Garments sold at upscale malls in the city under famous brands such as Chanel, Burberry and Dior, with price tags of at least 1,000 yuan ($120), have been declared substandard.[Shanghai Daily]

SHANGHAI: The higher the price, the better the quality? Not necessarily.

Garments sold at upscale malls in the city under famous brands such as Chanel, Burberry and Dior, with price tags of at least 1,000 yuan ($120), have been declared substandard.

Coats, jackets and pants made under 17 international brands failed quality tests, with either high concentrations of a potentially dangerous chemical, shoddy dye or excessive fiber content, according to an online statement from the Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Administration.

Zara, MNG, Armani, Ermenegildo Zegna, S.T.Dupont, PINK and MaxMara were also found to have substandard products.

In a recent test, 24 kinds of garments bearing these fancy brands were found to be faulty in more than 10 department stores, including Plaza 66 on Nanjing Road and Gateway Mall in Xujiahui .

A Zara skirt was found to contain twice the allowable quantity of formaldehyde, a chemical that threatens respiratory health and the skin. And an MNG coat, labeled 20 percent cashmere, was found to have only 1.7 percent cashmere.

Dealers will stop selling the faulty garments, remove them from the malls and take responsibility for any later charges, the statement said.

Giorgio Armani's Hong Kong branch said the company was very sorry for its faulty goods and promised to take immediate action. It told the Shanghai Morning Post that it would ensure all its garments were modified to comply with Chinese quality standards.