Scam Clothing Companies

[Mayhem]

I think part of it, for me, is grappling with delayed gratification and reconciling the difference between, for example, a $30 pair of jeans vs a $100 pair. I can wait and not shop fast fashion and save up for the more expensive pair that will last longer than three pairs of the $30 jeans, but my brain still has a hard time with the overall dollar amount lol.

You don't, though. Jeans for $30, unless they are consignment or on super duper sale from a reputable company, are never going to be high quality anyway. It is no longer possible to produce good quality denim at that price point without using sweatshop or even slave labor. The cost of raw materials and shipping is too high. Most of the garment industry is based out of Asia anyway; I've heard they can forge the "Made in USA" label by completing most of the garment overseas and then doing a few finishing touches in shops owned by Americans. However, as for those jeans, what you can do is look for sales. They are usually around holidays. During a sale, you can get that $100 pair of jeans for $60 or less. It's still $60 for one pair of jeans, but those jeans will fit better, be more durable, and won't smell horrible like the ones you get from Chinese brands. So, it's justification to buy less, but you will buy less anyway because once you start doing this, you won't buy anything but nicer quality.

The prices in the high fashion industry are so astronomical anyway that spending even $150 on a pair of jeans isn't anywhere close to what wealthy people spend on them. A pair of real designer jeans that you can get at Saks or Neiman Marcus are running $600 or more now. Those are the ones that are made by hand in the USA or Italy or whatever. There are very few people that can actually afford those, so the rest of us struggle along for what's left. To wit: you deserve better than Temu or Aliexpress or Shein. Go out to a nicer shop, touch the garments, try them on, and then wait until the price is right for you, or spoil yourself because you work fucking hard and you deserve nice things.

 

[seri0us]

Adidas

 

[Mr Bones Wild Ride]

I've heard they can forge the "Made in USA" label by completing most of the garment overseas and then doing a few finishing touches in shops owned by Americans.

This is absolutely happening by the way.

A word of warning to any of you who might get caught up in the "fashion branding = good quality" mindset that I fell into. I bought Prada boots ($$$$) because I went "reputable high fashion brand, very expensive so it must mean good quality".

Nope - worst pair of boots I've ever bought in my life. I then found out they (and most fashion brands) mass produce their consumer products in China and complete the finishing touches in Italy/France to get away with the "Made in Italy/France" label. Only their catwalk/fashion show stuff is actually made primarily in Europe.

I was far better off going to an ACTUAL cobbler and paying that money to have leather shoes custom made for me.

Similar things with your "good" clothes - look for quality fabrics/construction of the garment (not cheap shit) and if necessary, have the clothing tailored to fit your body.

For your schlep/schlub home clothes - Costco.
One thing I love the most about Costco stuff is because it has to suit the American working class who are typically brand loyal - even their Kirkland stuff is really long lasting/decent.

 

[Mayhem]

A word of warning to any of you who might get caught up in the "fashion branding = good quality" mindset that I fell into. I bought Prada boots ($$$$) because I went "reputable high fashion brand, very expensive so it must mean good quality".

Nope - worst pair of boots I've ever bought in my life. I then found out they (and most fashion brands) mass produce their consumer products in China and complete the finishing touches in Italy/France to get away with the "Made in Italy/France" label. Only their catwalk/fashion show stuff is actually made primarily in Europe.

I was far better off going to an ACTUAL cobbler and paying that money to have leather shoes custom made for me.

Designer markups are also ridiculously high. Some argue that genuine designer items are worth the money because they have resale value; however, there are so many fakes on the market (and good fakes, too, actually) that I'm on the fence about even buying designer items from a secondary resale market. Honestly, I hate the Italian and French stuff; I think it all has gone seriously downhill since it's been heavily marketed to black people and since almost all of the major European fashion houses were taken over by fags who hate women. Fashion experts also say that those items aren't worth the money and that you can stick with smaller brands for good value, including having things custom made.

 

[Merton J. Dingle]

I always use Fakespot to tell me whether an online store is legit and whether items on Amazon are bloated with fake reviews. Searching for info on the brand/store through Google/Bing/DDG/etc. helps as well.

 

[std::string]

Every time I go on Amazon I see these reviews that make me wonder what is going on with the companies. Sizing seems all over the place. Like there's no standard size pattern being used and it's "work faster slave! Or no water break for you". I think the reason the quality varies so much from piece to piece is that they hire desperate people who have to make a ridiculous amount of pieces every day in order to get paid. So mistakes get made. I've seen the Temu and Shein videos and I don't want to support that kind of environment for workers. But it's getting very hard not to unless you want to be naked.

AliExpress/Shein/Temu seems to be mostly third-run stuff with no QC oversight. Lots are probably cooked up on the spot using whatever fabric they have left over after their main runs. They know Americans are just gonna throw something in the trash instead of trying to return it while navigating the hell of broken English customer support. Shopping sites for actual mainland Chinese (Tmall, JD, Taobao) are more curated.

When you're a veteran of sailing the South China Sea you start to get a sense of what's a safe buy. I wear a lot of simple cotton or linen stuff so I almost never run into issues. Anything complicated or anything that requires hand finishing is a huge dice roll.

 

[Cherry Eyed Hamster]

I got taken in by a site that advertised under the banner of Vermont Country Store's founder brothers. Got my money back, but my fault for not noting the contact info phone number was obviously not real (super facepalm).

I have since used Scamdoc.com and online reviews to help if I tread off the beaten path shopping online.

Here's Santorinistyle's score, fyi:

Wyświetl załącznik 6096580

I also use google image search to see if more reputable sites carry the same item, as they often do.

Always ALWAYS use a credit card and get the charges reversed.

Holy shit I have never heard of this website until now! I was looking for a site that kept tabs on even the obscure scam marketplaces and could find little info. Thank you so much for sharing, what a great resource.

I’m disgusted these companies are allowed to advertise on big platforms like Pinterest and YouTube with absolutely no vetting.

 

[Android raptor]

I'm so glad I never got interested in fashion and just buy shit from the thrift store and repair shit I've had for 10+ years.

 

[NoodleFucker3000]

I got fucked over by Halara. Their website says it's based in USA but I'd have to pay return shipping to China to return the stuff (that sucks), and the only return option is store credit. Absolutely terrible. 0/10

 

[Premium Gonzo]

Are there any good online clothing stores in the first place? Anything I have bought online that wasn’t vintage from Etsy or directly from a name brands website has been chinese garbage that ended up in the trash
I can't even go online window shopping because I can't find a cute clothing site that isn't obviously temu/shein crap

Depends on your style but yes, i regularly buy from Collectif Uk there stuff is top notch especially during their end of year sales. I've got a dress from 10 years ago that is still in great nick their coats are amazing as well.

Chicstar is Chinese but the quality isn't awful the designs are also voted on by the community and made in runs with a percentage going back to the designer it's actually pretty good.

 

[Quack_Quack]

I'm so glad I never got interested in fashion and just buy shit from the thrift store and repair shit I've had for 10+ years.

I knit or make/repair a lot of my clothes tbh

 

[Ruined by the Rain]

Seriously, don’t buy clothing online unless it is 100% a well-known company you trust.

The scams got so bad that we gotta go back to buying shit irl

 

[haglover]

>get temu ad for a skirt
>go through coupon bullshit because it looked kind of neat
>get a million offers for "free clothes"
>pick random shit that kind of goes with the thing on the ad
>actually you need to spend another £40 on shit you don't want to redeem these items that cost £40 total
>???
Anyway I couldn't even try the trick of reverse image searching to find the source of the undoubtedly stolen images because it just comes up with more Temu and Shein. My brother's ex-girlfriend would spend over £100 in Shein "hauls" with more free items. I dread to think what her house looked like because she bought more clothes than I even own twice over in the few months I knew her, and that was only the stuff I saw her buying.
I only ever buy things in person or online stores of places I've been to in person with the exception of the few weeb shit shirts I own.

 

[wide hide]

For your schlep/schlub home clothes - Costco.

Seconding this. It's our go-to place for cotton undergarments and socks too. For casual and professional stuff, like work blouses or trousers, I'm lucky enough that my local mall still has enough foot traffic to sustain a department store. It's hit or miss, but they do still carry mid-range designers and brand names of decent quality, with a few caveats. You have to know what you're looking for, though. Definitely avoid "basement deal" stuff, where clearance outlet goods go.

I'm so glad I never got interested in fashion and just buy shit from the thrift store and repair shit I've had for 10+ years.

If we're talking the brick & mortar secondhand scene, it really is not what it used to be, especially in terms of fashion. Even thrift stores are now drowning in fast fashion trash. Hard to find decent stuff on the racks if everyone is buying then tossing junk in the first place. What remains has probably been picked over by Etsy/Poshmark vultures or other online shops at significant upsell. Even if there is a discerning local charity shop or consignment boutique near you with decent finds at fair or negotiable price, it still can't compete with the online shopping experience, where you can order thrifted outfit bundles according to your queer whatever-core aesthetic.

Foil-hat opinion: Drop-shipped fast fashion honestly seems like the epitome of the ol' Triad staple of counterfeit goods, since it obviously occupies the same market. It's one of the easier grifts the chinks achieved to great success, and was booming in Chinatowns the world over well before Temu, Alibaba, or the internet existed. Seems like the natural result of shipping production overseas, really. Obviously, while larger forces are at play than mere mobsters these days,

Spoiler

it's just good to see my people are up to their usual bullshit.

Like many, my biggest gripe with it is the resulting rock-bottom standards we've come to expect out of clothing in general. Being even a little familiar with the manufacturing side of the apparel industry will curse you with forbidden knowledge concerning construction, fit, and craftsmanship in fashion. It simply is not cheap to make quality clothing, never mind at scale. Fast fashion is so cheap and disposable that there's incentive for even reputable makers to cut corners to preserve value and compete. It means you can no longer count on getting what you pay for, online or in person. Meanwhile, who cares if a Shein item doesn't match the description or photo? You have to spend good money for that kind of attention to detail.

The good stuff just isn't worth buying for the average fashion consoomer, me included.

 

[SphinxItOver]

A word of warning to any of you who might get caught up in the "fashion branding = good quality" mindset that I fell into. I bought Prada boots ($$$$) because I went "reputable high fashion brand, very expensive so it must mean good quality".

Nope - worst pair of boots I've ever bought in my life. I then found out they (and most fashion brands) mass produce their consumer products in China and complete the finishing touches in Italy/France to get away with the "Made in Italy/France" label. Only their catwalk/fashion show stuff is actually made primarily in Europe.

If there's one thing I've learned over the years; there's always a sperg out there that covers any specific topic you want to learn about.

If a boot doesn't last more than 40 years you're either a kid still growing or it's a shit boot.

I knit or make/repair a lot of my clothes tbh

Hell yeah! Sadly most people will not learn this skill. Which is kinda sad considering how many lolita fashion types could really benefit from it. If you're not a brand collector it's easy printing custom fabric with Spoonflower or grabbing some hot garbage from Swansons Fabrics along with an old school pattern zine along and Thérèse de Dillmont's Encyclopedia of Needlework from the internet archive to basically let you make anything you want.

 

[oishii desu]

If we're talking the brick & mortar secondhand scene, it really is not what it used to be, especially in terms of fashion. Even thrift stores are now drowning in fast fashion trash. Hard to find decent stuff on the racks if everyone is buying then tossing junk in the first place. What remains has probably been picked over by Etsy/Poshmark vultures or other online shops at significant upsell.

The only good secondhand shops I have been in recently were two. One was huge, located in the middle of nowhere, and not goodwill-affiliated. The other was in a suburb of a large city, but all of my finds required some minor repairs and alterations that most people wouldn't bother with. Aside from those two in the last 5 years, it's been largely garbage yeah. I know goodwill instructs workers to hold back on the nicer items so they can actually sell them online, but the influx of shein and temu trash to replace it is frustrating.

Like many, my biggest gripe with it is the resulting rock-bottom standards we've come to expect out of clothing in general. Being even a little familiar with the manufacturing side of the apparel industry will curse you with forbidden knowledge concerning construction, fit, and craftsmanship in fashion. It simply is not cheap to make quality clothing, never mind at scale. Fast fashion is so cheap and disposable that there's incentive for even reputable makers to cut corners to preserve value and compete. It means you can no longer count on getting what you pay for, online or in person. Meanwhile, who cares if a Shein item doesn't match the description or photo? You have to spend good money for that kind of attention to detail.

It's the natural conclusion of the cycle we're in. I also believe our relationship with clothes has changed quite a bit compared to even the turn of the century. We went from having one formal dress that was altered over the course of our lives, to a cheap piece of plastic you will wear for one photo to post online.

Even if you wanted to alter and repair the clothes you have, they may not withstand the handling needed to repair it. There's an interesting article with a conservator at FIT, the MET, or V&A, who states that many of their older garments pre-1950 are in relatively good shape. But the items donated from the 90's are already falling apart despite being designer brands, rarely to never worn, and being stored in a controlled environment.

 

[Quack_Quack]

Hell yeah! Sadly most people will not learn this skill. Which is kinda sad considering how many lolita fashion types could really benefit from it. If you're not a brand collector it's easy printing custom fabric with Spoonflower or grabbing some hot garbage from Swansons Fabrics along with an old school pattern zine along and Thérèse de Dillmont's Encyclopedia of Needlework from the internet archive to basically let you make anything you want.

I know how to knit, I know how to sew. I have more time than money so it's a lower cost way if stocking my wardrobe with stuff I'll actually wear.

Also, charity shops/sales are a goldmine. Got a very nice wool mix coat for under £5

 

[Elysian]

Milanoo comes to mind. A lot of people got burned buying formal wear and lolita from them. And they're still around. It's all stolen pictures.

 

[crazedaze]

I don't wear polyester or any plastic anymore. It feels disgusting. It looks ok; I've complimented several women I work with on a nice outfit and they tell me it comes from temu or some cheap mass market trash place, and I'm like oh yeah cool that's great. I'm sure it won't last more than 5 washes.
People don't want to spend money on their clothes and it's fucking sad. I'm against the disposable clothing culture. The tonnage of clothes that ends up in landfills is insane. Nobody wants it second hand because it's trash. I look for things made in the first world of natural fabrics like wool, cotton, linen. New purchases are rare.

 

[2mm and 99 others]

It went so far that I don't have to check the labels on basic clothes like turtleneck shirts anymore. As they sneaked more and more polyester into the mixtures throughout the years, I can see how that shitty material shines from afar. If it doesn't shine, it's mostly viscose (rayon, or fancy expensive name bamboo) and that's not for winter, cos it has cooling effect.