Discussions about the fashion industry thread

[bleeh]

Oh **** now I have italic ads popping up everywhere

 

[clee1982]

that's why I don't buy t-shirt, I still got my full of hole t-shirt from HIGH SCHOOL!

@FlyingMonkey

What do you mean by Muji didn't work out though, they're no where as big Uniqulo, but think they will be all right, and Chapter 11 in the US would allow them to shut some store so be back on a better footing.

 

[gdl203]

Oh **** now I have italic ads popping up everywhere

I'm sure you already know that, but just in case you don't, you can click on the little icon in the corner of the ads and let them know that you don't want to see ads from a specific advertiser

 

[smittycl]

that's why I don't buy t-shirt, I still got my full of hole t-shirt from HIGH SCHOOL!

Same here. I seem to only be able to wear them for athletics.

 

[FlyingMonkey]

@FlyingMonkey

What do you mean by Muji didn't work out though, they're no where as big Uniqulo, but think they will be all right, and Chapter 11 in the US would allow them to shut some store so be back on a better footing.

They are ubiquitous in Japan - I think they will remain more of a niche big city brand in the USA.

 

[jah786]

---
I have decided to start a brand, the name will UTILITY. The goal will be to maximize utility and minimize price. We will also look to minimize emotion and feelings because they get in the way of...utility. We will sell a yearly subscription for $95 as $100 was already taken. Our first product will be a cashmere sweater for men. It will only be sold in one color, black, because when you wear it, you should feel nothing. There should be no feelings, only calculation. The objective function is a superior warmth to weight ratio and skin softness at a minimum price. This and this alone maximizes UTILITY. Rational behavior should not include feelings, emotions, or colors.
---

 

[Zassiliss]

Sounds like the ideal techwear brand

 

[gdl203]

---
I have decided to start a brand, the name will UTILITY. The goal will be to maximize utility and minimize price. We will also look to minimize emotion and feelings because they get in the way of...utility. We will sell a yearly subscription for $95 as $100 was already taken. Our first product will be a cashmere sweater for men. It will only be sold in one color, black, because when you wear it, you should feel nothing. There should be no feelings, only calculation. The objective function is a superior warmth to weight ratio and skin softness at a minimum price. This and this alone maximizes UTILITY. Rational behavior should not include feelings, emotions, or colors.
---

Brilliant. get ready to raise some serious VC money

 

[clee1982]

Sounds like the ideal techwear brand

yea, I remember went to some store in LES (japanese brand I forgot which), after I walk out I feel empty... and borderline suicide...

 

[jah786]

Brilliant. get ready to raise some serious VC money

Would like to invest in the brand? The pitch deck has no graphics, nothing emotive. There will be only text, charts, and graphs in black on a white background. We will never create a new product, only maximize utility on existing products. Our analysis shows that no new products need to be created ever again.

 

[dieworkwear]

I increasingly think that fast fashion won't survive this. A week or two ago, Zara announced that they will be closing 1,000 to 1,200 of their stores worldwide. Their online sales currently make up 14% of their profits. They hope to make up for the shortfall in brick-and-mortar sales by boosting online sales to 25%.

Zara plans to close more than 1,000 stores to focus on e-commerce

The Spanish clothing retailer is shifting its focus to online shopping amid the coronavirus crisis.

www.today.com

But with such low margins and a high return rate, it's hard to see how they can switch to being an online retailer. Also, fast fashion depends on impulse purchases. You try something on in the store and think you look good in the store's environment. The item isn't too expensive, so you walk out with it.

At home, you get to mull over your purchase for thirty days. You may have a clearer sense of whether you like the item in the very non-glamorous environment that is your home. You also may be more likely to try and return something. With a high-end item, I assume the purchase is more considered. But with cheaper items, you'll probably add a bunch of stuff to your cart "just to try out."

I think in the beginning, people assumed that fast fashion would be one of the "winners" in this (or, at least, in one of the best positions relative to the rest of the fashion market). Logic is that as people earn less money, they'll be more frugal about price. But I'm starting to think they're in the worst position because of the reliance on brick-and-mortar.

(Although, I suppose there's ASOS, which is online. So maybe this is just the vulnerability of H&M and Zara)

 

[clee1982]

I guess it depends on which fast fashion we're talking about, guys like Uniqulo who has a ton of basic for cheap might do better

 

[cyc wid it]

Walking into a Zara toward the end of a sale day might be one of the more depressing things you can do in a mall.

 

[gdl203]

I increasingly think that fast fashion won't survive this. A week or two ago, Zara announced that they will be closing 1,000 to 1,200 of their stores worldwide. Their online sales currently make up 14% of their profits. They hope to make up for the shortfall in brick-and-mortar sales by boosting online sales to 25%.

Zara plans to close more than 1,000 stores to focus on e-commerce

The Spanish clothing retailer is shifting its focus to online shopping amid the coronavirus crisis.

www.today.com

But with such low margins and a high return rate, it's hard to see how they can switch to being an online retailer. Also, fast fashion depends on impulse purchases. You try something on in the store and think you look good in the store's environment. The item isn't too expensive, so you walk out with it.

At home, you get to mull over your purchase for thirty days. You may have a clearer sense of whether you like the item in the very non-glamorous environment that is your home. You also may be more likely to try and return something. With a high-end item, I assume the purchase is more considered. But with cheaper items, you'll probably add a bunch of stuff to your cart "just to try out."

I think in the beginning, people assumed that fast fashion would be one of the "winners" in this (or, at least, in one of the best positions relative to the rest of the fashion market). Logic is that as people earn less money, they'll be more frugal about price. But I'm starting to think they're in the worst position because of the reliance on brick-and-mortar.

(Although, I suppose there's ASOS, which is online. So maybe this is just the vulnerability of H&M and Zara)

They'll just crush the supply chain even more, to lower costs and ensure the margins are commensurate with the higher cost of returns. They may not even spend money on processing returns at all - they will probably trash anything that comes back, or tell customers to keep it, and still save money. This du didn't become one of the wealthiest men in the world for no reason.

 

[dieworkwear]

I guess it depends on which fast fashion we're talking about, guys like Uniqulo who has a ton of basic for cheap might do better

Uniqlo isn't fast fashion.

I know I keep repeating this on here, but fast fashion is not about cheap clothing. It's a very specific business model that brings runway looks to high street at the lowest possible price. Any time someone mentions fast fashion here, people bring up cheap retailers. They are not the same thing.

They'll just crush the supply chain even more, to lower costs and ensure the margins are commensurate with the higher cost of returns. They may not even spend money on processing returns at all - they will probably trash anything that comes back, or tell customers to keep it, and still save money. This du didn't become one of the wealthiest men in the world for no reason.

Probably true, unfortunately.

CNBC had an interesting story about how Amazon processes returns. I found it illuminating to see how expensive and difficult it can be to return something bought online.