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| Photo from Salt Water New England |
However brand loyalty has frayed. This may be in part to companies losing contact with their customers, as when box stores and now online stores know more about buyers than the vendors themselves. But also many companies have used brand loyalty against their customers. Apple continues to raise prices on new iPhones, just as Gillette has done for decades on razor blades. Some clothing companies that grew based on their (loudly touted) "Made in America" production have shifted to low-cost/offshore mega-factories that they hoped no one noticed, or in other ways undermined their own production standards. Globalization has created markets, less for fabulous items and more for vast quantities of good enough products ruthlessly marketed, easily bought, cost effective, and quickly shipped. And companies with vast PR budgets have been able to simulate the social media enthusiasm that was once the reward of actual great products. And, some past great brands have simply petered out, often the cumulative effect of dozens of bad decisions.
However, their is still the opportunity for great companies to flourish. Given that, a question for the community:
To which clothing brands and stores are you loyal?
Some brands mentioned (with links):
- F.L. Woods
- Mercer Shirts (OCBDs)
- Porthault (handkerchiefs, which sounds ridiculously indulgent, but it’s not)
- Tory's Jewelry
- Quoddy
- Pringle cardigans
- Darn Tough socks
- Eric Javits (winter berets and buckets, summer sun hats)
- Longchamp (le pliage bags for almost anywhere)
- Bills Khakis (chinos and polos)
- Uniqlo Cashmere (Heattech and AIRism undergarments)
- Wolford (hoisery)
- Eileen Fisher (ballet-ballet-length dresses for anywhere)
- Alico hiking boots
- Omega watches
- Tilley hats
- Sole orthotic inserts
- E.Marinella
- Meindl hiking boots
- Rancourt
- Fairway & Greene
- Peter Millar
- Tervis Tumblers (so long as they replace them when damaged)
- Mizuno (Forged irons for golf)
- Barbour
- Skida Hats
- Oak Street Bootmakers
- Title Nine (athletic apparel and bras - TMI)
- Smartwool Socks
- Subaru Cars
- Flint and Tinder
- Norlender sweaters
- Orvis (winter t-neck tops, cotton-gauze summer scarfs, Long Sleeeve casusl shirts)
- Alden shoes (In the future I want to purchase in person)
- Ferragamo (court shoes)
- Allen Edmunds
- Abeo Bio
- Arcopedico
- Pilot Varsity fountain pens
- Blundstone Boots
- Everlane
- Boden (their children’s line must be woven with Teflon, my son couldn’t wear the stuff out and most is now on its third and fourth child.)
- Xtratuf (outfitted my family on a lark after seeing what seemed like every dock and boat worker in Alaska wearing the boots. The first pair of boots my 13 yo actually wants to wear. )
- Stormy Kromer
- Longchamp Totes
- Patagonia (outerwear)
- Dansko Clogs
- Boden Dresses
- Brooks Running
- Ben Silver
- Sperry's for deck shoes (the quality isn't there but I put mine through a lot and get new ones each year)
- Carhartt
- Murray's for ACK Reds (even if the quality isn't what it once was, it’s still small enough for me to support them and better than the big brand imitators)
- Diamond Gusset jeans
- New Balance
- Vineyard Vines
- Ralph Lauren
- Brooks Brothers (Made in America ties and suits, sweaters, coats, and Zac Posen designed dresses for events)
- L.L. Bean (Bean boots, OCBD, occasionally khakis, polos, Gum Shoes, short sleeve casual shirts, tote bags, winter coats)
- Lacoste (polo shirts)
- J. McLaughlin
- JJill (black, flat-cut “wearever” tops and pull-on slacks, sleepwear)
- Filson (home of L.L. Bean Signature alum Alex Carlton)
- J Press (for blazers and hangers, MTM dress shirts, blazers/suits, dress trousers, and sweaters)
- Lands' End (including for swim wear)
