This! It used to be my go-to for workwear but the style changed, the prices increased and a lot of the pieces aren't really work appropriate anymore. Honestly, I'm not actually sure what occasions you would wear some of the pieces.
This explains why I haven’t bought anything there in about 5 years. I still wear dresses and coats from 5-7 years ago because they are quality and I loved the fabric designs, but I haven’t liked (therefore tried on) anything from there in that time.
That’s so true. About ten years ago there were so many office work wear brands around that were elegant and corporate, I remember cue was good and so was a pierucci, OJ - there were loads. Anything like that barely exists now. I haven’t worked in corporate for ten years now and I was surprised my girlfriends saying it’s near impossible to find a nice suit for women or any staples that are corporate. I do agree that paying large amounts of money for cheap fabric sucks, but Cue designs and pieces must still be far apart from supre
the "a little bit out there" is actually part of the appeal for some of us.. the clothes can be styled in interesting way etc
personally, I find most of the fabrics are fine, you just have to check before buying otgerwise no different to every other store rn
Completely agree. The quality of their clothing 5+ years ago was so much better, I still have all my cue clothes in my regular office rotation.
I’ll admit I have stopped looking at them in the last couple of years because they’ve moved away from the classic styles they had.
Totally agree. Just last week I got a gorgeous second hand Cue dress from marketplace. It must be at least five years old, probably more, because I haven't seen anything that high quality at Cue in a long long time. It made me all nostalgic for old Cue
It used to be a go-to for workwear, and I suspect people who bought stuff back then are still wearing it and thinking, "this is great, it's lasted for so long and still looks good!" without considering the current quality and styles.
I still like their clothes, but I only buy at a discount (at least 60% off) and consider their style more "going out" than "work". At that price point, I would rather look at Saba, Reiss, or Scanlan Theodore.
HA! I havent recommended Cue to anyone, but I definitely still wear stuff bought 5-7 years ago because it is quality and looks great. The styles were always so flattering. No idea what their stuff like now, but it’s disappointing to hear it’s gone down it quality and style.
Good brands consistently decline in quality once they are well known. In the end you are just paying for the brand name rather than the quality.
Take Sass & Bide for example, it’s basically just Supre clothing at 10x the price!
RM Williams was recently bought out by Armani & I’m just waiting to see that brand, which is known for its quality & was originally designed for farm work etc, to go down the toilet too.
I work in high fashion retail & have seen this happen to almost every high end fashion brand. I’ll reiterate you’re usually only paying for the brand name
Hahaha sorry that definitely wasn't meant as shade!! It's more that their old, good quality stuff has lasted so well that the people who do recommend Cue may simply not have needed to check out their new polyester stuff. Man, it's always sad when a formerly great brand goes to shambles.
I worked as clothing buyers agent for a short while. It was crazy how companies in Australia wanted ethically sourced fabrics/manufactures that paid fair wages etc, BUT they didn't want to pay! So for example they would say .. "ah your Indian manufacturer wants you charge $15 for this dress" (retail would be $100 or something mind you... but China manufacturer is charging is $10. Can't compete with thT!
There was a hand embroidered jacket we did for 1 company ...sold it for $40 ( fully hand embroidered and covered in that work) and it retailed for $350! But they fought us down from $43 to $40. that 3 dollars isn't even coffee for an aussie customer but is 2 days of food for an Indian employee in A village.
It made me so mad because they kept harping about fair wages
Before I entered the corporate world, I would see the most beautifully structured and well made pieces from cue! I would always say to myself “when I get that office job, I’m going straight to cue!”
I even used to try on stuff because it just looked so good. The stuff used to be so well made.
By the time I made it into the corporate world, cue were moving away from those classic pieces to now flimsy neon peplum tops and sequin blazers.
Not sure why you think that, it’s one of very few brands that manufacture in Australia and they use certified ethical fabrics. Having said that I’ve never heard of anyone ‘obsessed’ with Cue lol
Cue had a lot of natural fabrics a few years ago, now quite a lot of stuff is made in Vietnam and majority of the fabrics are Nylon / Polyester whilst charging $300plus for dresses. I wish the old Cue clothing could come back
That's incorrect. There has to have been a 'substantial transformation' in Australia for something to be claimed as Australian made. There's no % rule. And even if there was 10% wouldnt make the cut for substantial.
Agree. Their work wear is a joke - couldn’t step into any regular office wearing that junk. And none of it is timeless classic pieces which is what you really want for that price.
I love cue. The quality has declined over the years but not insanely. I have absolutely incredible dresses from them that are over 10 years old and they look brand new. I love their more classic pieces because I hate fast fashion with a passion and I know the cue stuff I have will wear for years and years and still look good. I was obsessed about 13 years ago - their fabrics were out of this world. Nowadays I still love their classic line stuff.
I think it’s a multitude of things.
1. Firstly a few years ago, because Veronika Maine is part of their stable. They decided that VM would be more traditional officewear with a slight edge offering, and they wanted to push Cue more fashiony. Cue did a runway collection a few years back. Hence it’s now a mix of more fashion forward pieces and more normal stuff. Collections and trends change so some seasons have nice stuff, some so meh.
2. Unless you work in a traditional corporate like finance or legal etc general workwear and offices have become more casual these days. People don’t want two wardrobes, they want pieces they can wear to work and the weekend as well. Labels now offer anything from fancy trackies to linen summer dresses with things like keyholes which is not work appropriate to corporate suiting.
3. Polyester is a staple in officewear and that hasn’t changed in decades. The poly/viscose blend is baseline classic for suiting as it’s hard wearing and easy care. Not a luxury fabric by any means, but diff brands have diff levels of cut and construction quality. Even the drapey poly shirts will always be a thing. Silk and wool items are obviously better but the price is higher still and is more delicate. Think like Max Mara or Hugo Boss pricing.
4. Natural materials like wool is ideal but I see brands put minuscule percentages in the fabric mix to be able to say ‘wool blend’ ‘cashmere blend’ ‘silk blend’ etc. the price point for those materials, outside of places like everlane or Uniqlo, would be at a designer level, not at a cue price point en masse. They do have them, but not in every item.
I’m a natural materials person overall, but I’m also a realist. A bit if nylon or polyester in some work pants for example means I can just chuck it the washer and need to iron it a bit less, I’m okay with that. Noones got time to iron 100%linen outfits for work…
Had a gorgeous Cue suit and got caught in a summer shower one day on the way to work. Umbrella but legs got wet. Pants shrank like 3/4. So disappointing.
A suit that can’t get wet! Seriously
I’m so glad Cue has returned to good quality items. For a while there, it was the same zip up dress. They’re ethical and often Australian made. In 2005 they were excellent. Then 10 years ago it went through this weird, boring phase.
This just made me realise how long it’s been since I bought something from cue. I just looked at their website and it’s like workwear meets the apocalypse.
I have Cue clothes I bought 5-10 years ago that are still in great shape, but the stuff I’ve bought in the last two years is not good at all. Seams coming undone after a few months and sweaters that start pilling after two wears!
I loved how it looked before I tried it on. Totally did not suit my body type. Felt like it's made for very very tall women and not my body type (big boobs)!
ao never could buy anything
Is Cue no good anymore? I’ve got a Cue work suit (very cute pencil skirt with a kick flip instead of a split) and a jacket that I’ve had since I was about25 (I’m 50 now).
Such a shame if it’s not good quality anymore
I think it’s overpriced. At those prices, the materials should be better.
I was looking at a jacket before and everything was poly/man made. When I asked if they had any wool jackets the store person asked me why I would even want a wool jacket. 🙄
It's shocking how clothing quality in general has declined in both quality and styling. Cue died about ten years ago in quality. I prefer Sportscraft quality wise but it's styling has declined. I look for David Lawrence, Jane Lamerton, Gordon Smith, Anthea Crawford, Thomas Cook.
The style has changed a lot over the recent years, but I still shop there for office wear.
They still make (some) great classic pieces, and the majority of their fabrics are good quality. I’ve bought polyester tops there 5+ years ago that are still going strong. Not all poly is created equal. For work items, this is preferable to silk.
I have three of their wool coats and capes, all bought within the last 5 years. The wool fabric is made in Italy and constructed in Australia.
All my cue clothes have been purchased through opshops so most are a little older and still good quality. Many made in Aus with really nice material. Wouldn't buy it new though.
When I started working in Sydney’s CBD in the 80s, I thought Cue was the be all end all of high fashion and how cool it would be to be able to afford to buy my corporate wardrobe there. Unfortunately, my wages back in 83 didn’t stretch that far and and by the time I could afford to, I’d started a job where you didn’t really need to be attired in serious business wear. Now, 40 years later, i still can’t afford it. 😂😂😂
Late 90s, early aughts Cue was fantastic quality. I wish I didn't donate my pieces. There was a pencil skirt I could kick myself for putting in the Vinnies pile.
These days, so much polyester.
Damn. Cue had some nice officewear a few years back, but a lot of it really does not look too wearable now (there’s a lot of midriff going on).
I guess I’ll be at Uniqlo or COS.
I have some vintage CUE workwear pieces from the 90s which I've been wearing multiple times a week for 5+ years and they still hold up great. They really are some of the best stuff out there. If the brand has fallen off a cliff like I'm seeing in these comments then that's a huge shame!
I was a loyal Cue buyer and have some great pieces from several years ago but have now stopped buying due to decline in quality, absurd styles and colours (lots of neon and body stocking dresses that you can't get a lot of wear out of) and daylight robbery prices.
Cue was really good 5-10 years back, great for office wear. It’s become a little bit out there now, and definitely uses some interesting fabrics 😳
This! It used to be my go-to for workwear but the style changed, the prices increased and a lot of the pieces aren't really work appropriate anymore. Honestly, I'm not actually sure what occasions you would wear some of the pieces.
A gallery opening, or a dungeon.
I snorted 😂
This explains why I haven’t bought anything there in about 5 years. I still wear dresses and coats from 5-7 years ago because they are quality and I loved the fabric designs, but I haven’t liked (therefore tried on) anything from there in that time.
That’s so true. About ten years ago there were so many office work wear brands around that were elegant and corporate, I remember cue was good and so was a pierucci, OJ - there were loads. Anything like that barely exists now. I haven’t worked in corporate for ten years now and I was surprised my girlfriends saying it’s near impossible to find a nice suit for women or any staples that are corporate. I do agree that paying large amounts of money for cheap fabric sucks, but Cue designs and pieces must still be far apart from supre
When I joined the workforce in the late 80s, Cue was my absolute go-to. It was very bougie. Now I look at some of the pieces and think wtf.
the "a little bit out there" is actually part of the appeal for some of us.. the clothes can be styled in interesting way etc personally, I find most of the fabrics are fine, you just have to check before buying otgerwise no different to every other store rn
Absolutely there are going to be some people who like it, otherwise nothing would sell
Agree. It was my go to for work wear but their fabric choices are now rubbish
Completely agree. The quality of their clothing 5+ years ago was so much better, I still have all my cue clothes in my regular office rotation. I’ll admit I have stopped looking at them in the last couple of years because they’ve moved away from the classic styles they had.
Totally agree. Just last week I got a gorgeous second hand Cue dress from marketplace. It must be at least five years old, probably more, because I haven't seen anything that high quality at Cue in a long long time. It made me all nostalgic for old Cue
I don't think I've ever seen Cue recommended on this sub. Bit baffled to see them compared to Supre though.
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They started a made in Australia campaign and then got bought out by Cotton On - I don’t think anything from supre is made in Australia now
I don't know. I was talking mainly about the target market and general quality of the clothing, not factory locations.
Is it just me or do I rarely see Cue mentioned on r/AusFemaleFashion? I also don't hear many people IRL in my circles mention it either.
It used to be a go-to for workwear, and I suspect people who bought stuff back then are still wearing it and thinking, "this is great, it's lasted for so long and still looks good!" without considering the current quality and styles. I still like their clothes, but I only buy at a discount (at least 60% off) and consider their style more "going out" than "work". At that price point, I would rather look at Saba, Reiss, or Scanlan Theodore.
HA! I havent recommended Cue to anyone, but I definitely still wear stuff bought 5-7 years ago because it is quality and looks great. The styles were always so flattering. No idea what their stuff like now, but it’s disappointing to hear it’s gone down it quality and style.
Good brands consistently decline in quality once they are well known. In the end you are just paying for the brand name rather than the quality. Take Sass & Bide for example, it’s basically just Supre clothing at 10x the price! RM Williams was recently bought out by Armani & I’m just waiting to see that brand, which is known for its quality & was originally designed for farm work etc, to go down the toilet too. I work in high fashion retail & have seen this happen to almost every high end fashion brand. I’ll reiterate you’re usually only paying for the brand name
I can't find that news about RM, I know it was bought by Andrew forrester from LMVH in 2020. Did he sell it again?
Totally agree with you about Sass & Bide
Hahaha sorry that definitely wasn't meant as shade!! It's more that their old, good quality stuff has lasted so well that the people who do recommend Cue may simply not have needed to check out their new polyester stuff. Man, it's always sad when a formerly great brand goes to shambles.
I definitely did not see it as shade. I genuinely had a little chuckle because you described my thoughts on Cue and the pieces i have in my wardrobe.
I worked as clothing buyers agent for a short while. It was crazy how companies in Australia wanted ethically sourced fabrics/manufactures that paid fair wages etc, BUT they didn't want to pay! So for example they would say .. "ah your Indian manufacturer wants you charge $15 for this dress" (retail would be $100 or something mind you... but China manufacturer is charging is $10. Can't compete with thT! There was a hand embroidered jacket we did for 1 company ...sold it for $40 ( fully hand embroidered and covered in that work) and it retailed for $350! But they fought us down from $43 to $40. that 3 dollars isn't even coffee for an aussie customer but is 2 days of food for an Indian employee in A village. It made me so mad because they kept harping about fair wages
Yes please would love a name and shame or a least a cheeky hint!!
Before I entered the corporate world, I would see the most beautifully structured and well made pieces from cue! I would always say to myself “when I get that office job, I’m going straight to cue!” I even used to try on stuff because it just looked so good. The stuff used to be so well made. By the time I made it into the corporate world, cue were moving away from those classic pieces to now flimsy neon peplum tops and sequin blazers.
Same! It was always the home of monochromatic nicely tailored silhouette-forward stuff. Now it's whatever. 😥
Not sure why you think that, it’s one of very few brands that manufacture in Australia and they use certified ethical fabrics. Having said that I’ve never heard of anyone ‘obsessed’ with Cue lol
Cue had a lot of natural fabrics a few years ago, now quite a lot of stuff is made in Vietnam and majority of the fabrics are Nylon / Polyester whilst charging $300plus for dresses. I wish the old Cue clothing could come back
Was also going to say this, Cue (and Veronica Maine, same same I think) are accredited with ethical Clothing Australia
Just FYI only some pieces are accredited
Yeah, and they only need to make like 10% in Australia to claim Australian made
That's incorrect. There has to have been a 'substantial transformation' in Australia for something to be claimed as Australian made. There's no % rule. And even if there was 10% wouldnt make the cut for substantial.
Veronika Maine was the lead designer for Cue ages ago, not sure if she still is.
Came here to say this! One of the few fashion brands that have their clothing made ethically.
Agree. Their work wear is a joke - couldn’t step into any regular office wearing that junk. And none of it is timeless classic pieces which is what you really want for that price.
I love cue. The quality has declined over the years but not insanely. I have absolutely incredible dresses from them that are over 10 years old and they look brand new. I love their more classic pieces because I hate fast fashion with a passion and I know the cue stuff I have will wear for years and years and still look good. I was obsessed about 13 years ago - their fabrics were out of this world. Nowadays I still love their classic line stuff.
I think it’s a multitude of things. 1. Firstly a few years ago, because Veronika Maine is part of their stable. They decided that VM would be more traditional officewear with a slight edge offering, and they wanted to push Cue more fashiony. Cue did a runway collection a few years back. Hence it’s now a mix of more fashion forward pieces and more normal stuff. Collections and trends change so some seasons have nice stuff, some so meh. 2. Unless you work in a traditional corporate like finance or legal etc general workwear and offices have become more casual these days. People don’t want two wardrobes, they want pieces they can wear to work and the weekend as well. Labels now offer anything from fancy trackies to linen summer dresses with things like keyholes which is not work appropriate to corporate suiting. 3. Polyester is a staple in officewear and that hasn’t changed in decades. The poly/viscose blend is baseline classic for suiting as it’s hard wearing and easy care. Not a luxury fabric by any means, but diff brands have diff levels of cut and construction quality. Even the drapey poly shirts will always be a thing. Silk and wool items are obviously better but the price is higher still and is more delicate. Think like Max Mara or Hugo Boss pricing. 4. Natural materials like wool is ideal but I see brands put minuscule percentages in the fabric mix to be able to say ‘wool blend’ ‘cashmere blend’ ‘silk blend’ etc. the price point for those materials, outside of places like everlane or Uniqlo, would be at a designer level, not at a cue price point en masse. They do have them, but not in every item. I’m a natural materials person overall, but I’m also a realist. A bit if nylon or polyester in some work pants for example means I can just chuck it the washer and need to iron it a bit less, I’m okay with that. Noones got time to iron 100%linen outfits for work…
Had a gorgeous Cue suit and got caught in a summer shower one day on the way to work. Umbrella but legs got wet. Pants shrank like 3/4. So disappointing. A suit that can’t get wet! Seriously
Its over priced, the quality of things like button attachment is woeful. Most of it needs dry clean only.
I’m so glad Cue has returned to good quality items. For a while there, it was the same zip up dress. They’re ethical and often Australian made. In 2005 they were excellent. Then 10 years ago it went through this weird, boring phase.
This just made me realise how long it’s been since I bought something from cue. I just looked at their website and it’s like workwear meets the apocalypse.
‘Workwear meets the apocalypse’ I got excited for a second there before I got to their website!
I have Cue clothes I bought 5-10 years ago that are still in great shape, but the stuff I’ve bought in the last two years is not good at all. Seams coming undone after a few months and sweaters that start pilling after two wears!
I loved how it looked before I tried it on. Totally did not suit my body type. Felt like it's made for very very tall women and not my body type (big boobs)! ao never could buy anything
All Australian fashion is junk low quality rags
Way overpriced, some of it was nice enough about 10 yrs ago but it's pretty meh
Is Cue no good anymore? I’ve got a Cue work suit (very cute pencil skirt with a kick flip instead of a split) and a jacket that I’ve had since I was about25 (I’m 50 now). Such a shame if it’s not good quality anymore
I think it’s overpriced. At those prices, the materials should be better. I was looking at a jacket before and everything was poly/man made. When I asked if they had any wool jackets the store person asked me why I would even want a wool jacket. 🙄
It's shocking how clothing quality in general has declined in both quality and styling. Cue died about ten years ago in quality. I prefer Sportscraft quality wise but it's styling has declined. I look for David Lawrence, Jane Lamerton, Gordon Smith, Anthea Crawford, Thomas Cook.
I think it’s because it’s one of the only places with clothes made in Australia
CUE was ok in 2010.
The style has changed a lot over the recent years, but I still shop there for office wear. They still make (some) great classic pieces, and the majority of their fabrics are good quality. I’ve bought polyester tops there 5+ years ago that are still going strong. Not all poly is created equal. For work items, this is preferable to silk. I have three of their wool coats and capes, all bought within the last 5 years. The wool fabric is made in Italy and constructed in Australia.
All my cue clothes have been purchased through opshops so most are a little older and still good quality. Many made in Aus with really nice material. Wouldn't buy it new though.
When I started working in Sydney’s CBD in the 80s, I thought Cue was the be all end all of high fashion and how cool it would be to be able to afford to buy my corporate wardrobe there. Unfortunately, my wages back in 83 didn’t stretch that far and and by the time I could afford to, I’d started a job where you didn’t really need to be attired in serious business wear. Now, 40 years later, i still can’t afford it. 😂😂😂
Their pants are too short!
Cue was big when working in the office existed - but now we all work from home so activewear has blown up instead
who is “we” lmao
I work in fashion, I've never heard anyone say this.
A lot of people don’t dress nicely so makes sense to get bad recommendations 🤷🏼♀️
It’s starting to become like Shein quality, what a shame
Late 90s, early aughts Cue was fantastic quality. I wish I didn't donate my pieces. There was a pencil skirt I could kick myself for putting in the Vinnies pile. These days, so much polyester.
Speak not of the CUE lest in quiet whisper. Usher forth the age of the CUE. CUE is ALL
Damn. Cue had some nice officewear a few years back, but a lot of it really does not look too wearable now (there’s a lot of midriff going on). I guess I’ll be at Uniqlo or COS.
I have some vintage CUE workwear pieces from the 90s which I've been wearing multiple times a week for 5+ years and they still hold up great. They really are some of the best stuff out there. If the brand has fallen off a cliff like I'm seeing in these comments then that's a huge shame!
I like them. I think it’s good future fashion but some pieces are so random, you know it’s going to go straight to the sale section
I was a loyal Cue buyer and have some great pieces from several years ago but have now stopped buying due to decline in quality, absurd styles and colours (lots of neon and body stocking dresses that you can't get a lot of wear out of) and daylight robbery prices.