I compared clothes from cheap and designer stores and realized that “haute couture” can be a matter of opinion

and specialized fashion publications and blogs often lead us to believe that luxury clothes, bags and accessories are indicators of success. But is it worth chasing expensive brands? We decided to check if the parts are actually better in quality than their more affordable alternatives.

One of the authors of awesome.club spent several hours in the dressing rooms of clothing stores. She compared jeans, shirts and other very similar items, but from different brands, always in pairs: one popular piece and the other designer. All the photos were taken with a cell phone, so the quality depended a lot on the lighting in the dressing room. In addition to the photos, the author described her impressions of each piece. She also confessed that she was surprised by the results. and not bonuswe will also show you your impressions regarding the service and decoration in the stores that were chosen for the test.

My marathon started with choosing one of the most popular pieces in most wardrobes: jeans. In order not to compromise the results, I tried several options from popular brands and others, more expensive. The first impression was as follows: I can’t understand why pay 10 times more for designer jeans.

Jeans from affordable stores don’t look any worse than models that start at R$700. I made sure of that when I took a closer look at the quality of the parts. Seams, fabric, details (buttons, zippers)… analyzing these points, it is not possible to say with certainty that popular brands are at a disadvantage. It is not always possible to visually determine which item is cheap and which is expensive. The R113 jeans made in Bangladesh (a world center for manufacturing the product) appeared to have been more carefully sewn and had no loose threads, unlike a R879 model made in Tunisia. So jeans that are almost ten times more expensive don’t look any better than the cheaper ones.

However, it is worth noting that the higher priced pants had design details which made it visually more interesting.

Among the most popular brands, I found many decent pieces for affordable prices. Also, I have to say that the quality of the materials was quite good and the fabric was pleasant to the touch. Going to the high end segment, I tried on some polyester blouses. And I was surprised at how different the same material can be. I wouldn’t wear a blouse from a designer store even if they gave me as a gift: the 595 reais model was very unpleasant to the touch.

At the same time, in the same store, there was a similar blouse, also made of polyester, for 738 reais, made of fabric with a light and soft touch, as if it were silk. When trying on one of the cheap shirts, a button fell off. This happened often when I used to go to department stores. Unfortunately, clothing in this segment often stands out for its low-quality trim.

Still on the blouses, I took a closer look at the quality of the seams. For example, sleeves. In general, the clothes I tried on were sewn without serious flaws, but loose threads or unsewn stitches could still be found in the pieces, regardless of their price. However, there were some exceptions. For example, on a designer branded silk shirt, I didn’t find a single loose thread.

In more expensive boutiques, found pieces of materials not shown in department stores🇧🇷 For example, a natural silk blouse for 1,169 reais. And also a linen shirt for 812 reais. By the way, linen It’s an expensive fabric. The flax plant is difficult to grow and the threads are not easy to weave. Compared to, for example, cotton, the material dries faster and absorbs moisture, so it is especially appreciated in hot climates. There are therefore several issues involved in pricing.

I think that in any fashion segment, you can find different styles of dresses. To compare, I chose two models from different price categories. I didn’t like the short dress options: it wasn’t comfortable to wear them because of the quality of the material. But I liked the most expensive dress for the small details that made it interesting: a crochet fastener that does not let the zipper open by itself and a tape sewn in the chest area on the wrong side, which does not allow the dress to slip.

The long white dress from the department store looked nice. But, comparing with the turquoise model of several hundred reais, the latter won. I felt the difference in the materials: the fabric of the white dress was rougher, while the turquoise flowed like it was caressing the skin with soft touches.

After comparing two regular T-shirts, one of which was ten times more expensive than the other, I came to the conclusion that there was no significant difference. THE T-shirt of less than 70 reais, by the way, fit me better. In fact, when I turned it inside out, I was surprised by the quality of the seams.

Both pleated skirts looked visually acceptable. But, in terms of quality, it was clear that the popular branded item was inferior: the material was rough and the fabric effect fluttering🇧🇷 characteristic of skirts of this style, simply did not exist.

I didn’t feel any difference in terms of quality or comfort, although the black hat was ten times more expensive. The only thing is that I didn’t find a similar model (without the top) in the department store. But I believe it is possible to find this model in some popular store.

A lower-priced metal chain can, according to the salesperson at one of the stores, easily peel or darken if it gets wet or comes in contact with perfume. Also according to the seller, the most expensive chain is made of a special alloy (even though it is a piece of jewelry) and its coating does not peel off.🇧🇷 The seller, however, could not explain what type of alloy it was, nor could he answer why there were visible scratches on the jewelry.

For my little experiment, I chose two polyurethane and PVC bags from a store with above average prices and affordable polyester bags. Polyurethane is a more expensive material than polyester because it is stronger and more flexible.

Even visually, the polyurethane bags looked stronger and more durable. The difference in quality in favor of the more expensive brand was also evident in other aspects.🇧🇷 The handles of the cheapest bag started to rip even before reaching the counter and the accessory was not well sewn inside: there were loose threads and crooked details. There were no such flaws in the more expensive parts.

Both jackets were well-tailored, fitted snugly, and had no obvious defects. The only significant difference was in the price and the presence of a chain on the designer piece.

Here, it was quite clear that the price depended on the materials. The most expensive was made of linen and the cheapest of polyester. By the way, polyester showed one of its drawbacks even in the dressing room: the plaid blazer got warm and I wanted to take it off as soon as possible. In fact, the quality and stitching of this item left a lot to be desired: there were several loose threads and the fabric started to unravel even before I finalized the purchase.

And now I want to show you pictures of the fitting rooms. In luxury stores, they might be small, uncomfortable, poorly lit, but never dirty. Unlike fitting rooms in cheaper stores. To be honest, it was sometimes unpleasant to take off your shoes and step on the floors of these stores with clean socks.

Also, I realized that in luxury stores, we pay extra for service. For example, at a department store, the employees insisted that I return the items hanging on the hanger. In the more sophisticated boutiques, they even agreed to photograph me with the pieces to ensure that the choices would go well. Also, they spared no time in asking if the clothes were the right size or if they needed a different model for comparison.

In general, I think that it often makes no sense to pay more and go after more expensive brands. Sometimes they even lose out in quality to popular brands. After all, something that costs hundreds of dollars shouldn’t be unpleasant to the touch, uncomfortable to wear, or have loose threads. In this sense, clothes with these small problems can also be found in department stores, but at a much lower price. Yes, you may not find exclusive service, with employees willing to help you choose the perfect model. But you can certainly find cheap and good quality things, and not pay more just for the service.

Do you think expensive brand clothes are worth your money? In your opinion, why do so many people buy regular T-shirts at exorbitant prices?