How To Find Good Quality Clothes

A few posts ago, I talked about my worst and my best purchases. I thought about 2018 and the clothes that I purchased to come to the conclusion that 2018 has been a pretty bad year for me when it comes to fashion. And of course, the main reason was because of the quality of the products that I got.

That leads me to think about the changes that I was willing to make. I started reading some articles and trying to collect information about the quality of clothing and how to differentiate a decently made item form a bad one. Here are some of the conclusions that I got to:

Materials

One of the steps I usually forget is to check the fibres. I just find a piece that I like and if it fits, nothing else matters. Apparently, it’s very important to read about the fabrics on the label.  This label is usually located in the bottom right side of the piece. For example, it happens that cotton has been extremely optimized in order to rise to the challenge of the fast fashion industry.

Stitches per Inch

One of the steps you shouldn’t forget about is to inspect the stitching of the piece before buying it. Have a look at the way the stitching is made. It’s good to examine all of the loose accessories, buttonholes and other defects in the process of creating the piece. Look at this absolute mess I found on one of my trousers today…

Colours

Another trick you can remember when buying new clothes is the colour placement. Some designers advise choosing the piece with fewer colours because the odds are that it will last more, as every time they place a new colour they have to use some time in avoiding for the new colours to destroy the rest of the item.

Thickness

Some of the other common ways brands go cheap is with the amount of material they use to create the piece. It’s good to put the piece in front of a light (natural light or a lamp). You can check by judging at the amount of light that goes through the material and the thickness of the product.

I remember some years ago, I would try some tops in the fitting room and just after putting it on I realized it was impossible to use it as a single top because it was just so transparent. It could be a green or blue top, but it was still possible to see everything through it. If you just hold it up to the light, the amount of light that penetrated the fabric says a lot an about its quality.

Buttons

When it comes to deciding if an item has decent quality or not, buttons can be our friends. Buttons can say a lot about a piece. First, have a look at the way they are sewed, you can see if they are decently stitched or almost falling.

Also, if the item has some extra buttons (in order to replace in a future the ones that fall or get lost), it means that the piece has the intention to last and in a future could require some minor repairs. And that’s a great sign!

Zippers

One of the most annoying things that can happen after you buy a jacket or a coat is to realize that the zipper is broken or doesn’t move well enough. Before you buy that bag always remember to roll all zippers for a few seconds. Oh, and try to prioritize metal zippers over plastic ones, and even better if they are covered! (unless it has a stylish purpose).

If its too late and you have a zipper that is not working properly, you can have a look at one very old post where I talk about multipurpose products and how useful they can be (the one about fixing zippers).

Washable

I destroyed one of my favourite knit sweater a few weeks ago. The reason? I am used to put the washing machine in tumble dry mode too. It’s convenient for me to go get my clothes clean and dried already and that way, I don’t need to worry about hanging them and waiting more time until I can use them.

Sadly, one of my pieces was more delicate than I thought. Of course, it was my fault. I didn’t read the label, but after seeing the “leftovers” of the sweater, I looked for the label and I read “no tumble dry”.

Tumble drying is very aggressive and it’s understandable that some clothes are advised to be treated this way. If you can use the washing machine and tumble dry, awesome, it means that the material is made to withstand a pretty aggressive washing process. If it’s suitable for a washing machine but not for tumble dry, it’s also fine. This is usually what happens with knitwear.

On the other side, if it’s just suitable for “dry clean” or “professional dry” or sometimes even it can even say “not wash” then be aware. It means that the material is so incredibly delicate that you cannot wash it. And maybe you don’t feel like spending the money in taking it to a dry cleaners.

These are some of the tips I can give you. I am not expecting the best quality in everything that I buy, but destroying an item just after washing it is not on my wish list for sure. Let me know if you liked these tips and share your own strategy on how to get decent clothes to last over the years.