a jacket thought or two

[Panache]

Why is is that I can (and did ...once) go down to Express and pick up a fine dress jacket for a little over one hundred bucks but a Prince Charlie or Argyle jacket is twice or three times that much ?
Another thought is to take me Dad's old KofC tux jacket and see if it can be altered. That's all for today.


CT - curiouser and curiouser

CT,

Ask the questionn "How many of you men are likely to go down to Express and purchase a nice looking jacket for $100?" Likely a whole lot of "Ayes" will be heard from sea to shining sea.

Now ask "How many men are going to head down to Express looking for a kilt jacket? (sound of crickets)

If you are going to sell a million of a type of jacket you can afford to invest in more streamlined production, get better volume deals on materials, etc. etc. The price of the jacket can go down because material costs go down and you make up for a higher markup by selling such volume.

Now if you are going to sell a fraction of this you obviously aren't getting the deals on materials. Your costs go up and to make it worth your while to produce the thing in the first place you need a higher markup.

There are options out there. You are exploring one of them. You saw the formal jacket I wore to the Burns' Night Supper. That was an old tux jacket.
I saved money by converting it (and love that I have something that is unique).

Cheers

[Nanook]

CT,

Ask the questionn "How many of you men are likely to go down to Express and purchase a nice looking jacket for $100?" Likely a whole lot of "Ayes" will be heard from sea to shining sea.

Now ask "How many men are going to head down to Express looking for a kilt jacket? (sound of crickets)

I'd hope for reasons that they know better. Men who go through the effort to wear (and own, in contrast of rent) kilts, I'd hope, have more a sense of style and elegance.

Cheap schmatte coats don't dress down the highland outfit but toss it into, at best, the domain of theatrical clothing. With a limited budget I'd even suggest that one will be better dressed with a reasonably good jacket (if need be second hand or re-cut), well-made (and polished) Goodyear welted shoes and a (mystery fibre) $25 USD Sialkot kilt (some are even made of wool or at least smell strongly of sheep) then a good bespoke kilt paired with Chinese shoes and polyester fused coat.

[RockyR]

One more cost that hasn't been discussed above (although I agree with what Panache said)... Where it's made.

When you have Nike making shoes in China, their costs are much lower than a competing company making shoes in the US. Same goes for jackets made in Scotland vs. Pakistan or China. Cost of living has to factor into it.

If the workers are paid $15 / hour and it takes 3 hours to make a jacket (pulling numbers out of thin air), the COST for LABOR is going to be $45... add into that material cost (more expensive materials used in making higher end jackets), overhead (rent, marketing, electric, employees, health care, etc).

If you have a company in China or Pakistan paying $5 / hour (that may be high), the labor cost is 1/3. If the material is cheaper, that factors into it as well.

Is there a reason things cost that much money? You bet... it's the "intangibles" that you DON'T see that add to the costs. If you're going to support a culutre by showing pride in it's national dress, wouldn't you want to support them in other ways which they actually BENEFIT from?

[Nanook]

When you have Nike making shoes in China, their costs are much lower than a competing company making shoes in the US.

The cost of Nike shoes has NOTHING to do with the cost of producing them but very much with the cost to sell them. Nike alone has now offered the DFB (German Football Federation) a whopping €500 million to end its deal with Adidas. Its an 8 year deal so that more than €62 million each year just to see the the German national team outfitted with Nike kit. Add in the cost to advertise this and other marketing costs and one quickly sees very very deep pocket costs.

Same goes for jackets made in Scotland vs. Pakistan or China. Cost of living has to factor into it.

Costs of living is an issue of standard of living but not of wages.

If the workers are paid $15 / hour and it takes 3 hours to make a jacket (pulling numbers out of thin air),

A jacket can take between a few hours and over 20 hours to make--- just like kilts.

the COST for LABOR is going to be $45... add into that material cost (more expensive materials used in making higher end jackets), overhead (rent, marketing, electric, employees, health care, etc).

Even in the US not all of that can apply. Look at the biggest retailer in the United States. Not all garment production in the United States is consistent to the legal labour (or immigration) standards. Things have come a long way since Triangle Shirt but its no utopia. Piecemeal pay (pay per item produced) in contrast to hourly wage is still rampant in a lot of the sweatshops (alongside exploitation of undocumented migrants).

If you have a company in China or Pakistan paying $5 / hour (that may be high),

High? The minimum wage in the highest category of related labour in China is 684 Yuan/month. That's just under 68 EURO monthy wage! Shall I also start to talk about labour conditions, working hours, worker rights?

[Panache]

... Shall I also start to talk about labour conditions, working hours, worker rights?

Not if you wish to allow this thread to continue.

Cheers

[Nanook]

Not if you wish to allow this thread to continue.

Cheers

Then one should not talk about want of cheap. There are economic, environmental and social implications of all purchases. Had a look lately at the state of the Scottish mills and knitware industry? Look at what's left of the shoe industry in Northampton (just as the one in New England)--- and the skyrocketing prices of what's left.
Need I remind us all that Nicoll Brothers of Bankfoot--- among the finest sporrans at any cost--- just closed their doors after 170 years.
And its not just about jobs and tradition but......