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How to Shop for High Quality Clothes in 2026 | Buy Less But Better — Transcript

by Adeline Loke · 7,140 words · 984 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

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0:00are you tired of spending more money on
0:01clothes that just feel cheaper because
0:05so am I in this video I'm going to break
0:07down how to find high quality clothes so
0:09that we can shop better buy less and
0:13keep these items for longer I think that
0:16regardless of your budget whether you're
0:17purchasing new or pre-loved or fast
0:20fashion or from small independent Brands
0:22these are things that we can all look
0:24for for me high quality comes down to
0:26three main things the first being what
0:29it's made of the second being How It's
0:32Made or how well it's made and then the
0:34third is how it wears over time which is
0:38kind of informed by How It's Made and
0:41how well it's constructed I value
0:42purchasing one or two incredibly high
0:46quality pieces that will last me for
0:48years to come over like 10 pieces of
0:52mediocre quality when talking about
0:55quality over quantity I think this leads
0:57me perfectly on to show a few new pieces
1:01that I have from ideal ideal are a very
1:04high quality jewelry company that
1:06produce lab grown Diamond pieces I've
1:08been wearing their pieces for 3 years
1:11now I got my first pieces from them in
1:142021 which feels like a lifetime ago now
1:18and those pieces are still every bit as
1:21beautiful now as they were then and I
1:23wear them quite frequently not only are
1:26ideal pieces made to last but their
1:29designs are are really unique as well
1:31all of their pieces are made to be mixed
1:33and matched so that you can continuously
1:36create lots of different looks you start
1:38by choosing a stud I have the petite
1:41studs with 14 karat yellow gold and then
1:44I have worn them with the Ono add-on
1:47next to that I have this mini GE add-on
1:49which is so cute and then I also have on
1:52the power ear cuff I think this stack is
1:54perfect for festive season it's really
1:57fun and bold for a more everyday look I
2:00have in the Lea add-on which is this
2:02pear diamond and then the silus chain
2:05that connects my two other piercings
2:07even though it's slightly more simple
2:10It's a combination that I always get
2:12compliments on I do also do necklaces so
2:15I have on this little Ava pear Diamond
2:19which matches the Lea add-on if you want
2:21to do like a matching kind of look I
2:23hardly take this necklace off and I
2:26think that's the beauty of wearing
2:27really high quality gold jewelry it's
2:29not going to tarnish so you don't have
2:31to take it off when you go to the gym or
2:33shower which are things I do every day
2:36these are luxury pieces that fit into
2:39your everyday life I deal as a brand
2:41that aligns with a lot of my values and
2:43that's definitely a factor for me
2:45nowadays when I'm purchasing anything
2:47they've chosen to use lab grown diamonds
2:50instead of Mind ones as this causes less
2:52environmental damage to the Earth and
2:54due to their designs being so versatile
2:56you really can get a lot of wear out of
2:58them they're not pieces that you you
3:00have to only keep for special occasions
3:02they add so much to you know my everyday
3:05outfit as we are in gifting season every
3:07order made this December will come in a
3:10beautiful gifting box and you'll also
3:13get a free luxury goodie with it as well
3:16I got this really beautiful jewelry
3:18organizer they're a company that really
3:20care about their product and their
3:22customers and I think that really shows
3:24everything that I've shown you in this
3:26video will be linked down below and you
3:29can also get % off with my code adelene
3:3110 thank you for ideal for partnering
3:33with me on this video speaking of high
3:36quality materials before we even start
3:38trying on any item of clothing we should
3:41always look at the inside label to see
3:44what it's made of I personally prefer
3:47natural materials because they feel
3:49nicer on my skin they are more
3:51breathable and they biodegrade faster
3:54than synthetic materials however I do
3:56want to start off this section by
3:58talking about synthetic materials
4:00because I think it's important to
4:02understand what they are so that we know
4:04why the alternative of natural fibers
4:07might be slightly better I'm going to
4:09link the article that I have taken this
4:12information from because that article
4:14gives a much broader and detailed view
4:19of the cultural significance of
4:21synthetic materials and I personally
4:23thought it was really interesting like a
4:25lot more interesting than I thought it
4:26was going to be so I'm going to link
4:28that in the description if you want to
4:30read it as well so here is a brief
4:32history of synthetics so what are
4:35synthetic materials synthetic materials
4:37are things like polyester acrylic and
4:41polyamide and these are materials that
4:43are derived from fossil fuels and crude
4:45oils polyamide was first created in 1935
4:49by the American chemical plant called
4:51Dupont this synthetic fiber of polyamide
4:54was very silky smooth very pliable and
4:59it kind of resembled silk and by 1939
5:02the first synthetic stockings were
5:04produced for the market it wasn't until
5:06the 1940s that polyester was produced
5:09and pet which I have to look at my notes
5:12for this polyethylene
5:15terate is the main plastic that is used
5:18in polyester you might recognize pet as
5:22this is mostly associated with plastic
5:25bottles that's what they're made of and
5:28so when you are wearing polyester you
5:30are essentially wearing plastic the use
5:32of polyester grew in the 1950s as this
5:35was mostly Blended to be in men's suits
5:38wash and wear suits and drip and dry
5:41shirts meant that Housewives no longer
5:44had to spend their time doing the
5:45ironing and this was praised as being
5:48like this magical fiber of the future
5:51it's lightweight easy to care for
5:53doesn't wrinkle as easily and doesn't
5:56stain as easily in the 1960s there was a
5:58boom in plastic production this era was
6:02seen as the Plastic Fantastic phase and
6:05it was during this time that competition
6:07for the production of polyester
6:09increased which meant that it drove down
6:12the price it became very cheap to
6:14manufacture and by the 1970s it was
6:18cheaper than cotton in the 1980s there
6:20was a boom in Fitness culture I'm sure
6:23we can all imagine those like Retro
6:25Fitness videos and so the consumption of
6:28Lyra and fandex Sports Wear increased
6:31even our gym clothes today are made of
6:33synthetic materials because they don't
6:36absorb sweat like cotton does and it's a
6:38very durable material so it can
6:41withstand like a lot of repetitive
6:42movements and all of this sounds great
6:45right so why is wearing polyester or
6:48synthetic material so bad the super
6:50quick boom in popularity of polyester
6:53was also its downfall the industry was
6:55led by quantity over quality and so
6:58really bad quality polyester saturates
7:01the market yes there is better quality
7:04polyester but the majority of the
7:06polyester that we see is the bad quality
7:09one it's interesting to note that the
7:10fast fashion industry probably wouldn't
7:13exist without synthetic fibers when you
7:16wash polyester it sheds microplastics
7:18into our water system that enters the
7:20food chain as animals drink that water
7:23and then we consume animals so it ends
7:27up entering into us as poly is a type of
7:31plastic it doesn't allow your skin to
7:33breathe so yes it might keep you warm
7:37but it's not a nice kind of warm you'll
7:39feel very hot and sweaty because it
7:42traps a lot of moisture it's also really
7:46prone to Hanging On to odors so it will
7:49make you really hot and sweaty and then
7:53it will just hang on to your sweaty
7:54smell as well factories that produce
7:57polyester also release a lot of ding ous
7:59chemicals into the environment these
8:02synthetic materials also don't
8:04biodegrade like natural fibers and so
8:08they will sit in landfill for years to
8:12come so for all these reasons I
8:14personally try and stick to natural
8:16fibers fibers such as cotton cashmere
8:21wool silk hemp linen to name a few I've
8:25probably missed out a few for the sake
8:27of keeping this video concise and
8:29because we are in winter time I am going
8:32to focus on Cotton cashmere wool alpaca
8:36and mohare which are the Fabrics that I
8:38wear the most during this time of year
8:40so let's start by talking about cotton
8:42as that is a very common fabric to wear
8:45all year round cotton is very breathable
8:48it's very durable and it's also
8:50antistatic so it won't like cling onto
8:53your skin when you wear it as with all
8:55materials there is better and worse
8:57quality cotton most cotton is made from
9:00Upland cotton that is the most common
9:03type of cotton 90% of global cotton
9:06production is made with this type of
9:07cotton then we have organic cotton which
9:10is grown without pesticides uses less
9:13water and is seen as the more
9:16sustainable option for cotton organic
9:18cotton might suit you better if you have
9:20sensitive skin as there are less
9:22chemicals used in its production and the
9:26good thing about organic cotton is that
9:29the term is regulated so you have to be
9:32certified to use the term organic cotton
9:35certifications to look for are the
9:38global organic textile standard or the
9:41organic content standard for very
9:43high-end cotton there is Pima supima and
9:48Egyptian cotton these are considered
9:50high-end cotton because the fibers are
9:52much longer than regular cotton this
9:54results in fabric that feels smoother
9:57and softer and the fibers also stronger
10:00than regular cotton so there's less
10:02peeling and less fraying they're also
10:04much better at holding on to color so
10:06they don't need as much harsh dyes and
10:09chemicals to get it looking a certain
10:11way pumac cotton is derived from the
10:14pumac cotton plant and this is mainly
10:16grown in the US Peru and Australia so
10:20pumac cotton is a type of pumac cotton
10:24that is exclusively grown in the UK and
10:27is certified this ensures that the cot
10:29cotton is genuine and meets very strict
10:32standards Egyptian cotton is made in yes
10:35you've guessed it Egypt it's from a
10:38certain cotton plant that's grown along
10:40the River Nile and the soil there has
10:42some very unique properties that are
10:45really well suited for growing this
10:47plant however as consumers we need to be
10:51aware that not everything that's labeled
10:53Egyptian cotton is the real deal
10:56annoying I know once manufacturers and
10:59retailers realized that we were after
11:02you know this very high-end Egyptian
11:05cotton they started to be very sneaky
11:07and they stretched the name to mean any
11:10cotton that is grown in Egypt Egyptian
11:13cotton that is Blended with cotton from
11:16other countries or cotton that is grown
11:19from the same cotton plant as the one in
11:22Egypt but grown in any other country to
11:25make sure that you're purchasing
11:27authentic Egyptian cotton you can look
11:29for the Egyptian cotton trademark logo
11:32and I think just have your wits about
11:34you when you're shopping you know if a
11:37price for a really high-end cotton is
11:40too good to be true and it's too cheap
11:43then it probably is too good to be true
11:45and you're not getting the real thing
11:47cotton is a really versatile fiber that
11:49can be weaved into lots of different
11:52materials for example flannel cotton a
11:55really soft brushed cotton think your
11:59really really soft flannel shirts that
12:01keep you warm this is due to the air
12:03that gets trapped in the fuzziness of
12:05the cotton denim we all know are denim
12:08jeans I personally like my jeans to be
12:11100% cotton for that really like stiff
12:14denim feeling I know that's not
12:16everyone's cup of tea that really like
12:18rigid feeling so another common
12:21combination to look out for for jeans is
12:2498% cotton and 2% elastin this will give
12:27you a little bit of Str stretch so it
12:29will be more comfortable but it also
12:32still washes really well as it can hold
12:35its shape then we have canvas you know
12:37that really thick durable fabric that's
12:40used for like handbags or shoes cordoy
12:43can be made out of cotton but it can
12:46also be made out of a lot of different
12:48synthetic materials too so if something
12:50feels like cordoy always look at the
12:53inside label to make sure that it is
12:55100% cotton poplink cotton is very
12:58common in shirts
12:59so it has that like very smooth feeling
13:02and slight sheen to it when shopping for
13:05good quality cotton I think you can
13:06often feel these things for yourself it
13:09should be soft and smooth remember the
13:12longer the fibers are the more high
13:14quality it is and so the smoother it
13:16should be it shouldn't be transparent
13:19unless you know it's been deliberately
13:21designed that way pay attention to the
13:23weight of the fabric as well something
13:25that's thicker will be more durable
13:27through wears and washing if if you are
13:29shopping online it is a little bit
13:32harder to tell how good or bad something
13:34might be but one trick with t-shirts in
13:38particular is to pay close attention to
13:42the Hem of the t-shirt and compare how
13:45opaque the Hem is to the rest of the
13:48T-shirt If there is a really massive
13:51difference like if the Hem looks really
13:53white and opaque compared to the rest of
13:55the T-shirt then you can probably assume
13:58that that t-shirt is not very thick and
14:00probably poor quality moving on to
14:03cashmere so cashmere is one of my
14:06favorite Fabrics to wear all year round
14:08actually I've got really chunky thick
14:10cashmere jumpers for winter slightly
14:13thinner ones for Autumn and spring and
14:16then you know sometimes even during the
14:18summertime I will carry around like a
14:21thin cashmere cardigan with me just in
14:23case it gets cold it's a very soft and
14:25luxurious fiber that comes from the
14:28undercoat of Kashmere goats the quality
14:30of cashmere is divided into grades and
14:33this is based on the diameter of the
14:35hair the finer the hairs the higher the
14:38quality of the cashmere so we have a
14:41grade which is the best quality this is
14:44when the fibers are 14 to 16 microns in
14:47diameter it also has the least
14:50percentage of short fibers in the yarn
14:52this is the most soft and luxurious
14:55cashmere and it's also the most
14:57expensive then we have the b-grade and
14:59this is when the fibers are 16 to 18
15:02microns in diameter still very soft but
15:05slightly less expensive than aade and
15:07then lastly CGR which is when the fibers
15:11are 18 microns in diameter this is more
15:14affordable but more likely to peel
15:17quicker when it comes to ethical
15:19cashmere there are a few certifications
15:21to look out for one is the sustainable
15:24cashmere standard then we have the good
15:26cashmere standard and also the Global
15:29Recycling standard for recycled Kashmir
15:32let's quickly talk about pilling so all
15:35natural fibers regardless of what they
15:37are will pill that is just the nature of
15:40natural fibers it's the fibers rubbing
15:43against each other that causes pilling
15:45but how quickly or how much a Piece Will
15:47peill depends on the quality of the
15:49fibers poorer quality cashmere has
15:51fibers that are shorter and so they're
15:53more prone to peeling quicker if you see
15:56a jumper on the shop floor and it's
15:58already peeling or a little bit fuzzy
16:01then I think that is an immediate sign
16:03of something that's poor quality as
16:06someone hasn't even worn it yet and
16:08wearing it is just going to make it
16:10worse here I have a comparison of a new
16:13cashmere piece from Unico that I bought
16:15in September versus a cashmere piece
16:18from Co that I got 2 years ago it's
16:20actually the one I'm wearing right now
16:22you can see how fuzzy the texture is
16:24from the Unico one even though it's a
16:26brand new piece compared to the COS one
16:28that I've had for years now and I've
16:29worn many many times and then comparing
16:32that cosan to this Lisa Yang cashmir
16:35cardigan that I got on sale a few years
16:37ago I think in terms of how they look on
16:39camera they are quite comparable but I
16:42wish you could feel how soft the Lisa
16:45Yang one is in person it's so much
16:48softer than the COS piece so I do think
16:50that for cashmir unless you're buying
16:53pre-loved you do get what you pay for
16:56the Unico one is the least expensive
16:59but the most fuzzy and I haven't even
17:02worn it that many times Co one I think
17:04Co is pretty good cashmir for the High
17:07Street and then my most expensive
17:09cashmere piece is this Lisa Yang one
17:13which is honestly like the softest
17:14cashmere I've ever experienced so moving
17:17on to wool now technically cashmere is a
17:20type of wool but just for the clarity in
17:24this video when I'm talk about wool I'm
17:27specifically talking about sheep's wool
17:30wool is a lot stronger and more durable
17:32than cashmere however wool contains
17:35lanoline whereas Kashmir doesn't and so
17:38if you have sensitive skin you might not
17:41be able to wear wool when it comes to
17:44wool there are three main types you have
17:47sheep's wool which is the most General
17:50type of wool if something is labeled
17:53wool then we can assume that it's most
17:56likely sheep's wool which is is wool
17:59that is taken from a mature sheep
18:02sheep's wool is very thick and durable
18:05and textured however due to it slightly
18:07coarse feeling again if you have
18:09sensitive skin you might not be able to
18:11wear it without feeling a bit itchy and
18:14irritated and this is the most
18:16affordable type of wool next we have
18:18Lamb's wool and this is wool sheared
18:21from a lamb that is under 1 years old
18:24this is much softer than regular sheeps
18:26wool because the fibers are sh and
18:29softer and this is more expensive than
18:31sheep's wool lastly we have Marino wool
18:33which is considered the most high
18:36quality this comes from the Marino sheep
18:39which has ultra fine fibers so the
18:42material is very smooth and soft it's
18:45insulating while still being very
18:48breathable and temperature regulating
18:50and this is often the most expensive
18:52option for wool whichever one you choose
18:55depends on your different needs for
18:57warmth and durability choose sheep's
18:59wool if you find wearing wool itchy I
19:02would always advise wearing a layer
19:05underneath like a t-shirt I mean I think
19:07you should always wear a layer
19:08underneath all your knitwear anyway this
19:10will also prevent you from having to
19:11wash it so often as it's actually the
19:14process of washing your clothes that
19:16wears it down not the actual wearing of
19:19it I got this 100% wool Aran nit
19:23cardigan from nly lotan a while ago I
19:25got it on a really good sale it's so
19:28thick and beautiful uh such a classic
19:31piece I love wearing it keeps me so so
19:33so warm for something softer but still
19:35warm Lamb's is a really great choice I
19:38recently got this cardigan from and
19:40daughter and it is 100% Lamb's wool the
19:43quality of this cardigan is so amazing
19:47it is thick and so luxurious I was
19:51shocked at how soft it is it's actually
19:54comparable to my cashmere pieces I would
19:56say and then Marino wool is really
19:58Greatful base layers and is a really
20:01versatile um material I find I have a
20:04few Marino wool sweaters for different
20:08uses so the first one I have is this
20:11very thin base layer that I got from
20:13cause you can wear it just under
20:15anything and it will just keep you so
20:17warm then I have these maruno wool
20:19jumpers from uniclo that are slightly
20:22thicker I love these and I wear these
20:24all the time I think these are such a
20:26great basic and then I have this slight
20:28thicker one from a Korean brand called
20:30nothing written this is also 100% Marino
20:33wool and you can see that it's thicker
20:36and fuzzier I haven't deed it since last
20:39year when shopping for wool you want to
20:41look for certifications such as the
20:44responsible wool standard nativa and the
20:47wool Mark certification these ensure
20:50that the wool that you're purchasing has
20:52been sustainably and ethically sourced
20:54will and Kashmir can also be woven to
20:57create a double-faced fabric so most
20:59Fabrics have a right side and a wrong
21:02side but double-faced fabric is when two
21:06layers of fabric are sewn together so
21:09that both sides are the right side you
21:12might have seen this on some coats that
21:15don't have a lining generally speaking
21:17lining isn't needed on double-faced
21:19fabric as the double-sided material is
21:22really warm the lining can sometimes
21:24also alter how the coat might sit on you
21:27it might not d as nicely if it has a
21:30lining I find that some coats might just
21:34be lined in the top half and the sleeve
21:36so that you can get in and out of it
21:37easier and then that won't alter how it
21:40kind of Falls generally speaking
21:42double-faced you know wool in cashmir is
21:45a higher quality because of the
21:48technique that's used to make it and sew
21:51it together although not always the case
21:54I have seen some double-faced jackets
21:57and coats in Zara but obviously they're
21:59probably not as wellmade other types of
22:02wool include alpaca and mohare mohare
22:05comes from Angora goats it's known for
22:08being very soft its luster and its
22:11durability which makes it a really
22:13popular material for high-end pieces it
22:16also has a very natural elasticity so
22:19that it can retain its shape and it's
22:22more resistant to wrinkles it's
22:25lightweight while still being very
22:27insulating so that that means you can
22:30keep very warm without being too bulky
22:32due to its really high cost a lot of
22:34Brands will mix it with wool it's very
22:38rare to find like a 100% mohare piece
22:41and in terms of quality there is kid
22:43mohir which is taken from goats that are
22:46under 1 years old this is the most
22:48premium mohare and it's the most
22:50expensive as it's like very fine and
22:53luxurious and then there is young goat
22:55mohir which is taken from slightly older
22:58goats
22:59this is still very soft but it's more
23:01durable than kid mohir and then lastly
23:04adult mohir is taken from more mature
23:06goats and this is much more durable and
23:09so more suited for things like coats and
23:12outerwear in terms of quality mohir has
23:15that very fluffy texture and all mohir
23:19will shed it's sometimes hard to
23:21determine the quality of mohir just by
23:24looking at it but lower quality mohir
23:26will shed a lot more than higher quality
23:30lower quality mohir might also feel a
23:33little bit Itchy and Scratchy on your
23:35skin whereas the higher quality one is a
23:38lot softer and then lastly we have
23:40alpaca and this comes from the alpaca
23:43animal it's similar to Kashmere in that
23:45it's incredibly soft and smooth and it's
23:48actually warmer than wool because the
23:50alpaca fibers have a hollow core and
23:54this traps air more efficiently and the
23:56air acts as an insulator which keeps you
23:59warm there are two main types of alpaca
24:02the first type which is the most common
24:04is the wakaya alpaca which make up for
24:07about 90% of all Global alpaca
24:11population and then the remaining 10% is
24:13made up of Suri alpacas wakaya alpaca is
24:17more dense and fluffy which is best for
24:20everyday wear such as sweaters and
24:23scarves whereas Suri alpaca is sleeker
24:27and more streamlined and so better
24:30suited for luxury garments or pieces
24:34where the drape of it matters a lot more
24:37so those are the main natural fibers
24:39that I want to cover in this video if
24:41you found that interesting and you want
24:43me to cover more then let me know in the
24:45comments how much natural fiber content
24:48you want in your wardrobe will depend on
24:51your needs your preferences and your
24:53budget for myself I'm quite strict when
24:55it comes to knitwear I like my knitwear
24:58to be in 100% natural fibers however for
25:02other things such as trousers or skirts
25:06I am a little bit more lenient but I'll
25:09always try to make sure that the natural
25:12fibers make up for at least 70 to 80% so
25:16now that we have discussed high quality
25:18materials and exactly what to look for
25:21that is only one piece of the puzzle the
25:24next part is how well the item of
25:27clothing has been constructed when it
25:30comes to the construction of clothes
25:33these are things that I've personally
25:35noticed within my own wardrobe and to be
25:38honest these are things that I think
25:40should be the bare minimum but
25:43unfortunately a lot of Brands these days
25:46only care about their profit margins and
25:49so the best thing that we can do is to
25:51shop as smart as possible so it start
25:54with the fit and the drape of an item
25:56because a very big sign of how well
25:58something has been made is just how it
26:02sits on your body and how it looks on
26:03you you should be able to move freely
26:06and comfortably in your clothes you
26:08shouldn't feel that anything is like too
26:10tight or restrictive you know even in
26:14nice fitting tailored clothes you should
26:16still have room to breathe and eat
26:19that's very important too if you tug on
26:21a bit of fabric it should stretch out a
26:23little bit because that will allow it to
26:26move with you as you move throughout the
26:28day but it should also be able to go
26:30back to its original shape you shouldn't
26:32be able to stretch it out permanently
26:35things like shoulder seams should be
26:37aligned with your shoulders they
26:39shouldn't be too far up or too far down
26:42otherwise they'll be pulling at you for
26:44us women we need our tops and our shirts
26:47to have allowances for our bus so either
26:49that means extra material or like DTS
26:52put in so that there's space for our
26:54boobs to sit and if you're wearing a
26:56shirt there shouldn't be any gaping at
26:58the button holes either otherwise that
27:00is also just too tight or just poorly
27:04constructed when it comes to skirts and
27:06dresses is it cut on the bias this is
27:09when the fabric is cut at a 45° angle
27:12against the grain of the fabric this
27:15gives it a much nicer drape I personally
27:17think it looks better than something
27:19that is straight cut a bias cut dress
27:23will just kind of sit on you in all the
27:26right places and one of my favorite
27:28dresses is a bias cut silk dress it's a
27:31piece I've had in my wardrobe for like 6
27:35years and whenever I don't know what to
27:38wear during the summer I pull this out
27:41and I'm good when it comes to knitwear
27:43you want to make note of the ply and the
27:46gauge not all retailers will give you
27:49this information but I personally find
27:51that the ones that do are generally
27:55speaking better quality so the apply
27:58refers to the number of yarn strands
28:01that are twisted together to make the
28:03thread that creates the Garment a one
28:06ply jumper is going to be very thin and
28:09delicate I would advise staying away
28:12from anything one ply ideally we want to
28:14look for pieces that are two ply or more
28:18that will mean that your piece is warmer
28:21it's thicker and it's just more durable
28:24and then the gauge refers to how many
28:26stitches there are per inch and this
28:28this determines how tightly or Loosely
28:30something is knit if a sweater has a low
28:32gauge for example 3 to 7even stitches
28:35per inch then this is often paired with
28:38a very thick yarn and you'll get a
28:41sweater that is very thick and chunky
28:44and you can clearly see the big stitches
28:47and it's very thick and heavy and if we
28:49compare this to a sweater that has a
28:51very high gauge so something that has
28:53like 13 stitches per inch the yarn used
28:56with this High gauge is normally much
28:59thinner and so this creates a sweater
29:02that is very smooth and lightweight
29:06inspect your seams if you see any loose
29:08threads or anything unraveling then that
29:11is an immediate sign of poor quality
29:13especially if you see this on the shop
29:15floor when you're shopping this item
29:18hasn't even been worn yet why is it
29:20falling apart already if the seams seem
29:23flimsy or messy or wonky or uneven then
29:28not only is this a sign of bad quality
29:30but it's also going to affect how the
29:33item looks when you're wearing it as it
29:35won't sit how it's supposed to and it
29:38probably won't last through many wears
29:40and washes if the seams have been put
29:43together a bit haphazardly to test your
29:45seams you want to pull on them gently
29:49obviously not too hard badly stitched
29:52seams will also have a lot of holes and
29:54gaps so again if you stretch it apart
29:56slightly maybe hold it up to the light
29:58and if you can see lots of light coming
30:00through then again you know it's not
30:02been put together very well you also
30:04want to turn your pieces inside out and
30:07see how that looks I have this pair of
30:09trousers that have been finished so
30:11beautifully on the inside you can see
30:13that the edges here are finished with an
30:16overlock which is a very common
30:18stitching um that has like all these
30:21small loops and most if not all edges
30:24should be finished with this Stitch
30:26again just at the best minimum you can
30:28also see that the edges of the back
30:30pockets were finished with this extra
30:32detail and that kind of like extra bit
30:34of fabric on top I'm sure there's a
30:36technical name for it I think it's a
30:38French seam but I'm not entirely sure if
30:41you know please leave it in the comments
30:42below because I would love to know what
30:44it's called but I really love how they
30:46finished off everything on the inside of
30:48these trousers so nicely compare it to
30:50the back pocket from another pair of
30:52trousers that I have and you can really
30:54tell the difference in the quality seams
30:57should also sit flat against the fabric
31:00so when you lay it down or when you wear
31:02it there shouldn't be any like bunching
31:04or puckering at the seams either also
31:07pay attention to the inside seam on the
31:11back of your T-shirt around the neck a
31:13high quality t-shirt will have a
31:15reinforced back seam on the inside of
31:17the collar this will stop the neckline
31:18from stretching out over time and it
31:20will also just feel nicer on your neck
31:23when you're wearing it it's in all these
31:25extra like care and details where you
31:27you can really tell if a brand actually
31:31cares about how you feel when you're
31:33wearing the piece or if they just want
31:35to produce as many pieces as possible
31:38and make as much money as possible
31:40patterns should match up as much as
31:43possible for the most part patterns
31:45should match up especially if lots of
31:48straight lines are being used however
31:50there will be some places where it's not
31:52entirely possible to exactly match up
31:55the pattern especially if there are like
31:58curved hems or anything like that but I
32:00do think it should still match up as
32:02closely as possible there should still
32:04be some attempt at matching up the
32:06pattern I think if the pattern is really
32:08off then you know we can assume that
32:11they just don't care and they just
32:12haven't put the time in to make it look
32:16as nice as it could be always test your
32:18Zips the Zips should be smooth and easy
32:21to use you should never have to like
32:23fight with it to try and get it up
32:25because then that is probably sign of a
32:28poor quality zip I think that for the
32:30most part the Zips should be hidden and
32:33sewn into the fabric I personally think
32:36that a visible zip cheapens the look of
32:40the whole garment and it's also cheaper
32:43to do so you know they kind of match up
32:46really buttons buttons are such a big
32:50sign of how well an item has been made
32:54buttons should properly line up with a
32:57button hole
32:58I know that sounds so obvious but I've
33:01seen some really bad fast fashion pieces
33:05where like the button doesn't match up
33:08properly with its button hole the button
33:10holes should be reinforced with thread
33:13or with like extra material so that it
33:16doesn't wear with use or stretch out and
33:19it should be neatly done with no loose
33:21threads coming off it the buttons should
33:23be stitched on tightly and they should
33:25have extra thread wound underneath the
33:28button this makes it stronger and it
33:31also leaves space for the material that
33:34you are buttoning up on some really
33:37well-made coats I think that you can
33:39find the button on the outside is
33:42reinforced by a little button on the
33:45inside this makes the button a lot
33:47harder to fall off really high quality
33:49buttons are normally made of mother of
33:52pearl or buffalo horn for me a plastic
33:55button is not a deal breaker but it has
33:58to be a good plastic button the button
34:01should complement or enhance the piece
34:04that it's on it shouldn't just be there
34:07and a lot of cheap plastic buttons will
34:10be very flat and one-dimensional whereas
34:13you can tell if a button has been chosen
34:16specifically for an item it will have
34:19you know some kind of Dimension or color
34:22or pattern to it that complement the the
34:25whole item unfortunately a lot of lining
34:27the these days is still made out of
34:29synthetic fibers so it's very
34:32frustrating you know you'll buy a 100%
34:35wool Blazer only for it to be lined in
34:39polyester it's very common I think Visos
34:42is becoming a bit more common to line um
34:46clothes with but again this is still a
34:49semi synthetic fiber my favorite blazes
34:51are from the curated and they are lined
34:53in silk and honestly it is the most
34:58luxurious experience to wear again
35:01always inspect how the lining has been
35:04sewn into the Garment it should be neat
35:08it should sit flat against the coat or
35:12jacket or whatever you're looking at
35:14there should be some excess fabric um so
35:17that it moves with you when you wear the
35:19the jacket but there shouldn't be so
35:21much excess that it's kind of like just
35:23hanging off because then that's a sign
35:26that the L lining hasn't been graded for
35:30the different sizes of jackets they've
35:32just used one size and stuck it on all
35:35of them but again the inside of your
35:37coat or your jacket or your Blazer
35:39should be neat and that is another sign
35:44of a good quality piece lots of fast
35:46fashion retailers will do anything they
35:49can to cut Corners in production this
35:52includes putting in fake Pockets that
35:55you can't use or fake buttons that don't
35:59do anything for a fake pocket you might
36:01have like a flap or a little slit that
36:03looks like a pocket and it's completely
36:06unusable it's just there for show and
36:08the same with fake buttons it's just
36:10sewn there for show it doesn't actually
36:13do anything and it just looks
36:16unbelievably cheap however most pockets
36:19in high-end items will be sewn shut with
36:22a single thread and this will be very
36:25easy to unpick and pull out the thread
36:28they do this to maintain the shape of
36:31the Garment when it's being moved around
36:33and it's also there to protect it from
36:35damage or to protect it from being
36:38stretched out before the item has been
36:40sold so with all that being said how can
36:44we shop better firstly always check the
36:47inside label I cannot tell you how many
36:50times I've been to a shop and the
36:53outside label will say cashmere or wool
36:57but when I look at the inside it's like
37:00only 5% cashmere or only 10% wool
37:03unfortunately Brands these days will do
37:06anything they can to try and trick you
37:09into thinking that it's a much higher
37:12natural fiber than it actually is use
37:14your better judgment we did cover this a
37:17little bit earlier but if something is
37:19too good to be true then it probably is
37:22a cashmir jumper that costs
37:24£40 might not actually be worth it it it
37:28might be a really poor quality cashmere
37:30and you also have to ask yourself who is
37:33paying the price for these
37:35extortionately low prices is it
37:38underpaid Farmers is it underpaid
37:41garment workers that are working in the
37:43factories somewhere along the line
37:45someone is losing out because that price
37:48is too good to be true I do think that
37:50if we want to search for high quality
37:52pieces you do get what you pay for and
37:56the more you pay for something then it
37:58probably will be higher quality but only
38:01to a certain extent I do think that
38:04there is a limit to how expensive
38:07something should be what that limit is
38:10kind of will vary from me to you but
38:14once you hit that limit I think that
38:18you're paying for Branding you're paying
38:20for marketing um you you're paying to
38:23wear that certain brand take your time
38:25when you're out shopping take your time
38:27when you're inspecting items don't feel
38:29pressured into buying something you're
38:32not 100% sure about there are so many
38:35clothes out there in the world that
38:38you're never going to miss out on
38:40something there's always going to be
38:42something that you want to buy I also
38:44think that it's supposed to take a long
38:47time to build your Wardrobe full of high
38:50quality pieces that will last you for
38:52years it's kind of like buying furniture
38:54for a house you take the time to INSP
38:57ECT it you make sure that it's made of
38:59materials that is going to last you a
39:02long time you make sure that it fits in
39:06with your space you make sure that it
39:08goes with the other pieces of furniture
39:11that you have and I think you should
39:12feel the same way about your clothes
39:15check your return policies I know that a
39:18lot of Us shop online myself included so
39:22make sure you check the return policy
39:25don't just assume that it's 30 days it
39:28might be 14 days and believe me I have
39:31been burnt by that in the past so please
39:34don't make the same mistake as me and
39:37always check how long you have to return
39:39something look for specialist retailers
39:42so this is going to be a bit of a weird
39:44analogy but stick with me imagine you
39:47are ordering a pizza from restaurant a
39:49which is a huge chain it has a 30 Page
39:53Long menu with dishes from all different
39:56cuisines from all over the world compare
39:59that to ordering a pizza from restaurant
40:02B which is a small family run Italian
40:06restaurant that specialize in making
40:09pizza they have a specially built
40:12Woodfired oven in their back and their
40:15ingredients are very concise and fresh
40:18which one do you think is going to have
40:20the better pizza restaurant B right and
40:22I think the same goes for clothes if you
40:25want to buy a really high quality
40:27cashmir sweater then you're probably
40:30better off going to a brand that
40:32specialized in Kashmir knitwear they're
40:34going to have more knowledge in the yarn
40:37that they're sourcing in the factories
40:40that they're choosing to work with I
40:42think that being really good at
40:44producing one type of thing is going to
40:47give a better result than producing a
40:51myriad of mediocre things read brand
40:54websites this is not a fullprof method
40:57but I find that the brands that are the
41:00most transparent about where they Source
41:03their I keep wanting to say ingredients
41:05after that restaurant analogy but that's
41:07not right a brand that tells you about
41:10where they Source their materials which
41:12factories they use what what their
41:15sustainability plans and values and
41:17goals are those are the brands that are
41:20going to be more likely to produce a
41:24more high quality item the more detailed
41:26that a brand
41:27can give you about their items about the
41:30whole supply chain then I think it shows
41:34how much more they care about their item
41:37and they're not just like producing
41:39things for the sake of it you know your
41:42own goals and values so I think when it
41:45comes to shopping there's no right or
41:48wrong answer not all synthetics are bad
41:52not all natural materials are good it's
41:55not so black and white and I think you
41:57you just have to find you know what
42:00works for you at the end of the day it
42:02just comes down to what your wardrobe
42:04goals are and what your personal values
42:06are if you don't mind wearing polyester
42:08or your skin is sensitive to wool or
42:11your budget means that you can only
42:13afford to buy things that are synthetic
42:16then that's fine too but at least make
42:19sure that the item you're buying is
42:22really wellmade that way it's more
42:24likely to be an item that you want to
42:27wear more it will be an item that you
42:29can keep for longer or at least it will
42:32be an item that you can sell on to
42:35someone else because it's still a piece
42:37that is really well put together I have
42:40spoken so much that I feel like I need a
42:43throat lozenge but I also feel like I've
42:45barely scratched the surface if there
42:47are any tips or anything that you do or
42:50look for that I've missed out please
42:52leave them in the comments so that we
42:53can all learn how to shop Better
42:56Together if you enjoyed this video and
42:58you want to know where to buy high
43:00quality knitwear you can watch this
43:02video on screen as always thank you so
43:04much for watching and I will see you in
43:06the next video bye

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