High quality clothing is often made of wool, cotton, cashmere, and silk. Remember that a high content of natural fiber does not necessarily mean a piece of clothing is high quality. You’ll also have to look at the construction of the clothing, feel it to make sure it is soft, and make sure that thread work is secure. Natural fiber and synthetic blends are okay, if most of the material is natural. Blended fabric may tend to last long and hold shape a lot better than cloths just made of natural fiber. [1] X Research source
Be careful of polyester fabrics. They’re exceptionally cheap and are probably poorly manufactured. Watch out for acrylic. For example, sweaters that are more than 50% acrylic won’t last long. [2] X Research source
Metal zippers. Wood or metal buttons. Look for robust buttons and other accessories, regardless of the type of material.
Hold the garment up to the light and see if much light penetrates it. Pinch it with your fingers and see how it feels. Feel how much it weighs against a similar article of clothing you know is high quality. If it is lighter, it likely has thinner material. [3] X Research source
Inspect the clothing and try to locate extra buttons. Look to see that buttons are where they should be. For example, collars and the sleeves of arms will have buttons. [4] X Research source
Try to see if the manufacture used the same fabric for facing as they used for the rest of the garment. If they did, this speaks to the quality of the fabric. [5] X Research source
Pinch the fabric lightly and rub your fingers together to see if there is lining present. Pay attention to the thickness of lining – the thicker, the better. Try to spot marks of quality that demand the use of extra material such as plackets covering buttons, double darts, or French cuffs.
Stitching work with many stitches per inch. Generally, the more the better. Extra top stitching. Buttons and other pieces that are securely sown to the fabric. Hem work that is fully finished. For example, if the hem appears loosely stitched inside or is lacking thread, the clothing is probably low quality. [6] X Research source
Missed stiches Loose stiches Crooked lines or seams Fabric patterns that don’t line up with seams[7] X Research source
Handcrafted garments or garments produced by niche or small-scale producers. If you’re not sure, consult the manufacture’s tag and then look it up on the internet. Popular high-quality brands include Levi Strauss & Co. , Patagonia, Ralph Lauren, J Crew, Diesel, Pendleton, and others. The quality of certain brands may decrease over time, so don’t assume that a brand that was high quality 10 years ago is still high quality. [8] X Research source
