Brand and Product

Golden ice

Golden ice

Super Star
Jul 28, 2012
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NYC, USA
If you are going shopping and looking to splurge on some really good designer pieces, what brands do you go to for certain things? For instance, what would be your top pick(s) for bags, your top pick(s) for shoes, for jeans, for coats, etc.

Also are there any brands that you avoid when shopping for certain things, that although they are a high quality brand, certain products really aren't worth it. For instance, one thing I've found is that jewelry at places like Ralph Lauren, Coach, etc. (or fashion jewelry in general) tends to not even be close to the hundred plus dollars you pay for it - it's all just plated and tends to wear quickly.
 
I've found that huge names are typically not worth it. If I do buy them, it's almost always vintage. I love Coach bags though. For shoes, I would say Acne or Vince. Coats and anything Chanel area definitely vintage.
 
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Coats: Burberry coats are really good, I would avoid the trench only because it's not very warm in colder/windy weather.
Bags: Chanel bags (but I only have Chanel bags and one Givenchy). I also have two longchamps for uni and gym - they're good for heavy practical stuff. So really can't say much about which bags are the best quality wise/top picks since I don't have a lot.
Jeans: Hollister - only because they're the smallest brand for me.
Cashmere: Pringles of Scotland, Ralph Lauren, Eric Bombard (all runs big though)
Shoes: Christian Louboutin, Stuart Wietzman (only for 5050 - I don't have any other type from him). Kurt Geiger shoes are nice but for price and quality look for cheaper look a likes. KG shoes all damage after 4/5 wears (I think all of mine have been damaged after 4/5 wear). But, they're okay for uni events, or if you want cheap shoes for uni, etc. Zara is good too, but not all. Ralph Lauren and Gucci are also good for their shoes. Russell Bromley is also pretty decent for shoes too (cheaper price too). I have a few topshop sandals and I'm surprised they're held up well (really cheap too).
Flats (all suede): I used to be really loyal to French sole before I realized they're bad quality wise compared to Repetto and Pretty Ballerinas.

I don't mind where or which brand I get (cheap or expensive) as long as I like it :).
 
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Oooh, I like this thread! Once I find a brand I like for a particular thing, I will continually replace with the same item as many times as possible, even for low-end stuff. Once I liked a pair of Zaraflats so much that I bought 4 pairs, since Zara shoes only tend to last a few months on me (I stomp a lot when I walk I think..)

Anyway, these are my favorites (some high end, some lower end):

Coats --
Leather: Veda or All Saints
Trench: Burberry or Coach (the ONE thing I like from Coach, other than their classic Willis bag)
Wool: any Scandi brand (I have a Ganni one which is soooo warm and cozy!)
Technical: Patagonia

Shoes --
Ballet flats: Repetto or...H&M (seriously, they are so comfy and weirdly durable!)
Loafers/boat shoes: Sebago
Sneakers: New Balance
Most other flats: Loeffler Randall
(Heels are the one thing I'm horrible at! I can barely walk in them and would looove recs from you girls!)

Bags -- YSL or Celine for nice leather, Longchamp or Bendel for my stuff-everything-and-my-laptop-in school bag

Jeans: J Brand, AG, or Rich&Skinny (miss these!)
Shirts: Brooks Brothers no-iron shirts ALWAYS

For "basics" (plain tshirts, jumpers, socks, etc.), I often go to J.Crew. They're well-made enough to last long and look decent, but not so pricey that you feel silly spending $$ on a tshirt.
 
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Oh, I love this!

Coats:
- I have a wonderful long elizabeth&james coat that got me through a long winter
- Barbour for milder climates, casual coats
- Helmut Lang / Vince for more casual / night jackets, usually not too expensive and good leather, from my experience

Tops:
- J. crew and madewell for basics / staples (boring t shirts, etc)
- Helmut lang for interesting / draped tops
- Rag & bone for more boyish tops, leather pieces
(note: I don't have to wear button downs for work, so I don't have much advice for those)
- I buy a lot of thrifted striped tops as well, usually don't want to pay too much for those

Sweaters:
- Madewell for cheaper sweaters
- EILEEN FISHER. Call me an old lady, but that is my go-to brand for comfortable sweaters
- again, Helmut Lang. Can't be beat.
- Acne
- There is some cashmere retailer where my mom shops and I forget the name but it is truly a wonderful brand

Pants:
- Current / Elliott (though I find that they run big) and J brand. I swear by those two.

Misc:
- I have found that patagonia is always worth it
- I am obsessed with Opening Ceremony / 3.1 Phillip Lim for more interesting pieces, and have been happy with all of my purchases from either of those brands. I've never really bought a "normal" thing from opening ceremony, but everything I do have is wonderful.
- VPL / A. wang bras have always treated me well, but I am an A cup, so they may not be great for ladies with larger chests.
 
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Coats:
  • I have a Canada Goose coat that keeps me warm in extreme cold weather.
  • I really like my Barbour jacket too. I mostly use it during fall and spring but I would like to get a lining and hopefully use it during winter too
  • Also, I just bought a leather jacket from Cole Haan ($300 off during Amazon Prime Day!!) and it's great. Simple, minimalist design and great quality. I can see myself wearing this in 10 years if the quality stays up.
Tops:
  • J. Crew for basics (striped, plain, etc)
  • Ted Baker has some fun ones that I like
Dresses:
  • Joie! I just bought my first dress from them a month ago and I'm in love. It's a simple striped black/white shirt dress but it's so comfy but not looking like a bum.
  • Nanette Lepore. This brand isn't talked about too much and I'm not the biggest fan of 'hippie' clothing - but their dresses fit me so well.
  • J. Crew has some cute dresses but you have to be careful when buying. Sometimes they are bad quality and they raise their prices on all of their dresses so wait for a sale (they are always happening) and then buy it. Their sizing is always off and not consistent too..
  • Ted Baker. Their style is sometimes a little too crazy and bright for me but they usually have some dresses that aren't so crazy that are worth the price. Their sizing is weird though (0= US 2, 1= US 4, etc)
  • Milly. I don't own any Milly dresses but I like them. I've tried them on before and they seem to be of good quality. Price kind of sucks though.

Sweaters:
  • LL Bean. The only place I really buy sweaters! They are relatively cheap for a sweater (around $50) for the quality. LL Bean always has great, consistent quality on everything.
  • Ralph Lauren. I don't buy or look at them too much, but I have one and I like it.

Pants:
  • J. Brand. That's it. It's the only brand I've tried on and found that works for me. It's not a super tall brand so if you are taller than 5'8" the jeans probably will be too short for you. The price sucks too (around $150-$200 for every pair). Well not terrible pricing, but it seems like a lot when you want multiple pairs of jeans!

Jewelry:
  • J. Crew. It's cheap (again, they are always having sale) but the quality is okay. Not amazingly great but it's not going to fall off you in the middle of the day.
 
For anyone who has bought them, what are your thoughts on:

1. Michael Kors and Tory Burch - their bags and flats are pretty popular. How much of this is just hype, and are these good quality brands?
2. Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, Vineyard Vines - the "preppy" brands. I've found that their stuff tends to be expensive, but I put a TH blouse in the wash and it frayed quite a bit.
3. J Crew - I can't find a thing that fits me there. Their vanity sizing is horrendous, at least with their outlet clothes. Is this just an outlet thing, or is it their brand in general? Same problem with Lilly Pulitzer - I tried on a 0 halter top dress and it literally fell down to my hips haha.
4. Nine West, Aldo - they seem about the same price point, but I've found that their shoes aren't the most comfortable, and not really much higher quality or comfort-wise than like a Charlotte Russe or Forever 21.
5. Kate Spade - any good? In looking at her stuff, it seems like it is very fad-based and not the best quality-wise.

Any advice regarding where to find a marked-down Chanel bag, or deals on the really high end designers like Chanel, Hermes, Burberry, etc.? I know they're expensive, but still...
 
Golden ice said:
For anyone who has bought them, what are your thoughts on:

1. Michael Kors and Tory Burch - their bags and flats are pretty popular. How much of this is just hype, and are these good quality brands?
2. Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, Vineyard Vines - the "preppy" brands. I've found that their stuff tends to be expensive, but I put a TH blouse in the wash and it frayed quite a bit.
3. J Crew - I can't find a thing that fits me there. Their vanity sizing is horrendous, at least with their outlet clothes. Is this just an outlet thing, or is it their brand in general? Same problem with Lilly Pulitzer - I tried on a 0 halter top dress and it literally fell down to my hips haha.
4. Nine West, Aldo - they seem about the same price point, but I've found that their shoes aren't the most comfortable, and not really much higher quality or comfort-wise than like a Charlotte Russe or Forever 21.
5. Kate Spade - any good? In looking at her stuff, it seems like it is very fad-based and not the best quality-wise.

Any advice regarding where to find a marked-down Chanel bag, or deals on the really high end designers like Chanel, Hermes, Burberry, etc.? I know they're expensive, but still...
Click to expand...
I can respond to a couple of these brands.
  1. Michael Kors: This is just an opinion, but I don't think their bags are all that great and honestly am not a fan of them. A lot of people buy them thinking they are high fashion and it's almost embarrassing :facepalm: If you buy one, I would suggest not getting one with the logo / print all over it. It looks tacky in my opinion. Tory Burch on the other hand is one of my favorite brands! The quality seems to be consistent and is good. Their flats are okay - I don't really like the whole logo thing (same thing with MK) but if that's your style, then go for it! I know a lot of people with TB flats and they love them. I own a pair of sandals from Tory Burch and the sizing is consistent and they're pretty comfortable.
  2. I only know for Vineyard Vines. Cheap and marked up as hell. I do not recommend this brand no matter how popular their shep shirts are. But they do sometimes have really cute summer dresses that I've admittedly fallen for....:nervous:
  3. J. Crew is a great brand for basics. However, their sizing sucks...and when you hit the outlet stores, it's even more inconsistent. I used to shop their outlet stores all the time but the quality control has declined so much in the past year. Items are cheaply made and probably wouldn't last more than 5 washes. I do like to invest in basic items at the regular J. Crew store.
  4. I don't own anything from there.
  5. Kate Spade is popular. Some of their things aren't my style (like bows everywhere) but their items seem to be good. I own a crossbody bag from them and it kept up very well after everyday use for a while (I've since upgraded and bought the KS bag a while ago...unsure of quality nowadays). My sister loves Kate Spade and swears by their bags. I like some of the clothes - but they seem to be trying too hard??Same with their jewelry. I don't know if that's a good way to explain it. I suppose the overall opinion of Kate Spade is that it's a brand a lot of people like but it mostly appeals to teens and college students.
I hope some of this helps and again, most of this is just my opinion. :)
 
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Golden ice said:
For anyone who has bought them, what are your thoughts on:

1. Michael Kors and Tory Burch - their bags and flats are pretty popular. How much of this is just hype, and are these good quality brands?
2. Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, Vineyard Vines - the "preppy" brands. I've found that their stuff tends to be expensive, but I put a TH blouse in the wash and it frayed quite a bit.
3. J Crew - I can't find a thing that fits me there. Their vanity sizing is horrendous, at least with their outlet clothes. Is this just an outlet thing, or is it their brand in general? Same problem with Lilly Pulitzer - I tried on a 0 halter top dress and it literally fell down to my hips haha.
4. Nine West, Aldo - they seem about the same price point, but I've found that their shoes aren't the most comfortable, and not really much higher quality or comfort-wise than like a Charlotte Russe or Forever 21.
5. Kate Spade - any good? In looking at her stuff, it seems like it is very fad-based and not the best quality-wise.

Any advice regarding where to find a marked-down Chanel bag, or deals on the really high end designers like Chanel, Hermes, Burberry, etc.? I know they're expensive, but still...
Click to expand...

3. J Crew is all hype. Quality is pretty awful for the price and the sizing is gross. Madewell is the same unfortunately. Honestly I think Gap is better quality than J Crew, but their sizing sucks as well.
4. For Nine West and Aldo you seem to be paying for the trendiness of the shoe rather than the quality.
 
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Elsa said:
3. J Crew is all hype. Quality is pretty awful for the price and the sizing is gross. Madewell is the same unfortunately. Honestly I think Gap is better quality than J Crew, but their sizing sucks as well.
4. For Nine West and Aldo you seem to be paying for the trendiness of the shoe rather than the quality.
Click to expand...
Spot on.
 
Elsa said:
3. J Crew is all hype. Quality is pretty awful for the price and the sizing is gross. Madewell is the same unfortunately. Honestly I think Gap is better quality than J Crew, but their sizing sucks as well.
Click to expand...

What are your thoughts on Banana Republic? I'm thinking about shopping there for some business clothes, but would like to know if they are likely to last before purchasing.
 
Golden ice said:
What are your thoughts on Banana Republic? I'm thinking about shopping there for some business clothes, but would like to know if they are likely to last before purchasing.
Click to expand...

I've actually never owned anything from Banana Republic so I'm curious as well!
 
Banana Republic: I adore their clothes. They have the best quality for basics and are reasonably affordable, so I always go there for trousers, jeans, and button ups. They don't have loads of shoe choices, but if they did i think they'd be great. It really is great for business wear, and their quality is good enough to last quite a while. Don't ever skimp on basics! There's a reason they're so cheap. If you like Banana Republic's styles, try Massimo Dutti. It's my absolute favorite, and they by far have the BEST jeans in the world. Fit me perfectly, which never ever happens. And they're way affordable compared to Acne and Rag & Bone, my other favorite brands of jeans.
 
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I was wondering if anyone has any experience with coats with (fake) fur trim on them. I want a coat that even with getting fur trim wet, will stay nice and not get gross and smelly.

I used to hate the look of fur but it's growing on me.

Specifically

Guess
Kenneth Cole
J Crew
 
Peppermint said:
I was wondering if anyone has any experience with coats with (fake) fur trim on them. I want a coat that even with getting fur trim wet, will stay nice and not get gross and smelly.

I used to hate the look of fur but it's growing on me.

Specifically

Guess
Kenneth Cole
J Crew
Click to expand...
My jcrew one has held up really well. Looks great and doesn't get weird or ratty, even when I wash it.
 
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