Artificial Fever Is Everything Wrong With Instagram-Famous Fashion

They are popular because of how the clothes look, especially when viewed under a filter. On its face, that isn’t a problem. We want interesting clothes, and the need to stand out on Instagram drives brands to push their style further. For example, the 3D-printed shoes I rave about from Aliveform. A major brand would never have approved them if they had been developed internally. But because of attention on forums like Instagram, Aliveform has been very successful. A$AP Rocky wore their upcoming collaborative pair with Puma during his debut at Paris Fashion Week.That is the best version of this phenomenon. The flip side is that for many new brands, quality is irrelevant. All that matters is marketing and the look, so they put their money into giving free samples to celebrities rather than into quality production. This seems to be the case with Artificial Fever.For those outside of fashion circles on the internet, Artificial Fever’s hoodies are an Instagram staple. With textured fabrics, a trendy cropped fit, and Y2K-meets-techno-surrealism text graphics, it’s not surprising that many style-conscious celebrities and influencers have been seen wearing them and that their weekly drops sell out quickly. The problem, however, is that the actual items in person fall far short of the images. I know because I bought one of their “I Was Programmed To Care About You” graphic hoodies.To start, the cuff is sewn with a large, bulky overlocked seam. This is the laziest construction method for an attached cuff and severely harms the comfort of the hoodie, as a thick seam constantly presses on a heavily worn area. More troubling, the overlocking on the hoodie wasn’t finished properly. In little time, the cuffs will unravel; though at least they have lasted longer than the text graphic.Despite never washing the hoodie and only using it moderately, the text started peeling off in under two weeks. Soon enough, letters had removed themselves, leaving the graphic to read “I Was Programmed.” I eventually peeled off the remaining letters, which were already coming loose.If the fundamental hoodie construction had been top-tier, you’d be disappointed, but at least you’d be left with a quality blank. However, that isn’t the case. The construction and material quality are markedly inferior to hoodies from blank companies like Velour Garments and Quality Blanks, which cost less. Plus, those don’t have a thick seam along the back of the hood. Is that a big deal? No, but you can feel it when the hood is up and you’re leaning against something, and cheaper hoodies don’t have that issue.Like many Instagram-popular brands, Artificial Fever doesn’t make clothes to be worn—they’re made to be photographed. They work as gifts for influencers, never worn beyond the unboxing videos, and their no-returns policy means they don’t have to worry about customer complaints. If that sounds like a racket to you, I wouldn’t argue.

Artificial Fever Is Everything Wrong With Instagram-Famous Fashion

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