And Now a Word From the Customer

see by chloe spring.jpg To: tips@fashionista.com
From: anonymous@clotheshorse.com

Hi guys,

I’d like to take a moment out of my busy retail schedule to rant about See by Chloe’s decline.

I used to love, love See for its quirkiness and fresh take on the Chloe aesthetic, but now it feels more Forever 21 than runway worthy. I first noted the difference at the Chloe sample sale when the See racks were home to very different products. I started inspecting everything and about half had Made In Italy labels while the other half had Made in China stamped on the tag - totally different factories, totally different quality and all for the exact same price.

I thought maybe it was just the samples so I checked out the See section on Bergdorf’s 5th floor last weekend and it looks like everything’s made in China now. If anyone owns past See pieces and takes the time to compare to current season’s pieces, you can’t ignore the difference in quality, design & feel.

Anyway, has anyone else noticed?

xo,
So Mad I Can’t SEE Straight

posted by guest

Dec 17, 2008 1:45PM

even premiere designer clothes are made in china now. get over it

posted by stylecrusader

Dec 17, 2008 1:48PM

I completely agree and am really glad that you guys are drawing attention to this. See by Chloe is not what it used to be, and it's just overpriced Forever21 clothes.

posted by fauvism3

Dec 17, 2008 1:49PM

was see by chloe EVER runway worthy? Vince, Philip Lim, etc are all made in china. not a huge deal.

also, one cannot equate "Made in China" with crappy quality...it depends on the material, factory, and labor they use, not so much the location of production.

Dec 17, 2008 1:57PM

Someone who invests this much time on See by Chloe...well yeah..sigh.

If anything, the rant should be on Phoebe Philo and how she has Celine on a silver platter. And how Chloe should've never let her go.

posted by The Habit

Dec 17, 2008 1:58PM

I didn't realize See by Chloe pieces were *ever* made in Italy. I've always found the China tag. And I've always thought that the stuff was sub-par quality and over-priced.

posted by Pretty Young Thing

Dec 17, 2008 2:33PM

At Saks in October I noticed the junky quality. My thoughts exactly were, "Who put See by Chloe tags on trashy Forever 21 merchandise?" But it was never runway-worthy...that's why it was never ON a runway.

Dec 17, 2008 2:48PM

Dec 17, 2008 3:30PM

Dec 17, 2008 5:26PM

this is such a bummer. i'm a big see fan but never had the cash to afford it and when i do, well, i guess now it's off my shopping list.

Dec 17, 2008 8:06PM

Even if the label states "Made in China" its does not necesarilly mean the fabrics are from China and cheap. They design could just be pieced together in these factories in China, India, etc...

I would expect even you "fashion folk" to know that...

Dec 17, 2008 8:39PM

agree with the above comment... just because something is made in china does not necessarily mean that it is of lesser quality. not all factories in china are sweatshops full of 10 year old children. there are actually some highly reputable factories in china that i've worked with before.

Dec 17, 2008 10:16PM

I never bought see stuff full price anyway! If you can get it on sale, then its fine, because it is fun... but definitely not worth full price.

Dec 18, 2008 1:19AM

The post did not just mention that it was made in China, it said that the quality of the clothes have deteriorated.

Dec 18, 2008 3:01AM

Agree with #12...I would buy it on sale, because a lot of it's cute, but full price is a little pricey for what you get.

Dec 19, 2008 12:17AM

everyone should read Factory Girls:from village to city in a changing china by leslie chang to get a better idea of where these clothes come from...

Dec 26, 2008 10:26PM

there is nothing wrong with forever 21 deal with it

May 12, 2009 9:37PM

The reason the clothes are made in China are to reduce productions costs thus resulting in a lower retail price. Yes Forever 21 is made in China, but the difference is that the clothing at forever 21 is made with cheaper fabrics that are from China and See by Chloe is made with Italian fabrics. That is why the price is still more than forever 21 but less than its mother line Chloe. And PS..its not just See by Chloe, it is just about every single contemporary brand out there. Do some research.