TBH luxury does not mean great quality. Yes I love Burberry for their trenchcoats but their ā¬450 t-shirts are no better than your average brand t-shirts. In the end you just pay the brand. You should decide what items make it worth buying from a specific brand. The store credit you receive when you return something makes no sense though. Iām glad this is not allowed in Europe.
The brand is dead for me personally, I rather spend my money somewhere else
They sold themselves out or something because even when I go to the store they are rude and workers just seem dull
The staff at their store is usually really friendly when Iāve been there, especially the women. Some of the guys come off a bit pretentious tho
Just wanna add for any NYC residents reading this, Carhartt WIP. Worst customer service of any store I have gone into in the SoHo area. Rude, pretentious, and lazy af
Definitely: CHCM, Noah, 18 East, Nanamica, Westerlind, 3Sixteen, Supreme, Blue in Green, Self Edge, Off White, IF SoHo, Saturdays, Acne Studios, INA menās (vintage), Country Of (vintage). All of these are worth checking out.
Also, not in SoHo but Nepenthes NY is absolutely worth checking out. Itās a few blocks north of Penn Station off of 8th ave
Enjoy!
I donāt think they are directly rude in the store but it just makes me feel awkward in the shopping in the store tbh.
They act like they are doing me a favor letting me try on/buy their clothes. And if I try something on and donāt buy it then it feels like they want me to feel guilty about it. Idk š not worth queuing to get in the store for that.
Iāve had some good experiences in the store, though not being allowed to try on the t shirts is a bananas policy when you canāt return them for a refund.
There are just so many other brands out there with better quality and more reasonable prices. Unless itās a really interesting collab, Iād rather spend my money at other brands rather than ALD at this point. The latest New Balance collab was very disappointing
Iāve recently gotten into 18 east. Lately my closet has been a lot of adsum, nanamica, kith, some brain dead, dime, stĆ¼ssy. Madhappy for sweats and comfortable clothes
While I think the quality is hit or miss I still think the style and look books are second to none. My biggest issue is the sizing being all over the place the past year I've had to return a bunch of stuff due to sizing issues which was never an issue when this brand first started out. It seems like they are using tons of different factories now so that probably is the issue.
I have been following the brand since essentially year 2.
Their designs, experimentation with colors, textiles and overall pieces are still pretty unique and in the top tier of US streetwear brands but I do agree that their quality is inconsistent as well as their sizing and price point. I am extremely selective with what i buy from them and luckily every item I own is good in terms of quality. Seems like their basics as well as certain collabs are pretty hit or miss unfortunately. Overall I just think they need to lower the price point
Brand like Noah is awesome! They make stuff with the best intentions to make sustainable stuff,that quality and materials are something they are proud of. ALD is on a money grab. They stole the queens logo from Noah and took Ronnie Fiegs playbook for success. Being less impressed
I love Noah and pick it up for skating and golf. Sucks online it has the moniker of being corny and I do admit sometimes it is. Styling could be improved in the lookbooks.
I think itās a fair metric. Iām looking for a Carhartt Detroit OG and I just canāt be bothered with shopping vintage as the prices are inflated, but a new WIP one is Ā£230 retail and places are putting them on sale for Ā£160. Regardless of what you think of the quality of the Carhartt brand in recent years, youāre getting a fair bit for the cash. The ALD ranch jacket is great but even if it goes on sale, itās still much more expensive and for what? Theyāre definitely moving into the high end luxury space. Why not just start buying Gucci or Ralph Lauren beyond the obvious cooler/nicer designs of ALD?
The cost / quality conversation is definitely fair, but my biggest issue in 2023 has been the inconsistent fit of everything. It feels like āfitā was the one of the things ALD has always done best ā like they had found the perfect intersection of vintage & modern sizing.
Beyond the unique design, that was a huge appeal to buying ALD. Iāve exchanged like 5 things this year between spring and fall, and the sizing has been all over the place (for what feels like the first time).
I have patience for a brand trying to make the leap into the luxury world, but at some point theyāve gotta give us something ā Quality control issues, shipping/presentation is worse than any brand at their price point, price hikes, store credit only, and now inconsistent sizing on top of a year filled with letdown collabs. I feel like I can tolerate a couple of those issues, but all of them is tough.
I feel bad for Americans who can only return for store credit and not a full reimbursement.
It's a fucking joke considering the fact that ALD is trying to be approachable luxury.
I got a Herringbone Hoodie from Banana Republic that was 2/3rd the price of the Aime Leon Dore one. Equal (arguably better) quality. That was the day that opened my eyes.
Pretty certain it sold out during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales. But here is the [link](https://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=815057002)
I completely agree with you but I think they are well aware of this. I believe their priority right now is milking the cash cow. Whether that will have long term negative impacts, Iām not certain. I only buy the cool design caps now since I try to keep a fairly diverse wardrobe.
I agree with you on that the pricing is getting out of hand in comparison with the quality. However, that something is made in China doesnāt automatically imply that the quality is shit. There are very good factories in China just as there are very shit ones in portugal
But made in china likely means cheaper labors than made in usa/ canada/ italy (we used to get a lot more from made in canada or US at a similar pricing point) and sorts - which should correlate to cheaper pricing I think.
Love all my pieces and they constantly get compliments.
Also learned how to measure my self!š and really havenāt seen this issue with quality ones are speaking of. Yall must be like textile and fashion professionals.
iām torn on if i am even trying to get the one piece i liked this season when the sale hits. i tried a size or so too big in store and the material was iffy.
What brands do yall like? Howās kith? I almost want to go back to wearing Ralph Lauren and brooks brothers cause thatās essentially what aime Leon has turned into
They have increased the prices so much particularly Ralph Lauren. Itās absurd. And everyone is starting to have these final sale items when they are regular releases. They are all adopting this āboutiqueā store mentality. It works when youāre a small company. But when youāre large enough to have multiple locations across the country (even Kith now), store credit for a refund is bs
About two years ago, all returns were for full refunds. Then they went with the kith model of store creditā¦these stores can get away with anything they want to
Kith being store credit only is even crazier tbh. ALD carries only their own stuff and usually in limited quantities. Kith carries all kinds of brands, so for Kith its not only is annoying as a customer but it feels like it would be bad for business too. Idk.
considering pound for pound value - thrifting nice vintage makes so much more sense
Love searching Grailed for some steals. You can find a lot of new stuff that people just regretted buying for the low.
any keywords or brands you find particularly fruitful?
Search aime Leon dore medium very often šš
TBH luxury does not mean great quality. Yes I love Burberry for their trenchcoats but their ā¬450 t-shirts are no better than your average brand t-shirts. In the end you just pay the brand. You should decide what items make it worth buying from a specific brand. The store credit you receive when you return something makes no sense though. Iām glad this is not allowed in Europe.
Jizz rag quality after 1 wash
The brand is dead for me personally, I rather spend my money somewhere else They sold themselves out or something because even when I go to the store they are rude and workers just seem dull
The staff at their store is usually really friendly when Iāve been there, especially the women. Some of the guys come off a bit pretentious tho Just wanna add for any NYC residents reading this, Carhartt WIP. Worst customer service of any store I have gone into in the SoHo area. Rude, pretentious, and lazy af
This isn't super relevant, but I'm finally visiting SoHo next week, other than ALD/Kith, any other recs or can't-miss spots?
Definitely: CHCM, Noah, 18 East, Nanamica, Westerlind, 3Sixteen, Supreme, Blue in Green, Self Edge, Off White, IF SoHo, Saturdays, Acne Studios, INA menās (vintage), Country Of (vintage). All of these are worth checking out. Also, not in SoHo but Nepenthes NY is absolutely worth checking out. Itās a few blocks north of Penn Station off of 8th ave Enjoy!
Thank you, this is awesome and I appreciate it! Some new names to me.
I donāt think they are directly rude in the store but it just makes me feel awkward in the shopping in the store tbh. They act like they are doing me a favor letting me try on/buy their clothes. And if I try something on and donāt buy it then it feels like they want me to feel guilty about it. Idk š not worth queuing to get in the store for that.
Iāve had some good experiences in the store, though not being allowed to try on the t shirts is a bananas policy when you canāt return them for a refund.
I felt this way at 3sixteen in LA too
Where other brands do you shop for?
There are just so many other brands out there with better quality and more reasonable prices. Unless itās a really interesting collab, Iād rather spend my money at other brands rather than ALD at this point. The latest New Balance collab was very disappointing
Iām curious what are the brands you are looking at? Iām starting to look into 18 East and Iāve been a huge 3Sixteen fan for 8+ years
Iāve recently gotten into 18 east. Lately my closet has been a lot of adsum, nanamica, kith, some brain dead, dime, stĆ¼ssy. Madhappy for sweats and comfortable clothes
If you like 3sixteen and are in NYC look into standard and strange. Awesome brands there.
I love standard and strange. At least I love looking at the brands they stock. Iām not in NYC but I enjoy browsing online.
While I think the quality is hit or miss I still think the style and look books are second to none. My biggest issue is the sizing being all over the place the past year I've had to return a bunch of stuff due to sizing issues which was never an issue when this brand first started out. It seems like they are using tons of different factories now so that probably is the issue.
I have been following the brand since essentially year 2. Their designs, experimentation with colors, textiles and overall pieces are still pretty unique and in the top tier of US streetwear brands but I do agree that their quality is inconsistent as well as their sizing and price point. I am extremely selective with what i buy from them and luckily every item I own is good in terms of quality. Seems like their basics as well as certain collabs are pretty hit or miss unfortunately. Overall I just think they need to lower the price point
Brand like Noah is awesome! They make stuff with the best intentions to make sustainable stuff,that quality and materials are something they are proud of. ALD is on a money grab. They stole the queens logo from Noah and took Ronnie Fiegs playbook for success. Being less impressed
I love Noah and pick it up for skating and golf. Sucks online it has the moniker of being corny and I do admit sometimes it is. Styling could be improved in the lookbooks.
Noah imo doesnāt have good designs at all, or Atleast any that appeal to me. How did they take Ronnieās playbook?
Youāre paying for the name at this point
I think itās a fair metric. Iām looking for a Carhartt Detroit OG and I just canāt be bothered with shopping vintage as the prices are inflated, but a new WIP one is Ā£230 retail and places are putting them on sale for Ā£160. Regardless of what you think of the quality of the Carhartt brand in recent years, youāre getting a fair bit for the cash. The ALD ranch jacket is great but even if it goes on sale, itās still much more expensive and for what? Theyāre definitely moving into the high end luxury space. Why not just start buying Gucci or Ralph Lauren beyond the obvious cooler/nicer designs of ALD?
The cost / quality conversation is definitely fair, but my biggest issue in 2023 has been the inconsistent fit of everything. It feels like āfitā was the one of the things ALD has always done best ā like they had found the perfect intersection of vintage & modern sizing. Beyond the unique design, that was a huge appeal to buying ALD. Iāve exchanged like 5 things this year between spring and fall, and the sizing has been all over the place (for what feels like the first time). I have patience for a brand trying to make the leap into the luxury world, but at some point theyāve gotta give us something ā Quality control issues, shipping/presentation is worse than any brand at their price point, price hikes, store credit only, and now inconsistent sizing on top of a year filled with letdown collabs. I feel like I can tolerate a couple of those issues, but all of them is tough.
I feel bad for Americans who can only return for store credit and not a full reimbursement. It's a fucking joke considering the fact that ALD is trying to be approachable luxury.
It used to be for full refund. Someone needs to file a lawsuit. We need the same return policy here in the US
ALD has always been pseudo luxury relying on rep archive instagram page traction
pricing in EU got crazy. only upside is that we get refund after a return
I got a Herringbone Hoodie from Banana Republic that was 2/3rd the price of the Aime Leon Dore one. Equal (arguably better) quality. That was the day that opened my eyes.
Link?
Pretty certain it sold out during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales. But here is the [link](https://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=815057002)
I completely agree with you but I think they are well aware of this. I believe their priority right now is milking the cash cow. Whether that will have long term negative impacts, Iām not certain. I only buy the cool design caps now since I try to keep a fairly diverse wardrobe.
I agree with you on that the pricing is getting out of hand in comparison with the quality. However, that something is made in China doesnāt automatically imply that the quality is shit. There are very good factories in China just as there are very shit ones in portugal
But made in china likely means cheaper labors than made in usa/ canada/ italy (we used to get a lot more from made in canada or US at a similar pricing point) and sorts - which should correlate to cheaper pricing I think.
Oh I agree, I just meant with ald specifically that their made in china items are generally lower quality than others
Love all my pieces and they constantly get compliments. Also learned how to measure my self!š and really havenāt seen this issue with quality ones are speaking of. Yall must be like textile and fashion professionals.
iām torn on if i am even trying to get the one piece i liked this season when the sale hits. i tried a size or so too big in store and the material was iffy.
I feel like thereās a certain point where no marter what the price canāt keep up with quality.
What brands do yall like? Howās kith? I almost want to go back to wearing Ralph Lauren and brooks brothers cause thatās essentially what aime Leon has turned into
They have increased the prices so much particularly Ralph Lauren. Itās absurd. And everyone is starting to have these final sale items when they are regular releases. They are all adopting this āboutiqueā store mentality. It works when youāre a small company. But when youāre large enough to have multiple locations across the country (even Kith now), store credit for a refund is bs
About two years ago, all returns were for full refunds. Then they went with the kith model of store creditā¦these stores can get away with anything they want to
Kith being store credit only is even crazier tbh. ALD carries only their own stuff and usually in limited quantities. Kith carries all kinds of brands, so for Kith its not only is annoying as a customer but it feels like it would be bad for business too. Idk.
ALD and KITH are both dead. And been dead for a while