How to identify quality clothing

[danz24]

Hi guys first post!

Want to start my life in this community by asking a very basic question, How can I identify clothing which is good quality? More specifically blazers and dress shirts, they all look the same to me and I cant even tell a $100 suit from a $1,500 suit....

I guess knowing this could help separate me from the rest.

 

[JeffsWood]

As long as they say "made in Italy" or have and Italian sounding name they are good. (;

You questions is a huge one, but if you spend some time hanging out here and read old an new threads you get your answer.

 

[jefferyd]

Well, there's this thread

http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/f...ad.php?t=86160

plus there's some stuff on my blog (a lot a super technical stuff too but a few good pointers in there) and more to come....

Specific questions? Fire away.

 

[FidelCashflow]

Originally Posted by danz24

I cant even tell a $100 suit from a $1,500 suit....

The biggest difference you will come to notice after time is fit.

 

[Thurston]

big logos

 

[danz24]

Originally Posted by jefferyd

Well, there's this thread

http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/f...ad.php?t=86160

plus there's some stuff on my blog (a lot a super technical stuff too but a few good pointers in there) and more to come....

Specific questions? Fire away.

Thanks for providing that link. I have to admit it gets technical and is beyond my scope of understanding. I guess im not interested in how the clothing was made but more interested in the end product.

My motivation of this thread was from reading in a previous post(dont remember which anymore) was that an "expert" or "SF member" lol, would be able to identify a quality piece of clothing from sight.
How would I know from looking at a piece of clothing if its good or not? Maybe even directions on how to tell quality clothing from touching it. What directions can you give me if I walk into a thrift store and need to identify the real stuff from the imitation or wannabe? And what justifies those $1K suits.

I hope my question is specific enough and even links to point me in the right direction would help me as well. And please dont be ass to by giving silly answers, (big logos, ya ok senior member..) yes I tried searching.

 

[ManofKent]

Originally Posted by danz24

Thanks for providing that link. I have to admit it gets technical and is beyond my scope of understanding. I guess im not interested in how the clothing was made but more interested in the end product.

My motivation of this thread was from reading in a previous post(dont remember which anymore) was that an "expert" or "SF member" lol, would be able to identify a quality piece of clothing from sight.
How would I know from looking at a piece of clothing if its good or not? Maybe even directions on how to tell quality clothing from touching it. What directions can you give me if I walk into a thrift store and need to identify the real stuff from the imitation or wannabe? And what justifies those $1K suits.

I hope my question is specific enough and even links to point me in the right direction would help me as well. And please dont be ass to by giving silly answers, (big logos, ya ok senior member..) yes I tried searching.

In terms of identifying good quality from a quick glance - it comes with experience.

The main things that define quality, are the choice of appropriate materials, construction, how the garment is cut and attention to detail. Some things scream out at you - a check/windowpane jacket should be cut so that the checks match on the rear seam, across pockets etc. other things are more subtle.

Price isn't that good a guide - there's an awful lot of 'designer' clothing that's badly made and sold at a premium...

 

[jefferyd]

Originally Posted by danz24

.

My motivation of this thread was from reading in a previous post(dont remember which anymore) was that an "expert" or "SF member" lol, would be able to identify a quality piece of clothing from sight.
How would I know from looking at a piece of clothing if its good or not? Maybe even directions on how to tell quality clothing from touching it. What directions can you give me if I walk into a thrift store and need to identify the real stuff from the imitation or wannabe? And what justifies those $1K suits.

In the admittedly long AA thread, there are explanations of how to feel a garment to tell whether it is fused, half canvas or full canvas, which is the most obvious indicator of quality. The thread also explains why it is important.

The blog shows ways to examine an undercollar and a buttonhole for more indicators of quality. There will be more indicators in time.

As has been stated many times, a well-made but ill-fitting suit is worthless. When thrifting, first judge the fit.

The majority of the cost of a suit has everything to do with the way it was constructed so if you want to be able to tell the difference between good and bad you need to know a bit about construction. Some suits cost $1K but are poorly made (you are paying for a big designer salary and marketing budget, among other things) others are from labels you have never heard of but are tremendously well made. The only way to be able to tell the difference is by studying the construction.

 

[Despos]

You might learn what to look for by asking but you won't now the difference until you see it and touch it. Learn to recognize hand work from machine work on the jacket edges and the way the lining is finished at the hem of the jacket. The inside of the jacket is probably better made if these are done by hand. Learn to recognize a hand made buttonhole from machine made. As Jeffery said, a lot can be discerned by the collar construction method used. The quality of machine work is improving all the time and the differences in appearance of hand vs machine is getting blurred. Develop a "hand" to recognize cloth quality. Most brands make trousers mostly all by machine and the differences in quality construction are less obvious.
If you can find the right mens store and someone with good knowledge of these things, ask him to point them out among the brands in the store. Try them on and you will see how different silhouettes can be and the fit and feel of a garment.
It is hard to master all this, I still get fooled once in a while.