Were clothes REALLY made better 50 years ago? Experts offer a surprising verdict after influencers complained that modern garments look worse than vintage classics
Today's fashion enthusiasts want to know why their modern garments don't look as good as the same items and styles that came out in previous decades.
Fashion editor Savannah Bradley has answers to these questions. She explained in a thread on
'The obvious problem is the fit. The looseness of a pre-2000 trench was much more subtle. These are definitely not baggy jackets, but they also have plenty of breathing room at the upper arm, shoulder and waist, even when wearing a belt,” Bradley explained.
She went on to say that modern brands' designs do not take women's busts into account, meaning they are forced to wear the jackets open. adding, “It's also much harder now to find an affordable double-breasted coat.”
The expert also explained that the synthetic blends used in most contemporary fashion items, such as polyester elastane, are much cheaper, more durable and extremely stiff.
Today's fashion enthusiasts want to know why their modern garments don't look as good as the same items and styles that appeared in previous decades.
Fashion editor Savannah Bradley has answers to these questions. She explained in a thread on X (formerly Twitter) why women's trench coats in particular look so different than in the 80s and 90s
Gauthier Borsarello, a vintage collector in Paris and creative director of menswear brand Fursac, says that to dress as well as your grandparents, you need to adopt their way of consuming
Bradley and that poor construction is also responsible for the less impressive trench coats we wear today.
The Wall Street Journal asked a wide variety of experts whether it's possible to find new pieces that can rival their old-fashioned counterparts — with pros saying it is, as long as you're willing to pay a lot of money.
Gauthier Borsarello, a vintage collector in Paris and creative director of menswear brand Fursac, says that to dress as well as your grandparents, you need to adopt their way of consuming.
Instead of shopping at fast-fashion brands like Shein or even big box stores like Zara, Borsarello emphasizes that it's better to spend a small fortune on one good-quality item and wear it to death.
“People admire the old way,” Borsarello said, “but this mentality is far from our generation.”
Jerry Pozniak, president of Jeeves, a luxury dry cleaner in New York, says he has handled “at least a million garments” over the past 38 years.
Pozniak believes that luxury clothing today is just as well made as high-quality clothing of the past.
But – Pozniak says that today's fabrics are much thinner and stretchier.
He said that when he first started working with luxury clothing in 1985, the fabrics were “all wool, all cotton, all synthetic… they weren't really a combination of spandex.”
Instead of shopping at fast-fashion brands like Shein or even big box stores like Zara, Borsarello emphasizes that it's better to spend a small fortune on one good-quality item and wear it to death
'The obvious problem is the fit. The looseness of a pre-2000 trench was much more subtle. These are definitely not baggy jackets, but they also have plenty of breathing room at the upper arm, shoulder and waist, even if they have a belt,” Bradley explained.
Cost-cutting tactics compromise product quality – and also encourage people to consume larger quantities at a lower cost
Today, however, all kinds of clothing are cut from softer, finer fabrics and injected with stretch.
“I think we've lost some quality because of consumer demand for comfort,” Pozniak said, adding that today's lighter fabrics “feel better on the skin and are more maneuverable.”
Bob and Adam Levy, who run Dave's New York, a Manhattan institution that sells heritage brands like Dickies and Carhartt, agree with the increase in added stretch. ''Anything new is 10 to 12 ounces – and with stretch,'' says Adam Levy.
Spending less on fabrics and relying on synthetics reflects the company's efforts to save money, produce more clothing and do so primarily offshore.
Cost-cutting tactics compromise the quality of products – and also encourage people to consume larger quantities at a lower cost.
Traditionally, American closets were smaller because people had fewer clothes that were of much better quality.
Nowadays, walk-in closets are the norm, as Americans cram more and more lower-quality clothes into them.