Title says it all. It used to be that premium clothing lasted longer, but it no longer seems to. Most of my clothes are either old and holding up or new and falling apart - cheap or expensive, ethical or perhaps not.
I'm fed up with being stuck between paying medium amounts for unethical, fast-fashion clothing that falls apart quickly, or paying a lot for perhaps ethical clothing that falls apart almost as quickly. Usually you also can't pick-and-mix - companies that treat their employees fairly also seem to invest in reforestation or social schemes, which I'd rather consider separately.
For example, I used to buy some things from Patagonia, but even they seem to have gone downhill. I bought a shirt about 5 years ago, which I still have, and last year I bought the very same "model". The newer one is failing, the old one is going strong.
Can any HN folks, better than average at finding signals among the noise, recommend brands that make quality clothing that lasts, presumably above Fast Fashion prices in $/item, but better in $/month of use? Many thanks in advance.
REI’s onetime $30 membership fee is worthwhile on its own. However, since it’s a member-owned co-op, you also receive 5% of your purchases as a rebate (https://www.rei.com/membership). REI is usually competitive for pricing - not the cheapest, not the most expensive.
However, even if that 5% was explicitly added to the price, I’d pay it. For those of us who think in terms of value for the money, paying 5% more to ensure that I’m going to be satisfied (with the whole product, not just durability) is an amazing value.