I've recently moved from Canada to the UK. Before that, I grew up in
the States. Being an American at heart, I'm dismayed to find that
shopping in the UK isn't actually fun, particularly clothes shopping.
Fabrics are cheap and dismal compared to what I'm used to -- acrylic
and polyester prevail, and real leather jackets are uncommon. The
cost, even taking into account relative cost of living in UK vs.
Canada/US, is disproportionately high.

A concrete example. I need a suit for work, but off-the-rack women's
suits in England are almost all entirely made of cheap and nasty
polyester. A polyester suit from Next will cost me about £225. A 100%
Italian wool suit from J Crew in the US will cost me about $300.
Taking into account the respective cost of living in the two
countries, the British polyester suit clocks in at about $250, while
the American wool suit costs only $50 more. Both suits were made
abroad in, ahem, less well-off countries. I suspect that trade
barriers (quotas, import duties) are to blame for the "third-world
clothes, first-world prices" syndrome prevalent in the UK. Why are
nice clothes so much cheaper in the US than in England?

Partly supply and demand
Partly different overheads and markups (ground rental is dear in the UK)

I would suggest that you check out a major M&S, Austin Reed and Jaeger

There is not much point in buying tat.

Being male, my interest in female attire is pretty academic (and at
one time commercial), it seems to me that they buy low quality stuff
to throw away.

Clothes are more expensive because everything is more expensive in the UK.  

Have you grocery shopped and noticed the difference in prices on
everything?  The generic brand usually costs more than the name brand
would in the US (for a smaller portion).

Or maybe things are just really cheap in the US...

As a Brit living in the US, I still remember the surprise when I first
arrived to find quality clothing at sensible prices. If I had to point
my finger at just one reason I would point to the fact that you are
now paying an outrageous 17.5% sales tax. Try that nonsense in the US
and you would be out of office tomorrow

Hi Felicity

You are in for a BIG shock when you check the price of petrol (Am gas).

The UK must be the most expensive place on earth, nay in the Universe.

And just look at house prices ... They have TRIPLED in the last ten years.

Now, many UK citizens are selling up and exiting to France, Spain,
Portugal and beyond. Of course, it will then be difficult for many
ever to return, should they wish.

Meanwhile, loads of immigrants are pouring in ... EVERY gorgeous young
woman I meet seems to hail from Poland ... (Of course, you must be the
exception.)

And all our prisons are full to overflowing!

Having said that, it's the place where I was born and, although I have
travelled extensively, I reckon it still is the best place on earth.

Maybe it's my fault?

Everywhere I've travelled, I've always told everyone I've met about
our marvellous country ...

And maybe they've all come in the hope of meeting me.

Hope that you soon learn to spell as us Englishers do.

All the Best

Bryan