Overrated and overpriced outerwear

[Jon Crow]

Yes, that's true. Text communication is often misleading, especially when you're as bad at the language as I am. lol.
Maybe I'm oversensitive because in German-speaking countries people like to generalize their own opinions (at least in some bubbles). I'm glad I misunderstood that about you.

In the nineties I worked in your beautiful country, our hotel was in Hamburg and I worked in a team cutting Fir trees in the late November, it was absolutely freezing, snowing, took us a few hours travelling to cut them, I also worked again later, I was staying in Frankfurt, again contracting
Ein frohes Weihnachtsfest!

 

[Retserrof]

There are two different ways to look at things that people tend to conflate: (1) pricing (“cheap” vs “overpriced”) and (2) value received or perceived. I see some people discussing the former, whereas the latter is what actually matters. Being “frugal,” for example, means not wasteful and maximizing the value received while minimizing the payment for it. In contrast, being “cheap” means buying the lowest price possible, regardless of value. Being cheap tends to become more expensive in the long run. When people say “overpriced”, what they really mean is that alternative options exist that would provide you essentially the same value at a cheaper price point.

This is how I view "overpriced" - what value am I getting from something. Perceived, received and intrinsic value. Or in other words, bang for buck.

 

[mihai]

Ralph Lauren for example, but then has always been expensive, their m455a jacket is about 3k

https://www.ralphlauren.es/es/cazad...kb6RxfJomGEspopsqrEEDSRynVll4nZMaAomlEALw_wcB

I agree. A youngster from the family - like most youth - is fascinated by "brands". And he wished a RL shirt. I bought him a plaid flannel RL 100% cotton (thickest they had) for around 300usd. I must say execution/stitching are good but fabric density/thickness/texture is not much above what you buy for 30-40 eur in ordinary stores Zara, H&M etc. Having handled high quality stuff (JP/US made stuff, repros, etc) this is nowhere there. Very underwhelming, esp for the price. A more fair price would be 100 at most.
Disappointing for 300 usd. I never spent so much on a shirt for myself. It's an obscene amount given the quality.

 

[Jon Crow]

I agree. A youngster from the family - like most youth - is fascinated by "brands". And he wished a RL shirt. I bought him a plaid flannel RL 100% cotton (thickest they had) for around 300usd. I must say execution/stitching are good but fabric density/thickness/texture is not much above what you buy for 30-40 eur in ordinary stores Zara, H&M etc. Having handled high quality stuff (JP/US made stuff, repros, etc) this is nowhere there. Very underwhelming, esp for the price. A more fair price would be 100 at most.
Disappointing for 300 usd. I never spent so much on a shirt for myself. It's an obscene amount given the quality.

I wouldn't pay that ever for a flannel or plaid shirt but then I like a bargain and that's not it

 

[Cyber Lip]

for me it's seeing things like $200 T Shirts, $400 hoodies, etc. I'm not talking about high-end fashion brands, but the boutique label t shirts etc you see at the usual suspect 'workwear' shops

 

[jchance]

$400 hoodies

Idk who sells $400+ hoodies except Kiton ($1900, which I’ve seen in person—not worth it). I’ve owned $200-$250 hoodies from Loop & Wept and Studio D’Artisan, and they are worth it.

 

[Monitor]

Denim is the worst. Overpriced denim, I mean. At least when you put on a leather jacket, you are a leather jacket guy. If someone is looking for you, they can always ask around "Have you seen a guy wearing a leather jacket?" and chances are, people will know. Same for the suit. "Yeah, there was a guy in a suit looking for you.". Even boots! But denim?

You drop $795 Studio D'Artisan pair of jeans, made in Japan with vintage denim looms modified to produce an unusually narrow fabric, measuring only 20cm to 38cm wide as opposed to the normal 80cm width of selvedge denim which enables them to make a jean with three selvedge IDs running down the inside of each leg (triple the selvedge to triple your pleasure, according to Self Edge) and the only way your life has been affected is that you are $795 short and depressed because your triple selvedge IDs jeans look like a size W46 piece of **** cheapo no-names from the 1990s that have been resized (badly).

You can't even see the stupid white and red lines indicating that your jeans have been made the way you absolutely do not understand but that you read on the internet is different from how jeans without the white and red line are made, that you are just as oblivious about.

 

[Zoro]

My pick is Rugged West, for the reason I've already mentioned in the review thread: They are in no man's land. There's no benefit to getting them.

Not cheap enough nor enough jacket variety to compete with the Chinese options. Expensive enough that you can find better brands for less money used. Expensive enough that you can simply increase your budget a bit more and get a jacket from a better brand.

In the 500-700 €/$ range for brand new jackets, USA has Vanson, EU has Rugged West. They don't even belong in the same conversation.

I truly hope Leilah turns it around, but the two latest RW reviews have sounded closer to how people talk about Five Star jackets than how they talk about Vanson or Schott.

 

[Cyber Lip]

You drop $795 Studio D'Artisan pair of jeans, made in Japan with vintage denim looms modified to produce an unusually narrow fabric, measuring only 20cm to 38cm wide as opposed to the normal 80cm width of selvedge denim which enables them to make a jean with three selvedge IDs running down the inside of each leg (triple the selvedge to triple your pleasure, according to Self Edge) and the only way your life has been affected is that you are $795 short and depressed because your triple selvedge IDs jeans look like a size W46 piece of **** cheapo no-names from the 1990s that have been resized (badly).

You can't even see the stupid white and red lines indicating that your jeans have been made the way you absolutely do not understand but that you read on the internet is different from how jeans without the white and red line are made, that you are just as oblivious about.

I saw those LOL. I don't know why anyone would want a pair of jeans with all the extra seams running through them, and at $800 to boot

 

[red devil]

Not directly an answer to your question, but let's just say I prefer to put my money in items that have high prodsuction cost as opposed to high Marketing / branding costs

 

[Mandarin]

In the 500-700 €/$ range for brand new jackets, USA has Vanson, EU has Rugged West. They don't even belong in the same conversation.

Correction: Rugged West is not in the EU. If I ordered a jacket for what looks like 600 € including shipping, it would actually cost me 900 after I add all the taxes and VAT. Same as if I bought from the US or Japan.

 

[Zoro]

Correction: Rugged West is not in the EU. If I ordered a jacket for what looks like 600 € including shipping, it would actually cost me 900 after I add all the taxes and VAT. Same as if I bought from the US or Japan.

Yep, good point, they are in the UK.

 

[Mandarin]

Yep, good point, they are in the UK.

Precisely. I haven't bought anything from UK since brexit. Their prices are too high for me. Not competitive.

 

[Jon Crow]

Precisely. I haven't bought anything from UK since brexit. Their prices are too high for me. Not competitive.

Every time I had with shipping and taxes to here in Madrid I have got slaughtered, much more than stuff I buy from Japan

 

[Jon Crow]

Ralph Lauren again do M35 pants and smock, very nice but expensive, think it's cone denim also

 

[MrProper]

Correction: Rugged West is not in the EU. If I ordered a jacket for what looks like 600 € including shipping, it would actually cost me 900 after I add all the taxes and VAT. Same as if I bought from the US or Japan.

If I remember correctly, customs duties and VAT had already been paid by RW in my case. But that was quite a while ago.

 

[Mandarin]

If I remember correctly, customs duties and VAT had already been paid by RW in my case. But that was quite a while ago.

In that case, buying from them might be interesting . I know Aero adjust their prices outside UK (for what they call "the rest of the world"), but I haven't tried them. Still not sure I won't get racketeered anyway by the customs.

 

[Tom71]

In that case, buying from them might be interesting . I know Aero adjust their prices outside UK (for what they call "the rest of the world"), but I haven't tried them. Still not sure I won't get racketeered anyway by the customs.

Custom cost are minimal. It´s the VAT that adds 9% to the bill. As UK-sellers don´t have to pay UK-VAT for oversea´s sales, so it´s not really about "adjusting" the prices but about handling the internal taxes correctly. I do understand however that for a 1-person operation that can seem oberwhelming.

 

[3.14nche]

In that case, buying from them might be interesting . I know Aero adjust their prices outside UK (for what they call "the rest of the world"), but I haven't tried them. Still not sure I won't get racketeered anyway by the customs.

Aero does remove VAT but don't you worry DHL will charge it to you along with the customs.

 

[Mandarin]

Aero does remove VAT but don't you worry DHL will charge it to you along with the customs.
View attachment 756431

Exactly what I dread