What makes an $80 Polo shirt worth it?

[Waffle]

RL polos for $35? I wish they were that cheap over here.. RL pricing is about the same as Dior, Prada, Etro, Marc Jacobs etc over here.. for example a cashmere cardigan for $2000.. note that this is PRL, not RLPL..

 

[Man In Space]

A $50 bill pinned to it...

 

[Alan B.]

Ralph Lifshitz Polos were much better quality years ago when they were made in the US. The fabric was superior and they were beautiful shirts. I can tell the difference now that their stuff is made offshore.

I switched to Jeff Rose polos. I get them on eBay for about $20 used. Great fabric and made in Italy.

 

[AlanC]

Originally Posted by Badrabbit

Sounds like you are becoming an Austrian there Alan.

I still remember a thing or two from that von Mises Institute summer class at Auburn all those years ago.

 

[Soph]

I have no idea, but I just saved a ton on auto Insurance with Geico.

 

[DNW]

I've never paid $80 for a polo shirt. I usually buy them on sale for about $30. The main reason is the fit. RL slim fit, Lacoste, and Brooks slim fit all fit me great. I wouldn't pay full price, but at $30 they're okay in my book.

 

[Joel_Cairo]

Originally Posted by Badrabbit

It should also be pointed out that RL Polo is available nearly everywhere at the $35 price point at discount stores(see your local Ross, TJ Maxx, Steinmart, etc...) or marked down even below that at the end of season in dept. stores. There is no reason anyone should ever pay retail.

FInding the "custom" fit (the slim one) at these places can be a ***** though.

 

[acidboy]

I've been wearing polo shirts off and on through the years, and am bewildered by how much RL and Lacoste polos' prices have gone up compared to say, 5 years ago. Nevertheless, the problem is polo shirts at lower, 'friendlier' prices are just wetrags with plastic buttons, and won't last you a year- and I've tried a lot of them too. Then again, I do not wish to spend on polo shirts at the price these brands suggest, specially since they do offer them at a substantial discount off-season.

 

[lakewolf]

Originally Posted by tbabes

The silly little Pony on the front, really. That Pony does nothing but scream out "look at me, I am wearing a middle-of-the road, overpriced, made in some 3rd world country garmet, and I think I'm pretty stylish."

YMMV

I was on holidays in Peru Last month, maybe you know Peru produces high quality pima cotton for export and now they have a licensed production facility for Lacoste.

Well, in Peru there is a place called Gamarra that is an emporium of clothing materials and garments...

There I saw Lacoste knockoffs selling for $6, those knockoffs where as good
quality as the one I see in the Lacoste shops here in Switzerland... even the crocodile was nicely done.

So Imagine, if they can produce and sell with a margin a knockoff piquÃ

polo in Peru for $6, imagine the margin Lacoste or RL make, a Lacoste polo here in Switzerland costs 120 CHF ( 100$ )

 

[TheFusilliJerry]

Lacoste is worth the money because of the Mother-of-pearl buttons. It's the only one at that price point that uses them

 

[sonlegoman]

Originally Posted by Eason

Exactly, and same for absolutely any other high brand clothing. There's no difference between Dior and A&F when they're pushing 500$ jeans, because I promise you they couldn't cost more than $25 to make.

It depends on your definition of "make" is. In materials and labor, then yes. But if an article of clothing needs to be marketed by an expensive celebrity, then that is part of the "making" process. Marketing is what makes some clothes more expensive than others. There was a nice NPR short article (for the lack of a better word, what do you call a short radio piece?) about why certain jeans are so expensive.

Just playing devil's advocate.

 

[DNW]

Originally Posted by TheFusilliJerry

Lacoste is worth the money because of the Mother-of-pearl buttons. It's the only one at that price point that uses them

Holy necroposting Batman.

 

[bowtielover]

Other than the brands nothing really, just someone seeing that you have expensive taste and can afforid nice clothes make it worth it. Sometimes the quality is better but with some of the new styles that are out there now I would disagree.

 

[IUtoSLU]

Originally Posted by Joel_Cairo

FInding the "custom" fit (the slim one) at these places can be a ***** though.

+1 Especially a size small.

 

[celery]

I like Lacoste polos, but for a semi-weird reason. I like the way they age and fray around the edges.

Other polos, I usually just toss when they get too worn, but I never through out my lacoste ones as I actually like them more the more disintegrated they get.