Brands that are coasting off their reputation

[stevejobs]

I see this in too many products: brands coasting off their previously sterling reputation for quality and overcharging for their products while simultaneously cutting corners to expand their profit margins or protect their market share.

Tommy Hilfiger was once an up and coming label in the early 1990s, but then they got greedy, over-expanded into too many outlets, and churned out crappy clothing lines (not to mention staying too long with their hip-hop image). The same thing happened with Calvin Klein. The worst designer to fall into this downward spiral of brand destruction was Pierre Cardin. While Lacoste managed to rehabilitate its image as a quality apparel brand, Pierre Cardin has not.

What brands do you think are currently coasting on their reputation and are hurting their brand's image because they make inferior goods for the prices they charge?

 

[greekgeek]

This is going to be a 100 + page thread. I will start with Johnston & Murphy.

 

[fox in sox]

I believe we have had a lengthy discussion in the past about brand deterioration...

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=36288

 

[gnatty8]

In all honesty, its sad to see what happened to Hilfiger. I actually very much liked the "H" line he had out a few years back, which had some really cool stuff at great prices. Now, when I see something that looks really great and I pick it up and see that label, I grimace and put it down again.

 

[luftvier]

How about GAP and BR? Their prices keep going up, quality keeps dropping. It's to the point where their clothing is not worth buying (with the exception of, on sale, their suits and occasionally wool slacks).

Nautica, anyone?

Hmm...by reputation would you also include image?

If that's the case, BOSS for certain.

 

[Coho]

Quicksilver, O'Neil, and Hurley. They used to make quality apparel gear for surfing and daily wear but now everything is outsourced to China and Vietnam.

 

[luftvier]

Originally Posted by Coho

Quicksilver, O'Neil, and Hurley. They used to make quality apparel gear for surfing and daily wear but now everything is outsourced to China and Vietnam.

Oh, don't forget Converse.

I was very upset when they outsourced and then doubled their prices for a pair of Chucks. Lucky bastards, getting hipsters to pay what they do for their shoes.

 

[countdemoney]

Tumi - their new lines are crap. They also eliminated my favorite bag.

And Canyon Leather (Canyon Leather now makes Tumi's leather goods)? Unless things have changed drastically, I would not purchase any of their product, especially at Tumi prices.

 

[Bradford]

Originally Posted by gnatty8

In all honesty, its sad to see what happened to Hilfiger. I actually very much liked the "H" line he had out a few years back, which had some really cool stuff at great prices. Now, when I see something that looks really great and I pick it up and see that label, I grimace and put it down again.

I'm of the same opinion regarding Hilfiger.

As for the "H" line, the ads in the magazines looked great, but I never actually found any clothing in the stores. Was it even distributed outside of New York/LA? OK, I'll admit, I didn't look that hard

 

[why]

Half the brands in Nordstrom.

Well, most have always sucked. They still have a good street rep despite **** products -- Cole Haan, Donald J. Pliner, etc.

 

[dirk diggler]

Eric Glennie

 

[slycedbred]

Has Joseph A Bank ever had a good reputation? Seems like the masses love their **** and the prices are ALWAYS (very) high.

 

[antirabbit]

Zegna, they used to be top notch. Now it is rare to find anything made in their homeland. Some of the swiss made stuff looks ok, but the mexican stuff is not.
Brook Brothers....wow, totally slid, perhaps they will come back but I wont continue to purchase their wares.
Nordstroms house labels.

 

[stickonatree]

i think pretty much anything you see in a mall type setting is doing a bit of this. smaller boutiques and more unknown labels don't do as much of it, for obvious reasons. money seems to do things to people, so once brands get bigger, it's hard to stop the negative correlation of size of company vs. quality of product.

 

[Bishop of Briggs]

The Hawes & Curtis reputation for quality has been destroyed by its new (Turkish?) owners. The brand, however, is thriving so there must be a lot of mugs buying tat.