Is quality getting worse in fashion? Do things no longer measure up to quality from even just five years ago? What’s your theory about it? Or theories if you’ve got more than one! H&M launched in the US in 2000. Now fast fashion makes up 18% of global apparel sales. Brands in midrange prices no longer just compete with each other. They compete with fast fashion. For some categories, it means lower quality but also lower prices. For others, quality has gone down, but prices have not. I am talking about measurable quality: fabric content for pants. Knit density for sweaters. Quality can also mean fit, function, and design integrity (aligning the ambitiousness of the design with an appropriate level of production quality). There’s a subjectivity to quality, too, in terms of what’s important to whom. My theory is that prices went down to compete with fast fashion, and they dragged quality with them. Not much has emerged to occupy the space J. Crew used to occupy, unless you’re substituting something like Beyond Yoga athleisure for tailored pieces. Even if you don’t buy fast fashion, you’re affected by the way it’s consumed. LTKworkwear LTKVideo LTKSeasonal