When you invest in your clothing you would obviously expect it to last you for at least a year or two and not give out on you in a month or after ten washes right? But has it ever happened to you that you spent something significant on an outfit and it let you down without remorse after just a few tumbles through the washing machine? If so you could have chosen something that was high on price but low in quality. Here are some helpful tips to guide you on how you can choose high quality clothing that will last you for years.
Did You Check That Label?
The fabric content of what you are buying does really matter. A lot of the time people choose clothing that has been made from fibres taken from animals or plants like wool, silk, linen and cotton but today, our wardrobes are full by more than half with items made of synthetics like spandex, polyester, acrylic and petrochemicals. There is an upside to this where they have good texture and drape and also stretch. When combined with natural fibres they begin to feel like natural fabric too but the big drawback is that they do not improve with washing. For example if you dry a cotton and polyester blend clothing item after washing the two fabrics in it will shrink at different rates and the shape of the clothing would change ever so slightly. If low grade fibres have been used even something labelled at 100% cotton can end being low in quality. This is why it is also good to know what to look for in the feel of a clothing item when buying as well.
What Can Your Hand Tell You?
Did you know that one of the best ways to judge a fabric is to actually just touch it? If it feels rough, scratchy, thin or brittle it will be exactly just that. If it feels smooth and soft or supple, it will definitely be a good one to buy. If you are buying ladies tshirts online for example, you will not have the chance of doing this but buying from reputable sellers with good reviews and ratings will always mean that you get what you paid for. One more thing to keep in mind, look at the fibre content. The more fibre that there is the longer the clothing will last.
Hold the Clothing to the Light and Stretch It
Sometimes manufacturers add chemicals and starch to make the clothing feel more substantial. This would explain all those times where you bought a smooth shirt and washed it once and it crinkled up so much so that you could not use it again. This is why you should hold the material up to the light. You should not simply feel the weight of the material but you should also see the density. Stretching it a little will also let you see the yarn and the weave that can tell you about the density of the fabric.
