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.

Pic via

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:

• Don’t Buy Cheap Clothing: A Case For Spending a Little More (But Buying Less)

• How to Take Care of Clothing

• Why Alterations Absolutely Need to be Part of Your Budget

• A Calculation Of Just How Happy Clothes Can Make You (In Terms of Money!)

• Save Some Money on Expensive Brands

  Are you on a mission to building a better wardrobe?