The Official Dieworkwear Appreciation Thread

[whorishconsumer]

I'm going to buy something from NMWA just to spite him.

 

[Blake Stitched Blues]

@Blake Stitched Blues

Have you ever returned an item out of spite?

No. I never return anything unless it fits particularly badly.

I'm going to buy something from NMWA just to spite him.

Why on earth would I care? NMWA sells lots of nice things. Knock yourself out.

 

[whorishconsumer]

Me at NMWA:

You:

 

[pblzqlcn]

What I'm objecting to are ridiculous markups being presented as 'value', stores using sales to liquidate unwanted stock and then criticising the same customers who buy said unwanted stock, and the implication that those customers are to blame for stores going out of business.

it is clearly your fault not making much more money and being able to spend it on this brand you like even though you already have all the clothes you may need

 

[dieworkwear]

it is clearly your fault not making much more money and being able to spend it on this brand you like even though you already have all the clothes you may need

You realize that real human beings also work at these companies right? And instead of the usual narrative that they're just lining their pockets, people in the fashion trade are often working for miserably low wages. They do what they do sometimes because they have no other options (e.g. some people at factories). Or like people in other industries, such as teaching, they stay in this trade because they love what they do (so emotion becomes its own reward).

Many of these businesses are literally shuttering. Brands, factories, and retailers are literally closing all around us. So when these people are working for low wages or straight out losing thier jobs, what do you say about their cost? When you make such a snarky remark, do you assume that people working in the fashion trade eat air? Do they not have a right to a roof over their heads and a reasonable wage? A just return for their labor? What if they want to buy something nice for themselves?

I regret using the word Karen because I think it's vaguely sexist. And it's obviously sometimes connected to worse behavior than just complaining about fashion. But there's a certain air of entitlement and selfishness when I read stuff like this. Mostly, "Karens" are people who move through the world as though they're fighting faceless conglomerates, forgetting that there are actual people who work at these companies (people they're often interacting with).

What about the workers who make and sell Magee coats? They're supplying a good product. Blake Stitched Blues not only recommended them to someone on this forum, he also said they're built like tanks and will likely outlast him. Great! But then he says "wait until they're discounted to $150." I get it, clothes are expensive. If someone had a limited budget and only wanted a capsule wardrobe, I not only encourage thrifty shopping, but I literally write about it (PTO is basically about eBay finds three days a week). But that's not what is happening here. Someone is buying loads and loads of clothes; they just want it for the cheapest possible price without thinking about the people who work at these companies.

It takes four meters to make a coat. Magee sells thier pure wool Donegals for $90/ meter. I don't know what it costs them to weave it, but let's randomly say $30/ meter. That's $120 right there in materials. Add cut, make, and trims. Someone says it's not their fault that some business is out of wack, but this doesn't have to be an either/ or thing. You can say that it's not your job to figure out someone's business, but also try to support companies that bring you value when you can.

 

[pblzqlcn]

im not gonna read that obviously boring and obnoxious response

 

[Chaconne]

im not gonna read that obviously boring and obnoxious response

He basically said consumer relationships are not one sided so take some responsibility or stop complaining. “Some” is the key word. If you say you have none you’re wrong.

 

[Sartorium]

im not gonna read that obviously boring and obnoxious response

What do you come to the official Dieworkwear appreciation thread for

 

[pblzqlcn]

well
disliking a particular response is not the same as disliking a whole thread...

 

[Spaghettimatt]

well
disliking a particular response is not the same as disliking a whole thread...

You told the writer in the writer appreciation thread that his writing was “obviously boring and obnoxious” without even reading it.

 

[pblzqlcn]

i like your posts in this thread
should i leave the thread because i dont like one post from one other user and stop enjoying your posts?
lets the thread continue in peace please

 

[Blake Stitched Blues]

You realize that real human beings also work at these companies right? And instead of the usual narrative that they're just lining their pockets, people in the fashion trade are often working for miserably low wages. They do what they do sometimes because they have no other options (e.g. some people at factories). Or like people in other industries, such as teaching, they stay in this trade because they love what they do (so emotion becomes its own reward).

Which human beings exactly? I hear the faint but distinct sound of the worlds smallest violin in the background and I have a seriously hard time believing that Greg or the owners of Drakes are going to find themselves in the poor house anytime soon.

If you're talking about the workers who actually make the clothing then yes, absolutely they deserve a living wage and decent working conditions. But how exactly do the employees of say, William Lockie benefit from Drakes buying their knitwear, rebranding it and selling it at double the cost? They create an honest, quality product in Scotland that actually compares pretty well with high-street knitwear and should be affordable to just about everyone. Instead, Drakes jack up the price by 100% and pocket the margin so that Mark Cho can buy himself another half a dozen Naoya Hida watches or whatever else he's into these days.

What about the workers who make and sell Magee coats? They're supplying a good product. It takes four meters to make a coat. Magee sells their pure wool Donegals for $90/ meter. I don't know what it costs them to weave it, but let's randomly say $30/ meter. That's $120 right there in materials. Add cut, make, and trims. Someone says it's not their fault that some business is out of wack, but this doesn't have to be an either/ or thing. You can say that it's not your job to figure out someone's business, but also try to support companies that bring you value when you can.

Are they really? Their garments are all made off-shore and the wool generally contains a certain amount of polyester. Ultimately they're exploiting lower wages, working conditions and the lack of pesky unions in other countries to produce a product at a lower cost and therefore create higher margins for themselves. Cynical moves breed cynical customers and I won't pay a cent more for their clothes than I have to.

And that's just two examples of ****** behaviour on the part of the clothing industry. Here's another one - last time I checked there was enormous price differences between Trickers EU and UK sites - hundreds of pounds in some cases. Mention this on Trickers social media and they'll block you immediately. The rag trade is up to it's neck in ****** practices and it's insulting for the industry and influencers like you to put the blame for this back on the customer.

 

[sood]

Which human beings exactly? I hear the faint but distinct sound of the worlds smallest violin in the background and I have a seriously hard time believing that Greg or the owners of Drakes are going to find themselves in the poor house anytime soon.

If you're talking about the workers who actually make the clothing then yes, absolutely they deserve a living wage and decent working conditions. But how exactly do the employees of say, William Lockie benefit from Drakes buying their knitwear, rebranding it and selling it at double the cost? They create an honest, quality product in Scotland that actually compares pretty well with high-street knitwear and should be affordable to just about everyone. Instead, Drakes jack up the price by 100% and pocket the margin so that Mark Cho can buy himself another half a dozen Naoya Hida watches or whatever else he's into these days.



Are they really? Their garments are all made off-shore and the wool generally contains a certain amount of polyester. Ultimately they're exploiting lower wages, working conditions and the lack of pesky unions in other countries to produce a product at a lower cost and therefore create higher margins for themselves. Cynical moves breed cynical customers and I won't pay a cent more for their clothes than I have to.

And that's just two examples of ****** behaviour on the part of the clothing industry. Here's another one - last time I checked there was enormous price differences between Trickers EU and UK sites - hundreds of pounds in some cases. Mention this on Trickers social media and they'll block you immediately. The rag trade is up to it's neck in ****** practices and it's insulting for the industry and influencers like you to put the blame for this back on the customer.

 

[Riva]

"I can't believe the average consumer won't pay full price to support the stores I like" says local man who routinely drops the price of a used car on bespoke shoes.

It's amusing that we need to do charity to keep someone else's middle class neighborhood comfy and the local uncle selling $1000 sportjackets well fed but I guess selfish people's champions do exist.

Anyway, everyone has sales especially in today's situation but NMWA will always have seasonal sales precisely because their goods are seasonal fashion. I bought quite a bit from NMWA throughout the years but almost always from the sales section because just at a glance of their swd or more exciting colored garments I just know they'll be on sale in a few months. It's ironic because if we're supposed to spend extra for quality and tradition, the quality part isn't up to par when comparing with the better finished 1/4th priced Indian/China factory made clones being sold by other affiliates. Frankly I'm not so sure about tradition either since such sloppy finishes make me question whether the trembling hands of the old master tailors or immigrant apprentices handled them. Furthermore since these are seasonal I find myself having sold most of the NMWA stuff. The expensive "traditional / SF hyped" ones that I couldn't sell are the ones that I cannot sell even at 40% off which gives a whole new meaning to timelessness. I'm a hobbyist but I also buy just about anything without returning any mostly due to paid duty so it's silly to experiment paying full prices. If you're an influencer who gets a good discount on new arrivals or a guy looking to get a basic timeless navy jacket then that's not an issue for you. I think the only solution to reduce sale items is to focus on MTO or go 18East route but I can't foresee getting enough volume for a decent income. Regardless a new business strategy is what is needed not complaining and hoping a paying customer would pay full price instead of waiting for the next sale.

 

[Riva]

Which human beings exactly? I hear the faint but distinct sound of the worlds smallest violin in the background and I have a seriously hard time believing that Greg or the owners of Drakes are going to find themselves in the poor house anytime soon.

If you're talking about the workers who actually make the clothing then yes, absolutely they deserve a living wage and decent working conditions. But how exactly do the employees of say, William Lockie benefit from Drakes buying their knitwear, rebranding it and selling it at double the cost? They create an honest, quality product in Scotland that actually compares pretty well with high-street knitwear and should be affordable to just about everyone. Instead, Drakes jack up the price by 100% and pocket the margin so that Mark Cho can buy himself another half a dozen Naoya Hida watches or whatever else he's into these days.


Are they really? Their garments are all made off-shore and the wool generally contains a certain amount of polyester. Ultimately they're exploiting lower wages, working conditions and the lack of pesky unions in other countries to produce a product at a lower cost and therefore create higher margins for themselves. Cynical moves breed cynical customers and I won't pay a cent more for their clothes than I have to.

And that's just two examples of ****** behaviour on the part of the clothing industry. Here's another one - last time I checked there was enormous price differences between Trickers EU and UK sites - hundreds of pounds in some cases. Mention this on Trickers social media and they'll block you immediately. The rag trade is up to it's neck in ****** practices and it's insulting for the industry and influencers like you to put the blame for this back on the customer.

I find it much cheaper to just pay a roundtrip to HK to visit Drop93 to get their unsold NOS stuff which are actually priced lower than the posted online prices. Oops am I allowed to say that?