View Full Version : Brands: Like & Dislike
Life_is_Simple
1-19-11, 2:25pm
I like the threads where people post the brands of clothes they wear. I have learned from them not to buy cheap crap.
Anyway, please list stuff your opinions on brands and why. Maybe group by categories
:thankyou:
Life_is_Simple
1-19-11, 2:28pm
I will start:
Electronics
LIKE: Toshiba laptop - have just had it a few weeks, but seems sturdy
DISLIKE: Sony laptop - bad quality, don't honor warranties, bad customer service, will never buy from them again
Clothes
LIKE: Eddie Bauer - they fit well
LIKE: Lee Jeans - fit well, last long
LIKE: Hanes Worlds Softest Socks - very soft
You guys will have to come up with additional categories
For upscale work clothes: Eileen Fisher (at the outlet or Goodwill!)
For daily wear - Dansko clogs (at Nordstrom Rack)
Columbia brand outdoor clothing. Seems to last me forever and ever. Cheaper stuff - like shorts from Walmart - falls apart right away.
For upscale work clothes: Eileen Fisher (at the outlet or Goodwill!)
For daily wear - Dansko clogs (at Nordstrom Rack)
There's an Eileen Fisher outlet somewhere near Seattle? Details please! I am impressed you find EF stuff at Goodwill. I haven't been to the downtown store for years, though we drive past it all the time. Should give it a try.
I also like Eddie Bauer and Lee Jeans. I get both from an outlet store near where my mom/sister live, and they tend to last a long time. I try to buy Lands End, LL Bean and Columbia stuff when I can find it at the thrift store. I've got a pair of Columbia fleece leggings that would have cost $40 new, but I got them for something like $3-4 four years ago, and they are still going strong after almost daily wear every winter. Most of my work clothes are from Ann Taylor Loft, though I find that it is really hit and miss with that brand -- some seasons the latest trends just do NOT suit my body type. But I have a few pairs of pants I have picked up over the past few years that I really like, and they seem to have lasted well.
lhamo
I like the Ann Taylor and Talbot's I find at the consignment store. For new, its usually Lands End since they have petite sizes. I can only wear summer clothes with LL Bean , otherwise the arms are too long.
Love Victoria Secret bras and underwear. I think they are somewhat over priced, but they seem to last a lot longer.
Eileen Fisher outlet is actually Nordstrom Rack. Southcenter has the best selection.
Columbia stuff when I can find it at the thrift store. I've got a pair of Columbia fleece leggings that would have cost $40 new, but I got them for something like $3-4 four years ago, and they are still going strong after almost daily wear every winter. lhamo
You can also get the Columbia stuff from stores like Marshalls, Ross's, and TJ MAX at about half the cost as at a spoirting goods store or Columbia. Columbia also has outlet stores in alot of places and you can get stuff cheap there when it's on sale.
Cabelas and Carhartt: clothing
Thorlo: socks
Mephisto and Merrell: shoes
Spyderco: pocket knives
Bagwell or Fritz: bowie knives
Glock, Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Marlin: handguns and rifles
Browning, Benelli, Saiga: shotguns
Dillon Precision: reloading gear
Doubletap Ammunition, Hunting Shack Ammunition: ammunition, especially custom or volume loadings
Triplette Competition Arms: fencing gear
Gransfors Bruks: Axes
IWC, Ulysse Nardin: Watches
Penzey's: spices
Porsche, Volvo, BMW: automobiles
DeHavilland, Aviat: aircraft
Nordic Tug, Nordhavn, Gig Harbor Boatworks: boats
Athletic stuff - Nike - quality, fit and Phil Knight is over the top generous to my almamater.
Toyota - The styling and quality.
Moleskine - notebooks, and yes they make me write better!:~)
Pencils - Ticonderoga - hey I bet I am the only one on the list with a pencil preference!
Diet Coke - out of the fountain at McDonalds - it does taste better!
Stores - Target - like their stores and layout.
Casual dining - (National) Red Robin, Olive Garden
Fast Food - McDonald's Breakfast, Burger King Lunch - BK Veggie Sandwiches.
McDonald's Fries.
Software - MS Office, especially Excel -- haven't found a chart I don't like!
Sox - Gap Navy crew sox. Goes with 90% of what I wear.
T-Shirts - Polo, way way over priced - get them on sale at factory stores.
Toilet Tissue - Scott single ply -- well you asked!
Shampoo - cheapo Suave. Great shampoo and body wash - don't have to get to fancy my hair is only 1/2" long!
Spaghetti sauce - Ragu
Cheese - Tillamook Medium cheddar
Chocolate - See's (and yes, I will have a sample) :)
Airlines - Southwest and any airline going to Mexico in the Winter!
...now that is a random list! :+1:
Oh, I see I strayed from the originial topic of clothing...sorry! ;)
Bae got me going...!
Life_is_Simple
1-20-11, 7:07pm
Oh, I see I strayed from the originial topic of clothing...sorry! ;)
Bae got me going...!
Greg, this thread wasn't meant to be about JUST clothing, so you did good. :+1: I was hoping it would branch out more, like you and BAE did.
Also, I do buy only Scott t.p. myself :doh:
Greg44~ random and yet awesome at the same time. Nice!
I tend to like the LL Bean, Ann Taylor stuff, some of which I can get at thrift stores.
But generally I don't chase brands. When I go to the thrift store I look for fabrics that are all or nearly all 100% cotton and of a heavy gage. The fabrics are getting thinner and thinner.
My favorite shirts are 3/4 sleeve solid color cottons of a heavy weave, V-neck.
LL Bean has nice pima cotton products. Tradd turned me on to those a few years ago. That's one of the few things I will buy "new." Those, and blazers. LL Bean carries a few blazers that are washable.
We no longer do any dry cleaning at thie house.
Wildflower
1-20-11, 10:18pm
Birkenstocks - they last forever!
New Balance tennis shoes
Lee Jeans - love 'em!
Victoria Secrets underwear - far superior to Hanes and Fruit of the Loom
Eddie Bauer clothes
Osh Kosh clothes for kids
Science Diet for dogs and cats
Dove Chocolate
GM vehicles
I buy most all of the above at the local outlet mall, except for the pet food and the GM vehicles. :)
Socks - from Bass outlet, bamboo
Clothes in general - Lands End and LL Bean, Eddie Bauer outlet (regular is too expensive)
Lee womens' jeans, because they are built like actual women
Like lots of you: Victoria Secret undies, LL Bean clothing, Hannah Anderson clothing for self and DD, Lanz flannel nightgowns (the older they are the softer they get!).
This is a fun thread! @Greg, I think MacDonald's has the best fries, too!
My favorite apparel brands are probably JCrew and Coach. Their stuff lasts forever and isn't too trendy. I usually buy the bulk of my stuff at the outlet mall with coupons, so the price really isn't that bad. I spent $90 on a black leather handbag and $40 a navy blue cordouroy blazer four years ago. Both still look like new with constant use. I can probabaly get another 10 years or more out of them.
Food-wise, we aren't too picky, but Dh MUST have Jif peanut butter, and I have to have Hellman's mayonaisse.
For skincare, I really like Philosophy and Clinique. Yes, it is more expensive. But it works for this extremely pale and sensitive-skinned girl. I buy it on sale and don't feel bad. I also like high-quality make-up. I don't wear it that often, so I don't buy a lot. But cheap make up from the Dollar Tree or Walmart makes my skin break out horribly. So I invest in the good stuff for when I want to look a little more "made up." Some brands I like are Urban Decay, Smashbox, and Tarte.
Around the house, we buy Cascade dishwasher detergent and Charmin Ultra Soft TP. I also like Tide or Charlie's Soap for laundry detergent (again with the sensitive skin thing). I LOVE Downy lavendar vanilla fabric softener, but it is expensive, so I only buy it maybe once a year to use on my linens as a special treat.
I didn't realize I had such a preference for brands before this thread. I guess I am pickier than I thought! ;-)
oh wait, I do have a new brand favorite: The Rabbit wine corkscrew. BEST TOOL EVER!!!!!!!!
Mrs. Hermit
1-21-11, 10:36am
Cascade Dishwasher Powder
Dawn Dish Washing liquid
Surf laundry detergent
Ivory bar soap
St. Ives hand lotion
Duke's mayonaise
LL Bean, JC Penney for TALL men's clothes
Lee women's jeans
Kirkland nuts (Costco brand)
Twinnings tea--loose leaf
Starbucks whole bean coffee
WD-40 (the knock-off sprays don't seem to work)
Old English furniture oil
Simple Green Cleaner
Toshiba laptops (they survive the kids!)
Ford trucks
Saucony, SAS and Rockport shoes
New Fav: International House coffee creamers!!
Greg44: HA! I only use Ticonderoga pencils as well! Far superior to anything else! I'm using a Zebra mechanical pencil now, tho -- for convenience. I don't have to sharpen them. Sigh.
I do have a few other preferences, if I can think of them. Hmmmm
Claussen dill pickles -- they're refrigerated.
Pilot BP-S (fine) "stick pens" -- they just fit my hand and the pressure I use to write better than others. Haven't looked really hard, but haven't found a store in the Boise area that carries them, so I order them online.
Dawn dish detergent
Cascade dishwasher detergent
Suave shampoo for showering
Tide HE laundry detergent for our "high-effenciency" washer. I accidentally bought a "regular" detergent once and it was far too sudsy. Probably should have used less ...
All I can think of right now ...
www.womanwithin.com (http://www.womanwithin.com) has clothes that actually fit me. My body is a different shape than most clothes
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! Where to start...
On the list of likes:
Purex Toilet Paper.
Heinz Ketchup.
Kraft Miracle Whip.
Cracker Barrel Cheddar Cheese.
Lancia and Catelli pasta.
Rockport footwear.
On the list of dislikes:
No-name jeans.
Bargain Brand (most things).
frugalista
1-21-11, 5:08pm
Dislikes:
Eddie Bauer gear and clothing: it all just falls apart. The zippers go on every bag I've ever bought, and now the "lifetime guarantee" doesn't really mean that at all, so . . . no more.
Speedo swimsuits: the last one I got for my daughter, nine, didn't last the whole summer before it bit the dust due to chlorine blow out.
Likes:
Sherpani bags: ecofriendly, wear well, last forever.
Columbia gear: fits me well, lasts long enough for the price.
HP Printers: total workhorses.
IshbelRobertson
1-21-11, 6:22pm
It's hard to list my likes/dislikes as many of the brands will be totally unknown to those who don't live in the UK!
Likes
Marks & Spencers bras and pants and tights (knickers/panties!)
John Lewis partnership for good clothing at reasonable prices
Coast for stylish clothes
The White Store for towels, dressing gowns and wonderful candles
Manolo Blahnik for wonderful shoes (I only buy in the sales!)
Liberty for amazing materials
Valvona and Crolla - for all delicatessen goods
Harvey Nicks for clothing, jewellry, good toiletries
Dislike
Any global chains, eg Starbucks, McDonalds et al!
Clark's footwear: Comfortable AND stylish, and I have OA in my feet. I have other likes, but this one saved me when I started feeling old. I can actually wear something with a heel and run through an airport terminal to make my next flight.
Likes:
Clark's shoes - they just opened a store at the outlet mall by me. Yeah!
Theo or Taza chocolate
Middle Fork Roasters coffee - Tough As Nails Roast, bought at Whole Foods
Only locally raised or grown grass fed meat, organic milk, fruits and vegetables
Lee Jeans - just bought them for the first time last week. Love them!
Cascade Complete detergent
Anything in bulk from Puget Consumer's Coop to avoid plastic - peanut butter, shampoo, conditioner, etc.
Dislikes:
Anything with HFCS
Designer clothes
Luxury cars
I like Liz Claiborne; I stalk her in thrift stores wherever I go!
NancyAnne
1-23-11, 12:06am
Seventh Generation, Burt's Bees, Clinique (bonus days), Dr Bronner's, Earth Friendly, Ecover, Dunkin Donuts coffee, Kiss My Face, Beauty Without Cruelty, Maggies Organics (socks), Natures Gate, Land's End, Tom's of Maine, Annie's, Eco-Dent, Jeep, New Balance, Mazuri blocks (only the best for my pet rat, Jack), Ticonderoga pencils (made from recycled tires), Lee jeans
early morning
1-23-11, 12:03pm
I've been following this thread with much interest, and realize that I have no real "this and nothing else" brand loyalties. I did find a pair of ratcheting loppers - Trailblazers - last spring and ended up ordering two more for gifts (nothing says LOVE like new loppers :)!) They are amazing and let me, with a bad shoulder and arthritic wrist, cut through three inch diam. branches with ease. How they hold up remains to be seen, so I sure can't say I'll never buy anything else. Otherwise, I have to say we've had amazing luck with inexpensive items of all sorts. Especially clothing. We buy cheap clothes, really, often no-name brands from thrifts. I do look for a nice grade of cotton and/or linen. DH used to wear jeans from Sheplers, but he's not as tall as he was and isn't working so now it's Meijer's or Wally's house brands. And I have 5 pairs of cheap, Jacqueline Smith knit pants from KMart?? which I've been wearing almost once a week for more than five years now. They were less than $10 each, regular price. Perhaps my cold water wash/never use dryer, don't wash after every single wear unless needed, change into grubbies after work and hang immediately to air practices really make a difference? Of course it helps that I have an inside job!
OH - I did think of one. Purina One Urinary tract health cat food, for our older male prone to urinary crystals- and since the other cats don't really like it, they don't eat as much and aren't as pudgy as they had been. But I'd be open to try other brands if they work as well and were comparable in price.
ApatheticNoMore
1-28-11, 7:40pm
I'm not very brand loyal and open to switching brands on most things if I find something better.
I do like some of the mid-upper range clothing brands: Ralph Lauren, Jones New York, but I don't insist on them or anything. I'll wear anything that looks decent on me truthfully.
I like some salon quality hair products such as Paul Mitchell and Redkin and kinda do insist on them >8), but if I found others that would tame my really thick hair I'd try them. I like some natural brands for cosmetics (sunburn lotion and toothpaste and the like) but this is mostly based on ingredients and whether they agree with me, rather than brand loyalty. I also seem to like Hondas. :)
Dansko & Keen shoes. And I have plenty o' pairs.
Asics walking and running shoes. I think just because they fit my feet better than any other brand.
Kirkland brand products from Costco. They're better quality than my regular store brand at the same or lower price.
Seventh Generation toilet paper. I order it by the case every couple of years.
BioTone massage products. But that's a pretty specialized kind of product for my massage practice. Won't use anything else.
I thought I replied to this thread, but I can't see it. I hope it doesn't post twice!
Clothing:
www.silhouettes.com for ladies larger than a size 12.
www.kingsizedirect.com for big and tall men. Very inexpensive, and they have great clearance sales.
Makeup;
I love L'Oreal Lineur Intense liquid eyeliner. I paid about $7.
Cheap lipstick that I like: L.A. Colors Vitamin E & Aloe Vera. About $2.
Tea:
I love the HEB brand of raspberry hibiscus herbal tea. Excellent hot or iced. HEB is a grocery store chain here in Texas.
Bastelmutti
2-6-11, 8:28am
I'm also not very brand-loyal, but I do like PG Tips black tea, Fiestaware dishes and Paul Mitchell conditioner. DD insists on Newman's Own dressing. For 10 years we have only driven Toyota cars (3 different models). We'll see what happens with the next one.
One intense dislike I have is Lush body products. Everyone I know goes gaga over that stuff, but everything I've tried has been overscented, oily, crumbly, etc. Just unpleasant.
JaneV2.0: "I like Liz Claiborne; I stalk her in thrift stores wherever I go! "
I was traveling last week and had my bag shredded (and I do mean shredded) by the baggage handling system. One of the items that had to be valued was a Liz Claiborne silk blend knitted shell that I was going to wear for an interview. When the airline clerk saw it she asked me how much I had paid for it. Well, I couldn't remember - really I couldn't, but I have to admit that I didn't tell her that I bought at the Goodwill. She valued it at about $65 which was probably more than the total of my entire "Goodwill wardrobe" that I had packed in the bag to begin with!
bae - good call on the hardware! Glocks & BCM ARs FTW! :cool:
Lessee......
Pants: Riggs Workwear by Wrangler
Computer parts: newegg.com
Drinks: Jager + Rockstar; Kahlua white russians; Mike's Mango
Workouts: CrossFit
Liz Claiborne just sold out to JC Penney. This seems like an ominous development to me--sometimes we leave our favorite brands and sometimes they leave us.
Clothes: Lands End stuff for women is a bit dowdy and can be matronly, but you CANNOT kill those clothes. They last forever and are good for work wardrobe staples as well as outwear.
Computers: Have had good experiences with Dell and Gateway computers in the past. Now I have an HP laptop, but it's new so I don't know how it will be for the long haul.
Cellphones: Love Motorola!
Cars: Nissans are awesome, and so are most Mazdas--they run forever and, like Lands End clothes, you can't kill them. My mom LOVES her Honda Fit, but I'm not so fond of it. DH loves his Pontiac Grand Prix and is very sad they won't be making anymore Pontiacs, period!
The Storyteller
3-21-11, 11:49am
Likes: Lever soap, Ubuntu Linux, Honda motor cars, Dell computers, Dr Pepper, OpenOffice.
Dislikes: Pretty much everything else, although there are probably more exceptions that don't come to mind at the moment.
Dr Beex Birdcakes for my parrot's nutrition
Tasts of the Wild for the dogs
2-ply 7th Generation for DH--can only get it at one store here in Santa Fe: Natural Grocers
Have been getting Levis, but they sure wear out fast and fray at cuff--may try Lees after reading this board
REI stuff on Scratch 'n Dent sales (stuff that's been returned and is resold 50% or much more off)
Merrill shoes, OBOZ shoes--all these are running shoes
Kiss My Face Olive Oil Soap
Toyota Prius--holds up well
Premier collars for dogs
Albertson's soup bones for dogs (cheapest here at $1.59/lb)
NYTimes for op eds, and now that Frank Rich has switched to New York Magazine, that too
Southern Poverty Law Center's newspaper
PETA magazine
DirectStop citronella spray for stopping bad dog fights without injuring the dogs, they just don't like the smell(has new name now, but I forget it)
The Simple Dollar
The Storyteller
3-21-11, 9:32pm
Ah. I didn't realize we were also talking about print media. In that case...
Stockman's Grass Farmer (http://www.stockmangrassfarmer.net/)
Acres USA (http://www.acresusa.com/)
Mother Earth News
Countryside and Small Stock Journal (http://www.countrysidemag.com/)
Cappers (http://cappers.grit.com/)
Anything by Joel Salatin (http://www.polyfacefarms.com/) or Gene Logsden
rosarugosa
3-22-11, 4:42am
Larknm, Do you read the Get Rich Slowly blog? I like The Simple Dollar, but I like GRS way better.
http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/
Likes: Romika shoes
Levis 512 jeans
Any pre 95 Volvo
Land's End
Skagen watches (first watch I've had that lasted over a year...so far)
Mac
Penney's St John's Bay line(not stylish but very good value)
Dislikes: AT&T
Cuisinart coffee makers. Ours stopped working only a few weeks after the three year warranty expired. Went out and bought a manual Melitta drip for $12. Nothing to break unless someone drops the carafe.
Ford (nothing but bad luck w those we have owned)
Black & Decker
Oster
Likes: Wegmans grocery store and Costco
Subaru (256K miles on my 11-year-old Forester--so far)
Trader Joe's French-milled soap
Clarks shoes; New Balance running shoes
The Dell Latitude laptops we are issued at work
Apple iPad and free Kindle downloads of classic out-of-print books
Verizon cell phone/MiFi coverage
Down comforter from The Company Store--bought many years ago, beautiful quality and warmth
Amazon.com with Amazon Prime
Wigwam wool blend socks
The Apartment Therapy blog
The Metafilter community blog
Alan Rickman movies (that man can ACT)
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