‘$200 cheaper for a much better-quality item’: Customer calls out J. Crew, Madewell, Barbour for making men’s clothes better–and charging women more
It is no secret that goods made for men and women are not only marketed differently but often come with different price tags.
The pink tax phenomenon can be observed when it comes to hygiene items like razors and deodorant. Now, a shopper is suggesting that a similar phenomenon is playing out in clothing products from well-regarded brands.
In a video posted by TikTok user Emily (@emilywantsflowers), she says she is noticing that higher-end brands like J. Crew and Barbour are producing high-quality garments using natural fibers— but only for men.
When it comes to fabric offerings for women's clothing from these same brands, she says she is seeing more polyester, acrylic, and other synthetic fibers being sold for prices similar to the natural fibers.
For example, flannel pajama pants offered for men in one instance are made out of 100% cotton, while the women's option is 100% modal-cotton blend. Modal is a man-made cellulose-based fiber similar to viscose and rayon.
Emily says the inclusion of modal into the fiber mix will provide a distinctly different experience for customers who purchase the men's and women's versions of these pants.
"This affects the lifespan of the piece, the quality, how it washes, how it wears," she says in the video.
Similarly, she shows the difference between the sweaters offered for men and women from Barbour.
"Every single men's sweater is a wool sweater," she says. "This one is going for $150. I am not exaggerating, every single women's sweater is a wool blend. The phrase wool blend is just a marketing gimmick to lead people to believe that it is a wool sweater, when in fact it is a blend with a cheaper synthetic plastic material."
She points out that when it comes to coats, the 100% wool jackets made for men are $200 cheaper than the wool blend coats for women, costing less and offering a better product along gendered lines.
"Keep in mind, this is happening with every single brand," she says. "I don't mean to call out these specifically, but this is just the two that came top of mind."
She goes on to hypothesize that this is done because retail brands are over-producing to match the frequency with which their female customers purchase items, as well as an aversion to "itchy" sweaters and the propensity for men to wear shirts underneath them. Women do not do this as often, she says, and frequently wear sweaters directly against their skin.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Emily via email regarding the video.
Several viewers shared that they had been specifically looking for natural fibers, and were disappointed with what is typically available from major brands.
"I have bought SO LITTLE this year bc I can’t find any women’s clothing in 100% cotton," one commenter wrote.
"This is the same with socks! It’s almost impossible to find 100% cotton women’s socks that aren’t $20/pair," another said. "Really easy to find men’s."
"It was my husband and my 2nd anniversary which is the cotton anniversary and he legit couldn’t find 100% cotton shirt for me as a gift!" a further user commented.
@emilywantsflowers Welcome to my ramblings about sweaters!! If youre new to my corner of TikTok im on a journey to fill my wardrobe with nearly exclusively natural fibers (thoughtfully and very slowly of course). Sweaters can completely change how winter effects us. When Im warm, im happy lol #woolsweaters #personalstyle #sweaterweather #highlowfashion #llbeansweater #winterstyletips #cashmeresweater #deinfluencing #deinfluencingfastfashion #emilybello #greenscreen ♬ original sound - Emily Elizabeth ????
Some suggested that the reason for more blended content in women's clothing comes from how manufacturers believe customers want their clothes to fit.
"It’s so disappointing," one commenter wrote. "I’ve assumed it’s because brands sacrificed the fit for women’s cuts and the blend is added for the additional stretch."
"I hate the newer cotton blend Madewell uses for some of their women's jeans now ugh I don't need soft super stretchy jeans if they pill after 2 wear," another commented.
"I think it’s because there’s this erroneous misconception that women want more drape vs men," a commenter shared. "Blended cottons w modal etc will drape better and be less stiff. But the truth is the 100 cotton will last longer and eventually have a softer hand. This also happens w fabric weights etc."
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