Do you care where clothing is made?

Depends on the particular garment. I will pay more for quality and from a particular country of manufacture if I have experience and know it is superior.
 
I have a strong bias for all things American-made and a similar revulsion for Chinese goods. I basically want the price point to reflect the nation of origin, meaning that I know what countries are cheap labor and don't expect to charge me as though it's made using costlier labor. And I suspect that a maker using cheap labor is using cheap materials, construction, etc...
Likewise, the larger and more durable or complex the item, the more I care.
 
Yes, are we talking underwear or suits? T-shirts or casual or dress shirts? Denim or chinos or slacks? Outerwear?
 
I have some preference for American-made goods like Bill's Khakis, Mercer shirts or Allen-Edmonds shoes. The first two examples, I admit, are rather pricey compared to a lot of foreign-made product. However, I am not a "buy American" fanatic.
 
Most of my family boycotts anything out of Viet Nam, post-1975.

It's always an added bonus if I buy something made in Australia, Britain or the US.
 
I have not really run across anything for sale that was made in Russia. Well, that corny reindeer leather from the czarist era, and those low quality night vision goggles twenty years ago, but that's about it.
 
I remember the early 1990s when these Soviet SVD paratrooper stripey shirts were popular with the anorak-wearing, floppy fringed and spotty Indie-Pop kids:

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Personally, I do care where things are made, but not necessarily for the typical reasons. I like to buy thing made where there is some sort of connection. Savile Row suits, but this could be USA or Italy if I was going for that look. German industrial products. American and Japanese electronics. Etc, etc... I tend not to buy from China becuase I don;t like pumping money into what I feel is an opressive economy, but I will also happily by authentic Chinese products, like hand crafted tea sets for the wife. Or some fabulous jade products I've watched craftsmen make in Hong Kong. It really depends on the authenticity of whats being made to me. Buying Chinese made mass produced crap is a non starter, but I don't have to buy USA to feel like it's appropriate either.
 
I don't. "Z Zegna" is made in Mexico. Of course Zegna doesn't put the "traditional" construction since it is fused and they ask for those specs but I bet you that if Ermenegildo Zegna - mainline - were made in here it would be at least 50% off of MSRP.

Where the garment is made has to do everything with the price, even though they could be made with the same machines here or there.
 
Made in China in particular. I am unfamiliar with labor laws in other countries, but I have a good knowledge of how much workers are getting paid in the Orient, and I refuse to believe people who sow the 1k RL black label sweaters are getting more than those who made the $40 Levis jeans. There was a movie depicting migrant workers in China who worked for these outsourced clothing factories in the Guangdong/Shengzhen area, it was sad to see the living conditions and wages these poor souls were getting paid.

This is another reason I don't understand the sneaker culture. Kids are willing to dish out 1k for some Made in China Nike limited release, when in fact those shoes probably cost less than 20 bucks to make, package, and ship.
 
JimmyRustler said:
I loathe the sneaker culture.
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Have not worn sneakers for many a year. Anything that is so cult-like and anal about slight fucking variations in footwear is fucked. And to pay big bucks for kicks.

Oooh, that reminds me I should check and see if my penis pink shell high top horse bit loafers are ready. Lined with Tiger ball sack leather. Gaziano & Girling x Horween x Epaulet x NMWA x Skoktiebolofsoup x king of Dhaka x RogerP x NAMOR. A steal at only $2500 and only a 16 month wait!

See you on the G&G appreciation thread girls!
 
JimmyRustler said:
I loathe the sneaker culture.
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I paid a decent buck for a pair of common projects before, but I know the factory they are from, the quality of leather used, and the handy-work put into them.

This again comes down to the amount of profit vs. expertise construction. If the demand of product A becomes too popular and the designer has sunk in a lot of money in advertising/marketing/renting store front/etc, then he or she will undoubtedly fine an area to offset the cost, and most choose to reduce labor cost. For example, Rick Owens has gotten extremely popular in the recent years due to his rise among your favorite hip-hop stars. Now most of his leather jackets are made in Romania as opposed to Italy by a husband/wife team shop, the quality of the leather and other detail accents have also gone down. Yet the prices have risen despite poor craftsmanship and inferior quality. Still stores can't keep his popular leathers stocked.

Is it greed? Or would every single one of us choose cheap labor if we could.
 
Well, people have a decision to make. When they get popular can they keep up with demand? Sometimes the quality is sacrificed for volume especially if there is demand from brand whores who either don't care or don't know about quality.

Do you wait forever for your Temple of Jawnz or whatever the name is or do you get to kop quickly so you can wear that thing you paid for but haven't gotten yet?

"Ooh, I am actively tracking my TOJ, it just arrived at FedEx in Bangladesh. Then Dhaka, Istanbul, Frankfurt, New York, Omaha, Gary then here! I hope the pilots eat when they are flying"
 
thruth said:
Well, people have a decision to make. When they get popular can they keep up with demand? Sometimes the quality is sacrificed for volume especially if there is demand from brand whores who either don't care or don't know about quality.

Do you wait forever for your Temple of Jawnz or whatever the name is or do you get to kop quickly so you can wear that thing you paid for but haven't gotten yet?

"Ooh, I am actively tracking my TOJ, it just arrived at FedEx in Bangladesh. Then Dhaka, Istanbul, Frankfurt, New York, Omaha, Gary then here! I hope the pilots eat when they are flying"
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Some brands maintain quality even with a high demand. There was an article about Brunello Cucinelli in GQ a few years ago in which he discussed that sourcing quality cashmere has been difficult but he maintains he doesn't not sacrifice quality for subpar materials. I know Cucinelli is not cheap by any standard.

Can quality be made in developing or third world countries? Definitely. But at least in China, I know Ralph Lauren is not paying those workers more than 2 or 3 dollars an hour to work in a no window building. Therefore I don't find the justification to pay 700 bucks for a sweater that's made in China or a pair of made in China Jordans.

What's the story behind Temple of Jawnz? I heard that Drew is pulling and Gianni to his customers and I try not to believe that.
 
Pauly Chase said:
Some brands maintain quality even with a high demand. There was an article about Brunello Cucinelli in GQ a few years ago in which he discussed that sourcing quality cashmere has been difficult but he maintains he doesn't not sacrifice quality for subpar materials. I know Cucinelli is not cheap by any standard.

Can quality be made in developing or third world countries? Definitely. But at least in China, I know Ralph Lauren is not paying those workers more than 2 or 3 dollars an hour to work in a no window building. Therefore I don't find the justification to pay 700 bucks for a sweater that's made in China or a pair of made in China Jordans.

What's the story behind Temple of Jawnz? I heard that Drew is pulling and Gianni to his customers and I try not to believe that.
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Cucinelli has a different mind set and business model. he is selling to a different segment. he has a proven product with the focus on cashmere. if he cheaps out what does he do if there is a backlash? but i get what you mean. not everyone completely surrenders to the $$$

how much of any product is reflected in the "who" versus the "what" You are paying for Ralph's cachet and designing brilliance, right? Riiiight.

it is a crime to position something upmarket at premium price when you are paying slave wages to those who construct it even when you take different standards of living into account. that is why the rich get richer

News to me about Drew and Gianni
 
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I've heard insinuations that the Chinese have a cultural tendency to skimp and cut corners whenever possible. It's jsut the way they do things if not heavily scrutinized, they have a base-stealing attitude about things where if it gets by, they win.
This does explain why they seem so good at making items that look great new but then turn to crap in short order. I recall a Timberland boot where I pulled back the insole to see that the sole was held on by stitches literally an inch or so apart. It looked okay from the outside, but that ain't going to last.

The other problem with offshore manufacturing is that you really have no idea who they contracted to do the stuff. Lands' End reviews are riddled by inconsistencies on items that should be identical. And when the contractor's name is not on the product, what is there incentive to do anything beyond the cheapest passable good?
 
thruth said:
Have not worn sneakers for many a year. Anything that is so cult-like and anal about slight fucking variations in footwear is fucked. And to pay big bucks for kicks.

Oooh, that reminds me I should check and see if my penis pink shell high top horse bit loafers are ready. Lined with Tiger ball sack leather. Gaziano & Girling x Horween x Epaulet x NMWA x Skoktiebolofsoup x king of Dhaka x RogerP x NAMOR. A steal at only $2500 and only a 16 month wait!

See you on the G&G appreciation thread girls!
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Tiger Ball sack leather? Now this I could get on board with.
 
Russell Street said:
I've heard insinuations that the Chinese have a cultural tendency to skimp and cut corners whenever possible. It's jsut the way they do things if not heavily scrutinized, they have a base-stealing attitude about things where if it gets by, they win.
This does explain why they seem so good at making items that look great new but then turn to crap in short order. I recall a Timberland boot where I pulled back the insole to see that the sole was held on by stitches literally an inch or so apart. It looked okay from the outside, but that ain't going to last.

The other problem with offshore manufacturing is that you really have no idea who they contracted to do the stuff. Lands' End reviews are riddled by inconsistencies on items that should be identical. And when the contractor's name is not on the product, what is there incentive to do anything beyond the cheapest passable good?
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Being the yellow man myself, I couldn't agree with this statement more. Even in the morning market, groceries have used various techniques to trick the balance and weights mechanisms so the buyers are paying more for less produce/meat. Also there is no concept of copyright/intellectual property rights, but that's another topic.

Luxury goods have in recent years flooded the Chinese markets, but the rich still want to buy the exact items from over seas. I have heard of stories where people successfully returned fake rolexes to the stores in exchange for genuine ones. People believe even the made in china products (foreign designer/company) sold in China are even inferior in quality than those sold in the export markets.

Speaking of massive produced clothing articles such as Ralph Lauren (not purple label). How involved is Ralph himself actually in the design process to command the price stickers. Some might argue that the consumer is buying the artistry in design, but I really doubt Ralph or whoever actually designs anything in the blue label/black label/RX lines.
 
Pauly Chase said:
Luxury goods have in recent years flooded the Chinese markets, but the rich still want to buy the exact items from over seas. I have heard of stories where people successfully returned fake rolexes to the stores in exchange for genuine ones. People believe even the made in china products (foreign designer/company) sold in China are even inferior in quality than those sold in the export markets.
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The book I quoted the excerpt on luxury from deals a ton with this. I highly recommend it, it's a pretty light read

http://www.amazon.com/The-Bling-Dynasty-Chinese-Shoppers/dp/1118950291
 
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
My aunt wanted my mom to buy her a Rolex last year when my mom went back for a visit. I said they have authorized Rolex dealerships everywhere, why buy the watch here and go through the hassle of customs. The only reason given was my aunt was afraid of buying fakes.

The oddness is that people in Hong Kong and Taiwan do not posses the same mainland mentality. The assumption is due to heavy western influence.
 
Pauly Chase said:
Being the yellow man myself, I couldn't agree with this statement more.
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Thank you, as a popular refrain is that those avoiding goods from low-cost labor nations are just closet racists.
Branding and what it even means anymore could be a thread unto itself.
Maybe someone could start one:poke:
 
Pauly Chase said:
My aunt wanted my mom to buy her a Rolex last year when my mom went back for a visit. I said they have authorized Rolex dealerships everywhere, why buy the watch here and go through the hassle of customs. The only reason given was my aunt was afraid of buying fakes.

The oddness is that people in Hong Kong and Taiwan do not posses the same mainland mentality. The assumption is due to heavy western influence.
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Hong Kong is a culture unto itself. I love it there.
 
I don't care where stuff is made.

This message sent from a Chinese mainland made computer.
 
I think I voiced this before but I went by a trendy street in London and saw a bunch of Indians and Africans in the basement doing garment work. Does the quality really improve when one moves from Bangladesh to Britain? You have better tools? Your hours are not as punishing? Hunger is not gnawing away at you to the bone?

Which scenario would yield higher quality? Visiting a Hong Kong tailor who sends all their work to Shanghai? Visiting a Hong Kong tailor who has the Shanghai workers working for him in Hong Kong?
 
Fwiffo said:
I think I voiced this before but I went by a trendy street in London and saw a bunch of Indians and Africans in the basement doing garment work. Does the quality really improve when one moves from Bangladesh to Britain? You have better tools? Your hours are not as punishing? Hunger is not gnawing away at you to the bone?

Which scenario would yield higher quality? Visiting a Hong Kong tailor who sends all their work to Shanghai? Visiting a Hong Kong tailor who has the Shanghai workers working for him in Hong Kong?
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Interesting. I think that you need to really look at it as two separate questions. One, do you want your stuff made by a certain person, which is sort of an iffy proposition, especially when you start talking about ex pats and their decendants who gradually assimilate. Where would you draw the line? The second part, which is more what I care about, is what sort of labor conditions exist? I'd prefer to buy stuff not made with slave labor.
 
Ethics is one matter. I can't argue against buying from countries that have a modicum of respect for human rights. However, I assumed prejudice was based on quality of work. At least I presumed that's why this question was asked.

I was at some clothing event hosted by some European bloke. He mentioned he only buys things made in Italy, France and England. He flat out stated he will not buy Czech or Turkish made goods. There's no guarantee a Turk is not making the same goods in one of those preferred EU nations. And they could be many generations on from their initial immigration.

Anyway, I'm not advocating H&M rubbish - just pointing out that globalisation has forced the people who are particular to have a discerning eye. To badly mangle and paraphrase, you can't judge the book by its origins.
 
To me, the ethics part is the only reason not to buy from someone. That obviously covers a lot of ground, including undercutting wages by outsourcing, etc.. In terms of quality, generally that is just judged on a per item basis, at least to me.
 
I'd prefer to not buy stuff from countries that had a low minimum wage and the death penalty. That rules out USA.
 
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