Fewer choices for our cruise clothing?

[JanineM]

I read an article yesterday about how the economy was going to change our choices in clothes. Sales are down across the board, so there isn't sufficient margin for manufacturers to make, for example, black sandals in 25 styles with very slight variations. This article also said that we probably won't find as many colour options in clothes.

 

I recall a time when I had one pair of black heels and one pair of black flats. Now I must have 20 pairs of black shoes in different heel heights, or with more/fewer straps on sandals. Not to mention the browns, taupes, fawns, greys, greens, navies, whites, off whites, bones, pinks, reds in my closet.

 

Honestly, I'd almost welcome having fewer choices if it meant that I could get in and out of my closet more quickly, and not feel the need to take a full-sized suitcase on a weekend cruise.

 

Is anyone noticing changes in the clothing departments where they live? I haven't done much shopping in the last couple of months but the shelves still seemed to be pretty full when I last looked.

[cb at sea]

I doubt anyone will notice a difference, if that's true. What one manufacturer doesn't make, another will!

[JanineM]

I doubt anyone will notice a difference, if that's true. What one manufacturer doesn't make, another will!

 

I don't know about that. There are going to be fewer manufacturing facilities, and supposedly fewer brands. It's expensive for manufacturers to change lines to produce fabric in different colours and weights; and the same with minor style alterations. So instead of making capris in twenty-six colours, I expect we'll see fewer variations. The article I read said that we may well see only three colours in the stores next winter ... just like it used to be many years ago.

[Happy ks]

I have a second part time job in a mall and I have definitely noticed there are fewer and fewer shoppers as the months go by. More stores are having sales with an "extra" 25% off the sale price.

 

I have no idea whether or not the theory in your article is correct, but it absolutely would not surprise me, it makes a lot of sense. Businesses are cutting costs and some going out of business. I know some retailers are closing their mall stores in favor of internet sales. The shop I work in has cut sales staff to the bare minimum, mostly by not replacing people who have left on their own. With retailers going out of business, the suppliers have no one to sell to. They have to cut costs as well to stay in business, less production makes sense.

 

I think internet sales are going to increase, while brick and mortar stores will continue to suffer even more as time goes by. A shame to some of us, I'm not particularly fond of internet shopping...I like to see, feel and try on clothing and shoes before purchase.

 

Shopping in different stores is also a lot of fun, I'll miss it when the only alternative is a tiny picture on a computer screen.

 

I wonder if Jane110 has any information on this, although she's now writing about cosmetics, she has a lot of inside information regarding the fashion world.

[Iluvmypuggle]

 

Is anyone noticing changes in the clothing departments where they live?

 

I've noticed at the Gap & Express that a couple of items that I bought last summer have been reproduced. One top at express ended up on clearance at the end of last summer, but now there's more colors in the same styles and they're back at full price.. And I've been wondering if its cheaper for those stores to just make the same styles again rather than getting new styles? Any thoughts?

[Soxfan05]

Hopefully the days of disposable EVERYTHING is over and manufacturers will focus on producing better quality merchandise rather than mass producing a bunch of junk.

 

There was a time when I could go to a particular store or trusted brand and know I was getting a quality piece. Now, every item needs to be inspected because every company seems to have lower quality pieces in the mix.

[GORDONCHICK]

And another question for Jane, does it look like the colors are going to be darker? I know in the past, fashion tended to be much more subdued when the economy was in a rough slump.

[the_dylaness]

Ugh! I hate the idea of having fewer color choices... I usually tend to buy clothes in a wide variety of colors (I can't think of a single color I don't own at least SOMETHING in... I even have two orange tops which I generally don't like!) I find myself even now purchasing something for the color rather than because the fit is great because I am so tired of everything on the racks being black and brown and gray and maybe if we're lucky red.

 

I also really like color in shoes... I have black, many shades of brown and tan, red, pink, several purples, silver, white, copper... I really hope they do not cut the colors on shoes or clothes down as I have a hard enough time now finding things in a variety of colors.

[Happy ks]

Hopefully the days of disposable EVERYTHING is over and manufacturers will focus on producing better quality merchandise rather than mass producing a bunch of junk.

 

There was a time when I could go to a particular store or trusted brand and know I was getting a quality piece. Now, every item needs to be inspected because every company seems to have lower quality pieces in the mix.

 

 

I would welcome this, yet I think with manufacturing done out of the country it may be hard to do. It's not just the actual sewing but fabrics are cheaply made.

 

I have a top that I wore once and it got a spot on it. I pre-treated the spot, I did read the washing instructions, the fabric absorbed the blue coloring of the Clorox 2 product, I have never had that experience in the past, the blue color will not come out. The piece is from Coldwater Creek, I've had other blouses I purchased from them that were only able to be worn 2-3 times before falling apart at the seams. I'd caution anyone against buying anything from there, even at 70% off prices, their stuff is just not worth the purchase.

 

Even Lands End, whom I used to trust for the softest, well made T shirts on the planet has changed. Since Sears bought them out, the quality has deteriorated. I have a polo-style shirt just purchased from them last summer that actually already has a worn out hole on the front of it. I have older tank tops from them (I sleep in them) that I purchased 10 years ago that look better than this shirt :mad:

 

It's infuriating to buy items only to have them ruined within a few wearings. I try to buy quality over quantity (DH would argue that point ;)) and it's getting harder to do, even with name brands (I don't include Coldwater Creek as quality name brand items ;)).