Telling the Difference Between Expensive and High-Quality

For some time now, we have been associating things that are more expensive with being of better quality and vice versa. However, that is not always the case. Today we will be going through examples of clothing and brands to determine if they are actually good quality or if you are just being sold by the image of the brand. High price does not always mean high quality and there are great products that are way more affordable than we might think.

We must get into the habit of immediately looking at the linen tag on pieces of clothing. This will tell you everything that you need to know about the article including the most important question that we need to ask: “What material are they making it with?” This is the fastest way to see if you are getting ripped off. One of the most common fabrics that is also the cheapest is Polyester. The higher the percentage of polyester typically correlates to how cheaply the product was made. If you commonly shop online the fabric information will normally be further in the description so not to worry!

Here are some examples of clothing that is highly overpriced for what it is:

Aritzia is selling these pants for $148 before tax and the fabric is 100%

polyester.

Here is a similar pair of pants that are from H & M that are retailing for $34.99. The fabric is made out of 96% recycled polyester and 4% spandex.

Other examples of very cheap and commonly used fabrics include spandex, lycra, elastane, viscose, and nylon just to list a few.

Below is a helpful guide to understanding the best quality fabrics:

Now that we know what to look out for when purchasing overpriced items here are good quality fabrics that will stand the test of time especially when washed and treated correctly! We mainly want to look for natural fibers such as wool, silk, denim, cashmere, and hemp. If you find any clothes with a high percentage of these fabrics it will be a great sustainable investment and timeless addition to your closet!

Here is a 95% cotton and 5% cashmere sweater from L.L. Bean retailing for $49.95 pre-tax.

And here is a sweater from & Other Stories which retails for $68 pre-tax and is made from 52% polyester, 38% acrylic, 8% wool, and 2% spandex.

At the end of the day, it is up to you what items you want to purchase but we hope to shed some light and save you some money when looking to add to your closet collection. Let us know your thoughts!