How to Find High Quality Clothes. Dos and Don’ts.

hi my name is Mariola and this is my channel slow down in style whether we like it or not we all live in a word of fast fashion and over consumption of poorly made disposable clothes all companies are affected by this process and quality of their clothes and their practices are decreasing every year unfortunately as long as we participate in this process there is demand so we have the power to change it that's why I think we should expect high quality clothes sometimes it means that you have to shop secondhand sometimes you have to wait for the product to go in sale and sometimes you have to make sacrifice and buy one item instead of four so today I want to share with you how I shop high quality clothes what are my priorities what I look for in the clothes and what will never make it to my wardrobe to elements of high quality clothes are materials and construction now I'm quite old-fashioned and I like my natural materials which is wool including Kashmir and Marino cotton linen and silk why do I choose natural materials first of all they are biodegradable so they are friendly to our planet they durable and they feel more Superior on your skin to their itic equivalent of course they look much more uh luxurious as well especially when you think of a cashmere wool silk when it comes to material that is close to your skin that is directly on your skin you should always choose natural material that is breathable it's really important for your skin for the health of your skin cotton is the most popular fiber in the fashion industry in general General it's really hard to find a good quality cotton nowadays if you're willing to spend a little bit more look for Pima cotton it's a type of cotton that has much longer and softer fibers and clothes made from this fabric will be naturally more durable stronger but also look more luxurious of course organic coton from reliable source is a good option other than that it's really hard to determine quality of cotton uh for example cotton t-shirt before taking it home wearing and washing a few times use a shop that you can trust or uh ask for recommendations I haven't been disappointed with uh cotton t-shirts or Jumpers from aret or cost they don't stretch they don't shrink look for shops that are transparent about the material production and sustainability I appreciate website sites that give a lot of information about size and Fit I don't wear a lot of jeans but I will always choose a 100 100% cotton over anything else over any Blends because you get a very nice rigid and durable piece that will fall nicely and in my opinion it looks more elegant and Chic another material really worth investing in for a long lasting and beautiful wardrobe is Kashmir Kashmir is much warmer than wool it's beautiful it's very luxurious and I find personally easier to care for to wash than wool I want to make a separate video about jumpers for winter especially wool and Kashmir so forgive me I'm not going to uh talk too much about it I just want to say there are different grades of Kashmir and probably if you find a supermarket or a High Street inexpensive Kashmir jumper or scarf gloves Etc it's probably made from a lower grade of Kashmir and that means the fibers are shorter and thinner most likely it's one ply which means it's just one thread so it's much weaker and less durable so pay attention to the information that you find on the care label about or on the website about the Kashmir yes every Kashmir will bubble will peel but not equally H I have here a Kashmir Jumper by jigaw I left it on the wrong side on purpose to show you and by the way I didn't clean that jumper I didn't shave it there is so minimal peeling that will naturally occur but as you can see there is almost nothing here I can see something so the kashmi jum or scarf made from highgrade fibers will have much less peeling and will be much softer try to test it on very sensitive uh part of your skin which is usually your neck if the material is not super soft and you feel some roughness that means it's a low grade Kashmere and most likely it will not look very good after few wears and especially after wash the next natural material that I love especially in summer is linen linen is great for clothes it's great for bedding I absolutely love my linen bedding it's luxuriously soft and it's very healthy for your skin I personally don't trust shops and brands that sell linen pieces that are almost sheer for me that is a sign of saving money on the quality of the piece especially when it comes to trousers and dresses you want the material to be substantial to have some weight to it for example if you have an a-line dress it should have the weight it should have some movement so make sure there is a lot of material if your a-line dress looks like a slip dress that means they tried to use as little material as possible and you can't trust them when it comes to Silk it's not my favorite uh material because I find it quite challenging and it's not very suitable for My Lifestyle but nothing can beat a beautiful silk shirt or a cami for your work or for an evening attire so if you're looking for silk pieces make sure you buy a 100% mury silk and choose a trusted brand read customer reviews I find this uh to be one of the best ways to determine the quality at least when you buy online and then when you receive the item you can decide for yourself silk shirts and and garments in general are expensive so think twice before you make the decision also when you buy silk or Kashmir uh check return policy if you can try it at home and see if you like it if it works for your wardrobe and if it doesn't you can always return it I forgot to mention leather whether it's a leather jacket or trousers they add so much texture and personality to your outfit but leather is also very controversial and that's why we should be very smart and sensible about buying leather avoid buying High Street cheap garments that fall apart after few years of wear you can find good quality investment pieces at Boda skins All Saints uh cost or masimo duty but most of all vintage and secondhand shops sometimes fashion designers use synthetics like polyester to blend and with natural materials uh like wool for example in uh winter coats to increase their durability and that's okay as long as the ratio is kept to the very minimum in my book more than 20% of polyester is a no no um unless I really love the Cod and there is some alpaka or cashmir in it then I could go as low as 30% of polyester but that's it any winter coat that has 50% of polyester and more will not keep you warm and will peel like crazy I did say that I always say for 100% of natural Fabric in in the Garment having said that I'm okay with some Blends as long as the other material is also natural so for example uh wool and Kashmere that's a beautiful blend uh cotton and linen silk and cotton or something sometimes silk and wool uh you still have your very high quality composition but sometimes thanks to the Blends you get a very different properties of of the Garment so for example a blend of linen and silk can give you beautiful and smooth linen Blazer that 100% linen couldn't achieve but be aware of blends of uh I think this is one of the worst Kashmir and polyester We already pay so much money for Kashmir ruining that with some polyester is just a crime so I prefer to pay a little bit more or wait for that item to save up instead of buying that with polyester the second very important element of your garment is construction so how was it made how was it finished how is it presented to you before you try it on and you fall in love with the piece start with the care label look at the composition and how to care for the Garment I already mentioned the materials so I would personally advise to go for anything that's made from natural materials except if it's a blend don't go higher than 20% of polyester now when it comes to Blazers very often W trousers and your coat it will always be a dry clean so don't expect anything else however if you check a top or a cotton trousers and it says dry clean there is something wrong with the item probably uh they mixed different types of fabric that doesn't really go together so just in case they put dry clean only so they are safe and now you have to deal with it don't go for it don't buy it run away dry cleaning is expensive it's uh also not good for you so try to minimize dry cleaning wherever you can so we've looked at the care label and we are happy with the material and the care instructions the next thing you need to check is weight so look for something that's uh substantial not seethrough unless it's meant to be uh something like your evening sheer top or it says specifically sheer semi Shear Etc otherwise when it comes to Jumpers they should be tightly knitted so they more durable and they warmer we have similar situation with T-shirts they don't have to be thick especially when they made from pimac cotton the material will be more luxurious and soft and most likely fine another really important thing good quality clothes should feel and fall nicely they should drape nicely on your body they should feel soft and very comfortable able uh so if you have something that's pulling somewhere or it's itchy or something wrong with the seam straight away take it off and don't even look back you can already see the quality by touching the material and just looking at it uh but of course there is so much more to it check if the item is even if everything is how it should be what I mean by it when I bought my gray coat first online I ordered it in a smaller size and it came very poorly and strangely constructed one side was longer and it was kind of overlapping on the other side so clearly there was something that was done wrong in the production but I went to the shop I tried it on in a bigger size and I looked at both sides as you can see they are e even they fall exactly in the middle both sides are of the same length same with the blazer with any jacket always check when you uh button up the Blazer or the jacket are the sides the same length are the holes in the right place because sometimes you have something like that wait because sometimes you have something like that because button holes are placed incorrectly something that you can can use for your tops your shirts but even your trousers is to stretch the material along the seams and see if there's any Gap if the stitches are strong if they stay in place or they come and down just pull gently the material and look for any imperfections something that doesn't look right the stitching should be strong and it should be very tight so the threats are very close close to each other one of the easiest way you can tell the quality of the item is buttons and zippers the best buttons you can get are wooden metal or mother of pearl but I'm being realistic here and I know a lot of garments now have plastic buttons but I don't think it's a bad thing because they can look really nice and elegant if the company pays attention to details like uh button is made in the same color as the trousers for example I have my Navy wool and cashm trousers but they are navy and they have this slight pattern to them so they're not simple cheap plastic buttons uh buttons should be stitched in a clean and secure way they should look neat but they should also be strong when it comes to your Cod buttons they should be reinforced with an extra thread also to leave some space for that extra material when you close your coat uh I have a very good example how buttons shouldn't be stitched my wool coat that I mentioned before have the second button from the inside which is great uh because that means they are secure and strong however the way they've been stitched is so messy and I just can't believe I haven't noticed that in the shop it's not a deal breaker it just shows you that it wasn't made in the best way so for example here you have plastic buttons but they um they have a nice pattern on them and they match uh in color so it looks very um cohesive and elegant button hole edges should be clean and neat they should be tightly stitched around so there shouldn't be any loose thread and nothing should come undone even after a few washes or years of wear extra buttons that are attached to your um trousers your coat your Blazer Etc or your shirt is a good indicator that the item was made to last and serve you for years some Brands attach buttons and some thread for example um there you go I got this thread from Lily silk with my Kashmir jumper and there is enough to fix any holes and Imperfections if you pull some material so this this is a really nice touch something that can make you feel more secure in case of any moth Invasion or uh just any emergency oh the zippers look for good quality metal zippers apparently the best brand is YKK I have a few items in my wardrobe uh some new some old vintage that have these zippers so when you see the brand it's a good sign the stitching around round the zipper should be clean in the same color as the Garment and make sure the zipper is secure especially when it comes to trousers zipper is the area where everyone can see it so make sure all the stitching is elegant and there is no loose threads again if there are some threads post production that someone forgot to cut just cut them off and forget about it if everything else looks solid and clean uh that's a good sign something that I love to do when I go to a high quality shop but especially vintage shops when I find a great quality items is to look inside always look inside because this is where you find the things that companies didn't want you to see first of all stitching again stitching for example when you have a pockets in your trousers uh there should be a very nice finishing around the pocket again look for very clean stitching no loose threads all the fabric all the material that's inside should be finished nicely should be neat and clean I don't know how many times I use these words but this is a key to good uh craftsmanship some trousers have lining just half of the leg so basically what whatever material there is inside it should be finished nicely that's a clear indicat of how much care time and material went into making that item so it's nice and pleasant to the eye look for French seams and something that I have in my trench coat a bias wait bias bound seam it's very elegant very nice they much more time consuming and there is much more material that goes into it but that only means that the Garment was made in the best way possible the bias bound seam uh I don't want to talk too much about the seams because and not everyone finds it interesting but when you see something like that I think you will appreciate in your shirt your unlined jacket Blazer Etc um as you can see in my trench code because it's a reversible code theoretically I can be using it on both sides uh which I never did but when you look at the finishing it's so beautiful you can really wear it on the outside so I think it just makes you feel a little bit more special while we inside the Garment a very important element of the jackets Blazers coats is lining lining should be made in a breathable material either Visos uh silk or cotton again lining should be sewn in perfectly so you can see where it ends it should become one with the garment very important thing with lining is that there is some excess material so there should always be a pleate at the back so when you put on the Blazer it doesn't break same at the bottom of the jacket and in the sleeves so everywhere there should be some extra material so it doesn't pull when you put it on but it's also very comfortable to wear uh when it comes to Blazers and coats actually that have vents at the back make sure you can't see the lining from the outside it shouldn't be visible it should be tightly stitched and in its place I love Linings I always pay attention to the color to material how they are preserved when I buy them vintage for example a very easy way to determine quality of the Garment is a pattern this is something I always pay attention to and I never buy a pattern like stripe or check that doesn't align at the steam I have a really great example here from Lily silk I must say these wool trouses are made incredibly well from the zipper to the buttons to the seams everything inside uh has impeccable uh seams um a really good piece of clothing and the cherry on top is the pattern that aligns beautifully on the seams a very last thing that I forgot to mention before something that you can get usually in more expensive trousers and skirts is the Hem allowance again it's not a rule I've seen that on Zara trousers or H&M trousers but in general fast fashion shops don't do that because they try to save as much material as as possible I personally really love the look of a really thick hem it's interesting and it gives you that extra flexibility so it's a good sign but it's not a rule so how to find good quality clothes the best and the cheapest way to start is your wardrobe so uh look at your clothes inspect them thoroughly look inside look at your pockets look at your zippers all the things that I discussed but the more you practice the more you uh notice certain things certain imperfections the more you will be aware of them in the future when you want to buy something new you can also go to a department store brands that have very good fabric very well-made clothes and again have a look touch the fabric this is the best way to see the quality material try it on see how it falls even if it's not your style and you would never buy it it's a good practice and it gives you a lot of information and if you're educated and you understand the fabric or how things should be made you expect more you can be easily fooled with some cheap stuff so that's why it's so important to practice practice and practice shopping secondhand whether it's vintage shop Consignment or charity shop is so much more Superior to buy new because whatever bad could have happened has already happened you only looking at selected items that were made well unless you have some old items from Zara H&M Etc but in general if you're buying a knitwear or wool coat and it's in a good condition you can be sure it's made really well because it's still the test of time and it still looks great now when it comes to buy new as a rule of thumb more expensive clothes mean better better quality but not always be very careful with trusting a brand that you know with every single item unfortunately all the shops and the whole fashion industry has been affected by the fast fashion trend and they all try to make the most profit so be very very careful even when it comes to more high-end or designer clothes I really appreciate and I like cause in general they have good quality clothes for a fair price I would say but very recently I returned a pair of full ches because I didn't like the quality of material first of all it was very thin and it was scratchy there was no lining inside as well that um more expensive uh Brands put inside so um if you have sensitive skin like me you don't suffer don't trust Brands I know we all have our favorite brand but uh trust your judgment trust your experience and trust your hand some High Street shops have a premium line where you can find a better quality clothes for example H&M but be very careful because I've noticed the quality decreased as well I have a pair of trousers that I purchased I can't remember but I think four years ago they are made uh incredibly well all the Stitches the seams Pockets the Hem allowance everything is so good but when I check some Kashmir wool or tailored pieces from the premium line now I'm not happy with the quality try if you want uh the returns are usually very easy but again trust your judgment don't be fooled with a premium label always check uniclo things that are worth trying are their cotton t-shirts buttonup shirts lungar cashmir especially hats and gloves and kit section uh they do a lot of collaborations my favorite is with designer Jill Xander and JW Anderson which I got my trench coat from another good one is autographed by M&S uh they have a great selection of very decent Kashmir wool and silk I love the lingerie section too including roses line M&S is an English brand that is quite traditional and only injects some Trends to their classic collection right so that's it from me today I hope this video has been useful for you I know it's a lot of information and it can be overwhelming but as I said The more you practice the less satisfied you will be with um fast fashion disposable clothes and you will always want more let's all try to be more conscious about uh what we buy and how much we buy and remember less is more you don't need a ton of clothes to look stylish uh put together and Shake you just need a very high quality clothes that are right for you thank you so much for watching please subscribe to my channel give this video a thumbs up if you enjoyed it and please share with us how you find the best quality clothes I'm sure we can all use some tips thank you so much for watching again and I see you in my next video bye

Channel: Slow Down In Style

Views: 289,884

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Id: iVV9ED8LENY

Length: 27min 29sec (1649 seconds)

Published: Tue Dec 05 2023