What has happened to quality women’s clothing , Millers clothing used to be of good quality now they are cheap and nasty. They sell ( for example ) a pair of pedal pusher trousers for $20.00 cheap maybe but one should not have to re sew hems and such before u can wear them. women’s clothing generally are rubbish. mostly nylon or nylon mix that you couldn’t use to wash the car. It isn’t a problem that has started since the covid crisis, lack of quality was a problem a long time before. Also its not just Millers. Yet mens shirts /shorts etc are a far better quality.
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If you had absorbed the attitudes taught to young women by the media that you must turn over your wardrobe with the new season every year, or be considered a fashion outcast, it wouldn’t be a problem. If you look at it the right way they are doing you a favour by not making clothes that last.
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Welcome @tisme2 !
Fast fashion has become increasingly popular, it’s inexpensive but of poor quality, and comes at a high cost of human exploitation and environmental impact.
It’s up to consumers to become more aware. Good quality clothing is still available, some Australian labels are doing high quality clothing that are affordable.
We can build-up a wardrobe of basic pieces to work around, and add a less expensive top to make it look up-to-date with whatever colour or style is in at the moment.
Stores which stock cheap and low-quality clothing are plentiful, but there’s also some quality at reasonable prices in stores like Uniqlo where the quality is good: linen and merino wool fabric, non-flashy colours, comfortable classic cut, to help build-up that basic wardrobe.
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Don’t think the problems are limited to women’s clothing. Mens and children’s clothing also suffers from fast fashion and poor quality manufacturing/materials. There are some outlets which produce cheap men’s/children’s clothing of lower quality or durability…and these tend to be made to only last of short time or after a limited number of wears before they end up in landfill.
I think the trend towards cheap, poor quality/durability garments is more than just disposable fashion trends.
It is also driven by expectations of the consumer for cheaper items. This will invariably result in something giving, namely quality and durability.
I also believe that Australia’s warm climate is also partly responsible for low quality materials. We often look for thin, loose garments which we believe will be cooler in the warmer months. We therefore are more willing to purchase garments of lower durability possibly believing they suit our climate better.
Having had the opportunity to travel to cooler climate countries, I have noticed that the quality of materials used in these countries is thicker, coarser/thicker weave (indicating better wear and durability) and also stitched better (often with tape to reinforce stitching on seams likely to be stressed by the wearer). We have bought some on our travels and found that they significantly outlast equivalently priced and styled garments available in Australia. Some of these garments may seem a first a bit heavy for the Aussie summer, but, if they are a natural fibres and light in colour, they are generally suitable for our climate.
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If you have been watching the ABC and SBS TV of late, you may have seen some programmes looking at issues relating to current clothing trends. Quality is an issue. Repairability is an issue. The environmental cost of disposing vast amounts of discarded clothing is a major issue. The human cost related to exploitation is a vastly complicated issue.
As others have said, clothing and footwear is no longer viewed as a long term investment, rather a short term fashion commodity which is lucky to last out a season before being replaced by the next go-to fashion trend.
I wear a lot of polo shirts and I am frustrated by the decline in the quality. It is easy to buy cheap, thin, poor quality shirts which pill very quickly. It just as easy (if you have the money) to buy very expensive, thin, poor quality shirts which pill very quickly, but have a brand or logo on them, so they are better. 
I have found some good value for money polo shirts, only to find that the same brand has changed dramatically for the worse in the course of six months as the ‘new’ colours come into the stores.
Rather than asking:
Perhaps we should be asking “What has happened to good quality, value for money, clothing and footwear?”
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