Proposed EU rules would require clothes to last longer and be easier to repair

Re:Proposed EU rules would require clothes to last longer an... by Bayart on Sunday April 03, 2022 @08:43AM (#30896423)

There are a few excellent UK-made brands out there, although it's on the expensive side it's definitely quality stuff that lasts : Mackintosh, Drake's, Barbour (depending on the price range), Sunspel, Private White V.C., John Smedley, Colhay's etc. I'm personally a huge fan of S.E.H Kelly.

And of course there are still the venerable shoe makers of Northampshire which in my opinion remain the best industrial ready-to-wear shoemaking in the world (with a few exceptions, namely Carmina and J.M. Weston) : Edward Green, Crockett & Jones, Cheaney, Church's, Grenson etc. I'm myself a regular Crockett & Jones customer as they make the only size + width combination I've found in ready-to-wear that matches my feet really well.

Of course it's a rather militant way of looking at clothing and it's all pretty expensive stuff but :

- Frankly it's affordable if you've got an engineer's comp.

- It keeps its value well on the second-hand market.

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Re:Proposed EU rules would require clothes to last longer an... by Xenoamorphous on Sunday April 03, 2022 @09:05AM (#30896572)

But then if someone hears what a pair of Edward Green shoes or SEH Kelly coat costs they’d look at you like you’re insane.

PS my C&J Islays are probably my favourite boots, and I’ve got a ventile raincoat from Private White. Some day I’ll def buy something from SEH Kelly, although most of their stuff might be too warm for Spain.

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Re:Proposed EU rules would require clothes to last longer an... by yodelshady on Monday April 04, 2022 @04:44AM (#30904506)

The heuristic seems to be: have a brand name but *not* one you'll see on the high street.

If it is on the high street, it's expensive in order to fund advertising, not higher quality.

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Re:Proposed EU rules would require clothes to last longer an... by Bayart on Monday April 04, 2022 @02:09PM (#30910016)

You've basically got it right when it comes to marking. All the brands I've mentionned, and really all the reputable clothing / shoeing companies, have a production cost that's around 50% of the retail price. Add in all the miscelanous costs and the final margin isn't that high. For the largest of them "marketing" is having a few stores in key areas (London, Paris, NY) and a stall at some events.

If you take that formula and input marketing, you've got luxury companies : great craftsmanship at inflated prices.

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