4 Less Quantity, More Quality
Everything in our closets needn’t be exquisitely made. It’s not realistic. As you depart from your fashion fast and start to build a more satisfying conscious closet, you should strive to own quality clothes and learn to recognize them. We should learn to choose better, longer-lasting, more beautifully made apparel, no matter your budget or where you shop. Premium quality clothing is great for the environment because it lasts.
Where to Practice Shopping for Quality
Good quality clothing is made with care and intention form start to finish, from design to the type of fabric, thread, and seams used to create it. It is made to last, wear well, and look good as time progresses. Learning to spot quality requires exposure to well-made clothes and attention to detail. Anyone can master it.
Your own clothes. Which pieces in our closet have stood the test of time? Which pieces seem like good quality to you? Study the fabric and the way the garment is put together.
A wide range of stores. Go on a try-on trip and touch and try on the best and the worst clothing, from the softest cashmere sweater to the coarsest polyester in shops ranging from luxury stores to dollar stores. It’s through comparison that differences in quality are apparent.
The men’s department. Men’s clothes are still on the whole better made than women’s since styles change more slowly and more durable design is expected.
Thrift and vintage stores. Thrift stores are full of pre-fast-fashion clothes made with more thought and intention (including awful clothes as well) and these well-constructed pieces provide a great education.
Questions to Ask Yourself When Evaluating Fabric
Is the fabric ideal for the garment? Answer this question by asking yourself where you plan to wear the piece. Are you wearing it outside on a humid day or a air-conditioned office? Are you going to party in it? Choose the fabric that has appropriate features, whether it’s comfort, warmth, or performance. The cheaper you shop, the more wrong fabrics you’ll see, like nylon blended denim shorts.
Consider the hand feel. Rub the fabric between your fingers and thumb. Hand feel is most important in everyday clothing and formal wear, as it enriches the experience and pleasure of wearing your clothes. It can be the feature that draws you to the garment. The quality of fabric is determined by the weave and fineness and length of the fibers. Avoid fabrics that feel stiff, cold, dry, or rough. Keep in mind that fabrics can also be too soft. Use your hands as a guide, and regardless of price, choose a fabric that is pleasing to the touch.
Is it durable? You want your clothes to look good for as long as possible. How do you avoid materials that pill, stretch out, wear thin, fade, or break from regular washing? The weave and thickness of the material contribute to the garment’s durability. Some fabrics, like fleece, flannel, and knitwear, are bound to pill, but if they’re good quality, they will pill less. Additionally, they will return to their original appearance once the pills are removed.
How do you clean it? Make sure you’re willing to follow any care instructions, including suggestions to hand wash or air-dry, when choosing a garment. Often the cheapest clothing is synthetics that cannot tolerate machine washing or drying. Cheap materials tend to put the burden on the consumer to pay as much or more in cleaning as they paid for the garment.