Clothes brand/store suggestions?

[redbird]

Both my husband and I really need to buy new clothes. Most of our wardrobes are old and falling apart. Neither of us likes clothes shopping so we tend to wear clothes until we wear them out. Now we've worn them out. :)

We've struggled to find good quality clothes that last a long time. What are some brands that you would recommend? We are willing to pay higher prices to have something that will last for more years. We are looking for both men's and women's clothes, mostly casual but up to business casual is good too.

Unfortunately, thrift stores are not really a good option in our area. We've tried to go to them repeatedly, and they seem to mostly get either worn-out Walmart-quality clothes or clothes that are way too large for us. We generally haven't been happy with Ross/TJ Maxx/etc type stores either, mainly due to the size problem. They also tend to have way too much stock for people that are larger and/or taller than us.

[Hula Hoop]

Landsend stuff seems to last forever but I find their women's clothes are often a bit frumpy and their sizing is HUGE.  I buy a lot of my kids' clothes there on sale and they easily last through 2 girls.  Not sure if their men's stuff is OK.  For women's stuff, they're good for very basic things like t-shirts and swim shirts but make sure you size down.

[Anon in Alaska]

Costco. My $9 long underwear is comparable to what REI wants $62 for. My $20 lined hoodie is comparable to what LL Bean wants $80 for. Despite this LL Bean is good too. If Costco does not have it then for only a little more than the cheap junk at WalMart costs you can buy things that will last.

[thegeebees]

Lands End does indeed last forever, plus if anything goes wrong with the item they will replace it. They have an outstanding return policy. The best way to do LE is to sign up for emails and snag things when you get a 40-50% off plus free shipping coupon.
Their men's clothing is better style wise than women's, like Hula Hoop said.

Unfortunately, I have little else to say. I've asked this same question and researched it in the thriftiest corners of the internet. One thing I do at home to help stretch the life of the clothes is to run them on the shortest, lightest wash cycle.

[lizzzi]

Take a look at Duluth Trading Company on line.  You don't usually get free shipping, but I've found their quality on tees, Henleys, and mock necks to be much better than L L Bean. I use a brick and mortar Kohl's for jeans. My last jeans and turtlenecks from L L Bean were of lesser quality and shrunk like crazy--I was not happy.

[tyrannostache]

Costco. My $9 long underwear is comparable to what REI wants $62 for. My $20 lined hoodie is comparable to what LL Bean wants $80 for. Despite this LL Bean is good too. If Costco does not have it then for only a little more than the cheap junk at WalMart costs you can buy things that will last.

I'm going to disagree with this. I bought some long underwear from Costco last winter to size up I was pregnant. It was fraying by the end of the season. This year, I'm back into the Patagonia long underwear that my dad bought me at REI about 20 years ago.

So there's my recommendation: Patagonia. Their stuff is seriously pricey, but it lasts forever. And if it doesn't, they will replace it. I was complaining this winter about my Patagonia sweater starting to fray at the hem. And then I remembered that I bought it in 2007. My bro had a patagonia raincoat that was starting to lose waterproofing after a couple of years. He brought it to the store to ask them what they would recommend for re-proofing it. They told him to pick out a new one and sent him on his way.

I'll also suggest Land's End for men's clothes. My DH has had great luck with their button-downs, and he's very hard on clothes. I haven't been pleased with their women's clothes, however.

And on the REI note, I've been happy with REI-brand clothing. My latest REI jacket would still be going strong if I hadn't left a granola bar in the pocket. (Camp-acclimated black bears in the Sierra are NO JOKE.)

[Dave1442397]

My favorite fleeces and raingear are Marmot items that I bought at steep discounts at Sierra Trading Post and the occasional ski shop sale. I have an Obermeyer ski jacket that I bought at 50% off in July 2003 at my local ski shop. I wear it every winter and it still looks like new.

I did some sneaker research a couple of years ago and ended up buying Jack Wolfskin sneakers at Sierra Trading Post (60% off). They are way better quality than any other brand I've bought at that price point in recent years.

For light winter fleeces, I bought a few direct from Columbia when they were on sale for $17 each. They are holding up well and are the perfect weight for work-from-home wear.

For jeans, I've found LL Bean to be the best bang for the buck. I wait 'til they're on sale for $30 and buy a couple of pairs.

[mountain mustache]

I will second Patagonia. It's a hard purchase up front, but their products last a lifetime, and if they don't they will repair or replace them. They make really sturdy jeans, and pants, and their basic organic shirts are super soft. I actually find plenty of good used Patagonia on Ebay, and I think the older it is, the better the quality! I am a huge fan of Ibex clothing too, but they just went out of business :( there are a lot of good outdoor brands to be found at Sierra Trading Post too, and usually at good prices! In general, I buy all of my clothing at outdoor retailers/gear shops...even my casual clothing, because they are meant to be worn hard, vs casual clothing stores seem to make disposable clothing

[katscratch]

Patagonia.

Everything I've ever seen about this company makes me happy.

And they sell used/repaired clothing on their website!

I have been too penny-pinching to buy their clothing as thrift store finds and REI garage sale finds have worked for me in recent years, but I definitely try on their stuff regularly and non-merino replacement items down the road will be Patagonia items.

[TheWifeHalf]

Lands End does indeed last forever, plus if anything goes wrong with the item they will replace it. They have an outstanding return policy. The best way to do LE is to sign up for emails and snag things when you get a 40-50% off plus free shipping coupon.
Their men's clothing is better style wise than women's, like Hula Hoop said.

Unfortunately, I have little else to say. I've asked this same question and researched it in the thriftiest corners of the internet. One thing I do at home to help stretch the life of the clothes is to run them on the shortest, lightest wash cycle.

Got an email just yesterday, and it was on tv, that Land's End no longer has that return policy. Now, it's a year. They said too many people were abusing the return policy.

[asauer]

+1 for lands end.  Everything lasts a loooong time.  I disagree about frumpiness.  Just pay attention to the fit.  Some of their 'realized' items can look that way.  I get compliments all the time on my LE outfits. And their dresses have pockets!  They do tend to run big though so use the sizing charts.