Quality VS cheap clothing: How to tell the difference

[kisserofsinners]

I'm not assuming all knowledge of the topic and fully encourage others to contribute.

Generally speaking men have trouble. This can be because they don't see anything <1/2 inches without averaging around to uselessness. The things that make good clothes are subtle. Things that are measured by touch VS visually.

Fabric: Thicker is better. It indicates the weight of the treads used and the number of treads per inch, but can easily be determined by touch. Not the specific numbers mind you (though plenty have built up that skill, too) but just generally. You can test your sensitivity in a bunch of ways. The easiest is go to any dept clothing store and touch the fabric of the t-shirts in the men's and women's dept. You'll note that the women's clothes are really thin, like able to see right through, thin. Men's t-shirts are far more sturdy. However, both have taken a huge hit in quality of the years making both significantly thinner. This is just an exercise to illustrate how touch works.

Stitching: Now we'll look at the stitching. It should be tight to the fabric, but loose enough to stretch when stressed by pulling, not too hard mind you. Also look at the thickness of the threads used. Be sure to check high risk areas; crotch, pits, shoulders, and hems will often have a couple passes, just like they do in boots.

Fit: It's hard to determine a good fit on yourself if you haven't been taught what to look for. I'll admit, i'm crap at this part. I'd be hapy wearing baggy clothes that makes me look like a teenage boy wearing dad's hand me downs. I usually drag a savvier friend with me when i go shopping. If you are impervious to the up selling of kids in the Macy's, go ask them. Seriously, they get commissions on the shit they sell and they sell more when it looks good. Just don't actually by anything. Keep your brain focused on the data that are obliviously feeding you.

These are the basics. When considering whether you're home made clothes are comparable in price, realize that the weight of the fabric. Thicker fabric greatly improves wear over time and therefor has a greater value.

[Worsted Skeins]

Not sure about thickness as an indicator of better quality.  I love voile and lawn--both of which drape better than thicker quilting cottons.  Good voile and lawn get even softer with age.

Touch is key.  I hate many synthetics although I do think that some of the newer micro fibers are fine.  Some fabrics just feel yucky--especially knits.  The addition of polyester to cotton knits will cause pilling in the fabric over time.

Also look at how seams are finished.  If the seam allowances are narrow and not properly finished, you'll soon have a hole which will be hard to repair.

Check out the pockets to see if they lie properly.  Sometimes pockets pucker or zippers gap at the waistband--all of which affect fit.

It might be a good exercise to go to a used shop and look at some older garments.  For example, women's skirts and jackets of yore were lined. Compare wool to acrylic sweaters to see how synthetics pill. 

[twa2w]

I think thickness as an indicator of quality make depend on what you are looking at - thicker may work with Tshirts but the opposite is generally true of suits.
If you look at a high quality suit - mens or ladies ,one that has a pinstripe or striping - the stripe should line up where the seam meets at the shoulder - ie the stripes that are coming up the chest should line up with the stripes on the fabric that is coming up the back and meeting at the shoulder seam - it takes an extra bit of fabric to make sure this happen - of course this means as the pattern diverges and converges down the centre seam of the back the strips will meet up as well.  Very hard to find this quality without paying big bucks.  Not sure how well i explained this but hopefully :-)

Cheers
J

[madhadron]

The quality of buttons and how well they're sewn on is a fairly good proxy for the quality of the overall garment. One of my favorite shirts is a 1950s reverse print Hawaiian shirt. The buttons are silver and stamped with the royal crest of Hawaii. They've been attached so that I'd be hard pressed to remove them. The shirt's make and fit is gorgeous, and the fabric is among the toughest I own. On my cheap shirts, the buttons are light plastic and have a few threads through them. On my good suit, they're a solid, heavy plastic, and they're not coming off easily. And then there are those crazy mother of pearl buttons on that wild waistcoast I found...

Good quality cloth and stitching is important, but so is fit. For men, make sure that you get your pants legs hemmed up properly, a seat that isn't too baggy, be sure the shoulder seams of your shirts actually sit at the ends of your shoulders (when you lift your arms straight up, the fabric on your shoulder shouldn't ride up), and have the torso of your shirts and jackets taken in. They're sized for the obese these days. Learn to do this yourself, or barter with someone who knows how.

[Jamesqf]

I'd argue about fabric weight as an indicator of quality, too.  It gets hot in the summer hereabouts, and I want to wear the lightest, coolest fabric possible.

[galaxie]

The first thing on my list is the type of fabric.  If it's synthetic, I usually just won't buy it.

Second is fit -- but clothes can always be taken in at the hips or waist (not so much at the shoulders without a major construction project).  Clothes look like they're higher quality if they fit you well.

Third is construction.  Whether the seams seem sturdy, etc.

[WootWoot]

My mother has been sewing for 60+ years. She taught me to always examine the seams and the stitching. Are there loose threads hanging out? Any flaws in the fabric?

[MsGuided]

I buy pretty much all my clothes (and some for my husband & kids) used.  I mostly haunt thrift stores, but occasionally go to consignment stores, and will stop by a garage sale or two a few times a year.  I select clothes to try on by the feel of the fabric, then by name brand.  I believe the quality of Brooks Brothers, Nordstrom in-house clothes, and to a lesser extent REI  to be superior to other, comparable garments.  I do look at seams, but find that small holes, stains, and pilling are the most common problems I find with thrift store clothes.

As an strategy for increasing my efficiency in quickly rifling through the huge quantity of clothes, I do scan for brands like Banana Republic, Polo, etc.  I do this not so much because the quality is markedly higher than less expensive brands, but because the style and fit are generally nicer.  Because I almost never go to the mall, I find I am not that familiar with many popular brands.  I have discovered a brand I really like called Royal Robbin.  The quality is great, althoug I don't know where it's sold, and I get excited anytime I run accross it in my thrifting adventures.

It is obvious to anyone who has spent time in thrift stores, but there is a huge surplus women's clothes in good condition & a much smaller supply of high quality men's clothes in pristine condition.  Especially for men, if you don't enjoy spending time in thrift stores, you may be just as well off buying a few nice pieces at a place like TJ Maxx or some equivalent.

[CNM]

Great tips here.  I would add that it never pays to buy suits, especially pants or skirts, that are not fully lined.  The lining prevents stretching ans wrinkles and will keep your suits looking good for years. 

[anastrophe]

In terms of construction quality, I always examine the points of high stress. On a shirt or jacket it's the armscye, and I won't buy anything that has a simple seam there. At the very least it should be well serged, and some better garments have binding as well as lining. Also, the collar should be tidy and any darts in the back should line up, not be dangling threads, etc. On pants, the waistline should be reinforced. I also always look at facings for buttonholes and zippers. Cheap clothing lacks good facings.

But I always keep in mind that I'll never wear a high-quality piece of clothing if it doesn't fit.

[ShavenLlama]

Royal Robbin is sold at REI.

[Worsted Skeins]

Royal Robbin is sold at REI.

Royal Robbin overstocks are sometimes available from Sierra Trading.

[Osprey]

I'm throwing a spanner in the works but in the book "To Die For" by Lucy Siegle she mentions that the way clothes are made these days results in a wide range of quality in terms of construction. It's all done factory-style, so the person who sews the hem may be far more skilled than person who attaches the buttons; and so forth. I see this often in clothing even from high-end stores: maybe the seams are finished well but the zip is skew. Or the stripes line up perfectly but the lining puckers. So I think our best bet would be to recognise the things you can't fix (like fabric and seam allowance) and learn how to "upgrade" the rest (like buttons and hems.)

[kisserofsinners]

I'm throwing a spanner in the works but in the book "To Die For" by Lucy Siegle she mentions that the way clothes are made these days results in a wide range of quality in terms of construction. It's all done factory-style, so the person who sews the hem may be far more skilled than person who attaches the buttons; and so forth. I see this often in clothing even from high-end stores: maybe the seams are finished well but the zip is skew. Or the stripes line up perfectly but the lining puckers. So I think our best bet would be to recognise the things you can't fix (like fabric and seam allowance) and learn how to "upgrade" the rest (like buttons and hems.)

Nice recommendation

[igthebold]

Great tips here.  I would add that it never pays to buy suits, especially pants or skirts, that are not fully lined.  The lining prevents stretching ans wrinkles and will keep your suits looking good for years.

Unless you want to wear said suit in hot weather, in which case you should be careful to look for properly finished seams, usually bound with the lining material.

[MsSindy]

This doesn't fall into the quality/cheap category, but more in the wearability category - stay away from linen.  Yes, it's a beautiful, natural, breathable, draping fabric but it is such a wrinkly mess that it is completely unwearable - total waste of money.  I bought a beautiful linen suit and wore it twice before giving it to Goodwill - I looked like I just pulled it from the hamper after my commute into work - very embarrassed all day.

The most important things I look for are fit, drape, lining, loose threads, and lackof wrinkles (scrunch it in your hand and see how bad it wrinkles).

[anastrophe]

This doesn't fall into the quality/cheap category, but more in the wearability category - stay away from linen.  Yes, it's a beautiful, natural, breathable, draping fabric but it is such a wrinkly mess that it is completely unwearable - total waste of money.  I bought a beautiful linen suit and wore it twice before giving it to Goodwill - I looked like I just pulled it from the hamper after my commute into work - very embarrassed all day.

Try this: hang your linen items on the back of the bathroom door at night so the wrinkles have a chance to fall out some overnight. Then, if you shower in the morning, the steam should help some more. (Or you could press in the morning but who does that?)

But I agree, linen is a strictly casual fabric. I would not use it for "professional" occasions.