Quality vs. Bon Marche

My grandma had a lot of everything: jewelry, clothing, shoes, boxes of See's candy hidden in various places throughout her house. . . From her, I learned to like clothing and shopping, but I did not learn much about quality. That was something my mother taught me.

Every fall my mom (pictured above) would take me to Santa Ana's Fashion Square. We would have lunch at Bullock's (Boy do I miss that store!), and then we would shop. She was very patient, even when I was a surly teen, and would help me decide what 3 outfits I would get. An emphasis was placed on how the garments fit, how they were made, and how many things in my current wardrobe they would go with. Quality clothing, she pointed out, would last longer and would look better longer.

In terms of quality, my mom would show me the difference between a finished and unfinished seam, how the patterns lined up (or not), how well the buttons were attached, if the zipper worked smoothly, and if there were any loose threads ("sloppy workmanship"). When she would discover something was cheaply made she would call it, "Bon marche." I internalized these lessons and continue to look carefully at something before I consider purchasing it. But I wonder more and more how stores can sell clothing at high prices that is so obviously poorly made. I think the reason is this: Consumers do not know how to look for quality so they do not demand it.

Even high-end, designer labels manufacture shoddily made clothing and accessories. Just because you are purchasing a label does not mean you are purchasing quality. Apply the same lessons my mom taught me, and you will see that price does not always indicate quality.

One huge exception is the brand Hermes. I recently read an excellent article about the hand-made items Hermes produces, from start to finish. Learning that there are still trained, highly skilled craftspeople to care deeply about their work is encouraging. If you are interested in reading more about so-called luxury goods, a well-researched book that I have mentioned before is "Deluxe," by Dana Thomas.