Club Monaco: Adventures in decent clothing and horrible marketing

yeah saw that jacket, how much was it going for now? really nice in person

idk toasty, i tried on the harrington with the cord collar, it just didn't look right when worn, looked pretty good though all folded up. arms were a little long for me in an xs, but im 5'5 so yeahhh.

Originally Posted by gettoasty

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yeah saw that jacket, how much was it going for now? really nice in person
IIRC its now down to $80 from $149, plus student discount it came out to around $65....

Originally Posted by CBrown85

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Lol @ classist POS selling Diesel.

It's ironic you find my analysis insulting, yet nonchalantly accept the phony foriegn sophistiquà inherent in brands such as Club Monaco, French Connection, or Olive Garden. Such images are designed to appeal to the sensibilities of the American middle class who are constantly striving to improve their social standing while remaining inoffensive and conforming to the look of their peers.

Yet what do these mass market brands truly offer you? Bland, inoffensive, low quality facsimiles and the subsequent extinction of the real thing. I am always shocked at how most mid size US cities which I visit contain not a single good independent clothing store! Instead all I can find is the same endless array of chains selling their bland wares.

I would hope that on a clothing forum posters would have somewhat higher standards than to promote places of this sort and what they represent to the industry. I am not trying to attack anyone personally, I merely find the attitude embodied in this thread to be depressing.

Originally Posted by BB1

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It's ironic you find my analysis insulting, yet nonchalantly accept the phony foriegn sophistiquÃ

inherent in brands such as Club Monaco, French Connection, or Olive Garden. Such images are designed to appeal to the sensibilities of the American middle class who are constantly striving to improve their social standing while remaining inoffensive and conforming to the look of their peers.

Yet what do these mass market brands truly offer you? Bland, inoffensive, low quality facsimiles and the subsequent extinction of the real thing. I am always shocked at how most mid size US cities which I visit contain not a single good independent clothing store! Instead all I can find is the same endless array of chains selling their bland wares.

I would hope that on a clothing forum posters would have somewhat higher standards than to promote places of this sort and what they represent to the industry. I am not trying to attack anyone personally, I merely find the attitude embodied in this thread to be depressing.

You're such a douche, in the truest sense of the word.

you just mad. Take a look at that lookbook posted last page. Those guys are douches.

Wish I lived close to a CM, they seem to make really decent clothes.

I actually think Club Monaco is the best of the mall brands. Their clothes are decent (see thread title) and you can almost always find what you want on sale if you're willing to wait a little bit. Think of it from the perspective of someone living in a small town in the middle of nowhere who doesn't make a ton of money. Even if you wanted to buy some Ervell, you could probably only do it online, which means you can't try anything on or handle the clothes in person. On top of that, $300+ for pants (+shipping and taxes) is probably more than the average person can afford. You drop some pesto on those pants when you're out at the Olive Garden and you're f*cked. But that same person can buy some pretty cheap, decent clothing at Club Monaco and look better than the guy at OG next to him who bought his wardrobe at Sears. Do they make "inoffensive" clothing? Yes, for the most part. But so do a lot of brands. Ervell makes some pretty "inoffensive" stuff. That's not necessarily a bad thing (and would "offensive" clothing be preferable anyway?). It's just one style to choose from. And that said, I've found some cool stuff at Club Monaco. I bust on Club Monaco plenty because I think their quality is sometimes poor (any button down I've ever owned from them starts to pucker like crazy once those fused seams get washed a couple times). But I still shop there sometimes. Hell, CM's poor quality is still better than H&M's, and H&M offers plenty of clothing that no one could ever call "inoffensive." People can ***** about the way mall brands copy designers, but I doubt they're hurting the designer's business that much. I think they have two different audiences. And if all the mall brands disappeared tomorrow, I don't know that that would translate to small designers suddenly springing up all over making better stuff.

Originally Posted by BB1

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I don't necessarily go out of my way to post about CM because I think it is the end all of clothing out there, I post because there is obviously interest and because I spend my time looking at a variety of clothes. If you look at threads like J.Crew, which is extremely similar to CM, theres tons of people discussing the clothing brand and everything about it. I feel that after seeing both brands in the flesh, CM has a little bit more to offer, especially from a quality and aesthetic standpoint to the casual SF user. I practice garment production and take quality into account on a lot of items I purchase. For example, the jacket I just received from CM is a heavy cotton, lined with oxford fabric and includes taped seams, 2 hidden pockets that are lined, and VERY heavy-duty double YKK zips, and welt pockets that are lined in oxford cloth on the front of the jacket. For the money, this is great value from a construction standpoint. I can see you are mad, however, that people seem to be promoting a brand that makes people look like they want to live a rich, luxurious lifestyle. Unfortunately for you, a majority of the US, and the world for that matter, don't have the expendable income to put towards purchases such as $800 hoodies and looking like a k pop star. You represent like .000000001% of the population, yet you ***** as if you think your niche habits deserve more recognition. Half of your clothing makes your shoulders look small and your body look frail. I don't understand how you get all bothered when people post about brands that people ACTUALLY wear. What would happen if people started posting more about niche japanese brands that are the best in the world and unmatched by anything else? Would that suffice, or would you still find something to ***** about? Realize that people only post about certain brands because they are available to the masses and most members are able to experience this clothing first hand, instead of having to proxy or go through an internet retailer to try and perhaps dislike what they are purchasing. I also don't believe I am trying to live a wannabe rich lifestyle by buying into clothing brands such as CM. I explicitly state all my purchases (for the most part) can be found on sale, because I don't feel the value at retail prices is necessarily worth the purchase. For the price, they offer solid basics and very neutral clothes that can easily mesh into a broad variety of aesthetics. Also I want to point out the thing you mentioned about independent clothing stores. Realize that for the most part, no independent clothing store lasts for a long time- with a few exceptions here and there. When you run an independent store with higher end brands you are extremely susceptible to market changes, and as you know many smaller indy stores went out of business during the recession. From a business standpoint, it doesn't make too much sense to operate an independent store unless you are complacent with lower margins and volatility. The reason there aren't too many indy stores is because they don't last that long due to low profit margins or high cost of rent (indy stores are in urban areas usually, higher rent costs).

Originally Posted by mike868y

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Wish I lived close to a CM, they seem to make really decent clothes.

Even if you don't live close, you can actually order through e-mail/phone with one of the personal shoppers listed on the website (no extra charge).

I did this once when I was looking for a coat that was only available at the NYC flagship store (it was apparently limited edition or some crap). I sent an e-mail and they were very helpful - sent alternate photos when I asked for them, clarified measurements, descriptions, etc. Then they shipped it. You can also get student discount and they let you know if the item is on sale.

i got an oxford chambray and a regular shirt from them a few days ago. everything was on sale so i got both shirts for like 50 bucks

The oxford chambrays are on sale ?! I've been waiting for them to drop in sale. They were like 120 bucks last time I went. They fit me amazing though.

Originally Posted by seany

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The oxford chambrays are on sale ?! I've been waiting for them to drop in sale. They were like 120 bucks last time I went. They fit me amazing though.

yeah, they are down to 39.99

Originally Posted by cb_32

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yeah, they are down to 39.99

Which one? Eaton Centre? Bloor?

Hopefully Fairview has it. I think the Yorkdale men's section is not up yet. -_-"

Fairview Mall location is never that good. I was in Eaton Centre the other day, but I think they were being sold $59, not $39.

Tried on the marled cardigan, but it felt too big. Currently on sale for $39.