Helpful Tips to Purchase Long-Lasting Clothing
Do you know what good quality clothing is? Unfortunately, with all the subpar options on retail shelves today, there’s an entire generation that’s growing up without any sense of what high-quality fabric is or what makes a quality garment.
While this is true, there’s a good chance that you have been in a situation where your brand-new t-shirt looks like it has aged several years after just one wash. Or, you notice a hole in the jeans you purchased just six months ago.
Unfortunately, not all clothing designed today is made to last. The quality of the clothing available today is on a steady decline, and many argue the cause of this is a global fashion system that puts a priority on lightning-fast production at the cheapest price tag possible. However, you can learn how to find quality clothing if you know what to look for.
Look at the Label
The fabric content of a garment matters. There are some who prefer fibers extracted from animals and plants, like silk, linen, wool, or cotton. However, today, synthetics are more readily available, including rayon, spandex, acrylic, polyester, and spun out of petrochemicals and plastics.
Technology is helping to improve the drape, luster, and texture of the synthetic fabrics and some of them offer qualities like stretch. They are also blended with natural materials to create fabrics that feel similar to natural fibers. However, the blended fabrics won’t improve as they are washed like natural fibers do. For example, if a cotton-polyester blend is dried in your dryer, the materials may shrink at different rates, which will change the garment’s shape.
Even if a garment has been labeled 100 percent cotton, it may be low-quality. Fabrics are also low-quality if they use low-grade fibers, which usually aren’t very strong, or if there isn’t much fiber present in the cloth. To reduce labor costs, many manufacturers cut corners to create the clothing faster, which results in subpar garments.
Touch the Fabric
The best way to determine the quality of a fabric is to touch it. Does it feel like it is rough, brittle, or thin? Or, does the fabric feel substantial, soft, and smooth?
The last trait matters. The more fiber there is in the garment’s construction, the more likely it will last longer. Remember, though, a fabric doesn’t have to be heavy to be good. If the yarns are packed tightly, but the fabric is thin, the cloth is lightweight. What you want to look for is the fabric’s density.
Loot at the Seams
Remember, the fabric isn’t the only element that matters. You also need to check the seams that hold the clothing together. You should see even stitches that are spaced closely, and that lie flat on the fabric. Be sure to look at the seams on the inside and the outside of the garment.
Finding High Quality Clothing
If you take time to find a quality garment, you can feel confident it is going to last. Find a quality manufacturer, and you will be able to get clothing you can have for years, rather than weeks.