Consider this before buying from Maebe
Photograph courtesy of Maebe.
Molly-Mae’s debut brand Maebe sold out its first collection in a matter of minutes, leaving many fans disappointed that they weren’t able to get their hands on the brand’s classic, “luxury” pieces. But the speed of the sell out isn’t the only negative feedback that the brand has received, with many criticising the price point, quality and lack of transparency surrounding Maebe.
A lot of this criticism focuses on the price point and quality of the garments. Critics say that for the fabric and makeup of the clothes, cheaper prices could be found at brands like Pretty Little Thing and even Shein, while higher quality with similar price points can also be found elsewhere.
According to Maebe’s website, the brand’s £140 grey blazer is made of 63% Polyester, 19% Viscose and 18% Acrylic. A similar grey blazer from Abercrombie and Fitch is available for £110, but it’s made of 56% wool, a higher quality, longer lasting and warmer material.
Photograph courtesy of Maebe.
It seems that the pricing of Maebe is just a little bit unbalanced. For example - the cheapest item Maebe sells is a white t-shirt, which costs £35. The t-shirt is 100% cotton, so you might think that the quality and sustainability is reflected in the price, but a similar 100% cotton t-shirt from Brandy Melville is available for just £15.
According to some buyers, the composition of the fabrics was not made available when the items first went on sale. This means that customers weren’t completely informed of the quality or sustainability of the garments when the range first went on sale and subsequently sold out. Maebe was advertised as accessible luxury, so customers likely expected to receive higher quality and better made clothing than what they were, almost duped into, buying.
For a brand that was advertised as affordable luxury, the price point and garment composition is surprising. Fabrics such as polyester aren’t as sustainable as natural fabrics and aren’t as well lasting as other higher quality fabrics. There are already reports of the £140 blazer bobbling after just one wear, and some customers say they have been advised to use a debobbler to make the blazer look new again. After just a few wears no piece of clothing should be looking in poor condition.
This raises questions of why the price point of the brand is so high. Molly-Mae herself said the aim of the brand was to “reshape premium fashion, making it accessible without the high price tags.” But the quality and material of the garments is not consistent with what we expect to see in premium fashion, being made majoritively of polyester, and the pricing is not accessible, especially not to Molly-Mae’s average fan.
With there often being a lot of discussion about fast fashion and how we can stop shopping and combat it, it’s disappointing for many to see someone with as high a profile as Molly-Mae making clothing that doesn’t seem to last. It’s also unfair to shoppers, especially if they’re not being given all the information before making a purchase.
When the information is there, it’s worth looking at the composition of garments to see how sustainable and well made they are. If a £140 blazer is made of the same material as a £15 one, it’s pretty much a waste of your money. And if you can afford to spend £140 on a blazer, it’s worth investing in one which might last you longer than just one night out.