There’s a certain aesthetic in today’s fashion - neutral in color, simple in design, and when styled with the right accessories, creates a classic, timeless and high-end look. The fascination with the “old money” look plays a major role, with shoppers buying low-quality items from fast-fashion retailers like Shein and claiming their outfits were inspired by wealth and sophistication. Just because something looks well made, doesn’t mean it actually is, and craftsmanship is actually the most important thing to look for when shopping for sustainable pieces. Here are five things that will immediately indicate the poor quality of clothing, even if it looks good at first glance or has a steep price.
Loose Threads and Stitching
One of the most obvious and telling signs of poor-quality clothing is careless stitching. A well-made garment will have tight, even stitching that’s barely noticeable, so if you see any loose threads hanging around or a sloppy seam, this piece is questionable. If the craftsmanship isn’t up to par, the garment can start unraveling after just a few wears and washes, so you’ll end up needing to get it repaired or end up doing the repairing yourself. A high-quality item doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg, or be from a high-end fashion brand, but it does needs to hold its structure together.
Poor Quality Fabric
Sometimes, a garment might look stylish and well-designed, but the fabric tells a completely different story. Let’s take an Irish style cable knit sweater as an example: jumpers made of cheap synthetic materials may last forever, literally because the fibers will never break down, but also feel rough, itchy, and uncomfortable to wear. , They are often used in fast fashion because they’re cheap to produce. Such sweaters lack the breathability and durability of natural fibers such as merino wool. They lose their shape after a quick while, pill easily, and stretch out even if they seemed perfectly good when you first saw them in the store. Irish knit Aran sweaters made of real wool, like the ones from GaelSong are known for their durability and comfort, and the durable fibers that they’re made of can easily transform them into a family heirloom.
Flimsy Buttons
One of the small details that will tell you a lot about a garment is it’s buttons. Cheap clothing often comes with plastic buttons that feel light and hollow, are prone to breaking or falling off with minimal use. Often buttons are sewn on with a machine and are not lock stitched into place. You may need to re-stitch them to keep them from falling off. Tip – One thing you can do to elevate the look of your garment is to replace your buttons with more a more attractive alternative. More durable buttons are often made of materials like wood, metal, bone, and shell, and have a more polished appearance than plastic alternatives.
Mismatched Patterns
One of my biggest pet peeves is a mis-matched plaid. Higher end or more expensive clothing will match the stripes, plaids or pattern repeats, which makes it easy to understand how much thought and effort was put into their production. You’ll want to look out for key points like the side seams & center seams where it’s very apparent if a pattern has not been considered from right to left or front to back . If the patterns are mismatched or uneven, it’s a sign the manufacturer didn’t want to invest the time (ultimately money) to lay out the fabric properly. Properly matched patterns give one’s eyes a more harmonious which makes the person wearing the clothing more important than the clothing itself.
Fake Pockets
There’s nothing more frustrating than finding a jacket or a pair of pants with useless pockets. In many fast fashion pieces, the pockets are either ridiculously shallow or completely fake, sewn shut just for the sake of aesthetics and not functionality. It almost seems like this issue is largely confined to women’s fashion, as men’s clothing rarely seems to have the same problem when it comes to functional pockets. Remember: a well-made garment will offer properly constructed pockets that are deep enough to actually hold something without making the fabric sag. You might note however that in more expensive brands the pockets are basted (sewn loosely) shut to keep them in place while they are transported to and on display in the store. This is commonly done for blazers, welt pockets and trousers with welt pockets and often with back vents on coats and blazers as well (sometimes sewn with an x of contrasting thread). These threads can easily be unpicked and removed once the garment is purchased. You will just need to feel around to make sure there is a pocket bag below the pocket opening to be sure.
Learning about the quality of a garment is often done by carefully inspecting clothing out in the wild or even in your own wardrobe. I recommend to our students that they go to several different kinds of stores - Department stores, luxury brands as well as fast fashion stores, to examine the clothing for these kind of details and to see what kinds of sewing techniques were used in production. It really helps you understand the actual quality of the garment.
Until next time, Happy Fashion,
xo Jennifer
