Aghast

Please bear with me as I think this is On Topic but its circuitous. I recently got a catalog of cycling stuff and while flipping through it I noticed a company called Assos making REALLY expensive cycling clothes. I honestly can not fathom how a see through jacket can be 209.99.

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even more amazing, an admittedly fancy cycling jacket for a whopping569.99

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there something about the quality of the construction or the fabricthat warrants these ridiculous prices? The reason I got into sewing was to make myself backpacking and cycling gear that I would be happy with but not care too much about, whereas a

569.99 jacket would have to clean the kitchen as well as keeping me warm on the bike.

I have looked all over for the highly touted eVent fabric but I can't find a distributor. Is it the technology involved with making the fabric and the proprietary nature of the fabric that commands these ludicrous prices or are the clothes lined with gold??

k
Reply to
Karstens Rage
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A 569.99 jacket would not only have to be a perfect jacket and clean the kitchen------I would expect painless dental work as well!!

My bet is you could make one that was a twin to it with a little time to work on it......doesn't sound mysterious, really........And no way could the fabrics cost that much!!

Reply to
Pat in Arkansas

While those prices are high, they are not the most outrageous. You could make them, but I think you'd have a hard time finding those fabrics. I've seen the $200 jacket in a local shop - that fabric is not something I've seen sold by the meter anywhere.

Mike

Reply to
Michael Daly

:quick mental inventory of closet:

That's about 10x the price of my most expensive purchased garment, a long trench coat with a zip-out liner (had it for 20+ years).

I'd be leery of this product because of the mfgr name. Lay down that kind of bucks for a steeenkin' jacket and you deserve the label on the chest. Like Evian bottled water (spelled backwards).

HTH

--Karen D.

Reply to
Veloise

I know something about Assos Clothing as I have some of it for one my other life pursuits, bicycling. It is indeed expensive, but part of the problem is the exchange rate of the Swiss Franc vs the American dollar. That and the propriatery nature of the fabric. Whether it is worth it for a purchase, it depends on your spending priorities. Some people think that the way to go is to only buy what is on sale. Other people have a larger discretionary budget and are not as concerned with the cost of things. Niether is correct, just applicable to the person making the dicision. You could probably reproduce the product yourself but not with those same fabrics as they are again, made for that company exclusively. Karstens Rage wrote:

Reply to
John Taylor

Dear Karsten,

Try Impala Industries in California. It used to sell to the general public, and if it's a knit fabric of any description, you should be able to find it there.

I once (once!!!) got a catalog for yarn (I'm an avid knitter). The cheapest yarn in it was $85 a skein. A sweater could cost up to $600, and I would have to do all the work!! I never got another one, and I'll bet the company is out of business.

Teri

Reply to
gjones2938

One of my favorite pairs of cycling shorts is the Assos H.FI Lady:

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me tell you, I'd love to be able to create a pair of shorts thatnice. I've sewn about six or seven pairs so far, none even half thatgood. And there's no hope I'll find an insert "just like" theirs. But they *are* really expensive... :-(

Reply to
dianne

Karstens Rage wrote:>

Assos is really, really high end. You want cheap stuff? Shop Performance, Nashbar, Jenson sales.

Many things influence price: as noted, exchange rate with anything European in origin is just a fact of life. There's also brand cachet, R & D, and percieved value. Don't forget brand name fabric liscensing either.

about eVEnt ( for other's benefit, from thier website) " eVENT Fabric is a Direct VentingT waterproof barrier that marks a significant advancement in ePTFE laminate technology. Using proprietary and patented Dry SystemT technology, "

If you ask me, the eVent website is filled with technical obsfucation and very little real information. It is just another version of teflon, ( ePTFE) so can't be too far off from what Gore pioneered 20 years ago. Also, there's no hard data ( water vapor column tests etc) about just how much moisture it does move compared to similar fabrics, just a lot of techno speak.

In other words, It's most likely a glorified goretex proprietary wanna be. That's why none of the big boys (North Face, Patagonia, etc ) are using it, would be my guess. They have their own proprietary versions out there that are probably just as good, if not better. There are many great waterproof breathable options out there that you CAN purchase retail... 2 and 3 layer Goretex, and EPIC- you should look into this one if you haven't yet, it's encapuslated technology and not a teflon laminate or a monolithic coating.

Penny S

Reply to
small change

Do you drive a junker or a high end car??? Why?

Quality in construction, high-end materials, and R&D costs real money. If you sell *millions* of units you can amortize the cost somewhat. If you sell to a small select clientele you spread that cost to fewer customers. It's a matter of scale.

Bei

Reply to
BEI Design

Penny, your post hit here just as I hit send. I knew you would have a far better response than mine, 'cause I don't know anything about the high-end outdoor fabric, but I assumed it was probably a question of higher quality. Thanks!

Beverly

Reply to
BEI Design

oh thanks. That should actually read " inexpensive" not cheap. ;-) Being in the outdoors industry for too many years makes me a little jaded about everything, ESPECIALLY technical jargon and obsfucation on web sites. But there are times when a brand really is worth it. I get asked routinely what the top brands are for technical clothing. I've spent hours research fabrics for custom work, and to answer client questions.I base my comments on what I see in the shop for repairs, and how well things take abuse. I get real-world anecdotal evidence from my clients and the shops I work with.

Penny S

Reply to
small change

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