It’s kind of the real annoying problem when it comes to wanting to buy clothes that aren’t feeding sweatshops…
IE, you find clothes that are cheap, you immidiately know “well no way things are this cheap without labor abuses”. But then at the same time you also are aware “just because it’s expensive doesn’t mean they don’t also use the same labor abuses, just pocket bigger profit”.
Buy used is my suggestion
that is true, probably the only way that you can know at least 2 good things. 1. You aren’t encouraging any extra slavework to be done, 2. you are reducing waste (or at least increasing usage of what’s already been made).
The fashion industry is one of the most environmentally disastrous industries that serves no real purpose.
At least with things like coal power you can understand why we are destroying the earth and killing people to keep the lights on everywhere (we shouldn’t be doing that either but that’s a different topic).
With fashion it is JUST waste. Most fashion these days is made to be worn a handful of times before it falls apart. Just needless waste with no real value.
I hate the fashion industry with a passion.
Good design isn’t cheap and in the real world, the “good shoes” just rip off the original design of the luxury ones
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church's
Its main installations are located in the St James area of Northampton, with an estimated production capacity of 5,000 pairs per week, 70% of which are exported all over the world. Besides products sold to resellers and individual customers, the company has retail stores in Belgium, France, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, and UK.
I have no idea where the remaining 30% are made.
Not that these are in my current budget, but one doesn’t have to partake of a thing to know a bit about said thing.
But yeah they are usually not any worse in quality.
Quality is subjective and, at least before LVMH took over the entire luxury world, a discerning eye could tell the difference between off the rack stuff and the real deal.
Depends on the type of shoe, and manufacturers. Louis Vuitton generally use better materials, but often the knock offs aren’t too much worse, similar with a lot of fashion shoes. That is excepting stuff like traditional dress shoes, which often do require a skilled craftsman to make. The most pronounced difference however, is generally in work boots. Expensive work boots are usually expensive because they use better materials and longer lasting designs. Knockoffs usually don’t last very long in comparison because they don’t use good materials and skim in areas that affect longevity.
It matters for everyday wear, too. Properly maintained, shoes can last generations. 9 was gifted Italian-made shoes from the 1940s from an elderly person. I gifted them to someone else after about 20 years.
Eta about 60 years between 2 of us, idk how long after that. I moved.
Most luxury shoes are actually made by talented artisans. Your sneakers on the other hand…
This is only true if you are willing to ignore/overlook the constant scandals regarding luxury brands and work conditions.
I can only speak for my buddy’s family’s factory in Italy but those workers seemed well paid and happy. High quality luxury goods and “luxury goods” aren’t the same thing.
I’m not sure “I know one factory personally” is the gotcha you think it is.
European luxury brands are the worst when it comes to dealing with forced labor, and that includes a recent notorious case of a sweatshop in Italy.
Congrats to your buddy though. But the issue is systemic.
