On one side of fashion, you have brands like H&M, Zara, Primark and Forever 21. While affordable and stylish, these clothes don’t last. A few seasons down the line and zippers stop working, buttons start falling out, sizes become smaller and colors fade away, leaving you with no choice but to go back and spend more money.
On the other end of the pricing spectrum are designer brands such as Hermes, Gucci, Versace and Saint Laurent. They’re expensive, often incredibly expensive, but will usually stay intact for much longer. Usually. It’s no secret that most designer brands only cost what they do due to the incredible markups they charge.
After all, a cotton shirt is a cotton shirt. No variation in the purity of the material or how it’s manufactured can really make that much of a difference.
So, is there some sort of gray area that we aren’t seeing? Can you buy high quality clothing and accessories that cost what they do because of how they’re made and what they’re made of, and not just the name on the label? The answer is yes – provided you know where to look, which is what this post will help you with.
Know the Meaning of Quality
There are a variety of subtle details in clothing that are telltale signs of their quality. Knowing about these will go a long way in helping you buy the right pieces. For example, examine the seams and check whether they’re sewn on properly. Do they have a single line of stitching that’ll like come loose, or multiple lines that will hold strong for longer?
Look at details such as the hems on pants, the beadwork on jackets, the buttons and how they’re sewed on a shirt, whether there are three or four of them and whether extra buttons are included. These small details often go unnoticed, which is why so many people end up buying cheaply made clothes without knowing.
Focus on Versatility
A bright blue and orange jacket may look good with one or two other pieces, but what about literally everything else in your wardrobe? The less versatile a piece is, the less wears you’ll get out of it, thus giving you a lower return on investment.
This also applies to accessories. For example, your standard, unbranded reading glasses might not be something you want to wear on a night out, but you need them at the same time. So investing in a stylish, versatile pair like these persol eyeglasses is a better decision.
Ignore Trends
Trends come and go faster than we can keep up, often resulting sections of our wardrobes filled with pieces that we wouldn’t be caught dead wearing in public again. Just look at anything from the early 2000’s. This highlights the importance of ignoring trends and focusing on timeless styles that have, do and will look good for years to come.
Conclusion
Applying these ideas to what you buy will not only save you money, but also closet space. Less clothes means less decisions to make in the morning, leaving you with more time and energy to put towards the important stuff.
