Beauty

Building a Better Wardrobe

In March, I wrote a post about cheap clothes and my newfound desire to stay away from them. The plight of poorly made garments isn’t something that just recently dawned on me, but I find that when I’m in a shopping situation, I tend to want to buy better made items, but tend to shy away from them when I experience sticker shock.

I’m serious this time, mainly because I’ve put some research into the clothing industry and different fabrics and durability. I’m also sick of feeling like my clothes look tired and worn by the end of the day, when they looked fine in the morning (freshly cleaned/steamed).  Well made clothing should look good at the end of the day too; cheap clothes are the ones that stretch out and lose shape over a few hours.

building a better wardrobe

 

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Since the beginning of the year, I have only purchased one piece of clothing. That’s a full 4 months, plus some, that I’ve gone without needing a shopping fix (at the time of writing this, it’s May 12). I blame this mostly on the sheer amount of work we’ve been doing with the yard and the house, thereby lacking the energy at the end of the day to shop, but I’m proud nonetheless.

This is ideal because I’ve been losing some weight (once again, partially due to my becoming a work horse and never just relaxing).

This has also given me some time to really look at what I want in my wardrobe, what I don’t want, and to do some research behind what fabrics, fits, colours, brands, companies, and quality fits into my wardrobe plan.

One thing I’ve come to notice is that the fabric really matters.

I complimented a colleague on how well dressed she always is, and asked her what she looks for when she goes shopping. She mentioned that she shies away from unnatural fabrics, because not only do they form less to the body, but they also can be very uncomfortable (think polyester when it’s above room temperature).

When I look at the pieces in my wardrobe that I already really love, that have stood the test of time and tend to look good no matter what time of the day or how many times the garment has been washed, my colleague’s point has been proven:

Linens, (thicker) cottons, silks, and other natural fibers fit, feel, and look MUCH better than your average, synthetic material.

(this is of course comparing a synthetic to a natural fiber, similarly constructed piece of clothing manufactured by similar – if not the same – company).

I’m also hopping on the no-more “made in China” train

Thanks to a fellow blogger, Mochimac, I’ve been almost converted. This isn’t a post about sweatshops and my viewpoints on those, so I’m not going to get into it. The conditions of sweatshops is actually not completely why I am interested in staying away from clothing manufactured in factories in third world countries.

I’m one for noticing patterns and making assumptions (theories, if you will) from those patterns.

Example: I wanted a long lasting, reliable car, and I purchased my Honda Civic instead of another model because I saw more old, beat up Honda Civics on the road than any other car. To me, it proved that they last for a long time.  

When Mochimac wrote a post about not buying items made in China, it planted a bug in my ear to pay more attention to where my items are manufactured. I noticed that the clothing manufactured in China (or Bangladesh) that I had in my wardrobe were of poor construction, in comparison to my Canadian, American, and European made clothing.

In fact, I have two cardigans that have holes in them (just from usage, I didn’t snag them on anything). Both were made in China, and I purchased them around the same time and wore them both just as much (if not less) as another cardigan I purchased made in the USA.

I also have two camisoles, both of which broke at the straps within months of their purchase. One made in China, one in Bangladesh, which haven’t happened to a Canadian made cami that I have had for ages.

I have many more examples that I shall not bore you with. To be clear, I’m not completely boycotting clothing made in China, but I’ll be sure to really, really examine the construction of the item before purchasing it if it were made in China, India, Mexico, Bangladesh, and other countries that mass produce and offer generally poor conditions for their workers.

Fit also matters

I’ve never looked at somebodies outfit that fits poorly and thought to myself “wow, I really like that person’s outfit”. Male or female, tall or short, curvy or thin, black, white, and Asian – clothes that fit properly always, always look better.

Due to some weight loss in the past couple of years, and then further loss in the last couple of months, as well as stretching of cheap clothes, lots of my clothing is baggy or at least a little too big.

Too big is sloppy. It doesn’t look good on anybody. I’m not a teenage boy and I shouldn’t be hiking up my pants all the time and wishing that I wore a belt.

I am definitely going to be paying more attention to the way the clothes fit, and if they don’t fit well but I still love the item, I’ll have it tailored.

Figuring out my body is key to this. Because my weight fluctuates so drastically on a year-to-year basis, I have a hard time really nailing down what looks great on my frame, but I’ve been really analyzing the pieces in my closet that i love and that I frequently get compliments on, and how they differ from everything else. That’s a good place to start.

I’m pretty convinced that people who are well-dressed are taken more seriously and see more success than those who don’t care about their wardrobe, especially in the business world. So while these things may seem trivial to some, it’s something I’m willing to put a little extra thought into.

How you are dressed is very important, and a big part of that is how the clothing fits on you. It’s better to invest in clothing that is worth tailoring, rather than cheap alternatives. See some other posts about clothes here:

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15 Comments

  1. I am so with you on this and trying to do the same. I would rather have fewer clothes that are well made than lots that aren’t. I notice a huge difference in how I feel when I am wearing them–more confident.

  2. Depending on what I am buying clothing for, work, outdoors or casual and dress wear I’m picky. I always say “You Get What You Pay For” and it’s apparent when things fall apart that the quality might not be the best. I like having clothes I can mix and match although I’m a jeans and t-shirt guy. I like to spend money on clothes that will last me a decent amount of time.

  3. I have a clothing post coming up too =) Mentioned some of the same things you did: no synthetic fibers, no made-in-China stuff… but mostly my post is about finding a reasonable clothing budget because holy hell I have spent SO MUCH MONEY on clothes in 2013. I can’t believe you’ve only bought ONE THING in the past 4 months — I spent $150 on t-shirts on Saturday lol.

    Great post!

  4. I agree I like clothing that can last long while staying timeless in style. It’s funny you wrote this post because I saw a TV episode last night about Garbage, certain companies are making clothes out of recycled water bottles. Now that was a shock to my system. Look at my new t-shirt it is made from 10 used water bottles. Also China and other Asian countries are buying garbage to do the exact same thing. Be careful when it says synthetic material.

  5. I am also afflicted by the changing weight problem… things hang totally differently depending on which sports I’m playing and if I’m overweight at the time. It’s frustrating and leads me to keep a lot more clothing around than I really need.

  6. I’m with you. The worst is when you paid good money for things – and they don’t retain their shape. I am trying to buy good quality, decent stuff (new or used) that lasts – and has an elasticized waist! 🙂

  7. I just recently made the decision to try only buying used clothing and shoes for the next year (still need to finish my post about it). I reserve the right to buy new undergarments if necessary, but I think I am pretty set there for at least a year or more. I don’t check to see where my clothing is made, but I think that I will definitely be making some impact if I just only buy from thrift stores and resale shops. I just bought a pair of new-to-me jeans, a white shirt for a color run, and some amazing leather boots for $23 total last weekend and they all look and feel brand new…

  8. I haven’t really thought about this enough before, but I’m planning on saving a bunch of money in June for new clothes… and I do know I don’t want to just buy cheap stuff. Tanks, socks, etc. sure. But it’d be nice to have better quality shirts, pants, etc. Thanks for the post, Daisy!

  9. I totally agree on construction and fit. As a gal who recently had to replace her whole wardrobe due to weight loss, I will give you a tip that was suggested to me when I was first starting out. I chose just a couple of colors, and bought everything to match. For me, blacks and grays have always been my favorites anyway, so I just started with dark jeans and black/gray everything else. This meant that I could build my wardrobe back up gradually with quality pieces, but in the meantime, every item I have matches everything else and if I wear a black cardigan three times in one week, no one notices. I think you like brighter/more fun colors, but I think the same thing could apply. If you end up with a stable weight for a long time, you can obviously eventually add other things that don’t match the original things — I just found it to be a good (cheaper!) starting place without having to buy everything at H&M.

  10. Fit I think is the most important aspect of looking “expensive” or nice. I can’t avoid anything made in China (obviously because I’m living there, duh!) so for now all I can do is really focus on fit. But I hardly buy anything when I’m here anyway, though I do drool at the occasional handbag.

  11. If you find some good brands you’ll have to write a post on it. I have more money tHan I used to so now I spend more on brand name clothing because i hate shopping for clothes and there is nothing better than finding somethign hat fits that lasts. Even when you spend good money on a garment, it is hard to predict what will hold up vs look horrible after a couple of Trips through the washer. Quality has been deteriorating in some of my favorite brands of late and it makes me sad.

    For the record, I think its awesome that there are companies making fleece out of old PET water bottles. It’s actually more expensive to recycle these products into something usable again and I think it is great that people are doing useful things with the plastic waste stream. (I know the costs, I work in the industry). Living in a cold climate, I love fleece and I don’t mind that it is synthetic because it is so easy to care for. On the weekend, I don’t need to look polished, I just want o be comfy.

  12. I do agree that natural fabrics last longer. I buy silk, cotton or linen now. That’s not to say that SOME of my polyester stuff hasn’t gone the round, but I’m also trying to not buy things that are plastic.

    Thank you for the mention!

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  14. Interestingly, I’ve managed to stick to my 2013 new years resolution (it’s now August). What was it? – NO BUYING ANY CLOTHING WHATSOEVER, also no make up OR accessories for the ENTIRE YEAR. I’ve always hated shopping because I have always been able to tell how poorly clothes at the mall are made – with the recent economy, they’ve only gotten worse. Trends make them seem ok but when you look at it (blouses and tops that have 0 darting or fitting because they are the “loose” look) it really looks good on only 2% of ppl.

    I was tired of spending money on these pieces out of pure habit and realized that i hated almost everything in my closet a month after I bought it. Now I’m really excited about tailoring clothing and have realized that instead of buying new things, I will just re-design and re-tailor the ones I have already. (It helps that my aunt is an EXCEPTIONAL tailor – and if your in the Los Angeles area, comment on this post and I’ll get you her #).

    Anyway, I haven’t shopped in 8 months now and am planning on sticking to my guns until the end! It’s frustrating at times and I’ve recently found a GORGEOUS red blazer by Tahari that is worth the $100 bucks – but I think that what I’ve learned most is that the world will NOT end if I don’t get that particular item at that particular moment…. something nicer and better comes along – always. 🙂

    PS – buying well made clothing does NOT mean designer only.

    1. Yes! Totally agree, Linet. There’s always, always, something nicer and better that comes along. Good job not spending. I agree with the last sentiment the very most. Designer doesn’t even mean it’s good quality!

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