7 Tricks to Finding a Perfect Piece of Clothing Every Time

Have you ever shopped only to be met with a sunken feeling when you spot some defect? More often than not, we buy a piece of clothing based on its overall appearance without taking into account some important considerations. In this post, I will share some handy tricks to spot a well made garment which will look perfect and last long.

1. Feel the fabric

The fabric forms the foundation of your clothing, so try to go for natural fabrics which last longer. Natural fabrics like cotton, wool, cashmere, and silk tend to hold up longer than synthetics. The exceptions: denim and workout clothing which need some polymeric materials infused for better fit and stretching ability.

2. Proper hardware

The hardware constituting the apparel needs to be prim and proper or it may ruin the look and charm. Check whether the zippers, clasp, hook or buttons are of good quality and not defective.

3. Say no to sheer

Sheerness is a good indicator that the clothing wasn’t built to last. Do check the sheerness of lightweight and expensive materials like silk and cashmere to test for longevity. Put your hand under the fabric and hold it near the light. If you can see your hand’s outline, the garment is likely to be sheer in most lighting.

4. Spare parts

A garment equipped with spare buttons or matching threads reflects the thoughtfulness of the manufacturer and the guarantee that your item will last long enough to do with minor repairs.

5. Seams are sturdy

Turn the item inside out and gently pull at one of its side seams, if you are able to see light between the stitches, it’s an indication that the garment might not stand the test of time. High-quality garments generally have tighter seams and a higher number of stitches per inch, thus lesser chances of holes developing and snagging threads.

6. Wrinkle Test

Before you add an item to your shopping cart, scrunch it up in your hand and release to see how many wrinkles form. Consider leaving the item on the rack if it has too many wrinkles and fails this test. For 100 percent cotton, which tends to wrinkle easily, try non-wrinkle versions, or cotton blends.

7. Patterns match at seams

In well-made pieces, the patterns, especially horizontal stripes, will match up at the seams and sleeves. You can ignore this one for large patterns and random patterns like polka dots, and garments with many seams.