Style You Can Feel Good About

Photo Courtesy of iwork

I love clothes, but I hate shopping. 

It’s only natural to want to update your wardrobe each season. As the melting snow continues to give way to the green shoots of spring, I’m starting to weed out my closet. In tossing the things I can’t wear anymore because they are either too old or too big (yay!), I’m also making room for a few new additions. For me, that involves looking for something that’s both well designed and a good value. Since I hate shopping, I’m determined to get things that will last for a long time. To keep the process as painless as possible, I’ve come up with a list of the 5 things I’ll be looking for.  

My issue with shopping began at some point during my fashion design education. I started to notice the things I would want to change about the garments. Details like an improperly finished seam or poorly stitched hemline would leave me feeling cold towards brands that I’d happily patronized in the past. If I found something that I really liked, then one glance at the price tag was enough to make me gasp. So I tend to find a few things that I really like and wear them over and over until they simply can’t be worn out of the house. After recently realizing that all the jeans in my closet have been ripped and repaired at least once, I’m starting to reluctantly think about buying some new ones. I’m like a sommelier who secretly drinks boxed wine or a cobbler with no shoes. You get the point; it’s time to shop. Keep reading for my list of clothing criteria.

The year that I bought only sustainable/ethical clothing didn’t help either. Now when I shop I can’t help but think about the people making the clothes and the environmental impact.  Perhaps that’s fodder for another shopping post. For now, I’ve narrowed down the things I’m looking for to the following 5 qualities: 

1. Fabric
You can often ascertain the quality of a piece of fabric without even touching it. Just look for the way that it reflects light. If it’s meant to be a matte fabric and it’s oddly shiny, that’s not a good sign. If the fabric looks good, then touch it. A way to properly examine textiles is to hold a piece between your thumb and forefinger, with your thumb on top. Move your thumb up and down, side to side and then in small circles. It should feel good. Tug it a little to see if it stretches in any direction. If it stretches, think about if you want your garment eventually stretch in that direction. For example, I’ve had luck with jeans with a horizontal little stretch in them, but I once bought a pair with a lot of stretch in both directions and was forever tugging them up to cover my backside. 

The other thing I look for is the materials that make up the fabric. Go for noble fabrics like cotton, wool, silk, and linen (if you happen to like ironing). Blends are ok, especially if they help your clothes to move with you and make them easy to care for. I tend not to buy synthetic fabrics except for lingerie, long underwear, and sport clothes. I avoid most synthetics because I have the type of skin that gets red and itchy from a hot shower. Acrylics, rayons, polyesters, and certain animal wools are my kryptonite: I’ll be scratching all day. Hopefully you’re not like me, and selecting fabrics will be straightforward. 

So, for fabric: be a little picky and make sure you know what you’re getting. 

2. Craftsmanship
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen distressed clothing on hangers in stores. If garments start to rip from merely being displayed on clothes hangers, then what will happen when a moving, active human wears it? If the garment has flaws, don’t buy it. You want to be able to wash and wear things many, many times. 

Look at the seams. Is there a squiggly-looking stitch? This is called an overlocked seam. It’s commonly used in low to mid-priced garments. It’s a secure way to make sure that your garment will stay together. It’s always appropriate on jersey and knitted fabrics. I distinctly remember a persnickety Italian patternmaking teacher wrinkling her nose at overlocked seams back when I was in school. While it may not be the most elegant way to finish a shirt, it’s usually a cost-effective and practical thing. 

Craftsmanship: Clothing should look well made. Is the stitching uniform, straight, and even? Are the seams securely finished? Are there any holes, stains, or flaws? If it’s a jacket, or pleated skirt, then are the pockets and pleats basted (loosely stitched) closed? 

3. Fit
A garment shouldn’t squeeze, pinch or create bulges. If your pants are giving you a muffin top, get a size up, or a different style. If you don’t have skinny legs, please don’t wear skinny jeans. Nobody, under any circumstances, should be able to see your undergarments when you are fully clothed. When in doubt about pant size, get a size up and have them tailored. 
The length of your trousers is also very important. When I was younger, I used something I dubbed the ‘pant to shoe ratio’ to help identify potential suitors. If the pants were too short, then it looked like Mom had hemmed them. Too long, and you look unkempt. Ideally, trousers and jeans should come within 1cm of touching the ground at the heel and have a break, or an indented fold of fabric in the front. 

Every retailer uses a different body form as a basis for their designs. This usually represents an average figure, but the variations are considerable. Some brands will fit you better than others. Don’t be discouraged. It’s better to take the time to try on a lot of clothes to learn what fits and save yourself time in the future. 

Fit: Know your size and don’t be afraid to buy it.  If, like me, you can’t be bothered to try things on either bring a measuring tape, or make sure to shop at a store with a liberal return policy. 

4. Style
Style is something that is subjective. The best way to get your money’s worth is to choose classic styles that don’t go out of style. This is different for everybody. For me, I’ll always have straight-leg jeans, flat-front trousers, a-line skirts, v-neck sweaters and T-shirts, polo shirts, and button-front shirts. Sounds boring, but then all it takes are a few accessories and trend pieces to help transition from season to season. 

Style: Look for things that fit your lifestyle and won’t look dated in a few seasons. If it’s not something you wore 5 years ago, it’s probably a trend. 

5. Color: 
I once tried to sell a coral pink shirt to a woman who wouldn’t even try it on because she was convinced that she was a ‘winter.’ I still have no idea what that means, but I do know that the shirt would have looked great with her skin tone. 
It’s easy to fall into a color rut. I’m guilty of this myself; I own at least 6 gray sweaters. While neutrals should be the foundation of your wardrobe, it’s the colorful items give your outfits some character.

When selecting colors for your wardrobe, make sure to consider the color of the base canvas: you. This is easier for women. We have to know our skin tone to buy make-up. Once you have your skin tone in mind, it’s easy to select neutrals that work with your skin tone. Black, white, gray, khaki, and navy are classic neutrals. Add color sparingly. When too much color is worn in the wrong way, you can look like a child. When it’s done right you look like you’ve just returned from your villa at Lake Como. For the rest of us, color should be reserved for accessories like scarfs, shoes, belts, socks, hats, gloves, and hosiery. 
If you want to mix color like pro, consider the color wheel. Choose a color you like and then try a complementary match by looking at the two colors surrounding that color’s opposite (or a split complementary). Then pick an accessory that matches the shade or hue.

Color: Pick color intentionally. If you are using an accent color, try to pick 2-3 accessories with the same color (shades and hues work), and you will look put together.