COS: are their clothes worth your money? | Fashion haul but different | Justine Leconte

Introduction and Brand Overview

In this section, Justine introduces herself as a fashion designer and explains that she will be reviewing the brand COS. She mentions that she will be ordering garments from different categories to assess their quality, design, and ethical practices.

Brand Positioning and Sustainability Initiatives

• COS is positioned as a higher-priced brand compared to H&M, focusing on timeless designs rather than trends.

• The brand emphasizes its sustainability initiatives.

Reviewing Knitwear Category

Justine explores the knitwear category on the COS website and examines the prices and materials used in the garments.

Pricing and Material Quality

• Justine finds that the prices for knitwear are lower than expected, considering they use expensive fibers like organic cotton, merino wool, and cashmere.

• She expresses surprise at how COS can offer such cheap garments with high-quality materials.

Size Availability

• Justine notes that COS only offers four sizes for knitwear, which she finds surprising for such a large brand.

• She emphasizes the importance of checking size guides provided by brands since sizes can vary significantly between brands.

Taking Measurements

• Justine demonstrates how to measure bust, waist, and hips accurately using her own measurements.

• She advises viewers to refer to measurement tables provided by brands to determine their correct size.

Exploring Outerwear Category

Justine moves on to explore the outerwear category on the COS website and discusses sizing options.

Trench Coats

• Justine mentions that there are several trench coat options available.

• She appreciates that there are seven sizes offered for outerwear, which she considers better than the limited size range in knitwear.

Sizing and Fit

• Justine explains that the body measurements for outerwear are the same as for knitwear, indicating consistent sizing across product categories.

• She selects her size based on her chest, waist, and hip measurements.

Reviewing Shirts Category

Justine explores the shirts category on the COS website and discusses the design aesthetics and fit considerations.

Design Aesthetics

• Justine notes that many of the shirt designs from COS are boxy or oversized, which is both a stylistic choice and a practical one to reduce returns due to fit issues.

Chest Measurements for Shirts

• Justine emphasizes the importance of considering chest measurements when selecting shirts to ensure enough freedom of movement around the bust area.

• She chooses her size based on her chest measurement.

Examining Pants Category

Justine examines the pants category on the COS website, discussing fabric composition and sizing considerations.

Fabric Composition

• Justine observes that most pants styles she sees are casual and boxy.

• She notices that some pants contain a blend of cotton and other materials like polyamide, which contributes to their lower price point.

Sizing Dilemma

• Justine faces a dilemma with choosing her size since her waist measurement corresponds to one size while her hip measurement suggests another size.

• She decides to go with size 38 due to the perceived boxy fit of the pants.

The transcript provided does not cover all sections mentioned in the initial instructions.

Neoprene Pants Review

In this section, the speaker reviews a pair of neoprene pants that they ordered. They discuss the fabric, construction, and fit of the pants.

Neoprene Pants Details

• The neoprene pants are machine washable but have a different fit compared to other fabrics due to their thickness and bulkiness.

• The fabric is thick chino material and not see-through.

• The belt looks good and the inside seams are finished nicely.

• The pockets are well-made with raw seams on the inside.

• Care instructions indicate delicate machine wash at 30 degrees, no drying, and ironing is possible.

• Made in Turkey with 55% cotton, 43% polyamide, and 2% elastane.

White Shirt Review

In this section, the speaker reviews a white shirt they purchased. They discuss its fit, design details, and potential issues.

White Shirt Details

• The white shirt appears wide due to its loose shape.

• The side seams are placed at the front instead of on the sides.

• The sleeve length is adequate but the armhole placement is too low and far out from the shoulder.

• There may be a button problem or design confusion around certain areas of the shirt.

• It feels tight around the bust area for the speaker's body type.

Alpaca Sweater Review

In this section, the speaker reviews an alpaca sweater they purchased. They discuss its fabric quality, fit, and label information.

Alpaca Sweater Details

• The alpaca sweater feels soft to touch but has longer hairs that may cause pilling over time.

• The sleeves are wide and the armhole seam is closer to the body.

• The sweater has a boxy fit, which the speaker would prefer to be more fitted.

• The label indicates it contains 64% normal wool, 17% alpaca, 17% polyamide, and 2% elastane.

• Made in China with flat seams on the inside.

Overall Impressions

The neoprene pants were thick and well-made but had some fit issues around the waist and crotch. The white shirt had design inconsistencies and didn't fit properly around the bust area. The alpaca sweater was soft but had a boxy fit that could have been more tailored.

Trench Coat Analysis

In this section, the speaker analyzes a trench coat and provides insights on its design, fit, and construction.

Design and Fit

• The trench coat has an extra bonding on the inside to prevent the seam from growing over time.

• The coat is thick enough and does not require an additional layer.

• It is oversized and allows space for layering in winter.

• The sleeves are designed to accommodate layers underneath.

• The waist placement of the coat is too high, giving it an almost empire waist look.

Construction

• The seams of the trench coat are covered with blending where visible.

• However, some seams are left uncovered, which is not typical for high-end outerwear.

• Top stitching is clean and well-done on the front of the coat.

• There is a problem with the buttons as they are sewn with thread that doesn't match the fabric color.

Neoprene Top Analysis

In this section, the speaker analyzes a neoprene top and provides insights on its fabric quality, construction, and fit.

Fabric Quality and Construction

• Neoprene fabric feels nicer to touch than expected.

• The outside of the top has a clean finish without visible seams due to blind stitching on the inside.

• Raw seams are covered at the back as well.

Fit

• The neoprene top is comfortable to wear but lacks proper fitting around bust area.

• It could benefit from darts or bust shaping in pattern making to reduce excess fabric.

Overall Impressions

In this section, the speaker shares their overall impressions of both garments analyzed in terms of quality and pricing expectations.

Trench Coat Impressions

• Disappointed with both cost and quality expectations for the trench coat.

• Expected higher quality given the brand and pricing.

• Not satisfied with the placement of armholes and button sewing.

Neoprene Top Impressions

• Overall, the neoprene top is nice to wear and comfortable.

• The fit could be improved around the bust area.

• Disappointed with the overall experiment due to expected higher quality.

Timestamps are provided for each section to easily locate specific parts of the video for further study.

New Section

The speaker discusses the advertising claims made by a brand regarding the quality of their fabrics, but upon closer inspection, it is revealed that the actual fiber content is lower than expected.

Fiber Content and Organic Materials

• The brand advertises using above-average fabrics such as alpaca, cashmere, and organic cotton.

• However, when looking at the care labels and fiber content of specific products, it is found that only 17% of alpaca is used in an alpaca sweater.

• Similarly, organic cotton garments are only partially made from organic materials.

New Section

The speaker explores the concept of responsible garments and questions whether a garment can be both sustainable and ethical. They also highlight the lack of transparency regarding the brand's production practices.

Responsible Garments and Production Transparency

• The brand showcases percentages of organic materials and responsible materials on their website.

• It remains unclear what "responsible" means in this context.

• The speaker emphasizes that a garment should be respectful to both the environment and the workers involved in its production.

• However, there is no disclosure about how much of their production is both sustainable and ethical.

• Lack of information about production countries raises concerns about proper treatment of garment workers.

New Section

The speaker discusses how certain aspects of garment construction impact pricing and quality. They raise concerns about hidden seams and corners being cut in certain areas.

Impact of Garment Construction on Quality

• When comparing designer garments to mass-market ones, fabric quality or sewing complexity often justifies higher prices.

• More sewing generally leads to more expensive garments due to labor costs.

• Fast fashion brands tend to cut corners in sewing to reduce costs significantly.

• The brand under review selectively covers or cleans visible seams, while cutting corners elsewhere.

• The speaker expresses concern about the fit and cut of the brand's garments, particularly armholes placed incorrectly.

New Section

The speaker reflects on the brand's attempt to cater to a wide range of body types but notes that this often results in ill-fitting garments for everyone.

Fit Issues and Production Practices

• The brand seems to aim for garments that fit everyone to limit returns.

• However, this approach leads to ill-fitting garments that do not suit anyone well.

• The speaker suggests that overseas production is used for more complex sewing tasks, such as blind stitching or topstitching.

• This raises concerns about the treatment of garment workers in those countries.

New Section

The speaker questions the brand's claims of sustainability and ethics, suggesting that they may be more focused on appearances rather than genuine commitment.

Brand Image vs. Reality

• The brand appears to present itself as sustainable and ethical but lacks transparency regarding its production practices.

• There is no mention of production countries on product pages.

• The speaker doubts the brand's core commitment to sustainability and ethics based on these observations.

New Section

The speaker contemplates creating a video explaining the differences between ethical, sustainable, recycled, and fair trade fashion. They also mention previous reviews done on ASOS and Uniqlo.

Future Video Topic

• The speaker considers making a video explaining the distinctions between various fashion terms related to ethics and sustainability.

• They ask viewers if they would find this topic interesting and encourage them to subscribe for updates.

• Previous reviews on ASOS and Uniqlo are mentioned with links provided in the description box.

New Section

The video concludes with a farewell message.

Conclusion

• The speaker bids farewell and ends the video.

Timestamps are provided for each section to facilitate easy navigation to specific parts of the video.