Random musings and general banter.

[Herring]

However, I do think younger people today are slaves to designer wear, most of it very sporty or casual and expensive. Even those on benefits always seem to have posh trainers, leggings and tops. I don't wear branded clothing all the time but when I do it's because of the quality, fit and style. Not so much the logo.

It's not as reductive as that, though. Maybe it's a generational thing that prevents some people from seeing the distinction. But real designer clothes/bags/shows, less so fast-fashion high-street designer brands, tend to be aspirational for a reason: quality.

Or to put it another way, how many people on this forum would rather own 1x Rolex or Omega than 4x Swan & Edgar, Gamages, etc?

Certainly for some it's about being seen to be able to afford a brand (i.e., for the bragging rights, as Mike of the Morons would say) but for others it's just about quality. Buy cheap, buy often.

Designer clothing brands are no different. I mean, when I want a good pair of shoes to skate(board) in, I don't go to Primark or H&M. They're cheap, they're not covered in logos, but they also won't last, won't be comfortable, etc. Does that make me a slave to designer wear? Sort of since most good skate brands aren't cheap and almost all ensure their logo is visible, I guess it does.

But a willing slave, at least.

As for "those on benefits always seem to have posh trainers, leggings, and tops" - unless you're expert on fashion, you've no way of knowing if they're genuine or expensive brands. And if they are, so what? Poor people are allowed to be aspirational, to covet nice things, to own nice things - even if "nice" in many instances these days is a marketing construct/trick - "Buy this and your life will be better… oh it isn't? well now buy this…"

Anyway, you'd be amazed at how nice a lot of very cheap clothes from Primark, etc can look, and outlets like TK MAXX, eBay, Vinted, etc all make "real designer clothes" affordable too.

I grew up to a single mum in a council house on a council estate. Most of what my sister and I had (which we were always grateful for, although as a kid sometimes you don't show it) was second hand, knock offs, or acquired through debt/saving up. We had "brands" too. I *lived* in my first pair of Adidas trainers as a kid (long after my feet had outgrown them), and I had a Gameboy my dad got me (likely from 'matey down pub', if you catch my drift). My first "mobile phone" was bought from a club book.

But I also got a dusty fourth-hand Amstrad CPC and a carrier bag of tapes - most of which didn't work - for xmas in mid 1990s when most people my age were getting PlayStations and Nintendo 64s.

If poor people have nice things it's not a given they've paid RRP cos they're rolling in cash, and if they did, it's more likely they gotten themselves into debt for it to have a bit of fleeting sunshine in their life. They don't have to go around in rags.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

 

[Dr Quincy MkII]

Les Dennis done a brilliant Mavis impersonation


They weren’t doing it in memory of Elvis this time then

He was great with Dustin Gee who did a fantastic Vera Duckworth. I love Gee's Russell Harty.

 

[cheeky chappie]

Mike's had emails asking when he's getting some of them into the business so he's had a word with the powers that be and they've managed to get hold of a finite amount of stock — but don't dilly or dally as it's first come first …served

It's a two stage process, stage one 'get them into the business' and stage two 'load them onto the system' never forget stage two, very important!

 

[cheeky chappie]

It is a cheap looking product. The one last night looked more like a toy than something for any serious lover of vinyl. They don’t demo it correctly (we know why). Like trying to show a washing machine making tea. Like everything else they do on air, corners were cut and blagging it rules. Mason telling people it plays 78s. It doesn’t. 78s need a specific stylus. On 1960s record players, you would have a flip around dual stylus for vinyl and non-vinyl records. This, presumably doesn’t. More wrong information. What sound did come out of it last night sounded absolutely horrifically awful. Get Dad a decent turntable this Father’s Day (their flogging point). One with built in speakers, and a quality cartridge and turntable mechanism. Don’t insult the old chap with this piece of….

Emmm, I think you'd find it does play 78s if you actually owned the player as I do. So BACK OFF!!!

Okay, full disclosure, it scratches the record to hell and back and throws it like a discus into the neighbours garden ... but hey you can't have everything

 

[cheeky chappie]

He was great with Dustin Gee who did a fantastic Vera Duckworth. I love Gee's Russell Harty.

Well I don't really knooooooooow Vera!

 

[Jazzydrury]

Sally is selling Garden Tents

 

[Jazzydrury]

Sally is saying if the tents are too long for you you can get them taken up, but forgot to say your warrantee doesn’t allow

 

[cheeky chappie]

This is so true. If an intended recipient wears designer brands, especially the young, don't even think of gifting them non-branded goods. I was with someone who did just this and she was devastated when the usual "I can change it if you don't like it" was taken up by the recipient. So embarrassing.

He had a reputation to uphold and you can imagine his horror at the thought of this gift being discovered by his peer group.

I have tried not to be a brand prisoner myself but I must admit I feel more stylish wearing a Pierre Cardin polo shirt rather than some nomark generic one. And this is the problem IW have when they sell lookalikes or almost-as-good-as-the-real-thing items.

Would they do better if they sold real prestige brands, perhaps end of line, a couple of seasons out of date but at decent prices at least some of the time. Then they could justify using superlatives which simply don't wash on lesser goods.

I was never heavily into the brand thing, although in my teens I did go through a 'Naf Naf' phase where I bought their stuff a few times.

One of said items was a very puffy purple jacket that made me look like the Michelin Man! I swear I'd have to go through narrower doors sideways

 

[Muttley]

Sally is selling Garden Tents

That orange dress is doing her no favours...

 

[cheeky chappie]

Through a friend of a friend of a cousin of an uncle of a friend, I have been told IW is upping its game and will be bringing an even better turntable to air very soon ... you read it here first!

 

[Jazzydrury]

Through a friend of a friend of a cousin of an uncle of a friend, I have been told IW is upping its game and will be bringing an even better turntable to air very soon ... you read it here first!

View attachment 28716

I had one of those

 

[Latearrival]

Sally is saying if the tents are too long for you you can get them taken up, but forgot to say your warrantee doesn’t allow

She keeps saying buy it even if your short, which I am at5ft nothing, get it taken up she says. Fine if you do it yourself with wonder web but she keeps saying do what she does and pay someone to take it up. She’s selling a dress at the bargain price of £15 for gods sake it would cost you more to have the dress taken up than you paid for the dress which makes no blummin sense at all.

 

[Duke of Cheese]

Mike's had emails asking when he's getting some of them into the business so he's had a word with the powers that be and they've managed to get hold of a finite amount of stock — but don't dilly or dally as it's first come first …served

With two sugars and conditioner.

 

[Duke of Cheese]

Great caravan and camping show with Sally earlier. She showed some really good multi-functional camper/fashion items. This orange pet diarrhoea hiding ground sheet or evening leisure wear being the highlight of a smashing show this afternoon..



Now Mike with the best weed killer you will ever use in your home. I only use it in the garden myself.

 

[PhædrusR]

This is so true. If an intended recipient wears designer brands, especially the young, don't even think of gifting them non-branded goods. I was with someone who did just this and she was devastated when the usual "I can change it if you don't like it" was taken up by the recipient. So embarrassing.

He had a reputation to uphold and you can imagine his horror at the thought of this gift being discovered by his peer group.

I have tried not to be a brand prisoner myself but I must admit I feel more stylish wearing a Pierre Cardin polo shirt rather than some nomark generic one. And this is the problem IW have when they sell lookalikes or almost-as-good-as-the-real-thing items.

Would they do better if they sold real prestige brands, perhaps end of line, a couple of seasons out of date but at decent prices at least some of the time. Then they could justify using superlatives which simply don't wash on lesser goods.

As a kid, I was brainwashed by TV/media ads, and peer pressure, into thinking 'brand is best'. Must have Adidas, Nike or Kellogg's , Heinz, Lacoste, McVities', etc.
My parents soon put me straight by never paying for expensive trainers for school and not buying overpriced branded food, out of principle and taste!

As an adult I soon realised many of the brands were often not as good as others and spent a lot of money on advertising and marketing, which is what you're paying for. Sure, some have gained a reputation for quality, at a price, but many are overpriced and inferior. Designer goods especially are not often well made or good quality. You are paying for a brand name. Your self-esteem may feel good about it if you value that sort of thing.

How often have you watched a consumer taste test or look and feel comparison on a TV consumer show survey and the public testers all think the top brands are best until they vote on taste or look and feel and the top brands, or even top price exclusive less well-known higher end products fare badly and come bottom of the table in quality.

Fair point. You can't sell top brands in a poundshop.

Really? Cadbury, Heinz, L'Oréal, Gillette all available.
What I think you mean is high-end expensive brands that don't fit or are too expensive.

Gillette

The best products and prices from Gillette

www.poundland.co.uk

I always remember from the quality courses that a plastic bag can be as good, or better quality than a Louis Vuitton holdall, if it is designed better, fit for function and better value. Similar a Citroen 2CV van be considered to have as much quality as a Rolls Royce. Value, design and function all play a part.

An Four in a Bed B&B TV competition, if judged properly, a 1 star B&B can be better than a 5 star B&B if better value and facilities than you'd expect at that price point/level! Always annoys me when the owners think a luxury B&B should always win against a lesser level B&B. It is about value, service and quality.

 

[galesgal57]

Great caravan and camping show with Sally earlier. She showed some really good multi-functional camper/fashion items. This orange pet diarrhoea hiding ground sheet or evening leisure wear being the highlight of a smashing show this afternoon..

View attachment 28718

Now Mike with the best weed killer you will ever use in your home. I only use it in the garden myself.

That's fantastic! Poor old Foghorn, she probably thought she looked boho and on trend.

 

[Muttley]

That's fantastic! Poor old Foghorn, she probably thought she looked boho and on trend.

She was annoying me with all the flicking her hair back every 5 minutes. That outfit really didn't do her any favours...

Hopefully the 10 year old IW producers on here won't tell her what we said as she may get upset.

 

[galesgal57]

£99.99 for a fragrance I've never heard of, let alone smelled. Can't see many buyers in for that.

 

[Gooner1963]

£99.99 for a fragrance I've never heard of, let alone smelled. Can't see many buyers in for that.

£44 on that little Amazon company

 

[cheeky chappie]

£44 on that little Amazon company

The IW 'bargains' just keep on coming ...