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How to assess the quality of garments (2014)

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Re: How to assess the quality of garments (2014)

#171

Post by dhd415 »

dehrmann wrote: post #77
dhd415 wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Looking at the mill for a fabric can be helpful, especially for wools. Mills such as Holland & Sherry and Scabal have built a reputation for quality fabrics though they're generally not household names so they do not yet have the motivation to go down-market to increase their sales (unlike Zegna which has become semi-famous and now makes some lower quality fabrics). That said, you won't find their fabrics except on t…

Since you mentioned HK, any opinion on Simpson Sin?

I don't know anything about that shop specifically, but from their website, it looks a lot like many of the tourist-focused operations with pictures of all the celebrities for which they've made suits (for free, of course -- you'll have to pay) and promises to have it ready for you in a timeframe too short for the amount of labor necessary for a top-quality suit. And they're relatively new. I haven't had a suit made there in over a decade now, but at the time, WW Chan & Sons, Gordon Yao, and H Baromon were considered quality tailors there and had been in operation for decades. The first two of those make periodic trips to Europe and the US which is nice if you want to make follow-up orders and don't travel frequently to HK.

I don't want to be too critical of the tourist-focused shops. It is certainly possible to get a serviceable suit at one of those places that will hold up to occasional wear and fit as well as an off-the-rack suit that's been tailored for you. It can't be top quality, though, when its total cost is less than the cost of the 3 yards of quality wool required for the suit. There's been something of a spike in demand for those guys in the last 10-20 years and their prices have gone up accordingly. As a rough point of reference, the last good suit I had made there cost 1500USD.

Re: How to assess the quality of garments (2014)

#172

Post by collyw »

joosters wrote: post #155
mattlondon wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Primark is a very cheap store - t-shirts for £2, trousers for £8 etc. It is fast fashion so stuff changes rapidly and frequently. If there is something on the catwalk at a fashion show that causes a lot of interest or someone famous wears something particularly noteworthy in a magazine photo, Primark will have something very similar to it in their stores within a week or two. Primark is hugely popular in the UK and e…

Same experience here, Primark clothes are always dirt cheap but the quality varies wildly. As I can't tell the difference, I have T-shirts from there that have practically self-destructed after one wash, and others that have kept good and comfy for years!

I am wearing their jeans just now. Not the best Jeans I have had, but not the worst either by a long way.

Re: How to assess the quality of garments (2014)

#173

Post by dhd415 »

Pimpus wrote: post #118
dhd415 wrote: post #15

In a previous life when I wore suits to work on a frequent basis, I got interested in this topic and spent way too much time learning about it. I now have a closet full of quality clothes that I wear much less frequently, but, for whatever it's worth, they'll last me the rest of my life. There's a lot of good info in this article, but there's also a lot more beyond it. For example, it mentions (accurately) that the f…

> I now have a closet full of quality clothes that I wear much less frequently, but, for whatever it's worth, they'll last me the rest of my life. > Or rather, they're expensive upfront but often turn out to be more economical over the life of the garment. Okay, but this is assuming that your body composition does not change and the clothes continue to fit you. Your body is more important to how you look than the clo…

Funny that you should mention that -- I had my first suit made nearly 20 years ago when I was in quite good shape. Being able to still wear that suit has been a significant motivation for me over the years to maintain that shape.

Re: How to assess the quality of garments (2014)

#174

Post by dhd415 »

artsyca wrote: post #147
Pimpus wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I now have a closet full of quality clothes that I wear much less frequently, but, for whatever it's worth, they'll last me the rest of my life. > Or rather, they're expensive upfront but often turn out to be more economical over the life of the garment. Okay, but this is assuming that your body composition does not change and the clothes continue to fit you. Your body is more important to how you look than the clo…

You gotta check out 'The Suit' by Nicholas Antongiovanni -- I'm not sure your assumption holds about the body being more important, this is something you may reconsider; people struggle with all sorts of body issues and clothing is the one great democratizer in that it gives us an extrinsic way to control our appearance Furthermore, fashion trends being what they are, cheap trendy clothing doesn't make sense either,…

Wow, small world -- I'm also a fan of "The Suit" and have an autographed copy on my bookshelf. It's a more of a philosophical, opinionated take on men's clothing than practical advice on where to buy jeans, but the author is quite knowledgeable.

Re: How to assess the quality of garments (2014)

#175

Post by pnutjam »

jimmaswell wrote: post #8
dahart wrote: post #7

This is really cool! I’ve complained recently to several people near me that it’s difficult for me to know whether the clothes I’m buying will last. It doesn’t seem like there’s much correlation between price and quality, so frustrating to spend more money and have something fall apart. Now I have a nice detailed guide. > [...] almost every garment needs a little tailoring to make it fit the contours of our shape. Ho…

It seems even basic clothes tinkering takes some skill. I had a pair of jeans with a hole, so I patched on a piece of an old pair whose legs were too long. Kept eventually coming off. Maybe a sewing machine was needed.

Just an FYI, the library in my neighborhood actually has a sewing machine. They have a makers space.

Re: How to assess the quality of garments (2014)

#176

Post by huffmsa »

Its only mentioned once or twice in the article but I don't think it can be emphasized enough

A high quality garment not only looks good, but it feels good to wear.

I have people ask me almost daily if I'd like to take my suit jacket off, and I explain to them that because my jacket fits properly and it's made of decent materials, it's quite comfortable to wear.

One of the great fashion tragedies was Jos A Banks and Men's Wearhouse making American men believe suiting is an uncomfortable sack which you should strip off at the first possible moment.

Or to borrow from Dion Sanders (American football player who was known for dressing and undressing his kit multiple times before a game until he got it just right):

"If you look good, you feel good, and if you feel good, you play good."

Re: How to assess the quality of garments (2014)

#177

Post by losvedir »

masklinn wrote: post #110
dhd415 wrote: post #15

In a previous life when I wore suits to work on a frequent basis, I got interested in this topic and spent way too much time learning about it. I now have a closet full of quality clothes that I wear much less frequently, but, for whatever it's worth, they'll last me the rest of my life. There's a lot of good info in this article, but there's also a lot more beyond it. For example, it mentions (accurately) that the f…

> Or rather, they're expensive upfront but often turn out to be more economical over the life of the garment. In either case, they will be more pleasant to wear than a lower quality alternative. Good ol' Vimes "Boots" Theory of Economic Injustice strikes again: > At the time of Men at Arms, Samuel Vimes earned thirty-eight dollars a month as a Captain of the Watch, plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots…

I don't really believe this anymore. Basically because of this theory my last pair of boots want the nicest I could find, high quality materials, hand made construction, almost $500, thinking it was an investment and I'd never have to go shoe shopping again. Well, I've had to repair them once already, and frankly with how cheap boots are at Walmart I don't think anymore I'll ever break even. Nice boots, though, and a pleasure to wear.

Re: How to assess the quality of garments (2014)

#178

Post by wickerman »

With leather I've found that price doesn't always match quality. I dance tango and am from Argentina and the cheapest leather shoes I could find, which were exquisitely crafted in my local neighbourhood were only about 200 pesos (at the time, roughly 20 USD), made of leather, still perfectly usable 5 years later. If you went to the "speciality" stores downtown you would see shoes at 10 times the price and noticeably worse quality.

(I say this because I used to side eye any cheap leather items, but I've found that depending where you're buying and who you're buying it from it can be an absolute bargain)

Re: How to assess the quality of garments (2014)

#179

Post by distances »

losvedir wrote: post #177
masklinn wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Or rather, they're expensive upfront but often turn out to be more economical over the life of the garment. In either case, they will be more pleasant to wear than a lower quality alternative. Good ol' Vimes "Boots" Theory of Economic Injustice strikes again: > At the time of Men at Arms, Samuel Vimes earned thirty-eight dollars a month as a Captain of the Watch, plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots…

I don't really believe this anymore. Basically because of this theory my last pair of boots want the nicest I could find, high quality materials, hand made construction, almost $500, thinking it was an investment and I'd never have to go shoe shopping again. Well, I've had to repair them once already, and frankly with how cheap boots are at Walmart I don't think anymore I'll ever break even. Nice boots, though, and a…

I think there's a middle ground. I bought 110€ winter shoes 11-12 years ago and they've worked fine (with one resoling) this far -- now I've worn through the inner material and will probably have to find a new pair.

Same for my 100€ winter jacket, sits and looks great still after 10 years. It's def not lovingly handcrafted but a level up from fast fashion anyway.

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