Have you felt the quality of high street clothes dip in recent years? Then you’re certainly not alone.
Earlier this month, The Great British Sewing Bee judge Patrick Grant went on a rampage against the current state of the fashion industry in the UK.
Speaking to The Guardian, the presenter and entrepreneur explained how a member of the BBC production team bought him some disappointing M&S socks.
The expert fumed: ‘I put these socks on, I was like … Is this what people wear on their feet now? They felt like tights. They were thin and sort of synthetic-y and flabby and bloody horrible.
‘The jumpers that I bought from Marks & Spencer in the 80s, I’ve still got some of them. They’re brilliant. And the jumpers that you buy now, that are £30 from Marks & Spencer, they’re total s**t. They’re not the same thing.’
And Patrick isn’t the only one to favour the quality of older high street items.
In recent years, savvy shoppers have turned to second-hand sites, such as Depop and Vinted, to source ‘vintage’ Topshop, Abercrombie & Fitch and Ralph Lauren.
M&S
Second-hand pieces from the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties have become hugely popular with young British fashion lovers, with more than 14,000 St Michael pieces listed online.
Many of the items have held or increased in value since they were originally on sale in M&S stores, with vintage expert Hannah Stacpoole telling the Telegraph in 2020: ‘It is common knowledge though among traders that St Michael items are long lasting and great quality. It is incredible to see the quality considering they were sold at high-street prices.’
The St Michael pieces, all of which boast of being over 20 years old, are considered genuinely vintage by online shoppers.
While a pussybow blouse which cost £17 when originally sold was listed online for £20, a prairie dress which was £5.99 in the Seventies is now selling for £49.99.
Meanwhile it’s not just eBay shoppers who are snapping up bargains, with hundreds of listings for St Michael on the Depop app.
Hannah, who is the founder of salutolondon.com, an online vintage store, said she had seen a uptick in sales of the brand.
She credited the increase in part to a growth of Instagram or Depop sellers that have emerged during lockdown and helped by sustainable shoppers seeking quality second-hand clothing at an affordable price.
She added: ‘I often have younger customers who are unaware that the two are the same brand.’
And Jennifer Mitchell McNally, owner of Liverpool’s Overdressed Vintage boutique, agreed, saying the items are ‘of the utmost quality.’
She added: ‘Whenever I source some, they’re never in stock for long.’
The St Michael brand, which was originally registered in 1928, was discontinued by M&S at the end of 1999 after its profits had dropped by 50 per cent that year.
In contrast, shoppers have moaned about the dip in quality of M&S’ jumper quality in recent years.
One wrote on X: ‘Marks and Spencer, my new jumper has pilled after 2 washes.
‘My 15 year old M&S jumpers still good as new. Noticeable quality deterioration lately.’
As a result, second-hand clothing company Curate & Rotate, which is based in Brighton, often lists M&S vintage clothing – including a charcoal blazer that sold for £65.
Off the back of Patrick Grant’s interview, a spokesperson for M&S told The Guardian: ‘At M&S, our clothing is made well and made to last, using materials that have been sourced with care: that’s why we lead the way when it comes to both quality and value customer perceptions.’
Topshop
‘Vintage’ Topshop clothes from before the brand was acquired by ASOS have proven to be popular on second-hand sites too.
Currently, there are almost 300,000 Topshop items listed on Depop – including a £39 floral dress that was worn by the late Caroline Flack during an appearance on Celebrity Juice in 2018.
Meanwhile, a mixed floral printed dress – which was hugely popular six years ago – is currently on sale for £12.
The popular high street brand, which was valued at £5bn at its peak, officially closed its doors in February 2021.
However, a small selection of Topshop own-brand clothing is available to shop on ASOS – but social media users have claimed the quality is not what it once was.
Earlier this week, one dissatisfied customer wrote on X: ‘I miss the pre-ASOS era Topshop when their pieces were interesting and of high quality.’
Another chimed in with: ‘I miss the quality that Topshop clothing had.’
A third added: ‘The best quality clothes I’ve ever been able to buy have been hollister, Abercrombie and OLD Topshop.
‘The death of the high street truly ended HQ medium price clothes.’
Speaking to Refinery29 in October 2022, Topshop fan Izzy Farmiloe said the brand had ‘missed an opportunity’ to return to its quality roots when it relaunched on ASOS.
She argued: ‘Topshop was iconic, democratising runway style for British teens all over the country.
‘Since their acquisition we’ve been in a strange limbo period, partly mourning the loss and partly confused about what’s next.’
Abercrombie & Fitch
What’s more, Abercrombie & Fitch is another brand that has gained a cult following on resale websites thanks to the ‘superior’ quality of their old clothing.
On Depop, there are currently 2,600 ‘vintage’ Abercrombie & Fitch items listed – including several mini skirts from the mid-noughties.
The description of one £30 tweed skirt reads: ‘Tweed 2000s y2k Abercrombie & Fitch mini micro skirt. Perfect condition!’
On X, one savvy shopper gushed about the quality of their older clothes – writing: ‘I’ve bought a lot of kids clothing in the last 10 years and I will say, so far, Abercrombie has the BEST quality!
‘Always buy second-hand though.’
Meanwhile, more shoppers of their more recent collections weren’t so gushing.
One critic said: ‘I would pay double if I could get my many Abercrombie products in higher quality fabrics.’
Another moaned: ‘Abercrombie’s quality sucks, really cheap – everything is stretchy material.’
FEMAIL has contacted Abercrombie & Fitch for comment.
Ralph Lauren
On top of this, Ralph Lauren is another premium brand that a selection of savvy shoppers appear to prefer shopping second-hand.
There are over 45,000 ‘vintage’ Ralph Lauren items on sale on Depop and a further 46,000 on eBay too.
Items include the brand’s classic American flag knits, polo shirts and cable-knit sweaters.
And according to Fox Business contributer Amy Nixon, the golden age of Ralph Lauren knitwear is over.
She tweeted earlier this year: ‘Modern Fabrics are garbage and nothing is cut right.
‘For cashmere—Ralph Lauren years 1995-2005. I find it all on eBay or consignment shops for pretty cheap.’
Another fumed: ‘Ralph Lauren dropped off in quality so much. I’ve been buying t shirts in the pack for years.
‘Those T-Shirts are not the same quality, it’s very very very thin now, and the smell it has coming from the package is so bad! Every company cutting corners now.’
‘I bought this sweet woollen Ralph Lauren sweater in January, wore it a total of 3 days, it’s already full of pillings,’ a third said. ‘And I work in an office! BAD quality.’
Taking issue with the brand’s underwear, another critic added: ‘I bought several years supply of underpants just over a year ago, looking up the best quality ones.
‘Practically everywhere said Ralph Lauren. I can now say after a year that Ralph Lauren underpants suck, all ripped to shreds.’
FEMAIL has contacted Ralph Lauren for comment.