I’m a big fan of plaid shirts; and when I say big, I mean BIG fan. My favorite brands are Hollister, Abercrombie and Superdry. I also have lots of plaid shirts from Bonprix, H&M and others, but the first three brands I’ve mentioned are my top picks.

The thing that drove me to write this blog post today is dissapointment. In the last two seasons, I’ve noticed that brands like Hollister and Abercrombie have started to make plaid shirts that are no longer 100% cotton. They name them easy plaid shirt, but to me this is a sign that they have started to let down on quality and become mainstream like the other brands that are producing clothes for the large masses (I doubt they will compete with fast forward brands on long term). The thing that puzzles me is why are they willing to put an end to the relationship with their repeating customers and look to appeal to new segments that are so volatile and price-hungry? This is a battle that will be hard for them to win.

My recommendation would be to keep creating designs for long-term customers like myself that buy cotton plaid shirt and try new designs to appeal to new clients, but not dump the old ones like they are doing now. What do you say Hollister and Abecrombie?