PRETTY YOUNG THING

Today's post is going to take a look at how we can go about spotting quality clothing. I think its good to have a selection of quality pieces in your wardrobe and that it’s smart to spend a little bit extra and buy staple classic pieces that will last. If you go for materials that wash well and last longer otherwise you will just end up replacing these items every few months.

I've been taking a look in to what makes up a high quality garment and I believe these are the three most important things to look out for.

Fabric

Fabric is without a doubt the most important part of any piece of clothing. Regardless of the quality of the construction etc. if the fabric used is a cheap polyester blend or something which really isn't suited to the item, the whole piece will be let down. When looking for quality fabrics, you need to check the hand feel and to see if any treatments have been added to help with things like durability. If you pay a little more and go for organic cotton, you're guaranteeing that the fabric hasn't been harmed by pesticides.

Construction

When it comes to construction, handmade is always a great start because it means that someone has actually stitched the item themselves and with that comes a degree of pride. The first thing to take a look at is the stitching to see if there are any signs of unravelling, missed stitches, loose stitches, snags, crooked lines or other imperfections. After, you should try and lightly pull the fabric on either side of a seam just to check that it doesn't pull apart. Don't pull too hard of course!

Trim

It's no good buying an item that's been constructed beautifully from high quality fabrics if the trim like zips and buttons are going to degrade and even worse, fall off. The quality of the trim is just as important as the quality of the fabric. Plastic zippers are harder to zip up also, so always look out for metal zips and if possible, branded ones. You'd be surprised how much development companies like YKK put in to making their zips durable enough to stand the test of time. If you look out for high quality zips, you'll avoid a world of headaches.

I spoke to Rob Williams, a Director at Hawthorn, a clothing manufacturer based in London about what he believes is the most important thing to look out for. He said “from experience, the composition of a fabric plays a huge part in determining the quality of a piece. Lower quality brands tend to only think about their profit margins and will use fabrics like polyester blends where there is no need. On the other hand, those brands who really care about quality will go the extra mile to make sure that their products will stand the test of time. 100% natural fabrics are superior to man made fabrics generally, however there are some exceptions when it comes to speciality clothing like active wear.”