I think you'll find it's not only me.
Example: Duck Head. Made in Pakistan. Cotton and Spandex.
And then there's the Weejun ...
The Weejun is the worst abuse. Case study A. It LOOKS like the real thing but has the slippery synthetic feel of outsourced products. That would never have happened in the UK. The first penny loafer, an iconic shoe, an old factory in a small town in Maine, all allowed to vanish. Mind you, look what Clarks did to the desert boot! Clarks Village in Street, Somerset. What must that be now? All admin I guess. No factories any more. That said, I'd argue the current Vietnamese Clarks DB isn't half bad. Maybe, along with the Keydge jackets (if woof is right....mmmm...), it is the only pleasing 3rd world product. But the Weejun - no no no. It's criminal what they did at Bass. Like a cartoon Weejun the current manifestation is.
GG
GG -
JS informed last Friday that Eastland are making their beefroll loafers again - Be interesting to see what they produce & where it's made. I'm betting not Freeport, Maine, like the old ones...
Best -
Nah no chance, and if they are they'll be $400 a pop!
GG
Ivy confessional: I paid only £80 for my last pair of Weejuns.
My latest deadstock made in USA Weejuns (burgundy) are more plasticky than my outsourced Weejuns in soft tan leather with natural stitching. My USA-made Weejuns are bright red leather with black spray paint applied (I have them with the older combination heels and with the all-rubber heels). Only the USA-made soles are of clearly better quality. The humble Weejun has never been very good quality shoe so I'm amazed that people call the modern ones a disgrace. The current Weejuns are okay if you get a pair in softer leather. The really old Weejuns (N734) with the stacked leather heels (as seen in The Weejun's blog) could be a different beast altogether, but I haven't seen them in the flesh.
The tone of voice in (repeated) threads like these is a bit worrying, it almost seems like people are accusing Chinese for using bad materials.
Last edited by Sports Fan (2011-10-13 06:33:05)
Mine is a different objection, SF.
I know it's not intended but it's easy to jump into conclusions when you read "f*cking Chinese crap!".
Was that me? Mine is more of a human rights issue.
The point of the post is, these discussions can be found all over the forum.
Fruit Of The Loom also seems very sad. I had a nice USA-made, Miles-ish, green button-down which went to someone on here a while back. Still, I suppose they've been churning out band t-shirts for a while now.
'Talk Ivy' is democratic. Unlike - say - China.
It's tough really, I'm a politically mobile sort of chap, I for one cared more about Chinese workers getting 7 years in prison if caught trying to start a workers union in a Apple Mac factory, than Steve Jobs being heralded as a hero. I also try to buy British when ever I can or at least inside the EU, because apart from Romania, all other European countries do abide to a standard, and I don't think this stance is lilly-livered liberal guilt. I would just actually like to see people not being treated like dogs.
Well, most of the PIIGS don't abide to the same standards. But I agree with the sentiment, charity begins at home and all that.
You only need to look at the deteriorating situation in Blighty to see where off-shoring the means of production and crony capitalism has taken us.