Helping identify quality - YouLookFab Forum

Quality garments are easy to spot - espcially for someone who "loves to sew". Seams are finished, no loose threads hanging off, zippers are even and completely encased, buttons have "undermounts" on the wrong side to stabilize and are securely attached, linings are hand-sewn (or partially), fabric "feels" luxurious and behaves appropriate to the garment style (does it drape or stand away from the body?) - etc. One of the first keys you will have that a garment is fine quality is some degree of hand-stitching. Fabric matters tremendously - you can buy cheap silk garments and beautiful polyester garments- natural fibers do not always denote expensive/high quality.

My recommendation to everyone - learn to sew - at least a little. You will learn a great deal about fiber content, how to care for garments, and the amount of time/work involved in creating a quality garment. It will help train your eye, plus give you a tremendous feeling of accomplishment. Not to mention the luxury of being able to create a garment in the exact color, size, style, pattern that YOU want. You may decide that making garments is not your thing - but you will have trained your eye and your hands to know what a quality garment consists of.

18 years ago

Sarah

Active Member

Great advice moluv2sew! My mom sews and it is easy for her to spot quality clothes. I'm still learning, but I'm sure it will help me.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Interesting perspective! I loath to sew but had to as part of my fashion design training. Unfortunately this is not an art that I am patient enough for.

I view quality a little differently. I use to be a fashion buyer and therefore worked with clothing manufacturers for years, negotiating prices and at times trying to cut “quality corners” so that profit margins could be met. But I never cut the fabric quality corner. A quality garment HAS to be in quality fabric. No amount of hand stitching or workmanship will make a garment of higher quality if the fabric is below par. It’s also important to remember that the extra workmanship that goes into a garment thereby making it look ”impeccable”’ is a skill that you pay dearly for as a customer. Customers seldom want to pay for these details if they can’t see them, but they tend to pay extra for great fabric. Quality marker #1 – be discerning about fabrications first.

mayapple

I am usually okay at picking out quality for knits and wovens, but I can never figure out sweaters. Some sweaters look luxurious in the shop but start pilling like crazy after a few washings, even when made out of a higher quality material. Is there any way to tell? It's so frustrating to spend $75+ on a sweater only for it to develop little fuzzies after a few wearings.

Knits and pilling have become impossible. There is just no way to tell. I still can’t prevent some knits from pilling. It has little do with the price or fabric content of the garment. I’ve just about given up.

Fruitful

Veteran

Found another "quality" thread! I thought it worth bumping as both the Op's and Angie's comments provide food for thought I hadn't seen in other discussions on quality.

14 years ago

rachylou

Interesting! I'll have to remember this.

Is it just me? But I was out shopping, and I was just feeling there's always something stiffer and heavier about higher quality garments. Even when they are a soft drape.

Rachylou I have read people say this! I think Sal said it on Already Pretty (I don't know about stiffer, but heavier). I guess it sepends on what the fabric is supposed to be like, but generally it means there's more threads in the fabric, linings are present, etc.

taylor

Fabric is everything!!
I am glad I now how to sew a little as most of my items must be altered, but a seamstress I am not, but you do learn alot about quality. Many of my Ann Taylor items HAD to go to the tailors becasue I simply could not pull them apart easily to alter myself...a sign of excellent quality my tailor said.

Thanks for your insight Taylor!

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