Quote:
Originally Posted by tvrboy /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Wrong.
Garments have an infinite variation of quality levels and construction techniques. I once spent a whole semester studying these in an apparel analysis class, and many engineers, scientists, and technicians devote their lives to developing high-quality garments. To use your example, there are a lot of differences between a $20 sweater and $500 sweater. The stiches per inch, strength of thread used, grade of wool, seam allowances, stitching, carding/combing and other finishing techniques, etc. You can even tell the difference on T-shirts. A high quality T-shirt will have very different seams and construction than a low-quality T-shirt.
Of course, quality in garments is often unrelated to price. You're right that most fasion labels slap their logo on a T-shirt and sell it for ridiculous prices. In fact most of these T-shirts are made by the same companies who also sell no-label $20 shirts. But quality clothes will always cost more. You're paying for better fabric, more thread (more stiches per inch), finishing techniques, labor time (more complicated stitching requires more time), and extra fabric for big seam allowances. Sorry, but you can't sell a very high-quality sweater that will last for years for $20 unless you use slave labor. Sure a cheap sweater will keep you warm, but it will itch, pill, unravel, and fall apart in a year.
On a side note, when you buy from a fashion label, a lot of what you are paying for is a nice fit. High-fashion clothes do tend to fit much better than low-end stuff, which is designed to fit as wide a range of body types (read: fat people) as possible. Like, I could buy dress pants for 50RMB, but I buy pants that cost 400RMB because they fit my body perfectly. I am active all day (I'm a teacher) and it's worth it to have something that is very comfortable for me. You can also get clothes tailored to fit better, it's cheap and I do it all the time.
|
What I'm getting at are the basics. If you want warmth and protection from the elements, then very inexpensive clothing will work fine. If your car broke down in the middle of a blizzard, a cheaply made coat will keep you warm every bit as well as a stylish $2,000 one with impeccably stitched lining.
It is the same with cables. Electrons do not give a whit about style. They're going from A to B and that's about it.
A cheap cable might corrode or otherwise fail, but until that happens, it will conduct electricity as well as a stylish cable.
I've always advocated the use of well-made cables that will hold up over the years. But it's silly to buy the
haute couture cable because the electrons don't care.
Fashion is a human construct and does not change the laws of physics. If you want to play dress up with your cables to impress others, that's fine. But don't tell me that a parka from Wal-Mart is useless in a snow storm.
All the detail about construction, fit, et al. is precisely like cables. There's endless marketing over helical wound this, silver plated that, and all of that nonsense. If you're just trying to keep the sun off your head, a $5 cap does the same thing as a $4,000 hat. The $5 might come apart at the seams after a few weeks, but until it does, it will protect you from the sun.
lease Explain.
