How to find good quality clothing pt 1
Dear reader,
In the days of fast fashion, I find that finding good quality clothing is becoming increasingly difficult. As a hopeless romantic, I find myself touching my grandmother's coat, which has lasted her decades, and comparing it to mine, which lasted me two or three years before the fabric was ruined and the seams came undone. However, I do not give up and do my best to buy clothes of high quality and with a little luck and skill, they might also last me decades.
Hence, I've started this little series of things I look for and prioritise when I shop for clothing.
Material
Natural material
When I shop for clothes, I often look for natural materials such as wool, cotton, linen, and silk. There are several reasons for this, natural materials are biodegradable, and I prefer their feel on my skin. The qualities of natural materials are also something I appreciate. For example, linen has excellent durability and I find that natural materials look more luxurious. I also try to opt for organic materials when possible, especially when I buy something newly produced.
Fabric blends
Synthetic fibres are increasingly popular in the fashion industry. The most common ones are nylon, polyester and acrylic. Sometimes a synthetic fibre is mixed with a natural fibre. Consider a winter coat, you might find that there is polyester mixed in with the wool and the main reason for this is usually to increase durability or for it to keep its shape better. However, I think it's important to consider the ratio between natural and synthetic fibre. I try to avoid clothes that have more than 20% syntethic fiber in them. Mostly since I don't like the feel of many synthetic materials and if you buy them new the synthetic fibre can release microplastics into the water when washed.
Mixing materials sure has advantages but I want to highlight that when materials are mixed they are almost impossible to separate again. This means that they cannot be recycled or that the quality of the recycled fibre is subpar and has limited use.
Transparency
Look for shops that are transparent with their production and sustainability work. Usually, if a brand has sustainable values they are also concerned with the quality and that the garment should have a long life.
Care label
I look into the care label because it holds plenty of valuable information about the garment. So, ask yourself if you are ready to care for the garment in the way that will give it the longest life. This might require you to take it to the dry cleaner or purchase a special detergent if it's delicate.
Here I also take into account the material or material blend. For example, a silk shirt I might expect requires a cool wash or maybe a visit to the dry cleaner. However, if I see a shirt that requires dry cleaning but it's mainly or maybe completely made out of polyester (a material famous for its durability might I add), I will suspect that it's not that well made.