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comment by goobster
goobster  ·  2240 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Americans are spending less and less on clothing.

And my buying has gone the opposite direction.

Nowadays I pay up for quality, and wear rugged, high-quality clothing, for a long time. $50-80 for pants and shirts, but they last for YEARS.

See: Carhartt and Duluth Trading Company.





dublinben  ·  2240 days ago  ·  link  ·  

You're probably still spending "less" on clothing this way, since you're buying a smaller number of pieces that last a longer time. Fashion retailers need you to replace perfectly usable items because they're 'out of style' after a year or two.

OftenBen  ·  2238 days ago  ·  link  ·  
snoodog  ·  2238 days ago  ·  link  ·  

It’s true for some things, if you buy them in the right price range they basically don’t depreciate. I don’t know if it really applies to boots but I’m just hard on my foot ware

goobster  ·  2239 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Yep.

Took me a long time to learn that. But it's the truth.

Buy one fine Yves St Laurent suit, and it will cost you a bundle, and last you for ever.

user-inactivated  ·  2240 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Every Tee shirt I own has a logo of some sort on it from an event where the shirt was free.

Pants, work shirts, good socks, etc I buy quality that lasts. I get mocked that I own so little clothing. But it all fits, it all works for me and it lasts longer than I will.

The Duluth commercials make me retch. Is the clothing any good at all or is it just a brand?

goobster  ·  2239 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I'm not a delicate flower, and I tend to just jump in and do shit, instead of going home and changing into "the right clothes" first.

So I have worn Carhartt for years. But they have the same size problems (generally) as most clothing manufacturers. When you get bigger sizes, all they are is scaled up proportionally. So if you are a fat dude, and buy a shirt that goes around your middle, the arms hang down to your knees.

Duluth stuff actually fits human beings that are not models. And it lasts well. And has fantastic utility... like reinforced waistbands, deep pockets, and pockets of logical size/location.

I'm a Duluth guy now. Depending on how the weight loss goes, I may become more of a Carhartt guy again, but I just like that Duluth makes stuff for real people.

user-inactivated  ·  2239 days ago  ·  link  ·  

    The Duluth commercials make me retch. Is the clothing any good at all or is it just a brand?

They brand themselves as workwear... and for that purpose it is mostly just branding.

The weave on the FireFlex stuff is pretty tight and holds up ok, but the flexy shirts I have shed buttons like crazy and the plain ol' pants material is much looser woven than Carhartt or Roundhouse. The DWR coating lasts as long as any other, definitely not a lifetime thing.

I really like the cut of their stuff, it allows for lots of movement. But my stock is getting replaced with Carhartt or Roundhouse as attrition grinds ever onward.

snoodog  ·  2239 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Clothing is decent, the underware is good fits a little better then ex-officio and the material isn’t shittified yet. The fire hose pants are pretty durabile, I found the fit isn’t super for long walks but good enough for working in. Prices are reasonable. As for shirts I really like unmarked cotton tees from uniqlo, cheaper then my gap ones and better quality