Buzz
A common question I often hear from people is, 'Where can I find affordable clothes that won't fall apart after one wash?' As someone with experience in vintage clothing resale and a background as a fashion podcaster, I’ve witnessed the full range of quality—from the great to the truly disappointing.
Unfortunately, there aren't many clear-cut guidelines to determine clothing quality. That’s why I was thrilled to discover author Anuschka Rees’ guide to evaluating the quality of clothes you're considering purchasing. You don’t need to be an expert in fabric or sewing techniques to use this guide on your next shopping adventure, whether at a vintage store or even at Target. All you need is the ability to inspect each item closely. Here's how you do it:
Inspect carefully if you want long-lasting clothing
Rees' top advice is to examine the garment you're considering in person. While it’s easy to make a visual judgment online, you can only truly assess quality by inspecting the fabric up close, feeling it, checking the seams, and trying it on,” Rees explains.
Some may solve this by shopping at online stores with easy return policies. Others may prefer to bypass the online uncertainty and do their shopping in person instead.
If you’re thinking, 'I don’t have good stores near me,' this might not be as big a deal as you think. Recently, many stylists have revealed that brands they once trusted for quality no longer provide that guarantee. Now, they too must examine seams and fabric stretch in each item to judge quality. Because of global clothing production, your $3.99 t-shirt from one brand might come from the same factory as your $65 khakis or $200 wool pea coat from other brands.
So, think like a stylist and inspect each garment before buying, or if you’re shopping online, before deciding to keep it.
Rees offers a two-part guide to evaluate clothes: one focused on fabrics, and another on seams, tailoring, and additional details. Both are essential reading before your next shopping trip.
However, remember you don't need to scrutinize every piece with a magnifying glass each time you shop just for the sake of it. 'Not every item in your wardrobe needs to last 20 years. Not every sock you own should be made from merino wool,' Rees points out. 'Decide which pieces are worth investing more time (and money) in, and which ones you're okay with replacing after a few seasons.'
In the meantime, Rees provides a cheat sheet of essential questions to ask when evaluating clothing. You can check it out below (and even download it as a PDF).
