There are two things that I have noticed, is that, with regards to - and regardless of - perceived 'quality'...
The first is that, regardless of the brand name on the tag, if the item was made in Hong Kong, it inevitably seems to be better made (i.e., fabric is good quality, the seams are straight, and any patterns in the fabric are matched together, and the buttons are on firmly). But I don't see Hong Kong on many tags anymore.
The second - and bigger issue in having a garment last, regardless of who made it - is the laundering process. I am very careful about my laundering. (The BF tells me I am the Sheldon Cooper of clothes-washing). I use the BF's front-load washer whenever possible - using a slow spin, and warm or cold water, and a minimum of detergent. Any lingerie, delicate items, or favorites are bagged in mesh lingerie bags I get at Target. And I hang most things on a wooden sweater rack (Wal-mart has these for around $12-13), or I put them to dry in the dryer on a stationary rack.
I used to love Woolite Dark for dark clothing items, because I noticed over the course of several years that none of my black clothes had faded. But detergents with dyes or fragrance makes the BF itch badly, so I use the Kirkland brand detergent from Costco, and it seems to get stains out easily, and I haven't noticed any real issues with fading.
I don't dry anything in the dryer on a higher temperature setting than medium.