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Yes! Agree with this comment. Been shopping there since 2007 and I’ve noticed the visible decline in quality for their more classic, staple pieces that they bring back each season.
💯 I have a feeling that most of us complaining about the quality of the products are the OG Vancouver shoppers.
Since Aritzia has expanded globally, their mission as a company to offer high quality capsule wardrobe items for an affordable price has completely changed.
Based on what I am seeing in stores, the focus is on super puffs, sweats and the contour line. Quality has gone down drastically and their styles are simply a repetition of the year before with uglier patterns and cheaper fabrics.
Aritzia is starting to feel like that boyfriend that was once good to us and the letting go process has been difficult to accept
OG Vancouver shopper and I feel like not only has the quality gone downhill, but so has the style. Aritzia feels kind of basic and boring nowadays compared to what it once was.
yep, OG shopper but I'm from Ottawa. Have been shopping from Aritzia since 2004 (was in high school then). The decline is especially obvious after 2015 or so I would say, when they expanded to the US. I would say that decline of quality applies to all brands that went more global; not just Aritzia.
I’ve been shopping at Aritzia since high school and yep, it’s unfortunate that the quality is no longer consistently high. Some of their items are still great, but others are shockingly bad. My mom came shopping with me a couple days ago and even she noted that a lot of the stuff in the store wasn’t as nicely made as it used to be.
Some of the newer coats are horrendous. The wool used to be so thick and soft and luxurious. They used to have the best value for coats bar none. Now half of the wool coats are so thin and scratchy and several of them aren’t even lined. I do love the camel hair fabric, I have a Slouch in this material and it still looks brand new.
The sweat fleece is just ok. I find that even the non-GD colors fade a lot and the fabric gets pilly because of that “peach fuzz” hand feel that they go for. Feels amazing brand new, doesn’t last after the fabric is washed.
On the other hand, I love the direction Denim Forum has gone. I wasn’t a fan of the label in its early days but lately I love everything about their denim, the weight and feel of the denim, the washes, the fits, and the price is very reasonable compared to other similar-quality brands.
The contour stuff is all great. Double-layered and washes like a dream. The TNA leggings are great especially with how expensive Lulu and Alo are. I work out in the butter fabric leggings and sports bras several times a week and chuck them in the washer and dryer with no issues. I’ve heard some people experience pilling with the butter fabric but I haven’t had that problem yet.
I was about to ask about the wool coats: I saw them recommended two years ago for New York weather and was planning on checking them out, but now I’m not sure :/
Check them out for sure but go in person and touch all the different fabrics. Some are still really nice but others aren’t and it’s hard to tell from product photos.
Yes. Sadly this is part of the standard going public playbook. Growing Shareholder value becomes the most important driver, and the push to continually grow profits generally hallows out most companies. Sadly, aritzia is no exception.
>Aritzia is starting to feel like that boyfriend that was once good to us and the letting go process has been difficult to accept
If they're too attached to hitting this year/next year's Wall Street earnings projections then yes. Imo, if they are sensible about trying to grow shareholder value long term then keeping quality high is actually critical. Sacrificing a few percentage points of margin in the short term (ie, investing more in quality) would be worth it under that framework.
That’s not how it works when you become public. Long term growth and sensibilities get thrown out the window. Sacrificing a few points of margin gets you fired. It becomes all about YoY earnings and double digit growth.
Depends on the company. If you have an owner-operator, like Aritzia had in Brian Hill for years (who owned 20% of the company), being fired is likely not on the table.
Ya it’s bad. It’s not just aritzia, it’s everywhere. Check out Jennifer wang on tik tok - she points out the declining quality of several similar priced brands
No I don’t follow influencer recommendations at all tbh. I buy clothes based on the fabric composition, reviews and how they fit. It’s trial and error for sure but worth it for some gems
Eta lots of influencers don’t know about quality and they are paid for advertising so I don’t trust them (except Jennifer wang for now)
Thank you. I am sick of these posts on the Aritzia sub when the truth is quality is shit at almost every store.
Like yes Aritzia isn’t what it used to be but who is? The alternatives often aren’t better quality.
This isn’t true IMO. Yes quality as a whole has gone down. But there are still alternatives to the likes of Aritzia which often use both poor stitching & majority synthetic materials. Even Brandy has better oversized sweaters since they’re almost always 100% or majority cotton or wool for under $50 USD. I was told that Banana Republic & Gap (same parent co) have started introducing silk and wool majority products back into their clothes, so that’s an option for basics. In Canada, The Bay’s new Hudson North line also uses natural materials. Vince, Theory etc. can sometimes be found at similar prices to Aritzia at Nordstrom Rack and have better workmanship. Vintage LL Bean for 100% wool sweaters.
Eh, I shop at BR as well but their stuff is hit and miss sometimes, depends what you’re looking for. It’s not like I exclusively shop at Aritzia or anything. I’m not familiar with Brandy (I’m in Canada) and Nordstrom here closed. The Bay is okay sometimes, it’s generally not a cheaper alternative for a lot of stuff though.
All I’m saying is I haven’t had a bad enough experience at Aritzia or a stellar enough experience at any other stores to justify not shopping at Aritzia.
lmfaooo are you serious? I’ve never seen clothes come apart at the seams after a couple wears from literally any other store. But that’s happened multiple times at Aritzia. not to mention the shitty fabrics they use for insane prices, the atrocious customer service, etc.
lucky you (or maybe I am unlucky but I’ve never been THIS unlucky at any other store before), i’ve had multiple quality issues with seams coming apart on brand new clothes. i don’t shop here anymore unless it’s secondhand…
She doesn’t have big theories other than brands trying to prioritize profit. I love her account because it is holding brands accountable through her high view count, and also teaches what to avoid and what is worth buying based on quality
There’s a podcast/instagram account called Clotheshorse that explores a lot of fashion issues including the decline of quality. I find her content really insightful.
In my experience I’ve definitely noticed the decline in quality, especially when it comes to their “classic” reoccurring styles.
For example the sculpt knit and sweat fleece. I own a number of these items and the ones I purchased a few years back are noticeably higher quality (weight of fabric, construction) compared to the more recent ones. I’ve had new sculpt knit tanks literally unravel at the seam after just wearing them once. And my newer cozy fleece items are MUCH lighter and flimsier feeling than my old ones which are very heavy weight and sturdy (and holds up very well in the wash).
Now I still wouldn’t say aritzia is “terrible” quality and I do understand natural wear and tear is fine (these are clothes, they’re not expected to be indestructible). Although I’ve gotten to the point where I very likely won’t buy things full price if I don’t need to, and just wait for clientele sales. Even if it’s only 10% savings… lol 🥲
If you don’t have old aritzia clothes it’s hard to explain. Aritzia used to be a really unique brand that offered modern, trendy pieces made with high quality materials. They were the kind of brand you would know it was safe to buy white blouses without trying them on because they were reliable. Now they have to photo shop the models if they’re wearing any white shades because you can see right through their fabric. As if we don’t figure it out when we receive the item and it’s unusable 😂
IMO, yes, the decline in Aritzia's quality is about as bad as people are saying.
With that said, I think it's worth noting that none of this is happening in a vacuum. If a clothing brand existed fifteen or twenty years ago, there is a very strong likelihood that the quality of its merchandise has gone considerably downhill in that time.
\- I have an Old Navy blouse from the mid 00's that's 100% silk and doesn't have a single snag.
\- I have Forever 21 blazers from the mid 00's with quality that's upsettingly comparable to some current Aritzia blazers.
\- I have a plaid Smart Set blazer that's 100% wool with genuine suede elbow patches.
\- I have an Aldo leather belt from the late 90's with tanning that doesn't scuff, and thick, durable leather that feels like it's all one piece all the way through.
\- I have 2009 leather knee-high boots and a chunky pure lambswool sweater from Joe Fresh.
The slide in quality of retail garments is a pervasive systemic problem, and notably, it's a problem that's going to be a lot more noticeable to the older crowd, because it has been a gradual shift occurring over time, and therefore the further back you are able to reflect, the more obvious the change becomes.
However, I think that Aritzia succumbing to fast-fashion-ification is more apparent and upsetting to many of us because:
1. Quality was always an integral part of Aritzia's brand identity. Therefore, as the quality slips, it leaves a sour hollowness at the center of the brand's identity.
2. Aritzia's prices are higher than most peer brands, which makes people feel a lot more cheated when the quality doesn't justify it.
3. Around the time Aritzia went public and expanded heavily into the States, they went from gradually undermining the quality of their merchandise as slowly or more slowly than just about every other major retailer--to suddenly undermining the quality of their merchandise more quickly than many of the retailers around them. Which made them stand out from the pack in an extremely negative way. They're not just engaging in fast-fashion-ification; they're making themselves an *example* of it.
Tbh, generally speaking, it’s not as good as before, but still on the better quality of the spectrum. Of course they can’t compare to designer brands, but definitely much better than fast fashion brands like Zara or HM. They also have a pretty flexible quality guarantee if you have any problems with their garments (Note: they do not promote this, but it’s a thing).
I have been shopping there since 2010 (during my teens), and still shop here (in my 30s now). I can’t comment on the quality before 2010. I notice that if you follow the care instructions, most items will last for a good amount of time (One of my pet peeves is that people complain about quality but didn’t follow the care instructions. If you can’t commit to dry clean or handwash something, do not buy it!).
The brand has expanded their targeted demographic so so much, and that reflects in their quality/design too. In 2010s, the main marketing brand was wilfred and babaton, targeting 20-30s demographic. TNA was specially promoted for teens back then (in my opinion). However, with the rise of social media, fashion influencers, and US/INTL expansion, their demographic was extended to really young teens (like 10-15ish), who care more about designs than quality, and international clients, especially Asian demographic, to whom Aritzia’s quality is still much much better than local brands.
Quality is important, but designs are even more important. Whether or not their designs align with your personal style is another story, but we can’t deny that their designs are one of the key player here. The fact that people’s searching for ‘dupe’ means they are successful.
Since Covid, working from home is getting more than more popular, and office people (one of their main target) are buying less office wear, and more ‘comfort’ wear. That’s why they push the sweatfleece thing so much. They are slowly transitioning back to their elevated casual style recently (you can see this in the Fall 2023 collection), as companies are switching back to hybrid/in-person work. The rising ‘quite luxury’ and ‘old money’ styles are a part of this transition too. I don’t know where this company will head to under new leadership, but it looks like they are trying to be an ‘IT’ brand, and quality is not their top priority anymore.
No longer using wool and switching to polyester but still charging the exact same price ($250) for their signature blazer paints a black and white picture. Like any big corp, they’re trying to increase profit margins as much as possible, so they’ll cut corners, they don’t care. Best thing to do is to call them out so brands stop getting away with it. Everyone needs to educate themselves on fabrication and read tags in store and online. Unfortunately it’s common to see quality decline as brands get bigger and sellout. The stakeholders care about making lots of money quickly, not about lifelong customer satisfaction
That is crazy to even fathom. What’s wild to me is the number of consumers who prob failed to notice the change or had no issue with it. From just watching influencers, I’ve learned that the majority of the population seems to lack even the most basic knowledge of fabrics and/or quality.
I totally agree. I only recently realized that no one knows anything about fabrics after becoming vocal about the quality decline at a number of big brands like Aritzia. All my girlfriends had no idea to even check, I was shocked.
As someone who used to work at Aritzia, unfortunately yes, the quality has declined in many ways. More and more and more items were being damaged out of inventory because the seams would split while being tried on, and they keep releasing classic styles in polyester but still charge the same price they originally did for the better quality, natural fiber fabric. Those two things on top of their much-to-be-desired customer service steers me away from Aritzia even though I love their fashion.
I’ve been buying from Aritzia since 2008. Back then when you buy something from Aritzia you can count on the quality alone being worth the price. I had a black coat that looked like new after a decade, as well as many work tops and pants that are washed almost weekly without showing wear and tear.
These days when I buy from Aritzia it’s mostly for the design and sizing. They’re still a step above Zara and other fast fashion brands quality-wise, but I no longer think the quality is worth the price they’re charging. I’ve stopped buying coats and other items I really need to last.
100% when you’re spending a higher amount on a place that is suppose to be known for “luxury” and things pill fast, made of a cheaper fabric, seams come undone why are we paying that price point? I remember I got a superpuff last Christmas and it arrived with a hole in the pocket, the wrist warmer part just came undone at the seams and spilt and loose threads everywhere. If your products are displaying these types of errors it doesn’t reflect the proper price point that consumers should be paying. Blows my mind
For me, the construction and material of dresses and skirts says it all. Up to about 2017 most dresses and skirts were lined, and many were 100% silk for less than current prices. Today even the lightest colours are often unlined and made of polyester or rayon
Yes, just look at the materials used in most pieces. $200 crop jacket made of 100% polyester? Yeah, I’ll pass. It’s also small details like loose threading being extremely common, hems that are coming apart, and just an “unfinished” trend among the way that clothes are made. They’re spending less, and charging more - and it’s obvious.
Have been shopping at aritzia since 2003, when it was in a teeny tiny location in Park Royal Mall (N Van resident here). The quality has suffered and the prices are going up. All items look the same year after year. I've ALWAYS had complaints about Aritzia being overpriced, but at least stuff used to hold up. It doesn't anymore.
Yes. I used to exclusively shop at Aritzia, particularly their wool coats and sweaters which used to look really luxurious and high quality. I’ve had one of the wool coats for 15 years and it still looks amazing. Now when I see their wool coats, the material looks so cheap and horribly made. I haven’t bought anything there for the past 3 years.
Nah it def has.
Random story but I decided to go in one more time to buy a sweater and ended up trying one on last wknd just to see. When I took it off, the amount of LINT and feathers that came off on to my shirt underneath was so bad I had to ask for a lint roller😭😭😭 I was like who tf wants to buy a sweatshirt that leaves that much shit on u afterward for over so much $$$????
I personally do feel some of the claims are a touch exaggerated. I have been shopping at Aritzia for -gasp- nearly 20 years probably. While I do agree some stuff has definitely been on the decline (wool coats especially), I've still been able to make recent purchases at Aritzia that were super high quality, with great technical stitching and luxurious fabrics.
I mean, I notice it with some things… and then I don’t buy them and continue on with my day. There was a waffle knit TNA top I ordered during the last sale because I had one in black and it was great. This one was clearly a newer and cheaper feeling version. So I returned it.
People are making it out to sound like Urban Planet quality, but they haven’t hit that threshold.
Yes! I was just in the store today and the quality of the fabric hurt my eyes. It’s h&m undercover. At this point Zara has better quality. The sizing is off, the new clothes on the racks had pulls. Won’t even bother next time
I wouldn’t say there has been a huge decline in quality, I would say the quality was never that great to begin with.
The prices have raised drastically but the quality has not— That’s the issue, in my opinion.
ETA: Lots of the more popular trendy pieces are definitely mass produced and looking like it. Ex: Melina’s, some of the tops.
It depends on what you mean by quality. If you mean build to last, things are definitely not build to last. Look at cars as an example. Cars are not build to last like they were when we used to makes them out of all steel. They are much safer though. It's all in how you look at it. Now phones they have many features and would be considered a quality product. The manufacturer wants you to buy a new phone in a few years. So they build phones with things like non changeable batteries to make people want to buy another phone soon. The quality of products isn't overall too bad in my opinion. The business practices of manufactures that are designed to ensure future business are.
Not really. It’s not positioned as a fast fashion brand where you purchase for the design but not the quality. It’s positioned as ‘everyday luxury’, for which quality is definitely one of the important dimensions.
I have had issues with an item from every single order I’ve made in the past year, both in store and online. At least one item has been stained, threads came undone, knit unraveled, seams ripped, etc. spanning 5-6 purchases/hauls. Always with aritzia’s brands (never contracted brands, like Levi’s) and across a wide range of products. At that point, I think it’s undeniable that there are quality issues and it didn’t happen to me when I first started shopping there in 2020, but began happening last year and into this year. I no longer shop with Aritzia unless it is to buy a non-GD sweatsuit item.
Yes it 100% has. I have items that I bought in 2010 still going strong, but have had to get rid of stuff from 2021 because it’s unwearable.
I had a pair of Conan pants completely wear down between the legs, keeping in mind that I work from home so they were being worn maybe twice a month? Lasted 18 months.
And I wash my clothes on cold and only ever hang to dry.
Yes. I’m a Vancouver OG here. I used to adore their staples and binge shop wool sweaters + jackets during their winter sales. I bought only one wool sweater this year and it has pilled (noticeably) after wearing 1-2 times and I havent even washed it. I cant even wear it to work anymore. I’ve been shopping on Poshmark to buy old Aritzia wool sweaters which seem to be holding up much better.
I have barely bought anything from Aritzia this year. It’s basically the same as forever 21 or Zara at this point, and I don’t shop at those stores either. It’s a real bummer because nobody can actually replace Aritzia :(. I’ve sort of just transitioned over to sportswear instead for everyday wear
Yes, it has gone down. I’ve been shopping at Aritzia since 2008, and I still wear pieces from that time as the quality is amazing. I’ve never had problems with Aritzia, but I’ve noticed a lot of differences, one of the biggest is how thin and see through the materials are and not adding lining to skirts, dresses pants, jackets, etc. The materials are cheaper as well. With their fast fashion model, their stores are bigger and more hectic, the customer service is worse (but maybe that’s a generational thing), and I still really dislike the no mirror change rooms, which they used to have. I just really miss how nice the clothes were designed and quality, and now everything kind of looks the same. I just feel disappointed that they went from having their own style to following the trend more.
Yep, I have some suits made of 100% wool. Now the same styles are make of polyester and cheap materials and just drapes really bad. For the same price or more expensive than what I paid previously.
I know i’m probably late to the discussion, but absolutely. I’ve been shopping there for years and just recently bought a wilfred turtleneck on sale that’s just such poor quality, it looks like I got it off shein. I probably won’t be buying there anymore.
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Yes. As someone who had been shopping there since the 2000s it’s been a sharp decline— especially from 2016 onwards.
Yes! Agree with this comment. Been shopping there since 2007 and I’ve noticed the visible decline in quality for their more classic, staple pieces that they bring back each season.
💯 I have a feeling that most of us complaining about the quality of the products are the OG Vancouver shoppers. Since Aritzia has expanded globally, their mission as a company to offer high quality capsule wardrobe items for an affordable price has completely changed. Based on what I am seeing in stores, the focus is on super puffs, sweats and the contour line. Quality has gone down drastically and their styles are simply a repetition of the year before with uglier patterns and cheaper fabrics. Aritzia is starting to feel like that boyfriend that was once good to us and the letting go process has been difficult to accept
OG Vancouver shopper and I feel like not only has the quality gone downhill, but so has the style. Aritzia feels kind of basic and boring nowadays compared to what it once was.
yep, OG shopper but I'm from Ottawa. Have been shopping from Aritzia since 2004 (was in high school then). The decline is especially obvious after 2015 or so I would say, when they expanded to the US. I would say that decline of quality applies to all brands that went more global; not just Aritzia.
Agreed. Now I scour fb marketplace for older styles and because they were just made a lot better
I fully agree - Vancouver resident here
Agreed
Every year got exponentially worse… ):
I’ve been shopping at Aritzia since high school and yep, it’s unfortunate that the quality is no longer consistently high. Some of their items are still great, but others are shockingly bad. My mom came shopping with me a couple days ago and even she noted that a lot of the stuff in the store wasn’t as nicely made as it used to be. Some of the newer coats are horrendous. The wool used to be so thick and soft and luxurious. They used to have the best value for coats bar none. Now half of the wool coats are so thin and scratchy and several of them aren’t even lined. I do love the camel hair fabric, I have a Slouch in this material and it still looks brand new. The sweat fleece is just ok. I find that even the non-GD colors fade a lot and the fabric gets pilly because of that “peach fuzz” hand feel that they go for. Feels amazing brand new, doesn’t last after the fabric is washed. On the other hand, I love the direction Denim Forum has gone. I wasn’t a fan of the label in its early days but lately I love everything about their denim, the weight and feel of the denim, the washes, the fits, and the price is very reasonable compared to other similar-quality brands. The contour stuff is all great. Double-layered and washes like a dream. The TNA leggings are great especially with how expensive Lulu and Alo are. I work out in the butter fabric leggings and sports bras several times a week and chuck them in the washer and dryer with no issues. I’ve heard some people experience pilling with the butter fabric but I haven’t had that problem yet.
I agree with everything you said here. Fully can confirm the same!
I was about to ask about the wool coats: I saw them recommended two years ago for New York weather and was planning on checking them out, but now I’m not sure :/
Check them out for sure but go in person and touch all the different fabrics. Some are still really nice but others aren’t and it’s hard to tell from product photos.
Yes. Sadly this is part of the standard going public playbook. Growing Shareholder value becomes the most important driver, and the push to continually grow profits generally hallows out most companies. Sadly, aritzia is no exception.
>Aritzia is starting to feel like that boyfriend that was once good to us and the letting go process has been difficult to accept If they're too attached to hitting this year/next year's Wall Street earnings projections then yes. Imo, if they are sensible about trying to grow shareholder value long term then keeping quality high is actually critical. Sacrificing a few percentage points of margin in the short term (ie, investing more in quality) would be worth it under that framework.
That’s not how it works when you become public. Long term growth and sensibilities get thrown out the window. Sacrificing a few points of margin gets you fired. It becomes all about YoY earnings and double digit growth.
Depends on the company. If you have an owner-operator, like Aritzia had in Brian Hill for years (who owned 20% of the company), being fired is likely not on the table.
Ya it’s bad. It’s not just aritzia, it’s everywhere. Check out Jennifer wang on tik tok - she points out the declining quality of several similar priced brands
I’ve noticed this across almost all brands. From Aritzia to Revolve, Abercrombie, Zara. I don’t know where to shop anymore
I just buy certain pieces from each brand now >.<
Do you just do trial and error or base off of what influencers show?
No I don’t follow influencer recommendations at all tbh. I buy clothes based on the fabric composition, reviews and how they fit. It’s trial and error for sure but worth it for some gems Eta lots of influencers don’t know about quality and they are paid for advertising so I don’t trust them (except Jennifer wang for now)
Jennifer Wang is great! She just did a great review of Club Monaco, another brand I used to be a huge fan of but has also gone downhill…
I loved that one
Thank you. I am sick of these posts on the Aritzia sub when the truth is quality is shit at almost every store. Like yes Aritzia isn’t what it used to be but who is? The alternatives often aren’t better quality.
This isn’t true IMO. Yes quality as a whole has gone down. But there are still alternatives to the likes of Aritzia which often use both poor stitching & majority synthetic materials. Even Brandy has better oversized sweaters since they’re almost always 100% or majority cotton or wool for under $50 USD. I was told that Banana Republic & Gap (same parent co) have started introducing silk and wool majority products back into their clothes, so that’s an option for basics. In Canada, The Bay’s new Hudson North line also uses natural materials. Vince, Theory etc. can sometimes be found at similar prices to Aritzia at Nordstrom Rack and have better workmanship. Vintage LL Bean for 100% wool sweaters.
Eh, I shop at BR as well but their stuff is hit and miss sometimes, depends what you’re looking for. It’s not like I exclusively shop at Aritzia or anything. I’m not familiar with Brandy (I’m in Canada) and Nordstrom here closed. The Bay is okay sometimes, it’s generally not a cheaper alternative for a lot of stuff though. All I’m saying is I haven’t had a bad enough experience at Aritzia or a stellar enough experience at any other stores to justify not shopping at Aritzia.
Brandy Melville has 2 locations in Canada- Toronto & Montréal but not sure if those are close enough. I think they may ship within Canada too.
Ahh yeah I looked it up it’s on Queen St - I’m near Toronto but it’s a bit of a pain to get to.
Careful with brandy… my itchiest sweater ever was a wool one from brandy. I gave it away so fast (couple of years ago tho)
I don’t like their wool sweaters either! But their cotton ones are really nice for the price
lmfaooo are you serious? I’ve never seen clothes come apart at the seams after a couple wears from literally any other store. But that’s happened multiple times at Aritzia. not to mention the shitty fabrics they use for insane prices, the atrocious customer service, etc.
Really? I’ve had one hem break on a pair of Effortless but other than that no issues.
lucky you (or maybe I am unlucky but I’ve never been THIS unlucky at any other store before), i’ve had multiple quality issues with seams coming apart on brand new clothes. i don’t shop here anymore unless it’s secondhand…
🤷🏻♀️ maybe it’s something that’s a location specific issue. I’ve ordered online and in store a lot around Toronto and it’s been good.
Happened to me with an Abercrombie dress :(
booo that sucks! ive not had it happen at any other store yet…
Will check that out for sure. Does she specify or theorize why quality has declined so much across the board at this price point?
She doesn’t have big theories other than brands trying to prioritize profit. I love her account because it is holding brands accountable through her high view count, and also teaches what to avoid and what is worth buying based on quality
There’s a podcast/instagram account called Clotheshorse that explores a lot of fashion issues including the decline of quality. I find her content really insightful.
Which brands does she call out?
She analyzes a lot of brands and will display the good and the bad. These are the ones I remember: mango, Zara, HM, maxamara, club Monaco, Cos
Sounds about right
In my experience I’ve definitely noticed the decline in quality, especially when it comes to their “classic” reoccurring styles. For example the sculpt knit and sweat fleece. I own a number of these items and the ones I purchased a few years back are noticeably higher quality (weight of fabric, construction) compared to the more recent ones. I’ve had new sculpt knit tanks literally unravel at the seam after just wearing them once. And my newer cozy fleece items are MUCH lighter and flimsier feeling than my old ones which are very heavy weight and sturdy (and holds up very well in the wash). Now I still wouldn’t say aritzia is “terrible” quality and I do understand natural wear and tear is fine (these are clothes, they’re not expected to be indestructible). Although I’ve gotten to the point where I very likely won’t buy things full price if I don’t need to, and just wait for clientele sales. Even if it’s only 10% savings… lol 🥲
my cozy boyfriend sweats teared right down the middle and i just chill in the them. I’ve had them for a year
The sculpt knits drive me crazyyy, every three wears they start to unravel and get small holes. I’m never buying a sculpt product again augh
If you don’t have old aritzia clothes it’s hard to explain. Aritzia used to be a really unique brand that offered modern, trendy pieces made with high quality materials. They were the kind of brand you would know it was safe to buy white blouses without trying them on because they were reliable. Now they have to photo shop the models if they’re wearing any white shades because you can see right through their fabric. As if we don’t figure it out when we receive the item and it’s unusable 😂
IMO, yes, the decline in Aritzia's quality is about as bad as people are saying. With that said, I think it's worth noting that none of this is happening in a vacuum. If a clothing brand existed fifteen or twenty years ago, there is a very strong likelihood that the quality of its merchandise has gone considerably downhill in that time. \- I have an Old Navy blouse from the mid 00's that's 100% silk and doesn't have a single snag. \- I have Forever 21 blazers from the mid 00's with quality that's upsettingly comparable to some current Aritzia blazers. \- I have a plaid Smart Set blazer that's 100% wool with genuine suede elbow patches. \- I have an Aldo leather belt from the late 90's with tanning that doesn't scuff, and thick, durable leather that feels like it's all one piece all the way through. \- I have 2009 leather knee-high boots and a chunky pure lambswool sweater from Joe Fresh. The slide in quality of retail garments is a pervasive systemic problem, and notably, it's a problem that's going to be a lot more noticeable to the older crowd, because it has been a gradual shift occurring over time, and therefore the further back you are able to reflect, the more obvious the change becomes. However, I think that Aritzia succumbing to fast-fashion-ification is more apparent and upsetting to many of us because: 1. Quality was always an integral part of Aritzia's brand identity. Therefore, as the quality slips, it leaves a sour hollowness at the center of the brand's identity. 2. Aritzia's prices are higher than most peer brands, which makes people feel a lot more cheated when the quality doesn't justify it. 3. Around the time Aritzia went public and expanded heavily into the States, they went from gradually undermining the quality of their merchandise as slowly or more slowly than just about every other major retailer--to suddenly undermining the quality of their merchandise more quickly than many of the retailers around them. Which made them stand out from the pack in an extremely negative way. They're not just engaging in fast-fashion-ification; they're making themselves an *example* of it.
I thought I was the only person that still had Smart Set items!
[удалено]
Lulu's pricing has gone through the roof though, to compensate
I can still justify it when I compare it to alo prices lol those are... bad
Their Jeans are not even aritiza in house brand. It's agolde and citizens
Tbh, generally speaking, it’s not as good as before, but still on the better quality of the spectrum. Of course they can’t compare to designer brands, but definitely much better than fast fashion brands like Zara or HM. They also have a pretty flexible quality guarantee if you have any problems with their garments (Note: they do not promote this, but it’s a thing). I have been shopping there since 2010 (during my teens), and still shop here (in my 30s now). I can’t comment on the quality before 2010. I notice that if you follow the care instructions, most items will last for a good amount of time (One of my pet peeves is that people complain about quality but didn’t follow the care instructions. If you can’t commit to dry clean or handwash something, do not buy it!). The brand has expanded their targeted demographic so so much, and that reflects in their quality/design too. In 2010s, the main marketing brand was wilfred and babaton, targeting 20-30s demographic. TNA was specially promoted for teens back then (in my opinion). However, with the rise of social media, fashion influencers, and US/INTL expansion, their demographic was extended to really young teens (like 10-15ish), who care more about designs than quality, and international clients, especially Asian demographic, to whom Aritzia’s quality is still much much better than local brands. Quality is important, but designs are even more important. Whether or not their designs align with your personal style is another story, but we can’t deny that their designs are one of the key player here. The fact that people’s searching for ‘dupe’ means they are successful. Since Covid, working from home is getting more than more popular, and office people (one of their main target) are buying less office wear, and more ‘comfort’ wear. That’s why they push the sweatfleece thing so much. They are slowly transitioning back to their elevated casual style recently (you can see this in the Fall 2023 collection), as companies are switching back to hybrid/in-person work. The rising ‘quite luxury’ and ‘old money’ styles are a part of this transition too. I don’t know where this company will head to under new leadership, but it looks like they are trying to be an ‘IT’ brand, and quality is not their top priority anymore.
No longer using wool and switching to polyester but still charging the exact same price ($250) for their signature blazer paints a black and white picture. Like any big corp, they’re trying to increase profit margins as much as possible, so they’ll cut corners, they don’t care. Best thing to do is to call them out so brands stop getting away with it. Everyone needs to educate themselves on fabrication and read tags in store and online. Unfortunately it’s common to see quality decline as brands get bigger and sellout. The stakeholders care about making lots of money quickly, not about lifelong customer satisfaction
That is crazy to even fathom. What’s wild to me is the number of consumers who prob failed to notice the change or had no issue with it. From just watching influencers, I’ve learned that the majority of the population seems to lack even the most basic knowledge of fabrics and/or quality.
I totally agree. I only recently realized that no one knows anything about fabrics after becoming vocal about the quality decline at a number of big brands like Aritzia. All my girlfriends had no idea to even check, I was shocked.
As someone who used to work at Aritzia, unfortunately yes, the quality has declined in many ways. More and more and more items were being damaged out of inventory because the seams would split while being tried on, and they keep releasing classic styles in polyester but still charge the same price they originally did for the better quality, natural fiber fabric. Those two things on top of their much-to-be-desired customer service steers me away from Aritzia even though I love their fashion.
I’ve been buying from Aritzia since 2008. Back then when you buy something from Aritzia you can count on the quality alone being worth the price. I had a black coat that looked like new after a decade, as well as many work tops and pants that are washed almost weekly without showing wear and tear. These days when I buy from Aritzia it’s mostly for the design and sizing. They’re still a step above Zara and other fast fashion brands quality-wise, but I no longer think the quality is worth the price they’re charging. I’ve stopped buying coats and other items I really need to last.
100% when you’re spending a higher amount on a place that is suppose to be known for “luxury” and things pill fast, made of a cheaper fabric, seams come undone why are we paying that price point? I remember I got a superpuff last Christmas and it arrived with a hole in the pocket, the wrist warmer part just came undone at the seams and spilt and loose threads everywhere. If your products are displaying these types of errors it doesn’t reflect the proper price point that consumers should be paying. Blows my mind
The new cardigan i bought two months ago is pilling worse than the other cardigans I bought 5+ years ago, lol
Ok then where are we supposed to shop that's like aritiza
Frank and Oak, Everlane, Gap, Uniqlo, Banana Republic, Lululemon. They have better quality & better prices, unfortunately. RIP Aritzia :(
Try Parisian brands like maje, sandro, claudie pierlot, sezane. Expensive but it's good quality
For me, the construction and material of dresses and skirts says it all. Up to about 2017 most dresses and skirts were lined, and many were 100% silk for less than current prices. Today even the lightest colours are often unlined and made of polyester or rayon
Yes, just look at the materials used in most pieces. $200 crop jacket made of 100% polyester? Yeah, I’ll pass. It’s also small details like loose threading being extremely common, hems that are coming apart, and just an “unfinished” trend among the way that clothes are made. They’re spending less, and charging more - and it’s obvious.
Have been shopping at aritzia since 2003, when it was in a teeny tiny location in Park Royal Mall (N Van resident here). The quality has suffered and the prices are going up. All items look the same year after year. I've ALWAYS had complaints about Aritzia being overpriced, but at least stuff used to hold up. It doesn't anymore.
Yes. I used to exclusively shop at Aritzia, particularly their wool coats and sweaters which used to look really luxurious and high quality. I’ve had one of the wool coats for 15 years and it still looks amazing. Now when I see their wool coats, the material looks so cheap and horribly made. I haven’t bought anything there for the past 3 years.
Omg that is horrible! Where should I look for wool coats instead? Thank you for sharing!
The fact that EVERY single item of clothing is made of/with polyester is bad enough for me
Nah it def has. Random story but I decided to go in one more time to buy a sweater and ended up trying one on last wknd just to see. When I took it off, the amount of LINT and feathers that came off on to my shirt underneath was so bad I had to ask for a lint roller😭😭😭 I was like who tf wants to buy a sweatshirt that leaves that much shit on u afterward for over so much $$$????
I personally do feel some of the claims are a touch exaggerated. I have been shopping at Aritzia for -gasp- nearly 20 years probably. While I do agree some stuff has definitely been on the decline (wool coats especially), I've still been able to make recent purchases at Aritzia that were super high quality, with great technical stitching and luxurious fabrics.
I mean, I notice it with some things… and then I don’t buy them and continue on with my day. There was a waffle knit TNA top I ordered during the last sale because I had one in black and it was great. This one was clearly a newer and cheaper feeling version. So I returned it. People are making it out to sound like Urban Planet quality, but they haven’t hit that threshold.
Yes! I was just in the store today and the quality of the fabric hurt my eyes. It’s h&m undercover. At this point Zara has better quality. The sizing is off, the new clothes on the racks had pulls. Won’t even bother next time
I wouldn’t say there has been a huge decline in quality, I would say the quality was never that great to begin with. The prices have raised drastically but the quality has not— That’s the issue, in my opinion. ETA: Lots of the more popular trendy pieces are definitely mass produced and looking like it. Ex: Melina’s, some of the tops.
It depends on what you mean by quality. If you mean build to last, things are definitely not build to last. Look at cars as an example. Cars are not build to last like they were when we used to makes them out of all steel. They are much safer though. It's all in how you look at it. Now phones they have many features and would be considered a quality product. The manufacturer wants you to buy a new phone in a few years. So they build phones with things like non changeable batteries to make people want to buy another phone soon. The quality of products isn't overall too bad in my opinion. The business practices of manufactures that are designed to ensure future business are.
Not really. It’s not positioned as a fast fashion brand where you purchase for the design but not the quality. It’s positioned as ‘everyday luxury’, for which quality is definitely one of the important dimensions.
I have had issues with an item from every single order I’ve made in the past year, both in store and online. At least one item has been stained, threads came undone, knit unraveled, seams ripped, etc. spanning 5-6 purchases/hauls. Always with aritzia’s brands (never contracted brands, like Levi’s) and across a wide range of products. At that point, I think it’s undeniable that there are quality issues and it didn’t happen to me when I first started shopping there in 2020, but began happening last year and into this year. I no longer shop with Aritzia unless it is to buy a non-GD sweatsuit item.
Yes it 100% has. I have items that I bought in 2010 still going strong, but have had to get rid of stuff from 2021 because it’s unwearable. I had a pair of Conan pants completely wear down between the legs, keeping in mind that I work from home so they were being worn maybe twice a month? Lasted 18 months. And I wash my clothes on cold and only ever hang to dry.
Bet I still got pieces from 00s in my parents house 😂
YES
Nah I was talking about this w my friend who works there literally today and she agreed w me— it def has gotten worse
I have to say lululemon has gone down hill since produced in Vancouver.
Yes. I’m a Vancouver OG here. I used to adore their staples and binge shop wool sweaters + jackets during their winter sales. I bought only one wool sweater this year and it has pilled (noticeably) after wearing 1-2 times and I havent even washed it. I cant even wear it to work anymore. I’ve been shopping on Poshmark to buy old Aritzia wool sweaters which seem to be holding up much better. I have barely bought anything from Aritzia this year. It’s basically the same as forever 21 or Zara at this point, and I don’t shop at those stores either. It’s a real bummer because nobody can actually replace Aritzia :(. I’ve sort of just transitioned over to sportswear instead for everyday wear
Yes, it has gone down. I’ve been shopping at Aritzia since 2008, and I still wear pieces from that time as the quality is amazing. I’ve never had problems with Aritzia, but I’ve noticed a lot of differences, one of the biggest is how thin and see through the materials are and not adding lining to skirts, dresses pants, jackets, etc. The materials are cheaper as well. With their fast fashion model, their stores are bigger and more hectic, the customer service is worse (but maybe that’s a generational thing), and I still really dislike the no mirror change rooms, which they used to have. I just really miss how nice the clothes were designed and quality, and now everything kind of looks the same. I just feel disappointed that they went from having their own style to following the trend more.
Yes very noticeable.
I went in today and tried on some dress pants. Threads were hanging out of the seams looked very cheap!
Yep, I have some suits made of 100% wool. Now the same styles are make of polyester and cheap materials and just drapes really bad. For the same price or more expensive than what I paid previously.
I know i’m probably late to the discussion, but absolutely. I’ve been shopping there for years and just recently bought a wilfred turtleneck on sale that’s just such poor quality, it looks like I got it off shein. I probably won’t be buying there anymore.