Today we live in an era of fast fashion with a plethora of choices available in the market. Clothes are available in multiple styles, fits, colours, patterns and of course prices. All these factors are governed by the quality of the fabric used, the workmanship as well as the feel of the fabric.
You may have noticed that sometimes you end up buying a piece of clothing which looks fabulous in the store, but its condition after just one wash deteriorates severely. Good quality superior clothing often comes at a slightly higher price as compared to the lower quality ones. As per quality guru Philip Grosby, the term quality refers to the “conformance of requirements”.
The O.D.D Factory is a name to reckon with when it comes to high-quality clothing which ticks all the parameters such as durability, fit etc. Here are a few pointers which will help you distinguish good quality clothing from an inferior quality one.
How to check quality of clothes?
To check the quality of clothes, you must get a feel of the clothes by touching and feeling the fabric. In today’s times of online apparel shopping, it becomes difficult to judge the quality of clothing merely by seeing photos.
Often customers are left disappointed on receiving their garments ordered online, since they look or fit very differently as compared to the pictures seen online. So, how does one check the quality of clothes?
- The first impression is the last: Good quality clothing sets itself apart from the others through multiple factors, but the first one is its look. It appears distinct and the finish is flawless.
- Fabric quality: Mostly natural fibres such as cotton, wool, and linen are responsible for the good quality of fabric. The weave is good and materials such as cotton and linen have good breathability as compared to synthetic fibres.
- Durability: The clothing should have the ability to withstand machine washing or dry cleaning.
- Colour: A good quality garment uses a good quality dye which retains colour even after multiple uses. Colour fastness is an indicator of the quality as well. Inferior quality clothes often ‘bleed colour’ while being washed. Such clothes appear dull after their first wash itself. Good quality fabrics have a uniform colour tone and are devoid of uneven streaks or spots.
- Fading: Good-quality clothes do not fade when exposed to sunlight.
- Thread count: Higher the thread count, the better the quality of the fabric.
- Workmanship: Well-stitched seams, good quality threads, zippers etc. are a hallmark of good quality clothes.
- They are designed to be worn many times.
- Good material thickness.
The O.D.D Factory is the best Garment Manufacturers in Mumbai and one can rest assured while buying top-quality clothing from this brand
Types of clothes quality
As discussed above, clothes are available in various grades of qualities as per the fabric used, accessories used in it such as buttons, zippers, and the process of manufacturing and tailoring. Based on this, clothes can be classified broadly into two categories: Good quality and inferior or cheap quality.
Price is often not the only determinant, since some clothes that are moderately priced last for years but some which are heavily priced, may not last that long. A lot of other factors determine the quality of clothes.
Good quality clothes have a good overall finish. They have perfectly sewn seams, an extra button at the sleeve in case one of them accidentally falls off, an inner lining, good texture and usually have a good fit. Also, the fabric used has superior properties as listed below such as an even colour, good durability and most importantly, it feels good on the skin.
Inferior quality clothes may be cost-effective but they do not meet the parameters listed above. These may usually have open seams, mismatched buttons, thin fabric, bleeding of colour and the fit too may not be as expected.
Of course, this is an individual’s choice and preference and budget too is an important point to be considered as not everyone can afford designer labels.
How to describe quality of clothes?
The quality of clothes majorly depends upon the type of material used. Natural materials such as cotton and silk usually trump synthetic fabrics with regards to quality. Let us see how it differs across various materials.
- Cotton– Better breathability, softness and durability. Since the cotton fibres are longer, they can be spun tightly into a softer and finer yarn which imparts all these qualities to it. Hundred per cent cotton clothes are among the best quality clothes.
- Linen–This material feels great on the skin and makes it to the list of high-quality fabrics. The only flipside to it is the tendency to crease.
- Wool–The quality of wool depends upon the thickness and diameter of the fibres used. It also depends upon the type of animal that it is sourced from. Weak fibres are an indication that it has been sourced from a malnourished animal. Good quality wool has the quality of bouncing back and is usually not see-through. A superior quality woollen garment has a closely knit and highly dense weave.
- Leather- Full grain leather which is unprocessed or unbuffed to retain its natural look is of the highest quality whereas corrected leather or split grain leather is of a little lesser grade quality-wise.
- Synthetic fabrics: They are the cost-effective answer for fast fashion but they do not rank too high in terms of quality when compared to the above fabrics. One material that can be considered for its quality is Rayon which has good breathability and is relatively crease-free.