Maybe its an age thing. maybe its just lack of knowledge and experience. I make no claims one way or other. it does seem as if many posts on fashion/clothing forums whine 'they don't make it like they used to'. this may be true if you've lived long enough and had an interest to see the change.
But I have a question: Is there anything that is made as good as it used to be? is there anything that is made better?
I don'r mean to be a jackass, i just want to know, thanks.
I suspect it will be a case-by-case basis. Off the top of my head, the biggest decline is in the quality of materials available for shoes. On the other hand, Marc and others will say that cloth available for clothing has improved in quality.
but surely there must be something good out there. irish fisherman sweaters maybe? are barbour coats not as good as they used to be? are the much talked about (at least on aaat) Alden cordovan shoes not as good? i'm 24 years old i'd hate to think all the good stuff is gone
Alden makes a shoe of outstanding quality. The owner of Moulded Shoe in New York, who makes $400 custom-made orthotics, knows feet and knows shoes, and he sells Alden exclusively, boasting they're the finest shoes in the world. I've posted about Bemidji and Johnson woolen coats, made in American the old-fashioned way---Just great stuff. And, while Levis are no longer made in America, at least not their basic jeans, Diamond Gusset jeans, a terrific jean that surpasses Levis, IMO, are made in America to the highest standards. Carhartt, an American company, makes excellent, excellent products, too, and very reasonably priced, though not made in America. Same with LL Bean. All hope is not completely lost.
Two add'l excellent companies...
http://www.bigfoottrail.com/
http://www.russellmoccasin.com/index.html
This company sells amazing leather motorcycle jackets, made in America...
http://www.foxcreekleather.com/
This company, too...
http://www.schottnyc.com/
Another source for very high-quality, reasonably priced, outdoor gear, though not made in America...
http://www.cabelas.com/
Although Russell sells custom-fitted shoes, for the most part, if you cannot travel to the hinterland, they do sell one or two shoes ready-made, such as their chukkas. They don't like to advertise this, but if the ready-made shoes fit you well, they're amenable, on a case-by-case basis, to making the custom-made shoes to the specs of the ready made shoes.
I have to disagree a bit. I have a pair of Quoddy Camp Mocs that are far superior to the Bean version. They are well made and use top-notch leather.
When I bought mine, they were still reasonably priced. The prices have gone up considerably since then, so they may not be worth the premium now. I don't profess to think that they're the end all and be all, but they're pretty good.
Archie
Last edited by Russell_Street (2008-03-03 12:08:39)
I think some new stuff is better than it ever was, particularly in what you might call "technical clothing", ie. winter sports wear (for skiing or just hanging out in the arctic/antarctic), golf shoes, runners/trainers, wicking fabric for cycling/running outfits.