> Sure, there are crappy $5 T-shirts, but today I could buy silk and lace enough to embarrass a king.
Actually I think something has happened to the textiles industry whereby demand must have driven a certain band of suppliers out of business, and now try as I could I can't get polo shirts in the same thick quality cotton weave I could 30 years ago. There is probably some niche source possibly online but I don't know how to discover it; the standard "throw money at luxury mall brand" route seems to not work any longer as the brick and mortars have watered down their materials as well. Sic transit gloria mundi
It's a well-documented escalation of planned obsolescence and it's true for everything from your washing machine to your polo shirts to your car. If you make it cheaply so it deteriorates quickly, constantly bring out new styles to make your current thing seem prematurely out of date, and make it juuuust cheap enough, you can sell people 10 shirts over 10 years instead of 2.
I like wearing industrial clothing (like red kap cotton work shirts) and to my eye seem like they're made about the same quality they always were.
Actually I think something has happened to the textiles industry whereby demand must have driven a certain band of suppliers out of business, and now try as I could I can't get polo shirts in the same thick quality cotton weave I could 30 years ago. There is probably some niche source possibly online but I don't know how to discover it; the standard "throw money at luxury mall brand" route seems to not work any longer as the brick and mortars have watered down their materials as well. Sic transit gloria mundi