I am a Baby Boomer. Wow, that was hard to write, but it's true. Perhaps we "boomers" are the last generation to personify our personal belongings. In my distant childhood memories, I can still hear my Mother refer to her coats by personal names like "Ralph." That was the endearing name she gave to her long, hunter-green wool coat with a natural raccoon collar. Even though I did not understand it then, my Mom was not only teaching me to be fashionable but also about fashion business. I chuckle, in tribute to her, when my designs here at Stacy Menswear Couture are given a title.
Both my parents were extremely fashion-conscious to a fault; they even named me after a pair of my Father's favorite shoes. Well, I suppose that Stacy (he, him, his) is better than "Chico," which was their second name choice. Still, even the point is that my parents and their generation, after the big wars, dressed to impress. I was raised by my Mother, and though her income was modest, she somehow managed to find ways to purchase quality clothing not only for herself but also for my siblings and me.
As I recall, one of my Mother's favorite labels was Givenchy. Now she could never afford the really luxury lines, but did purchase blouses and skirts from a diffusion line. My Mom mostly found clever ways to get her hands on some of the most qualitative knock-offs of the famed French designer's Audrey Hepburn-looking shift dresses, hats, and sunglasses, and topped the looks in summer with a structured patent-leather handbag and matching square-toe flats. I remembered that she was always well-groomed and well-dressed, and this habit she passed to me specifically. Alas, unless I go on too much about her wardrobe filled with ostrich-feathered collars and cuffs on sweaters, python pumps, and Burberry look-alike trench coats, I would not get to my point. And that point is that the clothing that my Mother purchased (mostly from Charles A. Stevens of Chicago) in the 1960s and 1970s is still in great shape in 2026. In fact, my Sister still wears some of the garments that my Mom willed to her.
And I do recall that the clothes that I wore seemed to last forever and were made so well that you could pass them down to another generation. With this, I propose the question: What is the life expectancy of a garment? Well, if you ask someone over 50, they would likely tell you they expect a coat to last 20 years. And what about a dress? How long would the same person say that a dress should last? They would likely say the dress would go out of fashion before it became unwearable.
Most of the clothing I purchased twenty years ago is in the trash; however, the couture garments I actually designed and made are still wearable. I have noticed that most clothing made today does not last, especially pants. Why do even the luxury designers make pants that split in the seams and wear out in the thighs in just a year? However, the apparel quality problem is pervasive across markets, and the cause, of course, is partly the textiles and partly the concept of disposable chic. It seems the idea that "clothing should last but for a moment" has taken over the global fashion mind, and everyone now either has a lower expectation for garment life cycles or just does not know how to recognize and appreciate a truly well-made garment.
I am glad that I learned not only to appreciate well-made apparel, but also learned to design and make clothing with couture finishes. Join me in this revival here at Stacy Couture!
BLOG: Stacy Stewart Smith (he, him, his)
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Photo: AI generated
Art Direction: Stacy Stewart Smith
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