fair pricing is also of very high concern. I don't mind spending $300 on a finely made shirt where I know that the labour was paid well and fairly treated.
Therefore, any manufacturer or brand that engages premium pricing for garments using out-sourced and exploitive slave labour, will be names I won't intentionally support.
What is being lost in our modern world is an obervance, respect and appreciation of owning and enjoying locally made or imported finely and ethically made garments and accessories.
Within contemporary urban societies there is an ever-increasing population filled with ignorance in the affairs of living well. What sites such as Styleforum offers is an educational forum through which these principals can be both shared and preserved for future generations.
The bottom line is, as I see it, whether purchasing domestic or imported, to take the time and research brands that offer finely and ethically made items that are fairly priced.

I could not agree more..The problem especially here in the UK (can't speak for the US) is that people just don't care where their clothes come from and if they were made in a sweatshop somewhere in the developing world , as long as they are cheap . This trend has slowly crept from the High Street brands like Primark, New Look, Top man to more prestigious brands that still charge a fortune for their product ( Jack Wills that advertise their clothes as Fabulously British but everything is made in China or Vietnam).It's a sad state of affairs

 

[MikeDT]



[SIZE=11pt]I could not agree more..The problem especially here in the UK (can't speak for the US) is that people just don't care where their clothes come from and if they were made in a sweatshop somewhere in the developing world , as long as they are cheap . This trend has slowly crept from the High Street brands like Primark, New Look, Top man to more prestigious brands that still charge a fortune for their product ( Jack Wills that advertise their clothes as Fabulously British but everything is made in China or Vietnam)[/SIZE].It's a sad state of affairs

I thought Primark does have some products made in the UK.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7824291.stm
"Primark linked to UK sweatshops.

Factory workers making clothes destined for fashion chain Primark work up to 12 hours a day for £3.50 an hour, an undercover BBC investigation has found."

I bet other UK clothes chains like New Look, Topman, Burton, etc. are also outsourcing to Manchester sweatshops. They can get their stuff to the stores quicker and saves them shipping it half way around the world. "Made in Italy" is no guarantee that a garment wasn't made in a sweatshop either.

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/feb/20/world/fg-madeinitaly20
"PRATO, ITALY — The "Made in Italy" label conjures images of little old men and women in aprons and spectacles, stooped over wooden tables, cutting leather and sewing by hand in workshops that dot the hills of Tuscany.

It certainly doesn't make you picture Chinese immigrants toiling long hours in ramshackle, poorly illuminated sheds, and then sleeping in small rooms behind thin plywood right there in the factories."

I'm quite sure apparel has always been a crappy, low paid job, ever since the invention of the powered sewing machine and mass production.

Back in the 80s I saw factories/sweatshops in North London with mostly Asian workers, making apparel for Dorethy Perkins and Marks & Spencer.

Many High Street tailored garments used to be made in Leeds, it's too expensive now, production has moved elsewhere. Is there any difference in the quality of a cheap High Street suit, whether the factory is in Leeds, UK or Guangzhou, China?

 

[totolino85]

I dislike very much dolce&gabbana, gucci and prada (well and all of those brands) in man clothing, the quality of their suits expecially is much closer to zara than to even suitsupply; their style is way to much fashon foreward (in italy we call it soccerplayer-wannabe ) ,they cost something in between isaia and kiton when their real value is around 350 euro! The beautifull thing is that they buy all the products in china,turkey and places like that and make some part of the final assembling in Italy so ,by the UE laws, they can declair it was made in italy! I'm italian and proud to be so, and I'm very pissed when I hear that those brands are the real made in italy, when there are firms such as Cucinelli ,boglioli , isaia, kiton who not only produce 100% in italy but they also pay their employees waaaaaaay over the national standard ;
in italy we have a name for craftsmen,is artigiano wich could be quite litteraly translated in "the person who produces art" , and that is exactly the difference between the philosophies !

 

[jeff13007]



I dislike very much dolce&gabbana, gucci and prada (well and all of those brands) in man clothing, the quality of their suits expecially is much closer to zara than to even suitsupply; their style is way to much fashon foreward (in italy we call it soccerplayer-wannabe ) ,they cost something in between isaia and kiton when their real value is around 350 euro! The beautifull thing is that they buy all the products in china,turkey and places like that and make some part of the final assembling in Italy so ,by the UE laws, they can declair it was made in italy! I'm italian and proud to be so, and I'm very pissed when I hear that those brands are the real made in italy, when there are firms such as Cucinelli ,boglioli , isaia, kiton who not only produce 100% in italy but they also pay their employees waaaaaaay over the national standard ;
in italy we have a name for craftsmen,is artigiano wich could be quite litteraly translated in "the person who produces art" , and that is exactly the difference between the philosophies !

Over priced? Yes
Suit quality closer to zara as opposed to suit supply? No not really, Mainline Dolce & gabbana is fully canvased, with pretty nice fabrics, Gucci is made by Zegna, and some Prada is made by Belvest.

 

[Quadcammer]



Meermin. Sleeker -- same quality -- better value, imo.

meermin has been around for about 2 months. yes, they make a good shoe, but their selection is small, ordering isn't easy, shipping is pricey, and who knows where they will be in 2 years.

 

[Rizzy]

Hugo Boss - Carries an inverse relationship between price and quality. No problem with articles being made in Turkey, but if it's going to be the case then make them well.

 

[Frankie22]

meermin has been around for about 2 months. yes, they make a good shoe, but their selection is small, ordering isn't easy, shipping is pricey, and who knows where they will be in 2 years.

They make a good shoe, a tremendous value -- what does it matter how long they have been around? And by around do you mean known here in the states?

Small selection? They have six to ten plus options of each of the following: oxfords, bluchers, buckles and loafers. Six hand welted options, six cordovan options, many lasts and MTO capabilities.

Ordering is a freaking breeze -- I emailed Pepe and he got back to me within an hour, I traced my foot, they recommended a last -- order to in hand, 5 days. On a scale of 1/10 (1 being simple 1- being highly complicated I'd give them a 3).

As for the price of shipping, why is it expensive? Their main line comes to about 200.00 USD with shipping, over 100 less than a typical pair of AE's with the same quality.

I still don't understand these points about their lineage. WHo cares about where they will be in 2 years, all I know is they are offering the best value out there right now.

If you're into AE that's cool, I'm not a fan of (imo) their conservative and boxy offerings.

 

[Quadcammer]



They make a good shoe, a tremendous value -- what does it matter how long they have been around? And by around do you mean known here in the states?

Small selection? They have six to ten plus options of each of the following: oxfords, bluchers, buckles and loafers. Six hand welted options, six cordovan options, many lasts and MTO capabilities.

Ordering is a freaking breeze -- I emailed Pepe and he got back to me within an hour, I traced my foot, they recommended a last -- order to in hand, 5 days. On a scale of 1/10 (1 being simple 1- being highly complicated I'd give them a 3).

As for the price of shipping, why is it expensive? Their main line comes to about 200.00 USD with shipping, over 100 less than a typical pair of AE's with the same quality.

I still don't understand these points about their lineage. WHo cares about where they will be in 2 years, all I know is they are offering the best value out there right now.

If you're into AE that's cool, I'm not a fan of (imo) their conservative and boxy offerings. 

One of the primary reasons one buys higher end shoes is longevity. Allen Edmonds, has proved, for what, 60 years, that they make a high quality, long lasting shoe, backed by excellent customer service. With respect to meermin, so far, I've seen one guy whose got more than about 10 wears on his shoes and at least 2 or 3 that have had significant issues. Given the number of meermins in circulation at this point...that is not terribly reassuring.

And yes, by around I mean known here (then again, really only known by SF).

Selection is small compared to AE...that is not debatable.

Ordering on a website vs. emails back and forth, waiting for an invoice, dealing with customs, etc.

As to quality, I'd say my AE Malverns were made better than the Meermins...but that may not be the case with all their stuff.

Best value is dependant on how these things wear year after year. They may fall apart in a year, and then that value may not be so hot.

I'm not an AE nuthugger. I think they provide nice looking, long lasting, and comfortable shoes at a great price. I also have a pair of Meermins and will probably buy another. That said, I'm not quite ready to give them the nod as a quality long lasting offering, given what I've seen thus far.

 

[Frankie22]

One of the primary reasons one buys higher end shoes is longevity. Allen Edmonds, has proved, for what, 60 years, that they make a high quality, long lasting shoe, backed by excellent customer service. With respect to meermin, so far, I've seen one guy whose got more than about 10 wears on his shoes and at least 2 or 3 that have had significant issues. Given the number of meermins in circulation at this point...that is not terribly reassuring.
And yes, by around I mean known here (then again, really only known by SF).
Selection is small compared to AE...that is not debatable.
Ordering on a website vs. emails back and forth, waiting for an invoice, dealing with customs, etc.
As to quality, I'd say my AE Malverns were made better than the Meermins...but that may not be the case with all their stuff.
Best value is dependant on how these things wear year after year. They may fall apart in a year, and then that value may not be so hot.
I'm not an AE nuthugger. I think they provide nice looking, long lasting, and comfortable shoes at a great price. I also have a pair of Meermins and will probably buy another. That said, I'm not quite ready to give them the nod as a quality long lasting offering, given what I've seen thus far.

I guess we can both agree that both brands offer value to their customers.

 

[kemra]

bullshit, i bought a pair of AE's players and when i got them their was a gash on the upper heel of the shoe.