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During the time that we lived in europe, the euro dropped from $1.40 to <$1.10. Since our base salaries were still paid in dollars, European clothes actually seemed pretty cheap towards the end.
Of course, we almost always shopped at outlets for the best prices. To give a few examples of deals we got:
-Two pairs of Nike running shoes, ~60 USD total
-High-quality jeans for ~30 USD
-High-quality Jack Jones jacket for ~40 USD
-Le Creuset pot for <100 USD (cheapest I've found anywhere in the US was over 200)
As others have said - we found European's fascination with American fashions to be quite amusing. The Netherlands has a clothing chain called "America Today", which basically sells AE-type clothes for double the US prices. When we were vacationing in Florence, my wife asked a well-dressed local shopkeeper where she buys her goods. She directed us to a retailer on the edge of the city that had almost all American brands!
On the other hand - go in a high-end European brand boutique (Chanel, Prada, etc), and 75% of the customers are Chinese tourists.
We have a couple of those stores around Turin too. I don't know why, but really a lot of "cheap-clothes stores" around the city are French chains (Camaïeu, Cache Cache, Pimkie...). Other stores I often go to are OVS (which is an Italian chain) and H&M (which I think is nearly everywhere).
For sport-clothes there is Decathlon, which is French too.
With foreign chains I have often problems at reading the clothes sizes, because apparently our size system is completelly different from all the other ones. Apart this problem, I don't see big differences among cheap clothes chains.
Then for buying cheap clothes there are also the clothes stalls at the markets, in particular the stalls owned by Chinese people are extremely cheap (even if I have the impression that some of them are not so legal). Anyway, I have never bought my clothes in their stalls because their clothes are always too short for me.
All those stores have really cheap prices (at least if compared with our "regular stores"), but sometimes the quality is not so good... In particular I have yet to find a decent chain for jackets and shoes.
I'm going to have to assume that "economies of scale" is to blame. Not quality--I've checked out the clothing at chains like Comptoir des Cotonniers, Maje, all expensive, and comparable clothing here is 1/2 to 1/3 the price (before sales). Etam, Monoprix, Esprit, cheap quality, comparable to H&M... Zara, Topshop, American Eagle, Gap, Mango, same quality and articles worldwide, higher prices in Europe.
There are a handful of brands offering nice style, like Armani, Nina Ricci, etc. But as others have said, U.S. brands are now ubiquitous in Europe. Guess, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Levis, Lois jeans, etc. It's astonishing how they're dominating nowadays.
What are you even basing this off of? Did you walk in the first clothing store next to the Trevi Fountain? Have you ever heard of Primark? H&M? That's where you can find cheap, sweatshop clothes in any large European city.
Otherwise, I've never really shopped extensively in Europe, but I do remember noting the price of Levi's jeans were about as much as I'd expect to pay in Toronto in Poland and Germany.
What are you even basing this off of? Did you walk in the first clothing store next to the Trevi Fountain? Have you ever heard of Primark? H&M? That's where you can find cheap, sweatshop clothes in any large European city.
Otherwise, I've never really shopped extensively in Europe, but I do remember noting the price of Levi's jeans were about as much as I'd expect to pay in Toronto in Poland and Germany.
Actually, it's kind of funny to be talking about shopping for American clothes in Europe. On the rare occasion I've shopped at all in Europe, I've looked for the typical "ethnic" styles, like the traditional Bavarian or Tyrolean wear, at it's cheapest price reduction in early fall or late spring. I guess I've never been able to afford anything in Paris. Or even Paris, itself, haha.
So, I guess (according to the links) skinny jeans are still popular in Europe? I notice some European designers are doing wide legs and flared legs, now, and this has reached the US, already, mercifully. Skinny jeans look ridiculous on a lot of people.
So, I guess (according to the links) skinny jeans are still popular in Europe? I notice some European designers are doing wide legs and flared legs, now, and this has reached the US, already, mercifully. Skinny jeans look ridiculous on a lot of people.
Europe has always been much more fashion forward - trends will be in Europe for about one year, if not more, before they even cross the pond to the United States.
We have a couple of those stores around Turin too. I don't know why, but really a lot of "cheap-clothes stores" around the city are French chains (Camaïeu, Cache Cache, Pimkie...). Other stores I often go to are OVS (which is an Italian chain) and H&M (which I think is nearly everywhere).
For sport-clothes there is Decathlon, which is French too...
Cache Cache is great, nice clothes and not too pricey. I think we've got plenty of them in France, in small towns like mine even more. When I can, I go to La Halle, they sell clothes, shoes and accessories there, it's an "okay" quality I think, not haute couture but "okay", the shoes are very cheap, they don't last as long as others more expensive but they still last a good time. Before that my mother used to buy clothes online on La Redoute or les 3 Suisses, it's more pricey but the quality is sometime better -- sometime not too... well.
I agree. Clothing in the USA is cheaper, but that cheap stuff lack on quality. If you want top fashion labels, made from the best fabrics, quality finish, superior fit, European fashion collection, and classy look - you pay for all that. But you could shop in outlets, look for seasonal bargains, settle for less known brands or designer knockoffs, and you pay much, much less.
On the travel sites you can often find a section with fashion advice: how to avoid looking like an American. There is surely reason for that.
Agreed.
That's what I do in Italy, and I usually get good quality clothing for under 20 or even 10 EUR per item.
And then there are those chinese stores which sell at rock-bottom prices every day of the year, but their stuff is so low-quality that it is not worth even its low price IMO.
That said, I think that the prices of the shops in the city centers are outrageous.
Europe has always been much more fashion forward - trends will be in Europe for about one year, if not more, before they even cross the pond to the United States.
Right, that's what surprised me. Why are they still wearing skinny jeans? They're on the way out in the US.
Right, that's what surprised me. Why are they still wearing skinny jeans? They're on the way out in the US.
I don't know but seriously over here it's still very popular, for girls, boys, whatever...
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