What clothing brands do you feel have gone downhill in quality?

[Mom2SamandJames]

first thing that came to my mind is Lands end as well

I have not noticed a problem with New Balance, but the pair of shoes I last bought (for my father) were of a discontinued line, so they were "old" to begin with, maybe before any decline in quality? I will have to ask him how they are holding up

My oldest will only wear athletic pants, which no matter the brand seem to get knee holes before he outgrows them.
My youngest gets so many hand me downs, that I literally only buy him socks, underwear, and maybe once a year a pair of shoes...the hand-me-downs that have lasted through several kids are from brands all over the map though....luck of the draw I suppose, unfortunately

My 5 year old loves athletic pants too, and the ones that seem to last the longest for him are from Gap. He loves the ones made by Champion at Target too.

 

[5forDiz]

Old Navy : huge difference in quality from early years compared to what they are selling today.

American Eagle : when I shop for my kids here I never buy anything that is regular price ( because their regular prices are so inflated ) so it's either sale or clearance or not at all; well after taking a good, close look at the quality of fabric & fit on Christmas gifts I bought this year I told the kids it seemed it was just barely step above total garbage and if they want AE in the future they can buy there with their money, because I can't justify spending there any longer even if I do only buy what's on sale or clearance.

And here is the funny part of it all, my kids said they too have been disappointed with AE lately and have noticed that clothing has really gotten shoddy

 

[Tiger926]

I really hate to say this, but, I think the Disney Store's t-shirts are way too thin and fade really fast.

You are so correct, but Disney didn't even make my list, as the quality of Disney merchandise over the past few years is so horrid, that I wouldn't even consider it. Years ago, the quality was good at the parks, but the past 5 years or so, merchandise is so crappy, that it's not even worth discussing. Horrible quality all around!

Tiger

 

[PrincessBelle09]

What about other clothing companies that are still making quality products? I'll definitely agree with Land's End and Old Navy. My mom used to buy me lots of clothing from both growing up and I'm not shopping there myself now because the things I have bought are so crummy compared to what I grew up with. I'm sad to hear that Gymboree has gone downhill. My mom dressed my baby sister in their clothes and I was always really impressed with the quality.

The brands that I have come to love for quality are North Face, Uggs, Mizuno, 7 and Miss Me jeans. I usually like things from Coldwater Creek as well, but I tend not to wear those items as much so I am not as certain on how they hold up. For DH, I like Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. Yes, the prices are high and I hate paying for them, but I buy most things on sale and I figure it's better to buy 2 that will last several years than 4 or more that will barely get through a season. I am especially interested to hear what brands you folks recommend for men.

 

[Purseval]

I can't be sure if Polo's quality has gone down or not because I hate the large logos and will no longer buy their shirts that have them.

We recently received an ad for Consumer Reports Savvy Shopper that said VS bras were poor quality and recommended Target instead.

 

[finz2left]

Target's Merona brand used to be wonderful, now it is a "one and done."

Old Navy has always been "cheap-o quality Gap," but lately it is even worse.

Ralph Lauren's dept. store line is way downhill.


Though not clothing, Coach of today is not what it was 10 or 20 years ago, quality or customer service.

 

[Brancaneve]

J Crew, especially their cashmere sweaters. They pill like crazy! The price has gone up and the quality has gone down - some business model. I have sweaters of theirs from 10 years ago that look better than ones I bought 3 months ago.

(I know, cry me a river over cashmere sweaters - first world problems. But I buy classic, nontrendy clothes and expect them to last!)

I agree. Also, Banana Republic's quality has also deteriorated, and I find J Crew to be a bit better quality. All of my BR and J Crew items from years ago look better than current purchases. Glad it's just not me!

 

[DawnM]

I miss the Lands' End of 5 years ago, where I KNEW the quality and weight of the fabric that was included.

I noticed even the stretch knit pants that I prefer over sweats has changed in value/quality and fabric weight.

Sigh.

Dawn

The only one I can think of right off the bat is Land's End. Their tops are so thin now that they are practically see-through.

 

[IDoDis]

I hope I'm wrong about this, but my most recent pair of Uggs seems like a lower quality boot. I ordered two pair for Christmas -- a pair for my DD and a pair for me. DD's boots have the old tag in them and mine have the newer hologram tag inside and on the shoebox (for authenticity purposes). The newer tag is very cheap looking.

My boots therefore, are from a newer lot than DD's boots. Mine are not double stitched -- only single and a bit flimsy on the back where the stitching goes up in a straight line from the heel to the top of the boot. The bottoms of the boots don't seem as rugged as the ones made a couple of years ago, and quite frankly, it looks like my boots were made from two different dye lots of fabric. The piece of fabric that goes over the heel is a different shade of brown from the rest of the boot. This was not an issue on DD's boots.

I ended up sending them back to exchange for a new pair due to the workmanship. I hope this was a slip up in quality control and not a growing trend with Ugg to cut corners.

 

[sallysue66]

NY&Co. I bought 2 cardigans recently that look awful after just a couple of wearings.

And Levi's. The material is so thin now it's a shame.

 

[mrsklamc]

Agree with Land's End and Victoria's Secret.

I don't even know where to pay more for quality anymore. Seems they just want you to pay more for the same junk.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

First thought when I saw this thread was Land's End. The hand-me-downs from DD11 to DD7 are in better shape than the newer clothes I bought specifically for DD7, and I can tell a quality difference in the clothes I buy from a few years ago to now.

I also agree with Old Navy, and Justice has always been junk but seems even worse this season (didn't think it was possible).

I have been disappointed with knit shirts from Coldwater Creek over the past year. Even washed on delicate and air-dried, the stitching comes out and the shirts stretch in width and shrink in length so that they are unwearable. I haven't noticed a deterioration in other items from Coldwater Creek, but the knit shirts have been very disappointing.

 

[Diabolicdesire]

Have to agree with Old Navy

I had on one of my old, Old Navy fleece pullovers on the other day and I had commented to my aunt how much I wish they would go back to their old fleece!! Their new fleece is Yuk!

Also their Jeans very in size. I can get two of the same style and the same size and one won't fit right

 

[Swimalie]

The brands that I have come to love for quality are North Face, Uggs, Mizuno, 7 and Miss Me jeans. I usually like things from Coldwater Creek as well, but I tend not to wear those items as much so I am not as certain on how they hold up. For DH, I like Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. Yes, the prices are high and I hate paying for them, but I buy most things on sale and I figure it's better to buy 2 that will last several years than 4 or more that will barely get through a season. I am especially interested to hear what brands you folks recommend for men.

I like to see Mizuno. My sister's friend is a sale rep for them. I love their products - running shorts, tights, singlets, etc.

I don't get the talk about Old Navy and Land's End. I buy it all the time and I haven't had any issues. My son is wearing Old Navy from 2 years ago now and it's still in great shape. For me I usually get rid of things due to out of style or they become too big on me and I donate them long before they are worn out or in bad shape. I buy a lot of Land's End for myself.

Columbia is my husband's favorite brand of jacket. I just bought him a new one for Christmas. This is a man who thinks it's cold when it's below 70 and yet he says he's warm in the new coat. His 9 year old Columbia is still a good jacket except for the OJ he spilled down the front and it stained.

 

[momxx5]

One store I could never buy clothes for my boys was Kohls. Their brand, I forget the name, was always so short in the shirts......to short to start with and then after a wash they were way too short to wear. I used to wish the kids could wear the stuff but it never worked out.

New Balance....my son got his football cleats from the NB store and they are perfect fit for an extremely hard to fit foot. They held up great during the whole season. My older son finally got new sneakers and they specifically say "made in America" and boy can you tell the difference.....of course there was a huge price difference too.

 

[shamrock30]

I can't think of a brand that hasn't gone down in quality. I have an Old Navy spring jacket from when they first opened, and it's still in great shape. I wouldn't buy anything in there now. I do still buy Lands' End because they carry my (petite) size, but I end up returning a lot due to poor quality. Even LLBean has slipped. I bought some pants from them recently that were a duplicate of another pair I already owned, and they were several inches too short. I'm 5'.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

All of them . Some are still better than others but I can't think of any of them that haven't gone down a little in quality.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

I have been so disappointed with LOFT lately. I bought a shirt less than 2 months ago and it already has tiny holes in the front!

BTW, I wash all my clothes in cold water on delicate cycle. Totally sucks!

 

[eyeheartgoofy]

I think GAP and GYMBOREE have both totally gone downhill.

My cousin handed down her girls' clothing to us ... all Gymboree and Gap in little girls sizes (I'd say about size 3-6) from the mid-late 1990's. I cannot believe the difference in quality vs. today's stuff. The T's were much thicker, the leggings were thicker ... everything was just a better quality.

 

[ShanPooh]

Levi's! A pair of "custom fit" $70 jeans for DH lasted only 1 1/2 years before the seat went out on them Not too many places do 36x36 and we thought for the price, those should have lasted A LOT longer.

Eddie Bauer dress khakis - same problem. (Though the two pairs of thick canvas-y type pants have lasted many, many years)

Old Navy - used to buy DH a t-shirt for summer vacation every year. Stopped after two of the shirts didn't make it through the year. Only think I would buy there after were grippy socks for the kids (wish they had bigger sizes and carried as many colors as they used to)