Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Liz Claiborne was a big brand in the 80s but now, and I used to know people who would only buy this brand, but now some consignment stores won't take this brand of clothing anymore to sell second hand. How did it go downhill so fast?
The company undermined itself by deciding to sell through Penny's, when it had had a very successful long-term relationship with Macys, Macy's retaliated by slashing the size of its orders and cutting way back on the brand. That decision may have come soon after Claiborne and her husband left their management roles at the company. Eventually, after some other bad business decisions over years, the company sold out completely to Penny's. That may be why consignment stores no longer regard it as a good brand; it's now considered a Penny's brand.
The company undermined itself by deciding to sell through Penny's, when it had had a very successful long-term relationship with Macys, Macy's retaliated by slashing the size of its orders and cutting way back on the brand. That decision may have come soon after Claiborne and her husband left their management roles at the company. Eventually, after some other bad business decisions over years, the company sold out completely to Penny's. That may be why consignment stores no longer regard it as a good brand; it's now considered a Penny's brand.
That's interesting. I remember when Claiborne was sold at Dillard's (although I never shopped at Macy's).
And I haven't been in a JCPenney's store in a long time. Although I heard they carry higher quality clothing than they used to.
I wondered if it had something to do with the brand being considered "retro" 1980s and therefore, dated.
The brand is in fact now owned by JCPenney, and is now a lower-end store brand similar to Kohl's Croft and Barrow brand. I have gotten a few Claiborne (the men's line is just Claiborne, not Liz Claiborne) shirts as gifts, although it wouldn't be a brand that I would normally buy.
Oh yeah, forgot. Claiborne is the mens' brand, Liz Claiborne is the women's brand. Or do they just call it Liz now?
There was a separate Liz line, for awhile.
My local Penny's does not carry higher-quality stuff. I don't recall seeing Liz Claiborne anything there, either. Penny's, IMO, is going to go out of business if it doesn't get its act together.
Liz Claiborne shouldn't have undermined Macy's that way; Macy's does a bang-up job selling stylish sportswear and office attire at an affordable price, and that's what Liz Claiborne specialized in. Macy's doesn't have much left now, in that niche, except its own in-house brands, which are still pretty good, but Macy's isn't what it used to be. Though it's better in high population areas, like the SF Bay Area, than it is out in the middle of the Southwest desert, where I am for now.
I think the problem is that most lines are made in China, lesser quality fabric, trying to charge as much for low quality as the old days w/quality things. If you look at clothing you'll often/sometimes see that seams are crooked, pockets (in jeans especially) are teeny tiny and not sewn correctly so they "pull", lots of other issues)
I think the problem is that most lines are made in China, lesser quality fabric, trying to charge as much for low quality as the old days w/quality things. If you look at clothing you'll often/sometimes see that seams are crooked, pockets (in jeans especially) are teeny tiny and not sewn correctly so they "pull", lots of other issues)
Liz Claiborne was different; she had her designs made all over the world. To ensure quality, she had a staff of a couple hundred people who would travel around and inspect the work. The brand deteriorated due to bad business decisions, not because the quality declined.
I think the problem is that most lines are made in China, lesser quality fabric, trying to charge as much for low quality as the old days w/quality things. If you look at clothing you'll often/sometimes see that seams are crooked, pockets (in jeans especially) are teeny tiny and not sewn correctly so they "pull", lots of other issues)
Is China really #1 in the garment industry for name brand clothing? None of my IZOD shirts are made in China. My IZOD polo shirts are either made in Pakistan, India, Kenya, Vietnam, or Indonesia. My IZOD button downs are all made in Bangladesh. I'm not saying any of these countries are any better as far as quality goes, although IZOD has been a good quality brand for me.
For generic and store brand clothing though China might indeed be #1.
Last edited by Pink Jazz; 03-13-2017 at 08:29 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
