An Australian man has expressed his frustration after being unable to find “simple” men’s winter clothing in Sydney – and he’s not alone.
The shopper argued that there are almost no decent options in cheaper stores, especially when looking for simple, unbranded designs.
She said Sydney was the worst place she had ever visited, saying all the affordable retailers had plenty of short-sleeved options but very few well-made long-sleeved pieces.
Popular stores like Zara and Myer were also out of the question for him as he was not willing to spend more than $60 on a basic purchase.
“I just want a plain long sleeve shirt that doesn’t have any ridiculous text or branding on it,” she lamented on Reddit.
‘Unfortunately, in the UK there are no mid-range clothing stores like Next or Marks and Spencer that offer decent clothes at average prices.
‘Basically (all I want) is the standard IKEA clothing without any fancy brands or designs.’
Many said they were struggling with the same problem and attributed the issue to high rent and cost of living.
Male shopper preferred to shop in person rather than online
“A terrible perfect storm of 1) small population, 2) expensive rents, 3) high wages and 4) isolation from other ‘fashion’ centers like Europe and North America,” wrote one.
“Because they’ve been exposed to this for decades, men never learn how to dress adventurously. They’re all copies of RM or Uniqlo boots, which makes it even harder for new brands to establish themselves.”
“Menswear needs more variety. Connor, YD and Tarocash are suitable for work and going out, but not so much for comfortable or casual looks,” added another.
‘Street surfing used to be an acceptable activity, but now it’s hard to find a variety of shirts, trousers or shorts that aren’t all the same every year. Myer is amazing.’
Many said Uniqlo was the “only place” they had ever been successful, even if that meant dressing the same as their peers most of the time.
Others said that aside from ‘dream Op shopping sprees’ in cities like Melbourne and Brisbane, Uniqlo was the ‘only place’ in Sydney where they had found success, even if it meant dressing the same as their friends most of the time.
Another Australian brand I recommend trying As a colorbefore options like Cotton On, TK Maxx, Uturn Outlet and H&M were added.
Others complained about the “parlous” state of menswear in general in Australia.
“The styles are so boring… all grey, blue, black and white with no patterns, stripes or squares… Clothes so depressing it makes me want to cry,” wrote one.
Even brands with deeper pockets are struggling to survive, as a number of well-known Australian brands have recently gone bankrupt amid the country’s cost of living crisis.
