This is everything wrong with American Fashion Today

[homi29]

Exploiting the idea of quality when the design looks like it came straight out of Old Navy. It amazes me that this has raised more money than any other fashion kickstarter campaign ever.

http://www.flintandtinderusa.com/pages/kickstarter-frame

[1 9 9 3]

I fucking hate the phrase: "Every stitch tells a story".

[tween_spirit]

why yes I am a fully grown adult that wears a hooded sweatshirt. Oh these repairs? yes each one tells a story. for example this one is from an elbow hole I got from spending all day on tumblr, this one is from dropping my knife on it while trying to instagram my meal at a divey restaurant, and this one *mouth opens wider and wider emitting a louder and louder droning noise until my jaw dislocates and a flood of wasps pours out stinging all of humanity until they swell up and resemble chubby #menswear poseurs with their too-tiny blazers and jowels bursting out of club collars closed with knit ties*

Edited April 2, 2013 by tween_spirit

[mr fluffernutter]

that hoodie is ugly

[OkayOkay]

I thought it was weird when they make the pricing comparison:

"Premium sweatshirts cost anywhere from $130 - $190+ in department stores. Cheap ones are only a few bucks less."

I get that "premium" can get into the couple hundred dollar range, but creating the illusion that cheap ones are "a couple bucks less" is some bullshit. Most basic fleece on the market is like 1/4th of his "premium" quote. I can manufacture the exact same item he's making with all the same guarantees, stitching and direct sell it for $50 and still make a 50% margin. Dude is making a killing, and trying to convince people he's doing them a favor by "cutting out the middleman" and saving them money is a sales hustle. That hoodie is realistically costing him $25 to make...trims, poly bagged, tags and all. I seriously doubt he's pre-washing the fabric either, which is a decently sized added expense.

And I am blown away he's getting fronted three quarters of a million dollars to make some fucking hoodies.

Source: I do the exact same thing for a living.

[Fycus]

Preach. I felt the same way. Kickstarter is a joke much akin to how gilt was when it launched. People will buy shit just for the sake of buying it. Think of kick starter as flash sales. Oh no! If I miss out on this shitty hoodie I won't be able to buy it for the reasonable price it is right now. 90?Well, every stitch tells a story sooo.....

[po_boy_fuuma_hatesbargerz]

Every stitch tells a story, but let's face it, the vast majority of stories aren't worth retelling.

[djrajio]

Disappointed. Thought this would be a thread on SUPREME.

[homi29]

It's a hoodie... An $89 hoodie. Not exactly out of the norm on sufu. Just glancing at the product it's...

• Made in the USA (if that matters to you).
  
• Construction actually seems pretty solid if the pictures are to be believed.
  
• 10 years of free repairs... Although this would be kinda moot if they charged shipping since mending a hole wouldn't be worth the shipping cost.
  
• How much are shitty AA hoodies that people buy year after year?
  

Not really seeing what is so bad and looks like a basic well-made hoodie at a price that is far from obscene.

tl;dr it's a hoodie for $89.

There's a sucker born every minute

[homi29]

This is the story of 2013. We need an iPad app. We need a kickstarter campaign. We need to be relevant. We need press. This is not an infomercial, this is battle cry.

2013 is the year where brands with words like supply, and craft in the name. Designs that used to be reserved for malls (of the strip and surburban variety) are now worn with pride. We need to bring manufacturing back to the USA. Just make sure that I don't have to visit the factory or work the machines. I just want to e-mail the designs and have efficient pricepoints. I need to build an audience so I can sell online. I want to be the Warby Parker of hoodies.

I need to make a brand that whispers in your year that you are cool, because I am cool. I want to re-affirmyour taste. You're smarter than the average consumer, You support America. You support design. You support a real movement. I'll love my wardrobe not for one year, but for ten. This is me. I am unique, but I want to know that the brands I know have at least 2000 followers on twitter.

Edited April 3, 2013 by homi29

[djrajio]

No. This isn't what's wrong with American fashion.

This is.

[djrajio]

Nevermind.

Edited April 3, 2013 by djrajio

[djrajio]

Nevermind.

Edited April 3, 2013 by djrajio

[kelleydenham]

In the video on the kickstarter page, he mentions buying a 50 dollar tee shirt that disintegrates after a few months. Where the fuck is he buying his tees? This dude makes me legit mad. I want to wrap my pristine 14 year old bape tee around his neck tighter and tighter until he promises not to release this garbage hoodie (which totally looks like a snuggie turned into a sweatshirt).

[OkayOkay]

this guy actually has the epic hustle going.

+ - $115 average "donation" (highly doubtful everyone donated the amt to get a "free" hoodie", but lets assume so)

each hoodie costs $25 to make = $90 profit (at about 7,000 people in)...which leaves around a $650,000 profit. Claim that shit as a "marketing expense" and dip out.

BOOM.

[OkayOkay]

Isn't that pretty much every single clothing brand out there though? Everything is being sold well above the actual production cost unless I'm missing something. Sounds pretty much like what Everlane is saying/doing by "cutting out the middle man".

nah, what I'm saying is he's championing that he's "cutting out the middle man and delivering better value" because you can buy DIRECT from this simp, but he's really just absorbing the wholesale profit margin AND the retail profit margin by calling out a completely absurd comparative price. I'm telling you 100% for sure, with no reservations that exactly what he is producing can be made for $25 MAX without cutting any corners, paying fair wages, all the bullshit bells and whistles he claims, etc. It's just a hustle, and people too stupid to understand margin or the value added proposition will fall for it because you're getting sold on some illusion of "value" and that you're doing a service by supporting this revolution...one lame ass blue hoodie at a time.

[Vampyrvargfesten]

"this will be the last ________ you will ever buy!"

yeah right

all this does is make it easy for the weak-ass basic "average dude" to rationalize his impulse purchase (or "feel-good" donation, whatever)

they already hit their shitty target demographic already:

who cares about these people

they are not worth our time

these consumers are the same people who buy 5 kinds of the same flannel shirt from abercrombie just to get their wardrobe over with

they're not gonna change their consumer habits to encourage any sort of meaningful paradigm shift in the mass-retailing industry. there will always be a shitty middle-of-the-road people with average needs and sensibilities

the more stylistically "adventurous" average shitheads already bought their levis 511s and beeswax clarks desert boots to wear with this shitty hoodie

[okonomi]

This reminds me of outlier.

[conqueror]

white frames look terrible on everyone.

[kelleydenham]

This reminds me of outlier.

From what I've heard Outlier actually makes a quality product.

[Champion champs]

I think the real problem is that people are going to give you the weirdest look when you proudly proclaim that you've had this hoodie for the past decade. I'd be like, "dude, I stopped wearing hoodies after middle school — you're 30 years old."

That said, it could be useful if you're planning a career in IT. Just throw on some flip flops, and cargo shorts, and you're set.

Edited April 3, 2013 by Champion champs

[Northwest]

I think the difference between the Outlier Merino Hoodie and this hoodie would be immediately noticeable. Living in the Pacific Northwest I learned at a young age that cotton is awful for staying warm in wet climates. If you live in North Cali upwards I find that merino wool is going to be a better choice for daily comfort than cotton.

[kelleydenham]

http://player.theplatform.com/p/gvCrKC/4ku2w978mYkb/select/_NATZdj4JMNr?videoHeight=551&videoWidth=980

This is the worst thing ever Edited April 3, 2013 by kelleydenham

[Inkinsurgent]

http://player.theplatform.com/p/gvCrKC/4ku2w978mYkb/select/_NATZdj4JMNr?videoHeight=551&videoWidth=980

This is the worst thing ever

i want these people found and shot in the face

[CHINESEGOLD]

http://player.theplatform.com/p/gvCrKC/4ku2w978mYkb/select/_NATZdj4JMNr?videoHeight=551&videoWidth=980

This is the worst thing ever

Why is Zac Efron a street photographer

[sawyer]

looks like we got a mad outlier fan in the house. also, i like where this thread is going

[wahwho11]

http://player.theplatform.com/p/gvCrKC/4ku2w978mYkb/select/_NATZdj4JMNr?videoHeight=551&videoWidth=980

This is the worst thing ever

someone summarize this for me. i couldn't watch it, too crappy.

[acerbicb]

I think what fucks people up is the elitism

people disregard what they like most, what makes them feel most comfortable to appeal to the 'universal standard' of good style

we need more democratization, less advertisement, etc.

plus, the fashion industry is extremely unsustainable; the fact we have new styles of clothes coming out every second using up natural resources can't be good for the environment-- you certainly can't be making the BEST quality goods at a mass scale. And to be honest, I think the only reason the system persists is because we're used to it, not because we want it. I think everyone wants quality clothing that makes them look good

[Brainboy]

looks like we got a mad outlier fan in the house. also, i like where this thread is going

Not really, but I think that Outlier is little bit more innovative than these geniuses with one cotton hoodie .

[OkayOkay]

http://player.theplatform.com/p/gvCrKC/4ku2w978mYkb/select/_NATZdj4JMNr?videoHeight=551&videoWidth=980

This is the worst thing ever

The only way this show would be watchable is if they took all the actors/fahionistas/bloggers/whatever and groomed and trained them, then armed them and put them on an island to slaughter eachother until only one remained.

Would watch.