“I need something new to put on…let’s go shopping!”

You drive to the city center or to a shopping mall and start watching windows.

In front of you a multitude of clothes with different lines, shapes and colors.

Once you find your style and the color you like you check the price: you don’t want to spend a fortune to buy it, but you even don’t want something to through away after the first wash.

We already know that the price is not a parameter we can trust in: high price does not mean high quality. Nowadays you pay the brand, the designer’s name, brand marketing and advertising , so that the price doesn’t reflect the quality.

How can we identify quality clothes?

We asked it to our seamstresses who daily manage fabrics and needles!

  1. “Check care label”

Care label represents the first information we have about the garment: it tells us the composition (fibers used), the origin and washing indications.

Be careful to the origin of the garment and rely on fabric composition! Natural fabrics, as cotton, wool and linen are better than synthetic fibers that are not breathable and cause unpleasant smells which remain also after the washing.

Pay attention also to washing label: if you can wash at high temperatures you are probably handle a good quality fabric as it resists to high temperatures and it is not damaged by them.

  1. “Cotton and wool…but quality ones!”

We just say that it is better to choose clothes realized with natural fibers as cotton and wool, but also in this case there are different type al quality of cotton and wool fabric. How to spot them?

Choose a cotton with a thick weft. How to test it? Put the fabric backlight: light must not seep through.

Do you need a wool jumper? The lettering “Virgin wool” indicates that the wool of the jumper is not recycled. Yes, recycled! Wool clothes are often “unpacked”, washed and used to create eco-friendly and cheaper clothes.

The choice is up to you, the important thing is that it will be an aware one.

  1. “Check stitches”

Pay attention to stitches and to possible little holes created by the needle, loose threads or not cut, indicative of little care during the tailoring of clothes.

A stitch has to be longlasting and has to resist to body movements: look carefully at sleeves, shoulders and crotch’s stitches.

Remember: when you buy a garment, turn it to the wrong side: the inner part has to be more beautiful than the outside one.

  1. “Check that stripes and prints match up”

Checkered or striped prints often do not match with seams. In order to do this, precision, extra fabric and more time are needed, and this means more money to spend.

  1. “Details!”

Here some tips:

Metal zippers are long lasting, more than plastic ones.

Spare button shows that the designer expects the garment will “live” enough to require little repairs, and he provides you everything to make those repairs.

Remember : buy a good quality garment, consider it as in investment which will last long!

 

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