Better isn’t always best
This week I want to write more of a public service announcement and set the record straight about quality and price. I have been in sales for over a decade. I study the art of selling as if it were a language. I can promise you that there is as much misdirection in the fashion industry as you suspect. But for the life of me, I cannot understand why most of it exists.
I say all that because I want to provide you with a compass for navigating the fashion industry. We are led to believe that if something is expensive, it is automatically better. In many ways we compare the fashion industry to the food industry. This steak is $300, it must be incredible. This suit is $5,000 it must be better than the rest. While that does have a level of truth to it there is an abundance of other factors to take into account. Here are 6 truths about the fashion industry:
Better isn’t always best: When I start a sale, people always want to see the best money can buy. They see these terms “Super 150’s” on sleeves and believe that is a benchmark of luxury. The rule here; shop for clothing the way you shop for cars, not the way you value a good meal. I have said this line to countless people, “Is a Rolls Royce better than a Jeep Wrangler? Yes. But you don’t want a Rolls Royce as your everyday car.” Don’t let any salesperson talk you into a garment that is too luxurious for your lifestyle. Most of my garments are a tighter weave, super 110’s, because I travel a ton and the more luxurious, the more susceptible to damage.
Tailors, Designers, Seamstresses, Owners are all different: Now this may seem logical at first but this is one of the biggest lies out there. I know so many people in the industry who own a brand and boast that they are tailor. People often refer to me as a tailor, I cannot sew a button and I am very transparent about that. I am a designer. But guess who else can’t sew: Ralph Lauren. Guess who barely sketches and hates sewing: Marc Jacobs. If someone owns a line and tells you they’re a tailor, but nothing is made by them….I would second guess doing business with them. Think of your favorite restaurant, is the owner the chef? Can the owner cook? Does the chef own the farm? You probably don’t mind these details when dining out, in fashion, it’s a sales tactic and you can see through it. I don’t understand why people try and tell you they’re something they’re not. It takes years to become a tailor.
Be wary of rarity: This one is a very slippery slope. Often in women’s wear the scarcity of a garment is alluring. While this may be true, think about the company you’re buying it from. Is it rare because they actually only made 3 of that unique design? If so then by all means pay top dollar. But if you’re buying it from a boutique, did they only order 3 that season and there are actually plenty more to be ordered? Or did they order 10 at the beginning of the season and now there is 1 left. Yes there may be one left, but there are 9 more people in your area with the same exact garment.
Price vs name brand: You are familiar with the term, “Off the rack”, correct? If you are able to walk into a store, and buy something tangible that day, it is off the rack. Keep in mind, there is no difference between walking into H&M and buying a pair of pants for $6.75, and walking into Kiton in Paris and buying a sport coat for, $12,895. They are both off the rack. Be wary of terms and ask questions about the make of any garment.
Handmade: This one is a two-way street. A lot of brands will tell you about the “level of handwork” in a piece but where does that level start? Some of the real shady brands will boast handwork and well, the buttons are sewn on by hand. So just ask about the handwork. Don’t take it at face value. It will also be a good test for the salesperson.
Country of Origin: Section 304 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1304) When an imported product involves elements or processes from more than one country, the country of origin is the last country in which a "substantial transformation" took place. A “substantial transformation” is defined as any “manufacturing process that results in a new and different product with a new name, character, and use that is different from that which existed before the change.” - I hate to be the one to tell you Santa isn’t real but your “Made in Italy” Gucci suit….your incredibly expensive Tom Ford piece…they are made in pieces in Bangladesh, Egypt, Mexico, or China, and then sent to Italy to be assembled. Thus…made in Italy. Sometimes its as simple as making the entire suit elsewhere and leaving the sleeves off, until they are put on in Italy. This is my least favorite news to break but the truth is, the majority of these bigger labels do it. Rana Plaza On 24 April 2013, the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which housed five garment factories, killed at least 1,132 people and injured more than 2,500. Among the rubble you could find labels from Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and more. Yet they put in work to cover it up.
Maybe it’s the teacher in me always clamoring to get out, or maybe I woke up and chose violence, but I cannot sit back and watch brands, stores and salespeople misdirect and lie to you anymore. The truth is, not everyone who owns a band is a tailor, but that doesn’t make them unqualified. The level of craftsmanship in China is actually quite good, which is whyyyy you’re seeing more “made in Bangladesh, made in Mexico” labels. The more knowledgeable you are about the Fashion industry, the better equipped you are to choose the right garments to tell your story.
