Fast Fashion - Just Say No

Last week I blogged about Early Spring Picks and included a few photos of cute and very inexpensive tweed blazers from Zara.  Well, I drank the koolaid and ordered three and it was an experience I don't need to repeat.  They were awful.  Nothing was worth keeping even for $50.  You get what you pay for and for less than $50 what should I have expected?  These would hold up maybe through two or three cleanings.  The fit was terrible, the lining was terrible and they looked nothing like they did online.  At least they offer free shipping and free returns.

My question is this?  Is this what people really want?  Am I truly in the minority when I don't want to pay $50 for something that won't last through two seasons?  

There's an interesting article in the New York Times about H & M and how the company is sitting on billions of dollars of unsold clothes as people aren't buying. It's just overkill and obviously the market is saturated.  Read it here.

J Crew also seems to be following the fast fashion trend as they continue to dumb down their brand and get away from what they do best which is create well-made, preppy-like clothing that fit well.  Their new cheaper bathing suit line and their very cheap undergarments are sad examples of how they are destroying their brand.  I hope the ship hasn't sailed yet.  It's one of my favorite brands, or at least it once was near the top of my list.

But other retailers are not following this sad trend - Talbots, Sara Campbell, Nordstrom, J McLaughlin, Club Monaco,Tory Burch and others.  You can still find well-made, albeit more expensive clothes, where quality trumps price.  And you can always shop the sales and buy then. 

This cute pink jacket from Talbots is on my list for spring. I am ok paying over $100 for this piece as it should last for years.

 

And don't get me started about shopping for furniture.  The quality is so terrible now, I can't even begin to go there. We'll save that for another day.  

(J Crew Blouse)

Is fast fashion losing it's allure or is this just a momentary blip on the radar?  Time will tell.