How to Seek Out the Best Quality in Fashion

When you're buying clothing and accessories, you want to buy quality items. Spending money on something that is going to fall apart within a few months is going to please you, and it won't be great for your bank account either. Seeking out the very best quality isn't as easy as simply spending the most money, however. Although paying more for the things you buy does help to ensure that you choose quality fashion, you can still find that expensive items don't stand the test of time. So how should you find fashion that looks great, fits like a glove and will remain in your closet for years to come?

You can look at a number of different factors to find the very best quality clothing, jewelry and accessories.

Take Note of Construction

One thing that you might want to look out for when buying clothing and other fashion items is how something is constructed. If a garment or accessory is well-constructed, it is likely to last longer. Strong stitching, finished seams buttons that aren't going to fly off at the first sign of strain are all things that can make a difference. It can take a little while to learn what you should be looking for, especially as you need to consider different factors for different items.

How well something is finished should be one thing that you take into account. If you've never taken a close look at a garment of clothing inside out before, now is a good time to start doing it. It will show you which items are neatly finished and which ones are perhaps cheaper items of clothing. For example, one common method for finishing seams is a serged edge. This means the seam is finished off with a type of sewing machine called a serger, and it's usually used for cheaper items of clothing. Higher-end clothing will often use neater ways of finishing off a seam, such as a flat-felled seam (common on jeans).

One way to get a good idea of the quality of stitching is to look at top-stitching. This is the stitching that is visible on the outside of the garment. If it's nice and neat, you can take a good guess that the rest of the stitching will be good quality too. Another place to watch for stitching is around buttons and other fastenings. They should be firmly held in place, so you don't need to worry about them coming off. Speaking of fastenings, metal and other durable materials are usually better for buttons and zippers than plastic.

Understand Fabrics and Materials

When it comes to choosing high-end fashion items, it pays to understand what the things you buy are made of. From leather boots to silk shirts and gold jewelry, higher-quality materials usually translate into higher-quality items.

If you're shopping for clothes, natural fabrics are usually best - unless you're looking for high-performance fabrics for sports. That means fabrics like wool, cotton, silk, and leather. Within these broader categories, you will also find particularly fine examples of different fabrics, such as cashmere or angora wool. However, just because something is made from a particular material, it doesn't guarantee its quality. There are other factors to look at, too, including the weight of the material and the texture.

You might also need to consider materials such as precious metals and gemstones if you're buying jewelry. If you're looking at watches, you can also benefit from knowing which materials to watch out for. For example, if you're looking at diamond jewelry, it's worth spending some time getting to know how to spot a real diamond and how to assess its quality.

Look at Where It's Made

Does where an item is made really affect its quality? There's a good chance that it does. There are several countries and even specific regions that have a long history of quality textiles and fashion. Some of the manufacturing countries that people prefer include the US, UK, Italy, France and Spain. Of course, these aren't the only places in the world manufacturing quality fashion. Buying things that are made as close to your home as possible may not only increase the quality, but it's also good for the environment. If you're interested in sustainable fashion, it makes sense to buy things that haven't been transported halfway around the world.

Choose Brands That Have Stood the Test of Time

It can be difficult to know whether to trust a well-known brand. However, there are plenty of big-name brands that can be relied on. Not all designer names automatically equal quality, but there are many that do, especially when they are famous for making a particular thing very well. The biggest collection of Vintage Oyster Perpetual Watches can be found at Vintage Watch Online. Rolex have long been regarded as excellent watchmakers, with the Swiss manufacturer dating back to London in 1905. If a brand's products have a reputation for standing the test of time, you can usually guarantee that they will continue to do so.

Don't Get Too Caught Up in Brands

Even though it is a good idea to look out for quality designers, it's not the be-all and end-all. Some big names might be famous, but they can spend more money on marketing than they do on the quality of their products or on product development. Some well-established brands can fall behind, while new names start to take over. It's worth giving smaller brands a chance if you can verify the quality of their products. You could also save money by avoiding the big brands.

Read Reviews and Ratings

Reading reviews when you're shopping for something is always smart, especially when you're looking online. Fortunately, the internet makes it really easy to find out what previous customers have to say about the products that they have bought. A quick look at some ratings can give you a basic idea of the quality of a certain brand. However, it's worth reading some more in-depth reviews too, not just from general customers but also from professional reviewers and journalists.

Try On for Fit

Quality clothes and shoes are made to fit you well. You can get the best fit from your clothes by having them tailored to you, but the next best thing is to look for quality items with a good cut. Trying things on before you buy them helps you to ensure they fit well, and that there isn't any fabric bunching up or stretching in places where it shouldn't. Shoes should be tried on for comfort and fit too. Although you have probably "broken in" lots of shoes, some experts say that shouldn't be necessary. A good pair of shoes should fit comfortably without causing you pain for days or even weeks.

Ensure Genuine Materials and Designers

Finally, being able to spot a fake if you're buying designer items is a good skill to have. There are plenty of items that are copied and passed off as genuine designer goods when they're much cheaper replicas. To be able to spot them, you need to know the markers of a genuine product. Some of these are general things to look for, such as the quality of the stitching. However, there are also some things that are specific to certain brands, such as the label that they use.

When you're looking for quality fashion, learn what you should be looking for, from the construction to brand names. You will be able to make the most of your money when you only buy quality.