Brands which were great but are now trash

Original thread

Gap is still great!

Pierre Cardin

Massimo owns this thread.

It was all the rage in the 90s, then they sold the line to Target and that was that.

Crocs. I mean I don't think they are trashy but I am told they have lost their luster. Personally I will be taking a fashion risk and will continue to wear my purple and my green pair.

r4 they sold to Target?!@ Wow that's a fall. I remember they were the shit in Hot Topic.

r3 I used to have a Pierre Cardin luggage set ages ago. They are often one of the cheaper bags you can buy now.

Marni hasn't had a good men's collection since Spring/Summer 2016. They switched designers and got sold to Diesel Group.

This thread should be entitled "Retail ice queen feeding frenzy!"

R9 = laments the loss of Sears.

Arguably still a good product but the Calvin Klein underwear line is today's Fruit of the Loom... which have actually become much better over the years.

.....

No, Halston owns this thread!!!!

LV owns this thread. Overpriced junk. The older luggage sets are divine but the new items are poorly made.

How is The Gap nowadays? I always liked them for basics, but I stopped buying stuff there in the mid-2000s because of the drop in quality. I still have t-shirts and a couple other things from the early 1990s that are still good today, but anything I bought in the 2000s fell apart after 3-4 years.

Mercedes Benz. They used to over engineer their cars. Then in the mid to late 90s everything turned to shit.

R8 Everything Renzo Rosso touches turns to shit....Margiela and Marni being the latests victims. When Ann Demeulemeester retired he flew by helicopter in the headquarters and offered her God knows how many millions to buy her name and she told him to fuck off. At a certain point he tried to convince Mcqueen to be Diesel's creative director to everybody's embarrassment. This man tacky ego knows no boundaries.

Thank goodness the company has changed its name. Let a good Company memory and reputation die and rest rather than destroy it.

Sun Country airlines

[Quote] How is The Gap nowadays? I always liked them for basics, but I stopped buying stuff there in the mid-2000s because of the drop in quality. I still have t-shirts and a couple other things from the early 1990s that are still good today, but anything I bought in the 2000s fell apart after 3-4 years.

Isn't Gap quality amazing, R15? I think the quality was still excellent through 2005 and declined after for a few years. However, recently Gap's merchandise has held up quite well.

I also still have lots of shirts, khakis and jeans from the 1990s that are still in great shape and have kept their color.

Every Gift, Only Gap!

Most of the old American manufacturing brands that went under and then sold their names (and what little goodwill they had left) to (usually Asian) companies:

Zenith

RCA

Bell and Howell

Magnavox

How is Breyer's ice cream nowadays? Years ago, they were considered one of the best, but then they started to taste more like ice milk than ice cream and just become kind of meh.

Knotts Boysenberry Preserves

This stuff used to be amazing. After the Knotts family sold out, it got reformulated and now it’s just typical HFCS crap.

I noticed that Breyers is now labeled as "Frozen Dairy Dessert."

Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Michael Kors, (Halston was already mentioned) etc... American designers have a great track record of starting something novel and high quality and then selling out to produce a bunch of crap. I hope that these designers made plenty of $$$$, because their names mean nothing anymore.

Kate Spade

Breyers used to have no additives or fillers. Now it definitely is crap.

America.

BARILLA

Louis Vuitton used to sell fine luggage to the well-to-do.

Now, it sells gaudy rubbish to the vulgar.

Virgil Abloh just ruined Louis Vuitton with his debut SS/19 runway show. Add it to the list.

Any brand that used to be great is now trash. So all of them.

Virgil is an mazing designer, but LV just no just NO.

Boone's Farm

Any expensive brand that now has its name all over the merchandise.

Giorgio Armani seems to shift it's cheaper lines into the more expensive category at will. The only thing that remains are the high prices.

The Kathie Lee Collection!

[quote]The Kathie Lee Collection!

My darling, when was that EVER great?

MGM.

You’re just like Halston when he sold his brand to JCPenney–you’ve forsaken your destiny.

"What's next? Halston aquarium gravel at Walgreens?"

Betsy Johnson, Vera Wang

Gloria Vanderbilt

Halston desperately tried to buy back the rights to his own name after a few years but was never able to. He remained upset about until his death.

I know this will sound really horrible but once rappers start to wear a certain designer label or a Jenner has modeled for them or Kim or Kanye has sat in the front row of one of their shows, it's sorta ruined. A lot of very trendy NY fashionistas would never wear a big name label, but instead some hyper exclusive small unknown labels, the kind that the mainstream would never have heard of, like Chris Gelinas, Creatures of the Wind or Eleen Halvorsen.

Lacoste. Plain old normal Lacoste with longer back. No frills. No giant crocodile logo. Just the original.

Any brand that willingly dresses Melania.

Besides being one of the biggest rip-offs ever...

VOSS water

Why Voss, out of all the water packagers out there to choose from?

[quote]Any brand that willingly dresses Melania.

Oh yeah, right! Who were were the people Deuce & Gonorrhea?

The Democratic Party. Getting overtaken by radical Socialists.

The Republican Party Already overtaken by the far right.

All US airlines. Once the envy of the world. Now, all are a bad city bus with wings. Add British Airways to this too.

United Airlines. A new low in comfort and service.

[quote]

It truly is nothing but a massive marketing campaign.

Here ya go...

Luxury Brands That Aren't Worth The Money

Anything with the word Hyatt....at least in the US. You always end up paying much more than the competition and inevitably get less.

Jaguar and BMW.

IKEA's novelty wore off long ago. Unless it's wall art, much of what you buy & use daily starts falling apart within months. Target's quality has gone down too.

Most other chain-store-America brands sell cheap shit ... all planned obsolescence.

And yes, LV obviously owns this thread. Tacky goods for people with bad taste (and fragile egos).

Some may scoff, but Old Navy.

When they launched, their clothes were affordable but made to last. The stitching, seams and fabric were all of superior quality to what's sold there now.

The Fall and Rise and Fall of Gucci.

[quote] How is Breyer's ice cream nowadays

Breyer's chocolate ice cream is great.

Hilton and Holiday Inn hotels.

Ooh that hurts r28.

[quote]Breyer's chocolate ice cream is great.

Thereby rendering worthless r59's opinions on anything.

Rockport shoes have taken a nosedive in quality, the Amazon reviews confirm my own experience

I'm very surprised about the video clip's assessment of Rolex. As a Rolex owner myself, I'm very satisfied with the quality and customer service of the brand. But, I will look more into Omega watches.

Discuss. I so disagree with nearly half of them.

Yep, R28 owns this thread.

I like this guy. I don't watch a lot of him but his advice is pretty good. WOW! He has nearly 4MILLION subscribers!

6 POPULAR Brands That Are A Total RIP-OFF!!! (imo)

Louie vitton every not really stylish middleaged women had their handbags in their closet. Chanel can be tacky looking with its logo. Prada created some ugly ass handbags years ago. I don't keep up with their latest designs now but I am sure it is still mostly tacky looking.

Life Time Fitness.

I think most mall stores have turned to shit. I have jeans I bought from Abercrombie and T-shirts from the Gap and Old Navy that I bought in 1993, and I still wear them they’ve held up so well. After about 2000, the quality turned to shit. Those clothes lasted MAYBE a year before falling apart.

I’ve recently bought some t shirts from JCrew from their garmet dyed collection. Made in the USA. Very high quality and they wash well. Love them.

And they are now trash, r71?

Could someone explain to me why PRADA is so expensive? Is it the quality of material? Construction? what is it about that brand?

L.L. Bean.

I don’t care if you replace it (they’ve dialed back that policy, anyway), it’ll just be another piece of Made In China.

Levi. Used to make great jeans here, now shit made in crappy countries.

Gain

Vienna Sausages.

Thomas Engish muffins, they are shit since Bimbo bought them.

Halston and Calvin Klein own this thread. They’re no better than Hostess.

Breyers Ice Cream

Their regular flavored ice cream, Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, etc. still have no additives. Their "special" ice creams are called Frozen desserts because of the additives in the things they have added to the ice cream. I still only eat Breyers

[quote]Levi. Used to make great jeans here, now shit made in crappy countries.

I thought Levis had built a nice custom jean business?

Agreed re. Louis Vuitton. Also: Landsend, Kate Spade and Michael Korrs.

R80, even regular Breyer's contains an additive, tara gum. I can't believe you still eat it.

Star Wars.

Converse. Used to be worn by NBA players due to their durability and strength. Worn by weirdos,freaks, and punks in the 70's and 80's... We're cheap($15/20).. My pair would last at least five years or more, wearing them almost everyday. Now they go to shit in under a year. Nike bought them at some point and they're made in fucking China... I still have a few that are unique in color and animal print. I maybe wear them two or three times a year. Never more..

r83 I forgot that they had to add that again because of spoilage or something. For a long time there were no additives.

They never got rid of tara gum once they added it, r86.

Broadway

Pretty Woman-The Musical. Really?

Summer-The Donna Summer Musical. Really?

Sponge Bob-Square Pants. Really?

The Cher Show. Really?

On and on... What has happened to creativity--especially on Off-Off-Broadway? Have all the stories been told? Must everything theater be based upon something else that was successful as a movie? Where are the writers?

I recently read a book on fast fashion and the decline of quality, and the writer complains that most goods are now made in China, and the quality has suffered. She maintained, however, that three brands were still worth the expense because of the quality, and that they still controlled production, and didn't produce offshore: Chanel, Hermes, and Laboutin. Yes, that video upthread trashed Laboutin, but more because they weren't comfortable, and not because they were low quality.

r87 there was a time where it didn't have it. I remember reading the ingredients. Then I remember that they announced that they were putting it back in. Of course all of this may have been a dream.....................

[quote] Chanel, Hermes, and Laboutin. Yes, that video upthread trashed Laboutin

Louboutin?

Sorry, i misspelled the shoe brand. I'm pretty sure you know what I meant.

Paco Rabanne... Pierre Cardin... same thing...

John Galliano

I KNOW!!!! WHO????

Is he still alive???

Alexander Julian

I KNOW!!! WHAT HAPPENED???

Pat Perkins

I KNOW!!!!

Cole Haan. They used to make quality preppy shoes with some style that you couldn't find anywhere else.

Now they make over-priced nike sneakers.

Who doesn't look good in Pat Perkins, r96?

America.

Paco Rabanne was always trash. Did you ever smell that shit? Their ads were interesting, though.

Dicker and Dicker of Beverly Hills

Anyone buy a World’s Finest Chocolate bar ? It became smaller and smaller to keep price at a dollar. Also whole almonds became pieces. World’s finest???? I think not.

How in the world do you come up with a price point of $11.84? Do women still wear daytime (house) dresses?

L.L. Bean. Almost all production has gone to Asia. Their Bean boots are still made in USA, but the quality is now shit.

Jaguar.

Land Rover.

Levi's. The mass produced jeans, at least. They still do small runs in the USA.

Puritan was never the same after they dropped Gloria's Forever Young line.

Trump Steaks

[quote]Trump Steaks

Oh, honey they were NEVER great!

The meat was supplied by Buckhead Beef, an Atlanta-based company, which also supplied meat to many of Trump's hotel-casino properties. The New York Post conducted a blind taste test and compared Trump Steaks with mail-order porterhouses from Peter Luger Steak House and three New York City establishments. Trump Steaks earned a rating of 7.5 out of 10, losing to $35-a-pound mail-order porterhouses from Peter Luger Steak House with a rating of 9.5, but a higher rating than the Greenwich Village butcher, Ottomanelli Brothers. but Tad's Steaks, a cheap steak cafeteria getting "This cow should be ashamed".with the high cost of Trump Steaks noted. The Palm Beach Post panelists best-rated the Angus-certified and prime-graded bone-in rib-eye, against choice-graded bone-in rib-eyes and prime-graded Publix, giving the steaks an "A" and writing, "Trump isn't kidding. Our panelists could barely believe how flavorful and tender the 16-ounce bone-in rib-eye was." However, the high price of the steaks was also noted (the others were $9-$16 per pound). Gourmet magazine opined, "these steaks are wholly mediocre"

The steaks were USDA Angus certified, and came in four packages with prices ranging from $199 (with two bone-in rib-eyes, two filet mignons and 12 burgers), $349, $499, and $999, with the tagline of "The World's Greatest Steaks." A Trump Steak Gift Card was also sold at a cost of $1,037.

More on those steaks;

The brand was launched in 2007 and was exclusively sold through The Sharper Image and QVC. Trump Steaks failed to sell well through The Sharper Image, which discontinued sales of the product line after two months. Trump Steaks were only sold at The Sharper Image for two months before being discontinued. According to the company's CEO, Jerry W. Levin, the product was largely unsuccessful, saying, "The net of all that was we literally sold almost no steaks, if we sold $50,000 of steaks grand total, I'd be surprised."

It was nothing but marketing.

I was being ironic, r107, r108.

Breyer's was what first came to my mind, probably because I like ice cream way too much. It used to not include any gums, just milk, cream, sugar, and flavorings, and it was much more reasonably priced than the specialty ice creams like Ben & Jerry's. Once they added gum to it, it dropped from my list.

And I agree with the poster above who was talking about their so-called "frozen dairy desserts." Those are in the same location in the store freezer as their ice cream and they're packaged in the same type of packaging. I bought one of them one day not realizing what it was. It was truly disgusting. I threw it away after a couple of spoonfuls. I loved the way the company tried to spin this and the way that an article in the New York Times called them on it:

[quote]But what about the ingredients? “They’re basically the same ingredients,” Mr. Soukas said. “It’s not so much about the ingredients as the way they’re put together.”

[quote]I may not be a professional food writer, but I once dabbled in investigative journalism. So I donned my fedora and read the ingredients.

[quote]Breyers natural vanilla ice cream: milk, cream, sugar, tara gum, natural flavor. Period.

[quote]Breyers extra-creamy vanilla frozen dairy dessert: milk, sugar, corn syrup, cream, whey, mono and diglycerides, carob bean gum, guar gum, carrageenan, natural flavor, annatto (for color), vitamin A palmitate, tara gum.

Yeah, "basically the same ingredients." Right.

Remember when cheese was just cheese and not a "pasteurized cheese product" or "pasteurized cheese food?"

FUD

The sharper image. Back in the mid eighties that place was the shizz. I was surprised to see it still existed. Trump steaks is about right for what it's become.

Juicy couture.

How I long for the JLo and Paris days.....

A lot of postings about clothing, so....

Nautica

EXCELLENT quality when David Chu started it and ran it. Once he sold it to VF Corp that started the precipitous downfall. You can find better stuff elsewhere.

The White House

‘Interested In A Job At The White House?’ Desperate Staff Recruits At Job Fair

As staffers stream out of the White House like water through a sieve, the small contingent remaining is getting desperate.

According to a Wednesday Politico report, flyers are circulating emblazoned with “interested in a job at the White House?” encouraging conservatives to apply at a Friday job fair on Capitol Hill.

It advertises the presence of Trump administration officials eager to meet with interested parties “of every experience level.”

What book was that, r89?

Coach. Back in the day, their leather goods were the standard--well made, classic, and if a handle broke you could send it back and they would repair it for free. Now, cheap logos that are worth nothing. And no leather to speak of--just canvas shit. I still have two Coach leather briefcases that look great that I'm hanging on to like grim death.

And Chanel--once the rappers and Kartrashians and pseudo-celebs embraced it the output became more garish. And over.

General Electric

Ocean Pacific Tommy Hilfiger

Timberland has been garbage for at least ten years.

And L.L. Bean's reviews are starting to look sketchy.

jcrew is garbage nowadays.

I just don't understand the concept of mail - ordering food from a Sharper Image store. On what planet is that a working business model? Even if the food/steaks are good--jesus christ don't you have ANY butchers anywhere near you?

The whole thing had to be a money-laundering front. No way was that ever a legit business.

r46 Lacoste's quality is trash now, too. Their shirts fall apart, fabric tears, etc. after ONE wearing. Yet the price is still high for some reason.

r69 yeah they became a kid playground, basically. Children running around all over the place.

r108 Trump Steaks is probably why The Sharper Image shut down.

r124 I don't get it either. Maybe it's like the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog with its ridiculous hundred thousand/million dollar items. I don't know if they ever sell or not, but they do attract attention.

Tangee

Every US airline, plus British Airways. The world's favorite way to fly? Not since the former boss of Europe's worst budget airline, Vueling, was appointed to lead it and decided to use his old failure as a model -- no legroom, crap food (which you have to pay for in short haul), and the world's worst business class. But the profits are up, so who cares?

Good one, R130! I agree 100%! Sky buses. Nothing but sky buses!!!

All the major sports apparel companies - Nike, Adidas, Under Armour. This is NOT to say that you can't find quality stuff from them, but since they're basically just licensing companies, there's a huge range in quality - the Nike they make for the Nike Store is different than the Nike stuff you'd find at Kohls for example. It's been this way for quite a while but what struck me is that at the mid-level places like Macy's or Dick's Sporting Goods where you used to find very good or great quality apparel, it's often crap now -- thin fabrics, poor stitching, poor fitting - yet they're still asking semi-premium prices. Again, it's not that you can NEVER find at last half-way decent stuff from these brands, but it's a total crapshoot.

R132, are you on the right site, honey? What's a NIKE? KOHLS??? What self-respecting gay would EVER find themselves there--even if they're lost? Dick's Sporting Goods? The gun shop? Now, if we want to talk about DIOR, and/or the new Louboutin pump, Neiman Marcus, we can work with you....

(JUST A JOKE everybody! I don't want to offend anyone! It was just too good of a set-up to laugh about a stereotype)

Do I remember Nabisco Sociables and Vegetable crackers being better than they were?

Pretty much any chain-store or American mall stores are shit.... because they sell shit. Macy's as mentioned upthread is circling the drain -- no magic left. Sears is just waiting to be flushed.

United Airlines is the absolute worst "decent" airlines (not even considering Spirit or Allegiant as a functional airworthy airline). Delta and Southwest are at the higher end of the low-skewing middle.

But any legacy American clothing brand has become total crap. More frequent purchases = more corporate profits, and another hit to consumers. That's the only thing that matters.

Prices are not allowed to go up. Materials and production have to suffer.

Actually Vuitton items hold their price and not just the old stuff but also things that are only a few years old.

Go to some of the sites selling used Vuitton...it's an eye opener.

The same with Hermes and Chanel.

Oreos

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

R95 what DID happen? By the nineties it was already awful.

R136 is correct. I remember paying £40 - £50 for Adidas/Rebock/Lacoste sneakers in the early 1980's and you can still buy them for around the same price almost 40 years later.

If the price doesn't increase quality suffers.

[quote] Do I remember Nabisco Sociables and Vegetable crackers being better than they were?

Don't know about the Sociables, but Vegetable Thins used to be my favorite as a child. They had big pieces of dried vegetables in them and were so flavorful!

I bought them last Christmas because I was feeling nostalgic, and they just tasted vaguely of onion powder.

[quote]Actually Vuitton items hold their price

Not if you know what to look for. LV holds its value simply on reputation alone. There are many products (much less expensive) that are of superior quality.

R78 Bimbo bought a lot of other food companies out, and yeah the quality has gone down the toilet literally.

I'd be willing to bet that now 80-90% of the reviews on Amazon for products including books, and everything else they sell are made up either by paid Amazon employees. I've noticed for the reviews for certain books and products, that they hide the negative reviews by default so you only see the top rated 5-4 star reviews only.

Another vote for LL Bean; I've always liked their stuff & it's kind of sad how downhill it's gone.

So true story. I just tried ordering $4k of furniture from Macy's and after waiting for a month for a piece to come in that kept getting delayed, they finally got everything in and then when I went to schedule the delivery (they don't let you schedule it until everything is sitting in their warehouse) the earliest they could deliver to the house I was furnishing in a major city was TWO MONTHS. This after making me wait a month.

I cancelled the entire order and got the furniture from another shop. Fuck that shit. If they're circling the drain it's because they are badly run and have antique logistics. Pottery Barn can get that shit out to me in less than two weeks.

But, isn't that a customer service, (customer care), issue rather than a quality of goods issue, R146?

R147 the Macy's brand is what I'm talking about. I'll never bother ordering furniture from their stores again, unless it's drop-ship.

Ah! Got it, R148

that should read, "Either by paid Amazon employees, or bots."

There's a very broad downturn in quality among a wide swath of clothing and shoe brands - everyday stuff ( tshirts, underwear, jeans and khakis, sweaters and button down shirts, casual shoes and dress shoes) that were good to high quality when purchased at department store or brand specific stores ( e.g., Gap, JCrew, Eddie Bauer). I just find clothing and shoes monumentally disappointing these days - cheap fabric, poor stitching, horrible construction, such that it loses shape quickly. You can still find decent stuff, but the search is harder and there's a lot of stuff that looks okay to start, but just doesn't last.

R151 the rise of outsourcing probably is a major factor.

You bitches are going to make fun of me, but I live in a wealthy neighborhood and I buy my clothing in the thrift shops here. You can still get the old-school Polo and Lacoste shirts. Pendleton wool jackets and sweaters, etc. I’ve got lots of well-made and durable vintage pieces. I can literally run my fingers down a rack of sweaters or shirts and feel the difference.

And, I would tell you that I'm jealous R153. A quality and well made garment will even outlast you after you have gone to your grave! R151 really hits the nail on its head. There has simply been a drastic downturn in most clothing and shoes. No one cares about thread counts, durability, stitching , etc anymore. I don't even think that younger people know how to spot that and feel that anymore.

That's probably part of it R152, but I also think it's just greed - charging more for less. Outsourced clothing doesn't HAVE to be made horribly. The overseas factory that uses cheap labor will make things to whatever specs using whatever materials the parent company wants. The company could have higher standards, but too often they make it cheap yet charge a higher price for the sole reason of making more money.

R153, I believe you. I sell vintage clothing and you absolutely can tell by feel.

And here's a tip for anyone who likes vintage tees. Look at the sleeves and the necks. Vintage, made in USA t-shirts have single needle tailoring (a single row of stitching) on the sleeves. And the neck bands are wider than the ones on contemporary tees. Looking at the sleeves and the necks will save you a lot of time. No more looking at every t-shirt on that 50 foot long row of tees!

How do we feel about the rise of elastine or other stretch material in so many things - stretch jeans, stretch khakis, stretch t-shirts, stretch shorts? IMO, it's not any more comfortable and it breaks down and the items lose their shape and fit to various degrees.

Now, how many people (especially the young ones) know that, R156? That's VALUABLE and treasured information! Thank you!

I believe that designers are just of the mindset to make it "look" good in order to sell. Well, that doesn't work for me. If I'm going to spend a $100 on a T-Shirt (which I would if I REALLY liked something) then it's going to have to have more than just "looking" good!

I like stuff that is constructed the way that it is here in the link provided. No pushing twenty pieces of work through a sewing machine in 15 seconds...

I have the most mundane full zip sweater than I bought from Eddie Bauer in 1995. It still wears well. This wasn't considered some high end piece of clothing that was marketed as higher quality from other brands. It was just a plain $30 sweater that you could find at EB; similar pieces could be found at any number of stores for a similar price. Decent quality wasn't a luxury.

Anything co-opted by hip-hop or minority culture.

Bobbie Brooks

Pacific Coast Hwy

Jordache

The Gap

Coca Cola

Timex

Holiday inn /Ramada /Howard Johnsons /Days inn Travelodge

r144 Anything you're considering buying from Amazon -- run it through fakespot.com to see if the reviews can be trusted.

It's not just about luxury, R158. It was about durability too. Eddie Bauer built a reputation on quality, durable, sportsmen's, clothing. Then it went fashion.

HEY! Does anyone recall the name of the mail order catalog that always had a drawing of a cowboy with a rifle, and wearing a long trench coat, on its cover? I can't remember the name of the clothing company to save my life now, ( I would know if it's correct if I see the name), but the company and its catalog were quite popular in the 70's and 80's. I wonder if it's still around?

J. Peterman, R163

YES! Thank you, R164!!!

Elaine meets J Peterson

R99, See r28.

Pepsi and Mountain Dew are now complete garbage. I don't know what the hell happened, but two years ago, they changed the formula to both and took out most of the carbonation. So now MD and Pepsi are disgusting. They're flat, form a thin layer of foam on the surface and taste like chemicals. You can read the bevy of negative reviews below:

There was an interesting interview in the Wall Street Journal with Mickey Drexler , the legendary retailer, as he was about to leave J Crew. He claimed that a lot of the demise of quality is to be blamed on the internet. He maintained that internet shoppers are more driven by price than quality when comparing which item to buy, because the quality is not obvious on the net. He said that the little details and fabric and notions that make for good quality were being jettisoned, because they drive the prices up, and people can't see them online, which is where an increasing number of people buy clothes. I think he has a point.

Most people don’t know what to look for or care r142, it’s just about getting the monogram crap. A few years ago Louis Vuitton was going to move away from the monogram because it devalued the brand. One thing that was reported was that a large number of credit card defaults came from people who got a credit card charged an extremely expensive Louie bag then defaulted on the card.

Is fendi still a good brand? You don’t hear too much about them these days but they are still in the high end stores.

Oh R168. Hunty. Mountain Dew was never fancy.

The destruction of soda happened years ago in the US when they started making it with HFCS instead of sugar.

Luckily, I live in Europe, where they still use teal sugar. Coke is delicious here. I never drink it when back in the US, though. I think even Mexican coke has started using HFCS now.

One reason why used Vuitton can be sold is because they're well made. The quality is top notch and they still look great after years of service.

Those canvas bags are virtually indestructible.

[quote]Luckily, I live in Europe, where they still use teal sugar.

Must look pretty.

[quote]Oh [R168]. Hunty. Mountain Dew was never fancy.

Oh r172. Hunty. Who ever said it was?

R156, I remember the introduction of Lycra. It was a Miracle! Womp womp.

I won’t buy many garments with Lycra/elastic. It does break down, as you say. I am the thrift shopper and have browsed more women’s denim than anyone should. On any denim that’s got any stretch material added to the cotton, eventually sagging happens. And there’s a weird sag line that happens in the front crotch area that starts at the bottom of the zipper and goes across toward the hip. It always happens.

I look for old Levi’s and won’t touch any jeans that aren’t 100% cotton.

My husband just bought a pair of new Levi’s (I warned him) and they came up with a rip in a weird place.

[quote]Womp womp.

What is "Womp womp"?

It's a quote from an asshole regarding illegal aliens and it's supposedly also a reference to nazi curb stomping in which they place someone's open mouth on a curb and then stomp on it to dislocate the jaw and lots of other stuff.

Eeeek. Thanks, r178.

Sony seems to be dying as a company

It was the SACD that did Sony in. Discuss.

Might the only brand that has even maintained a bare minimum of its craftsmanship and legacy be Hermes?

R148 correct. The brand is Macy's in name only. That fondly remembered name hasn't been the Macy's of legend for 40 years. They get by on name customer naiveté and name recognition from the old days.

I would agree with that R182. Hermes is still very top notch. But, I tell you... I have been looking at a few Chanel videos on YouTube (more designers should do this) and the quality and craftsmanship is still there. But then again, they were haute couture video clips. I suppose the question is; How far does the company stray away for its ready to wear stuff?

This book talks about a lot of things we've been discussing here. I read it a while ago and highly recommend it.

[quote]One reason why used Vuitton can be sold is because they're well made. The quality is top notch

One of the problems is that there are SO many LV knock-offs. Many of them terrible but a few are VERY, VERY, good. Unless one knows what to look for (and the quality that they want) in luxury goods then you can easily be snookered.

In my opinion, a lot of this happens because people are much more interested in the name and label instead of what that brand stands for--or stood for. It was criminal when the Sara Lee Corporation (The Hanes Group) bought Coach Leather and made a mess of the name and product. I'm so glad that they changed the name.

Just tragic

The downfall: "The company had been owned by the French cosmetics company L'Oreal between 2006 and 2017. In June 2017, L'Oréal agreed to sell the company to Natura for £880 million. The deal was approved in September 2017."

L'Oreal basically gave the brand no attention and destroyed the brand and its mission. The same could be said for Neutrogena when the Johnson & Johnson company bought it.

[quote]One of the problems is that there are SO many LV knock-offs.

In fact. The average person has no idea of stitching, of the quality of leather or canvas, or the plating on hardware. Most people have never inspected a genuine LV bag.

Kappa. None trashier now.

I wrote this elsewhere but Macy's, once my favorite store, lost me when their credit card assholes treated me terribly. I drive by it at my city's big mall and that flashes right in my head and I refuse to go in.

This doesn't happen often or I'd say I was the problem but when it does, it is really interesting to watch how it unfolds. Because if they are assholes to me, they are apparently assholes to a lot of people and it isn't long before I start hearing the store is in trouble. Circuit City was one famous example. I hate Bloomingdales too so hope to witness their demise as well.

(Saks, on the other hand, has always treated me amazingly, including the credit card which reported me due to a mistake and then quickly corrected it with an apology. Class acts. Unlike Macy's).

When ordering furniture I saw how clunky Macy's software and systems were for logistics and management. I could tell it's a stitched together antiquated system. Trying to call them to get support I was on hold for 20 minutes. Even going through the sales line I was on hold for 20 minutes. They haven't invested in updating their core systems and have just applied a facade over them that doesn't work very well. They're understaffed and the staff can't handle patching the gaps left by the facade. You get transferred to three different departments because none of them is able to help you on their own. It's all segmented and disjointed and it's reflected in how they deal with customers. The CS reps want to be helpful but none can be. Not surprised they have closed a bunch of stores. They never fully embraced or transitioned to the internet era so the whole company's collapsing.

Not sure why people are trashing companies (or praising) for credit card services?

They are all effectively centrally managed by Visa/Mastercard the brand names are just a logo. The people answering the phones all work for the whole networks.

Sure doesn't feel like it. There was a very pronounced difference between how I was treated by Saks and how I was treated by Macy's. Different banks, different policies. Not remotely universal in my experience.

R173 - I have a canvas bag I purchased from our local food co-op 25 years ago that I still use and would call virtually indestructible. It was $10.99, I think. How much does your virtually indestructible bag cost?

If you want well made men's clothing that will last look no further than what men doing physical labor are wearing. Carhartt, Levi and Wrangler.

Reasonable prices. They last forever.

And Carhartt is very, very stylish and cool right now.

R192 that is not the case here. Visa and MC don't handle ordering and credit card charges for Macy's, they have a department in their octopus company that handles it. I've never even heard of VC and MC doing call management for small consumers. Even the banks that issue the cards have their own user support management.

Great stories. I love the one where the piece is sewn on the lab of the worker.

R172, where in Europe do you live? They do make American soda brands that have sugar in them like Pepsi, Coke, and other brands/types. But you have to read the ingredients. I do not drink soda but I see the type that has sugar in it all the time at local supermarkets when shopping.

R171 I have a Fendi frame in glasses. I use them for distance and they work great for me.

Thanks R162, I mainly just buy used books, sometimes books for kindle if they are inexpensive, and tea.

[quote]Might the only brand that has even maintained a bare minimum of its craftsmanship and legacy be Hermes?

It seems as if it's the only one.

r200, you realize your ability to see out of your lenses has nothing to do with the brand of frames you chose.

r203 sounds like you've been buying the wrong brands, r203! The luxury glass frames are enchanted.

LV. Their once great handbags are pure tacky chunky trash nowadays.

Oh, okay, r204.

They were always garBAZH, r205.

Someone else earlier in this topic mentioned most clothing brands that were once great and well made being now very poorly made and the clothing does not last or becomes ripped/torn/worn very easily.

I have some items purchased from Duluth and I’ve been pleasantly surprised. NOT the highest quality I seek, but absolutely several steps above most of the shit sold elsewhere. They use heavier thread-count, much much stronger stitching (don’t know the technical term but some canvas pants I own have at least three rows of stitching up the outside of the leg), and a leather messenger bag I bought from them is HEAVY thick leather with solid indestructible hardware. But I still need vendors for more polished looking clothing — Herme is too fancy for me and not in my budget. Used to love J Crew, something at that price point but with their old quality is out there, yes?

[quote]Used to love J Crew, something at that price point but with their old quality is out there, yes?

J Crew became much more expensive than what it started out as.

That is true r210. But there was kind of a peak window where their prices were not at their highest, but the quality was QUITE high for off the rack stuff. We need a High Renaissance in fashion.

That was in the '90s IMO, r211. I was a denizen of their Georgetown Park store.

This is true ^

I had khakis, plaid shirts, and barn coats in different colors. I didn't like the pockets on the coats much, though. I found a similar coat at Eddie Bauer whose pockets had flaps. Much better. And in dark green, it was my George Costanza coat. One of my favorite articles of clothing ever.

The last Breyer's I bought (butter pecan frozen dessert) was actually inedible. The pecans were rancid and possibly wormy. The 'frozen' part was grainy, corn-syrupy, and didn't actually melt. I'd say at this point they're marketing on name alone. Any brand but Breyer's in the future.

Issey Miyake

I KNOW!!!

WHO???

r215 = me in 2009, only with Breyer's Coffee.

Heritage USA/PTL Club

The PTL Club, later called The Jim and Tammy Show, and in its last days PTL Today and Heritage Today, was a Christian television program first hosted by evangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, which ran from 1974 to 1989. Conceived and built during the rise of the modern religious right, Heritage USA combined the Bakkers’ growing televangelism empire with theme-park hedonism, offering an immersive experience in the sights, sounds, and practices of American conservative evangelicalism.

Heritage USA’s size made it remarkable—spanning approximately 2,300 acres, it was more than 10 times larger than Disneyland in California and nearly 20 times larger than Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in Florida. But size was not the main feature that set Heritage USA apart from its secular rivals. This getaway spot was intended to be, as one park map put it: “A Special Place for God’s People.” Included among its other attractions were Billy Graham’s boyhood home, a shop that replicated the experience of shopping in a Jerusalem marketplace, and a passion play depicting the life and death of Jesus Christ, with the aid of light-show special effects.

Less than three years later, a scandal broke that would spell the beginning of the end for PTL and Heritage USA. In March of 1987, The Charlotte Observer was finally able prove the persistent rumors that Jim Bakker had had a sexual liaison with a young woman named Jessica Hahn seven years earlier. More than that, he had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in PTL funds to buy Hahn’s silence during the intervening time. On March 19, the Bakkers stepped back from PTL and bestowed interim leadership to Jerry Falwell. Once at the helm, Falwell fanned the flames of controversy. Working with other prominent evangelists, he opened a broader inquiry into moral and financial misdeeds within PTL and added new allegations to a rapidly growing list.

While the scandal captivated national and international media attention, Heritage USA became emblematic of the excesses of contemporary television ministers. For detractors, the park’s amenities stood alongside the Bakkers’ mansions and air-conditioned doghouse as evidence that their focus had never really been on God, but on money. One of the most iconic images of the Bakkers’ ouster from PTL was the widely published photograph of Jerry Falwell zooming down the park’s enormous waterslide, fully dressed in a business suit and tie.

The park’s financing was also central in the federal case against Jim. Internal memos revealed that although the ministry had raised more than double the money needed for a new hotel called Heritage Towers, the hotel had not been completed, and more money was still being solicited. Money donated specifically to Heritage USA had been diverted to other things, including high salaries and generous bonuses for the Bakkers and PTL board members. The ministry had also sold so many lifetime partnerships that if every eligible person claimed his or her three free nights at Heritage USA, the park would not have been able to accommodate them all.

Heritage USA - Inside the remnants of the fallen PTL CLUB theme park

That trash was always trash, r218.

MOTOWN (the home of Diana Ross... excuse me... MISS DIANA ROSS)

Final years of the Motown label: 1999–2005

By 1998, Motown had added stars such as 702, Brian McKnight, and Erykah Badu to its roster. In December 1998, PolyGram was acquired by Seagram, and Motown was absorbed into the Universal Music Group. Seagram had purchased Motown's former parent MCA in 1995, and Motown was in effect reunited with many of its MCA corporate siblings (Seagram had hoped to build a media empire around Universal, and started by purchasing PolyGram). Universal briefly considered shuttering the label, but instead decided to restructure it. Kedar Massenburg, a producer for Erykah Badu, became the head of the label, and oversaw successful recordings from Badu, McKnight, Michael McDonald, and new Motown artist India.Arie.

Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, and the Temptations had remained with the label since its early days, although all except Wonder recorded for other labels for several years. Ross left Motown for RCA Records from 1981 to 1988, but returned in 1989 and stayed until 2002. Robinson left the label in the early 1990s, and the Temptations left a second time in 2004 (the first time being in 1977). As of 2018, Wonder is the only artist from Motown's early period still on the label.

Universal Motown: 2005–2011

Further information: Universal Motown Records--In 2005, Massenburg was replaced by Sylvia Rhone, former CEO of Elektra Records. Motown was merged with Universal Records to create the Universal Motown Records and placed under the newly created umbrella division of Universal Motown Republic Group. Notable artists on Universal Motown included Drake Bell, Ryan Leslie, Melanie Fiona, Forever the Sickest Kids, and Four Year Strong. In late 2008, Motown began celebrating its fiftieth anniversary (January 12, 2009), including the release of a The Complete No. 1's box set containing Motown number-one hits from Billboard′s pop, R&B, and disco charts, reissues of classic-era Motown albums on CD, and other planned events, which were released in collaboration with Universal Music Group's catalog division Universal Music Enterprises.

Relaunch: 2011–present

As of summer of 2011, Universal Motown has been separated from Universal Motown Republic Group, has reverted to the original Motown brand, has hired Ethiopia Habtemariam as its Senior Vice President, and is now operated under The Island Def Jam Music Group. Artists from Universal Motown have been transferred to the newly revitalized Motown label. On January 25, 2012, it was announced that Ne-Yo would join the Motown label both as an artist as well as the new Senior Vice President of A&R. On April 1, 2014, it was announced that Island Def Jam will no longer be running following the resignation of CEO Barry Weiss. In a press release sent out by Universal Music Group, the label will now be reorganizing Def Jam Recordings, Island Records and Motown Records all as separate entities. Motown would then begin serving as a subsidiary of Capitol Records.

Asylum Records now records rap.

Nearly every major luxury car from Cadillac to Rolls Royce to Ferrari. Perhaps less the quality of the some vehicles than the styling, but goddamn is that one ugly bunch of monstrosities.

West 57th Street - once the greatest crosstown street in Manhattan, now a Billionaire's slum.

Tiffany's, alas.

The Ritz Hotel and Brown's in London.

Nothing like the above, but Starbucks coffee used to be quite good when they were just starting out.

Who makes good quality shoes these days?

Crockett and Jones make great shoes.

I love my French Connection ones.

Allen-Edmonds and Alden both still make good shoes.

[quote]Who makes good quality shoes these days?

My friend!

Sadly Bialetti, they used to make great moka pots or stovetop espresso makers and other things for the kitchen for cooking, and now the quality has gone way downhill.

[quote]Who makes good quality shoes these days?

Payless

Re GE small electrics--we have a toaster oven like the pic that we use daily, as well one of their "classic" steam irons (very heavy), and a GE "Carry Cool" window air conditioner at 36 years old that still works perfectly. We also have a 22 year old Kenmore washer/dryer set that's going strong--I've learned to do minor repairs on the washer machine. Products that were not designed to be disposable, as so many are now . . .

I just came to this thread to say exactly what r230 did.

When I bought my house 25 years ago, it came with a washer/dryer and central air system that were old-ish then. All are still going. Every appliance service guy I have had in over the years has discouraged me from upgrading because as they say, they sure don't make things like they used to

My appliance guy has also discouraged me from replacing my old Kenmore dryer for the same reason. I need to do a kitchen remodel in the next few years and I'm dreading having to replace my old appliances because every brand seems to have issues.

I'm looking for a good quality and durable pair of sneakers, any suggestions?

Has it occurred to you that your repair person doesn't want you to replace your old stuff because he's making money off of fixing them?

R234 Sure. But he hasn't made much money off my old dryer. Every couple of years he has to replace some heating element that isn't very costly and that's pretty much it. And I use that dryer constantly.

R235 is correct. As far as my a/c repairman is concerned, it's his company that will replace my central unit when he goes, so I tend to take his word for it

I really miss clothes that wouldn't completely dissolve, pill, shrink, pull apart - after a few washings. R57 was right - even Old Navy (for $10 or whatever) made t-shirts that lasted since 2001. Now, if you buy the same t-shirt, they end up feeling like sandpaper and becoming pilled after 2-3 washings. And, they shrink unevenly all over the place. The thinking is - for a $10 t-shirt, buy another one. Fast fashion logic. I don't want another one - I finally washed out the chemical smell from this one. Fast fashion has ruined clothes, and the Netflix documentary on fast fashion (I can't remember the name) was very informative about all of this - from the pesticide laden cotton to the toxic dyes. Even average mall stores like Abercrobie or Structure (way back before they became part of Express) had clothes that were nice & would last forever. I am talking about 1995 or so.

I think Whole Foods has lost a lot of its brand equity. There was a big shift in the way they did business around 2010 or so - and now that Amazon has taken over, it seems even worse.

Hershey's candy tastes like wax. I noticed a lot of people mentioning ice cream, but I don't usually eat that much - but a lot of American made chocolate is disgusting now. To me Ghirardelli still tastes good, but not everyone agrees (but compared to Nestle wax-chocolate chips, it's night and day).

Campbell's soup has been increasingly disgusting since I graduated college (and lived on it). I don't buy it anymore because I've had way too many pieces of nodular chicken to make it palatable anymore. (I truly lived off of Chicken Noodle & the Hearty Beef one - now they're both bad).

It's interesting what people said about appliances. I find most of that to be very true, and high end names don't help the situation... they just create more expensive repair bills.

I'd be interested to see a thread on Brands that kept up their reputation. Maybe in Hospitality - The Four Seasons or The Peninsula... rarely miss a mark across the world. There are a few restaurants I can name that maintained themselves over decades (not necessarily even fancy ones) & kept up their standards.

R233 I wear new balance, and also run in them, and they are very durable. I buy them from this below site, and they have my size which were always difficult to find in stores since I have large and very wide feet. They often have sales both on the site, and ones that you will only know about via coupon codes that they give you via email.

Thanks R238.

I used to love Banana Republic clothes. They fit me perfectly. Now they are just so boring--everything is grey and unimaginative.

God there are so many, Theory and Ralph Lauren (Polo primarily, but his other lines too) come to mind because I purchased from them frequently for many years until I was later disenchanted with quality. I've never been able to afford the super high end fashion houses, so I can't comment on those. But I did go through a designer bag obsession for a while. Both LV and Prada started pricing products well-beyond their products utility (no bag made from leather, canvas and brass/non-precious metal is worth thousands). I did have a few Prada clothing items (purchased heavily discounted) that were very beautiful and well-made, but those were made in the early 2000s so I can't really comment on what the brand is like now. Burberry was cheaper and in my price-range; the stuff was alright, it lasted a long time but it was never exemplary as far as quality goes.

Re: Hermes, a mutual acquaintance works for a high-end brand (in the same echelon as Hermes) in their parent corp offices and has connections to Hermes. He claims that the public's strongly held belief (perpetuated by Hermes' marketing itself) that Hermes' image of being hand-made and super-luxurious is a fiction. His statements could be influenced by some jealousy, but knowing what he does, I would think he'd have information on the topic that's not widely available.

Dear god, those shoes at R227 are so Triggerish!

R241, I remember in the early 2000s like around 2002-2003 when ALL the women I knew like who I was friends with, friend's girlfriends, classmates, etc. all wanted Coach brand bags/purses, and apparently they also went downhill and are now poorly made.

Older women I know who like Vera Bradley purses/bags said how those are also now poorly made.

I know queens who got really into designer brands like Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Yves-St. Laurent, etc. like buying nothing but these brands of clothes and other products they sold in the 70s, 80s, and early-mid 90s. Now? They do not really buy them as they too have gone downhill and are cheaply made.

Can't speak for her purses but Vera Bradley's perfumes are amazing, especially at such a low price point. Get one of her four packs of minis, all you need.

Thanks R244, I would do this for the older relatives I know who at one time liked Vera Bradley purses/handbags, but they do not like perfume or wearing a lot of it.

It makes me wonder what’s left that IS actually a high quality brand. If the supposed high end fashion designers are selling low quality crap, what hope is there?

This seems to be long in the making, r246, as your questions were also asked by Raymond Chandler in The Big Sleep, back in the late 40s.

R246 This has been going on in European countries, with designer brand clothing for decades. They're not imitations but basically true fakes, this article explains more, and it includes brands like Prada, Fendi, Patek Philippe, etc.

The better-finished items will go to legitimate stores. It is a process that the Italian public was both aware of and, quite often, embraced according to Roger Warwick, an anti-counterfeiting expert. “The Italian customer is pretty wide awake,” he says in Tim Philip’s 2005 book Knockoff. “He or she is perfectly happy to buy a Fendi bag or a Rolex watch, knowing that it’s a fake. There is no stigma. Italians say, ‘It’s commerce.’”

I want a fake Fendi but only the one Samantha had that she accused the Playboy bunny of taking. It looked great.

Well, they tried....

Awful...

What's up with Dunaway's walk?

Why doesn't everybody just admit that the demand for billionaire incomes at the top and the stagnation of income below has driven quality out the window all across the board. Instead of prices going up, which most people couldn't afford, quality goes down. At the tippy-top there's excellent quality, of course, but those aren't really "brands." The days when the middle class and even upper middle class, let alone working class, could get quality at the department stores that eldergays pine for or even the mall chain stores that some of us remember from the 90s (relatively speaking a consumer paradise) are gone because of the imperative to make billionaires of those at the top.

Whatever happened to this company. You used to see their course catalog all over NYC. Many of the 1-2 night courses were interesting, lots of diversity, and it was a great opportunity to meet a lot of new people. Now, you hear nothing about them. Did the internet kill this business?

Banana Republic sucks.

Sorry if this has been mentioned, but General Electric appliances were the gold standard in the '50s and '60s, but have declined horribly in the past 20 years.

I blame that bastard Jack Welch when he allowed the corporate accountants to run the GE appliance division into the ground.

And the price gouging for replacement parts! This gambit is designed to force hapless owners to buy a new appliance. I might decline to be raped for a replacement GE part, but I "dam-sho" won't buy another GE appliance!

Great thread.

Ikea - I have pieces that were bought around 2008 that are still great & in use. The stuff I bought 5 years ago was crap & thrown out.

Nike - I have shirts from college (circa 2000) that are still top quality. That was the last time Nike was worth the price.

United Airlines - The service was unbelievably good until 9/11. It went downhill after that. And they didn't handle the Continental merger well. The check in at Newark is still a shit show. BUT I will say the terminal at Newark was upgraded & its lovely.

Coach - Used to be made in the US. Then they started making everything in China and still charging the same prices. Fail.

Clarks - The Sunbeat was the best sandal I've ever worn. And then they discontinued it. They also reduced their wide width selections. Fuck 'em.

R246 - High quality brands are still out there, but they're very expensive. See Hermes, Celine, Ferragamo.

r256 -- I still lament the day United swallowed my beloved Continental.

Rurnt 'em! Rurnt 'em, I say!

Nowadays my new favorite airline domestically is called "Amtrak."

Jaguar.

The lines, the heritage are all gone.

The XJ looks like a Buick. The XK now has a standard 4-cylinder engine. And the XF is just ... generic.

Get out! It take s 18 months to make a scarf????

Dooney and Burke handbags. Yes, I know they are bourgeois but now they have a crap reputation.

You are tired of hearing me crow about this, but I shop at Goodwill in Manhattan. I’ve become familiar with all kinds of brands and the quality of the different eras. Across the board, all fabric has become thinner. Often I find the vintage and quality pieces by simply running my hands along a rack, don’t even have to look. I’ve made it a game.

I’ve found beautiful old things. And a Pringle cashmere sweater from 40 + years ago is in perfect shape after dozens of wearings. A Ralph Lauren Black Label cashmere is pitifully pilled after three. I could go on.

Any opinions about this?

You have to be careful but you can find some of this stuff on EBay. I just bought a COACH leather gym bag, (and it DOES retail for $695), off of EBay for $249. It was brand new and with all of the tags. It most definitely was COACH. All hardware was stamped. It had a serial number. The stitching was perfect, etc. So, I'm pleased.

BUT, be careful!

I remember reading pretty awful things about IKEA. Apparently, they source their wood cheaply from these endangered forests in Siberia and Northern China, exploiting the fact that Russia and China have virtually no environmental protection laws. Also, they use a fairly toxic ingredient in that cheap ass plywood a lot of their shelving is made of.

[quote]Also, they use a fairly toxic ingredient in that cheap ass plywood a lot of their shelving is made of.

Formaldehyde? I can only stay in IKEA for a few minutes, the offgassing gives me such a migraine. I don't know how anyone can work there.

R262 I wish I could find nice sweaters like they used to make. I’m going to try to look up Pringle sweaters on eBay. If anyone else knows any good brands to look for let me know.

I have a black cashmere pullover sweater from Neiman Marcus that was my grandmother’s from 30 years ago. It continues to old up and stay nice and unpilled even though I wear it a lot and any other sweaters I have bought just seem to pill immediately.

[quote]I wish I could find nice sweaters like they used to make. I’m going to try to look up Pringle sweaters on eBay. If anyone else knows any good brands to look for let me know.

Alan Paine

[quote]I have a black cashmere pullover sweater from Neiman Marcus that was my grandmother’s from 30 years ago. It continues to old up and stay nice

Thank you for making me warmly smile this morning, R267!

Whorish Dolly Madison really let her pies go to hell.

These are some new sweaters you might like, r267, Shetland crew necks from Harley of Scotland.

This link is better.

Givenchy, now that the Duchess of Dooky has started constantly wearing it.

Thank you for everyone’s sweater suggestions. I thought for sure it was going to be a DL request that just went unnoticed. I’m going to investigate all the brands you’ve mentioned now.

EXCELLENT example of how people are simply sold on image and marketing rather than craftsmanship and quality!

GO PAYLESS

Although, I'm not sure that they are still in business.

Omg, did Payless really do that??

I love the Greek statue at the entrance, heh.

R275 that is really crazy! What's also annoying about that whole video is that those "fashion" people keep talking about quality, when most "designer" shoes aren't made with such care in the first place, let alone anything in a Payless store. I read some book a while back saying how most luxury (i.e. European) designers have their footwear made by third-party companies which make shoes for hundreds of brands (including cheap ones), which makes sense when you think of how much more complicated it is to make a shoe versus a soft clothing item. Although I don't know for sure, it wouldn't be surprising if many of Payless' shoes are made in the same factories as other higher end brands.

[quote]Coach - Used to be made in the US. Then they started making everything in China and still charging the same prices. Fail.

[quote]I have seen authentic Coach bags made in the USA (many vintage bags are specifically marked New York City), China, Turkey, Costa Rica, Mexico, Italy, India, Hungary, Philippines, Vietnam and the Dominican Republic. ... Many counterfeit Coach bags are marked 'made in Korea.'

And, that's why I paid $250 for it rather than $700! My bag had a "made in Vietnam" tag.

My "newest" Louis Vuitton was made in 2005...after that they went to crap. They got more and more expensive, their service went to hell and now they are no better than their Chinese replicas

That's why you have to look for and support local artisans. They still exist especially when you're looking for leather goods. Many of them will even copy a design that you like--with some slight alterations. But, you have to know (or educate yourself) about the quality that you want. We should all have stories like R267.

Where were you twenty years ago, r281!!

R280 Louis Vuitton is one of those brands that really makes me bitter, and the one that ultiamtely made me despise the concept of luxury fashion and fashion generally. In the early 00s it used to be great and now it's just a depressing, lackluster brand. I've never really been able to afford anything by them, so I don't have a lot of experience with the quality. But back in my youth I saved up enough to buy one of the smaller mens bag. It still is really beautifully and has worn well. At the time I think I spent $600 or so. The bag is no longer in production, but similar bags are now going for double (or more) the price of the one I bought. I get that inflation and the cost of production has made things more expensive, but LV has really priced its merchandise well- well- well-beyond its actual utility. No bag made of leather (or stiffened canvas, sheesh) and non-precious metals is worth $2000+. I know other brands have gone the same way, but LV really seems to have taken it to a much higher level. I haven't bought anything by them in a long long time and really have never owned enough to say anything about the quality of the brand generally. Has their merchandise actually declined in quality?

Yves Saint Laurent. Now sold in the cheapest of discount stores near you.

Hermes. Since the Khardashians made this brand a household word, every trashy actress and 'model', (including whores like Melania) now flaunt it. Speaking of Melania, Ralph Lauren lost his already limited appeal by dressing her willingly. Burberry, of course, is a big time gonner because of the rappers that adopted it. Every welfare mom on the streets carries a cheap Michael Kors bag, but I'll always have a soft spot for him when he was asked about dressing Melania and he replied, "Well, I can't help it if she buys off the rack." Chanel's quality has taken a HUGE nosedive, while prices have sky rocketed. Only vintage is now worth carrying. LV? Well it was my first big Designer Bag, so I'll always have a thing for it, but I don't buy new any longer either. Too expensive and too accessible. There's a brilliant Swiss designer, Peter Nitz, who was a trained Hermes artisan, who has branched off on his own. His pieces are stunning. Take a look if you want something you won't see everyone else carrying.

R263 That's a terrible fake!

R261 Dooney and Bourke have never been given the respect they deserve. Their products are beautifully made and durable as well. Check out their Alto line for top quality, made in Italy.

KMART

ZAYRE

MONTGOMERY WARD

BEN FRANKLIN

Lincoln, Cadillac and Chrysler.

Juicy Couture

R163, the garment is a duster, not a trench coat!

So, are there any threads talking about brands that you think are still great?

Yves Saint Laurent is in discount stores/

Saint Laurent Paris, I can assure you IS NOT, bitch.

But, I have a question for anyone; What makes a brand luxury?

I ask this because of all of the noise that is currently surrounding GUCCI, PRADA, and African Americans. I received this link from someone whose network that I'm part of. I had never heard of these people. So, I looked quickly at a few of their web sites. 100% Viscose is luxury and quality? Huh? So then, I started to ask myself what makes a luxury brand a luxury brand?

Your thoughts?

When Etienne Aigner diversified its colors, the brand was destroyed. It's oxblood or nothing!

Naturalizer. Time was, you could spot a Naturalizer pump from a thousand paces just by the classic silhouette. No more!

I disagree about ROLEX. The customer service alone makes it worth the money. But, compared technically to the OMEGA? Comparable

[quote]When Etienne Aigner diversified its colors, the brand was destroyed. It's oxblood or nothing!

Oxblood Lives Matter.

NBC

ABC

CBS

r296=Enna Jetticks

Quality in all the mayor brands has gone down the toilet.

If you want true quality you have to look at small, independent European labels

Movado

Remember when Calvin Klein underwear was made with good cotton and felt good. It’s garbage now.

R304, yes. I used to get mine (I’m a woman) at Century 21 where it was a smidge cheaper, 25 years ago. It was nice and thick cotton and the quality was worth paying more. Now it’s thin junk fabric and stiff elastic. Basura.

Wasn't Bonobos bought by Walmart? That can't have been a good thing.

Dickies

You have to look for the smaller companies and newer names. Those good ole mom& pop companies

@l.howardleather

trainers by @rondonovancordwainer

I love Target with an extreme passion but their women’s tanks and tees are still the same boring dusty rose/navy/forest green crap for Wisconsin women - they need to calibrate their merchandise better for different regions. Still, if we’re just talking clothing, their jeans are phenomenal and hold up better than pricier brands.

This thread explains why retail is going downhill. All the stores sell nothing but cheap Chinese crap.

But, isn't that a bad rap towards the Chinese and its people, R310? Everyone manufactures in China? Who is at fault? Business owners or consumers?

Business owners trying to save a buck by exploiting yellow-skinned people in a Communist dictatorship and by adopting a business model that depends on exploiting their low minimum wage laws and on things constantly breaking and needing to be replaced altogether.

R309, Target offers nothing but cheap, terrible quality, made in China shit.

It's Walmart with better branding.

JCrew and Banana Republic used to be my go tos for work clothes. They've been making cheap crap too.

Brooks Brothers

r315, they've raised the price of the original, basic OCBD to $140, and now you don't get a pocket. RIP, BB.

Part of the problem with the American retail market (particularly the fashion segment) is that it's become so over-saturated to a point where consumers can't even make a decent choice based on branding, not only because brands have gone down hill (they quality all sucks now due to thinning margins), but because they all start to mesh together in one big fashion ball where they're indistinguishable. I walked through our local mall the other day, and some other new yoga/athletic-wear/hip-mom store opened up. Between Lululemon, Athleta, Sweet Pea and whatever (seriously, there are four or five now in just one mall), it's perplexing as to what the heck they all are. And they all have a very similar trademarking scheme. High(er) fashion has been going a similar way. I used to love Theory, Rag & Bone, John Varvatos, etc. But now they all seem to be the same exact thing. It also doesn't help that department stores carrying these nicer brands seem to only stock similar items from each vendor. The mens shirt section is a series of blues, greys and whites from 10 different brands. Eventually I just give up and buy something from Target. I used to particularly like Prada bags (I was something of a bag snob in my youth). I went shopping for something nice, and seriously every brand's product looked the same as the others, to a point where it didn't really seem to make much sense buying some $500+ bag if it didn't look any different than others.

Gloria Vanderbilt jeans. I see they are still around but now sold at stores like Costco and Kohl's. I believe Gloria sold the brand years ago. Funny story. I mentioned the name Gloria Vanderbilt to a co-worker who is in her 30's. She didn't know who Gloria Vanderbilt was. We were talking about Anderson Cooper.

[quote]I mentioned the name Gloria Vanderbilt to a co-worker who is in her 30's. She didn't know who Gloria Vanderbilt was.

Really, why would she? (I'm in my 60s, btw.)

This pretty much says it all. This is what I see every time someone pulls out an LV wallet,duffel bag or man purse.

^ It reminds me of my secretary's reaction when Donna summer died, R319. All she said was; "Who?"

EXACTLY, R320!!! In my eyes that brand can never recover!

Bobby Trendy. Waaaaay past its prime and now trash. To be fair, he was always trash.

Oh, God, r320.

Did someone call? Not only is my bag trash, so am I.

Why Clothing Quality is Declining In Your Favorite Brands

[quote]Speciality brands that you find at your local malls don't make the same clothing they used to. Brooks Brothers, J. Crew, Cole Haan and dozens of brands once stood for quality American clothing while today they're a shell of their former selves. This video explains the detailed reasons why the clothing quality has declined.

Cristal champagne

Courvoisier

R326 I have JCrew blazers from 15 years ago that still look great. Now I'm lucky if they last 15 months.

Henkle knives henkel?

BUT!

"Luxury is that which can be repaired"

Hermès

A good example of an American brand which has turned into complete trash is Kenneth Cole. It was never Prada but, 15-20 years ago, it was a brand synonymous with reasonably well-made affordable high(er) end clothing. Then, at one point, its manufacturing obviously went to shit: a somewhat expensive jacket I bought had the zipper break after less than 6 months. The messenger bag also had metal hardware parts break on their own, a nice long sleeved t-shirt had a hole develop around the stitching at the neck, and so on. I don't think I looked at any of their clothing let alone bought it in over 10 years.

I am done with flake nice cloths. Fuck it, from now on just buying straight trash for the source. Why bother.

Perhaps I’ve made this point already in this thread, but I have learned a lot about quality by shopping at thrift shops and Goodwill. When multiple levels of brands are side by side, you can really see and feel the quality.

I will say that quite often, I will touch a dress and think it’s Banana Republic and find that it’s Forever 21. And almost every time I compliment my SIL on a dress, it’s from H&M. It’s interesting.

I still favor J. Crew because I get it so cheaply and like the styling, but the quality is shit these days. I’d never actually buy it firsthand.

[quote]I still favor J. Crew because I get it so cheaply and like the styling, but the quality is shit these days. I’d never actually buy it firsthand.

I think that everyone is pretty much in agreement that a lot of off-the-rack clothing is shit quality now. It's probably best to buy whatever you need as cheaply as possible and if feasible have a few really good pieces custom made. But, you know... there seems to be a very good level of quality on that Etsy site.

Calvin Klein underwear

r329 Henckels

I would say that there are company brands that are becoming more aware of the public's negative quality perceptions and are trying to turn things around. Hermès, for example, has invested heavily in marketing videos like that of R330 , that feature the craftsmanship involved with its products. Coach is trying to do the same thing after having its brand nearly destroyed by Sara Lee. However, Sara Lee did make the brand international.

Part of the reason some of these brands' reputations have fallen is due to counterfeiting. People who don't know the difference ascribe negative performance to the brand name, even if the product that caused the issue was a cheap knockoff.

R338 I don't think you're necessarily wrong, but I wouldn't agree with the assertion that people are confusing crappy copies with the legit, brand-made products, and therefore attributing the fake product's quality issues to the actual brand (OK, I'm sure there are some people out out there who do, but I'd guess they make up a small part of counterfeit purchasers). Most people out there purchasing counterfeits know exactly what they're getting, They just simply don't want to spend the higher amount for the real thing. I don't know of anyone who's purchased a poorly constructed knock-off, and really believed they were sold the real deal. Where I think you might be onto something is that perhaps brands are more likely to cut costs and cheapen production if a good is highly coveted and copied. It may sound strange, but I figure if a product's sales is going be hindered by crappy knock-offs, a high-end manufacturer may as well increase their margins on products by chopping costs and production to make as much money off each sale of the real thing as possible. It should be noted however that the whole assertion that counterfeits are ruining the fashion industry is often well-debunked by analysts and economists. Part of the problem is that there are major financial and value-based barriers-to-entry for any luxury good. For the purchase of any good, there has to be a willing buyer and an ability to purchase. Despite fashion houses' claims that they lose sales to knock-off goods, the simple fact is that their goods are a niche market. The amount of willing buyers who can actually afford to purchase their products is small. The vast majority of knock-off buyers are not rich people who want the product but don't want to pay the prices. They're purchased by people who either can't afford the real deal, or perhaps people who can afford it but don't see a value in the product equivalent with the price to be paid.

That's interesting R337. Now that you've brought it to my attention, I've noticed a lot of brands doing that as well. Hermes making an effort to showcase its quality is disconcerting, as I've never heard of them having any trouble in that area. With that said, a friend of a friend worked for Hermes back around the 2000s and said that although the goods were of a very high quality, the lengths Hermes says it goes to to get them to such a quality are grossly over-exaggerated. She often spoke of how the whole wait-list thing for bags was nothing more than a long-running marketing scheme. They could punch those bags out in 20 minutes if needed.

I don't understand the mindset of people who buy knock offs. They KNOW that what they're buying is fake shit so why do it? If it's to try to fool others than it's truly pathetic.. `

[quote]It should be noted however that the whole assertion that counterfeits are ruining the fashion industry is often well-debunked by analysts and economists.

Really?

[quote]Most people out there purchasing counterfeits know exactly what they're getting, They just simply don't want to spend the higher amount for the real thing. I don't know of anyone who's purchased a poorly constructed knock-off, and really believed they were sold the real deal.

I agree. This only confirms to me the shallowness of most people and why Louis Vuitton (as if they care) will never redeem itself in my eyes. Waaay too many knockoffs (refer to R320, lol!) which has destroyed the brand name. LV, became much more interested in sales (well, I guess that is important), rather than quality and protection of the brand. Also, people seem to be no longer interested in learning about the artistry and craftmanship about a product, let alone, appreciating it. That's why I like videos like R330 that tells the story and teaches why the product prices the way that it does.

[quote]I don't understand the mindset of people who buy knock offs. They KNOW that what they're buying is fake shit so why do it? If it's to try to fool others than it's truly pathetic..

They do believe that they are fooling others, but really, they are only really fooling themselves. Imagine how that person feels knowingly walking around with a fake LV bag but still attracting the eyes and wonderment of strangers who think that they are carrying the real thing?

I almost can respect someone that buys a knock-off because they really like the design. But, to buy a knock-off because of a label and what you and others believe that a label conveys? Ugh....

R341 I do see what you're saying, but you're not really looking at it from the mindset of a rational consumer, which is what the counterfeit market is geared towards. Luxury goods inherently depend on a sort of irrational consumer who will blindly spend without much consideration, to a certain degree. Part of the problem is that a lot of the people griping about the counterfeit market are uppity, dim-witted, self-purported "fashionistas" (who are, really, the complete antithesis of a rational consumer) whose thinking has been hardwired into this unflappable belief that no item (knock off or otherwise) could be as well-constructed as something similar by some Euro designer they adore. To put it bluntly, it's a very tough discussion to engage because, quite frankly, the people arguing on the one end are stupid. Their mindset is not of economics (rational), but rather of maintaining some vague, lofty ideal that foreign designers across the globe create products to such high standards that must obliterate any competitor making a similar product elsewhere (irrational). However, when you actually breakdown the actual production of these luxury products and the very well-crafted marketing that's essentially designed to make consumers fall into this thinking that their products are inherently better, you really do start to see where the counterfeit market comes into play and its actual purpose. For example, someone above mentioned Hermes. Hermes makes bags that somehow became super popular. No one really doubts that the bags are well-made, or at least as well-made as a bag can be. However, the problem is that Hermes isn't some magical shop where they have unfettered access to indestructible leathers, threads, cloth, metals etc.. It's a manufacturer with a factory somewhere, filled with materials and tools bought in the same stream of commerce every other manufacturer on the globe uses; it hires human workers in their factories to make bags with basically the same materials from which any other bag would be made. There might be some extra polish, a pretty stamp, or some logo somewhere to make it pretty; but fundamentally, it's cloth or leather sewed up with thread in a way so that it holds stuff a person wants to carry around with them. To put it another way, Hermes, or whatever high-priced designer you choose to insert, isn't actually making an kind of product that truly can't be replicated elsewhere, and they are replicated, often better than the actual legit product in some markets. The rational consumer recognizes this. And it's not just simply an eschewing of the brand for symbolic reasons (although there are undoubtedly people who do that). The simple fact is that there is a class of consumer who simply does not believe, rightly so, that a well constructed bag actually justifies the expense these higher-end brands request. There is no such thing as a bag that actually costs thousands because bags and their composite materials don't really cost that much (save for some extreme examples). There simply isn't enough that goes into them to truly make them worth that much. And frankly, the skills of artisans making them, who, really, for all intents and purposes, are just laborers, are not of a value that really is worth so much more than your local seamstress, tailor or leather worker. People of course may pay for that, and there might be a market that sets a price, but they're not actually worth that amount, and definitely not to anyone actually making them. That's where the counterfeit market comes in, for people who are either irrational consumers who want to buy but don't have the cash to cough up for a particular item, or for people who simply don't see a value at the requested price, but would buy it for a cheaper price.

R342, indeed; there's a lot of interesting articles on the topic, both for and against counterfeiting. I was actually working on my own academic article on the topic for a while and it's a very interesting topic with lots of good debate. If you have an interest in it, there's a lot to read on it. Again, you have to weed through a lot of the "fashionista" garbage (and oh there's a lot) to get to the actual good, well-researched stuff. A lot of it is fraus and tweens griping about how they wont carry their fancy bags anymore because poor people are carrying around fakes. It's all quite ridiculous really.

LOL, R344!!!! Bottom line, you're right! "You're nothing more than a laborer working in a factory. And, you're much different "how" than the other laborer working in a factory down the street?" LOL!!!

Counterfeits are not whats causing the low quality. This may surprise you, but many counterfeit copies come from the same factories in china as the authentic one. Basically, without the brands knowledge, a lot of those companies officially shut down for the weekend but unofficially open back up with a skeleton crew making cheaper versions of the original to sell on the black market. Ever wonder how they got the same exact mold for a product but other parts are different? They have them right there on hand. They sub cheap parts or material where they know they can save money.

As far as cars go, Cadillac, Lincoln and Chrysler. At one time they all were the last word in American premium luxury cars. What are they now when even the Koreans have surpassed them in workmanship and engineering.

[quote]This may surprise you, but many counterfeit copies come from the same factories in china as the authentic one. Basically, without the brands knowledge,

I'm not surprised by that BUT I've heard that many of the brands are not only aware of it but its the one that is originating the "counterfeit" goods. How many labels are ripped off and then you see the merchandise being sold under another label or have no label in it? It's a business. A company has to meet its payroll.

Fuck Pyrex.

Tupperware.

Did Chinese food takeout kill Tupperware in the US?

Ironic that the inspiration for the Hermès Birkin was a woman who carried a wicker market basket as a handbag.

I still think of Hermès as a luxury brand that still has cachet. There are many luxury brands that the great unwashed don’t know about.

Hmm... this seems interesting...

R344, Your highly esteemed "rational consumer" is full of shit.

When confronted with the option of buying a leather bag of similar price, quality and style that is :

A) Made by a local artisan with no name recognition

B) A knock-off a famous brand.

There's a high probability that the supposed rational consumer would take option B, and that keeps them on the same stupidity level as the "uppity, dim-witted, self-purported fashionistas".

R346 I appreciate that support, but just to be clear, I'm not mocking any of these craftsmen or artisans or whatever you want to call them. I have no doubt they have skills and a competence beyond others that does produce a technically better product. The issue I was trying to point out is that there is a certain point economically where that extra attention to detail or skill simply no longer adds value, if any at all. To illustrate, say you have a broken appliance that requires a simple fix. I'd hazard a guess to say that, fundamentally, all you really care about is having a service person over who can fix the problem as cheaply and efficiently as possible. Perhaps you could hire someone who has years of expertise in repairing appliances, and takes much care and uses great skill, etc. But really, to fix a busted water heater or whatever, you really don't care about all that fluff; you just want someone to replace the part and get the thing working. The value of their skill basically ends at the point they're able to fix your appliance. That was my point in funneling down craftsmen's skills down to that of simple labor. They might be good, but at a certain point, it doesn't make economic sense to spend money on time and effort into something that simply doesn't need it. In the case of certain luxury brands, they may tout the care, skill, and attention to detail with which their goods are made, but they're making a bag or wallet or clothing garment; the assertion that a well-constructed handbag needs days worth of laborers' time and efforts is a major waste of resources.

R354, your comment doesn't really argue against anything I wrote. If anything you agree with my statements. A rational consumer would purchase either of those goods you listed; the point is they're not buying a higher-priced good. A little clarity: I was using the term "rational consumer" symbolically; for any real economic purpose, the rational consumer doesn't exist. The purpose of using that term was to describe the large class of people that doesn't buy these luxury goods, either because they're not a willing buyer or they can't afford them (qualifications a rational consumer would use to make a purchasing decision), which is the market class the counterfeit market potentially serves. Whether they spend in that market is a different matter. And I wasn't using "uppity, dim-witted, self-purported fashionistas" (I'm quite proud of that description) for the purpose of describing spending habits. Rather, it was meant to describe a mindset and thought-pattern in a sub-culture of consumers that favors certain goods simply because they cost more.

Oh, I got it R355! Your posting just made me chuckle a little bit.

[quote]I would say that there are company brands that are becoming more aware of the public's negative quality perceptions and are trying to turn things around. Hermès, for example, has invested heavily in marketing videos like that of [R330] , that feature the craftsmanship involved with its products. Coach is trying to do the same thing after having its brand nearly destroyed by Sara Lee. However, Sara Lee did make the brand international.

The videos are interesting to watch.

Taylor Swift.

I’d still like a pair of plain Gucci loafers.

In home electronics, I seem to remember Zenith being a perfectly fine brand. Now it’s down with the no-name makers that push the cheapest of the cheap.

All this trashing of Gucci-

I love a little Gucci- I have a few pieces from recent years and they are FUN!!! (And very well made, so fuck the haters)

Just a little goes a long way.

Everything now is shit. There is no such thing as 'quality'. We have Samsung appliances that are 3 years old and already breaking down. I remember my parents having appliances that lasted forever. My mom had an old Kenmore washing machine that hit 25 years. You'd be lucky to get 5 out of a Kenmore, now.

R361, I agree. Fashion should be fun, too.

R362, no kidding. In my old apartment, I had an ancient gas stove, must have been from the 1950s. That thing was a beast. In this new apartment, the landlord has replaced the 1980s model with new ones twice. Garbage garbage garbage.

R363- Gucci GOES FOR IT. And I respect that.

And I love and have one pair of Gucci Loafers (Lug Sole) They look brand new as I wear them I once a year- Purchased them in 2008 or so.

R365, I encourage you to wear them more often if you love them. A good quality shoe can be refurbished and maintained.

I have a small mug from when I was a little girl. Found it when my dad died. I was showing it to a friend who urged me to use it. I said I was afraid it would break and I cherished it too much. She told me about the Buddhist philosophy of “the vessel is already broken”. I drink my coffee out of that mug every morning now.

Wear your loafers!

R366, That is lovely. Thank you. I needed some enlightening advice like that today-

We all know that Maytag is shit. Maytag used to be such an iconic brand. We all have stories of our moms owning one for 25 years. I bought a suite of four Maytag kitchen appliances when I moved into this house less than three years ago. This week, the service tech came out to repair both my dishwasher AND refrigerator. I knew they weren’t the best quality when I bought them, but I had just moved into my house and needed to purchase too many other things as well. I knew they wouldn’t last forever but I never expected to have to fix them this soon. Fuck Maytag.

What we're seeing is due to the rise of the MBA and Vulture Capitalism. Everyone is cashing out on brands because people will no longer buy their goods based on branding.

And a lot of the designers cashed out long ago. They saw this trend coming. Now it's all made in China due to the race to the bottom line.

Our crappy GE fridge came with our place and is about 9 years old. The stupid icemaker broke 3 years in. Now the water dispenser line keeps freezing on a daily basis.

What is a quality brand of refrigerator? Help!

R370 I used to sell appliances 15+ years ago and GE and Frigidaire were junk. Kitchen Aid (A whirlpool product) was top of the line for mainstream brands. Maytag was decent.

Of course now there are all these great high end brands becoming more mainstream like Sub Zero, etc... Does Miele make Refrigerators?

There are still quality brands but they cost more and aren’t as show. I like Billy Reid and Luciano Barbera when they go on sale. Classic looks, both made in Italy.

[quote]All this trashing of Gucci- I love a little Gucci- I have a few pieces from recent years and they are FUN!!! (And very well made, so fuck the haters)

From what I've heard and read, GUCCI is VERY popular among Millennials. I couldn't tell you why that is though.

But, for me personally, the brand is just too bastardized.

R372- Brunello Cucinelli as well. Michael Bastian had a wonderful high end Mens Line from about 2007-2013? Also manufactured by Brunello Cucinelli.

[quote]The stupid icemaker broke 3 years in.

(GASP!) [pearls are clutched] But, but... however do you make proper martinis?

[quote]I have a small mug from when I was a little girl. Found it when my dad died. I was showing it to a friend who urged me to use it. I said I was afraid it would break and I cherished it too much. I drink my coffee out of that mug every morning now.

I bet those are real good cups of coffee!

[quote]And I love and have one pair of Gucci Loafers (Lug Sole) They look brand new as I wear them I once a year- Purchased them in 2008 or so.

WEAR your shoes! Items are made to be used! Enjoy them for yourself and NOT to impress others.

Terlets. We bought a high-end terlet thinking it would last longer than cheaper ones, and it didn't take long to start leaking (no pun intended).

Funnily, Chanel herself contributed to the dilution of luxury. She deliberately mixed costume with real jewelry so that you couldn’t tell the difference. She made what we’d call sportswear, functional polo and equestrian clothing, everyday wear. And she made clothing out of jersey, a fabric used almost exclusively for underwear at the time. That’s what makes the Lagerfeld design below witty instead of silly.

I don’t care where my clothing comes from in terms of store or designer. If I were a millionaire, I’d live in Chanel and Hermes or have all of the clothing designed for me. I’m not, and I’m not going to waste time bloviating about which middlebrow retail outlet is better than another. Unless you are RICH and can afford the very best, what is available to you is nearly identical across all manufacturers and price points. Quality differs by a matter of only a few degrees.

[quote]I love a little Gucci- I have a few pieces from recent years and they are FUN!!! (And very well made, so fuck the haters)

Yo, what up, couldn't agree more brother.

Calvin Klein underwear.

LL Bean

CK underwear still Is great, looks great on fit dudes

NBC, ABC, and CBS.

r248, When I was in Europe back in 2015, i was astounded by how many people (including children) were wearing Canada Goose jackets- how could all these people afford them? Then I was at a flea market in Paris, and saw all the knock off Canada Goose jackets.

And I don't even understand Supreme's allure. There is a store here in L.A. on Fairfax, and a friend and I had ducked into the store next door because of a freak rainstorm. There was a huge line on the sidewalk waiting to get into the Supreme store, and the manager of the store that we were in told us that every Thursday, new merchandise drops, and you have to stand in line to get it. BUT to get in the line, you have to make a reservation on the Monday of that week for a specific time. Even though you have a specific time, it's just to stand in line, not to get into the store.- they let in only 5 people at a time. Then he told us that there were some guys across the street who will observe people coming out with their purchases, and offer them money for them, because they don't want to stand in line.

[R80], the fact that you only eat Breyers ice cream is terribly self-limiting. We all can benefit from being versatile once in a while; you never know what it might teach you.

If you're ever on the US west coast, you should stop by a grocery store and pick up some Tillamook or Umpqua ice cream. Coming from years of Breyers, your mind will be blown. Breyers must be 50% air -- almost as criminal as Alden's.

Hilton

Alaska Thunderfuck 5000

R386, I love that!! I love gourmet ice cream as well. The part of New England where I live sucks donkey cock and its hard to find anything high end in stores. I have ordered various brands on Gold Belly.

We now have Coolhaus (limited selection)- Blah.

LOVE McConnells from California, enjoyed Humphrey Slocombe, as well Blue Marble Organic from Brooklyn (which was some of the freshest and best tasting ice cream ever)

NOTHING IS SAFE!

The Counterfeit Circle Complete.

Anya Hindmarch's Whole Foods bag is now on Canal Street. "I'm Not A Plastic Bag"

Remember my stumbling upon the wraparound line at Whole Foods on Houston Street? If not, see my 365 days blog. The line wrapped around the block and people (mostly Chinese) camped overnight, in the cold rain, to buy the bag. I called it the "birth" of a counterfeit.

Now, the circle is complete. On a recent visit to Canal Street, the copied bag figured prominently among the others.

The above is from 2007 which means that the bag (even the counterfeit) are now vintage.

Adobe Systems. Once an innovator in graphic design software, now a monopoly in that area as they bought out all of their competitors. They also collude with Apple to ensure that within five to six years you will need to replace your Mac as the old Mac operating system will not be able to run said Adobe products. Nevermind that Adobe Creative Suite has been made in to a subscription product.

Once an elite brand starts to market to the masses, it becomes trash. The brand that starts to consider profit over its identity will soon become trashy.

-Marc Jacobs

-Bottega Venetta

-Salvatore Ferragamo

-Burberry

R118 Coach vintage leather is bombproof.

Hewlett Packard.

Bottega is super hot right now. They can't keep their handbags in stocks and there are huge waiting lists.

r4 (and the rest of us) didn't realize that Mossimo had recurring visions of certain upcoming family expenses.

[quote]What we're seeing is due to the rise of the MBA and Vulture Capitalism.

And, here's another whack at LV. The company itself is doing stupendously well! But, I wouldn't pay thousands of dollars for one of its pieces now. The linked article might be behind a pay wall so I'll copy and paste some interesting and relevant portions;

Why Your Next Louis Vuitton Bag May Hail From Texas--The global luxury brand, born in Paris, has found a home on the range to make handbags for a world of picky consumers and trade wars

ALVARADO, Texas—Louis Vuitton, the global luxury brand, was born on the cobblestones of Paris. Its future is taking shape in places like the grasslands of northeast Texas.

Where cattle graze, Louis Vuitton has built a 100,000-square-foot factory to make its monogrammed canvas and leather handbags for the American market.

Unlike Louis Vuitton products from France, the Texas bags won’t be produced by “petites mains,” the French artisans at the center of the brand’s history and mystique. Instead, Louis Vuitton is recruiting and training employees locally, no experience needed. Candidates passing drug and manual-dexterity tests can join the line with starting hourly pay of $13.

The gold-and-brown bags, priced at $1,200 and up, will be tagged “Made in the USA.”

Louis Vuitton is positioning itself for a world in which consumer tastes and global trade are in upheaval. That means testing one of the luxury industry’s core tenets—that a luxury product must be made where it was conceived. While competitors such as Gucci, Hermès and Chanel have kept most production in Italy and France, Louis Vuitton is increasingly letting industrial logic and geopolitics govern supply-chain decisions.

“It is an art form to maintain your company values and standards when you start expanding outside your home country,” says Louis Vuitton Chief Executive Michael Burke. “Most companies fail at that.”

Louis Vuitton’s strategy is to sell luxury goods to the masses without lowering prices. It must stay on top of trends in far-flung markets, where consumers increasingly demand customized products. That raises pressure to streamline manufacturing and build an agile supply chain. Twelve of Louis Vuitton’s 30 manufacturing facilities are outside France.

Workers need only a few weeks’ training before starting on a production line. Cindy Keele knew little about Louis Vuitton when she heard it was hiring. Having worked 20 years as a building-services-company administrator, she wanted away from the desk and figured her hobby of making leather saddles and cowboy vests might prove useful.

After 10 months at Louis Vuitton, she helps assemble the Palm Springs bag, which retails at $2,000 and up. “I needed something where I was up and moving,” she says.

Coach

The limited

Definitely Louis Vuitton

"Luckily, I live in Europe, where they still use teal sugar. "

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooh, pretty!

r400=Barbara Thorndyke