Imagine paying over $200 for a dress, only for it to almost instantly develop holes and snags. Unfortunately, this happened to one Reddit user who bought a dress from Portmans and attempted to iron it out. As the photos show, after the very first ironing, small holes began to appear in the fabric, despite the original poster following the care instructions.
So why would a dress with this price tag start falling apart so quickly? Well, according to the fashion ratings directory Good On You, the Portmans brand follows an unsustainable fast-fashion model. Fast fashion is characterized by clothing brands that quickly turn out loads of clothing made from cheap materials without the best craftsmanship.
Inhumane work conditions also often come with these productions, such as 10- to 16-hour days in a six-workday week, according to Greenpeace. The industry uses excessive water, and 85% of its textiles land in the trash annually, according to Earth.org.
Unfortunately, this type of clothing often ends up filling up landfills. On one hand, some customers quickly throw out the items that often barely survive a few washes. However, the fashion brands themselves are also responsible for excessive dumping once a line no longer fits their current trends or styles.
If you plan on spending $200 or more on a dress, ensure that it's from a company that makes clothes that last. Check out resources like Commons to help identify fast-fashion brands so you can avoid them. Then, you'll be more likely to have better-crafted items that last longer, such as vintage pieces you may find in your local thrift store.
Thrift stores have been a haven for "clothes horses" to find items that may be several decades old but still in mint condition and available for an eye-popping discount — such as a Carhartt jacket for $14.99. If you have some clothing too worn to donate, upcycle them by turning them into a quilt or bag, or even using the fabric to wrap gifts with.
One empathetic commenter wrote: "The price has gone up, but the quality has significantly dropped. I have a collection of their front zip fit and flare dresses and when comparing the recent one I bought to one from a few years ago it looks like I could have bought it off Shein."
Someone else stated: "When I buy clothing now I cling to my receipts for dear life. Everything is made so poorly these days."
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