I think much non-tailored clothing is actually of better quality now than it was a generation ago -- e.g., chinos and oxford button-down shirts, which IMO are now generally better fitting, better finished, longer-wearing and with fewer defects than was true years ago when these items were produced domestically instead of overseas. It pains me to say that, since I'm no fan of globalization -- with its paired evils of a hollowed-out US economy and exploited Asian/Latin American labor.
And of course, Americans on average look like crap these days because of overly informal attire and the nation's relentless waddle toward hyper-obesity. But at least Americans can swaddle their tubbiness in pretty durable duds.
Carl
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