Many people tend to shy away from designer clothing because they are discouraged by the prices – some high-fashion designer pieces are extortionate but there are designer labels out there that are reasonably priced and very good quality. We’re currently living in a world of throw-away fashion, where new imitation pieces are being made every day and plonked into high-street stores at a fraction of the price, although in some cases high-street store wares are still quite pricey but lacking in quality. In the long-run it can be more economical to splash the cash on a quality designer piece that will last you year upon year than buy a throw-away piece that won’t last you half as long.

If you do purchase the odd high-street piece, there are a few tell tale signs of a cheap piece of clothing you should be aware of so you don’t go spending too money on a garment that will last you just one season. Firstly, check for any stray threads or loose stitches – this is one of the most obvious signs of a cheap piece of clothing made in a sweatshop – if the thread is straying, don’t waste your time or money buying. Make sure all of the fastenings are firm and secure, whether it’s buttons or a zip, check they are stitched properly and aren’t going to fall off as soon as you wear the item. Also check buttons are equal space apart, this is a sign of quality and precision, not a rushed job. Another sign of true quality is for all patterns and stripes to match over the piece of fabric. For example, the vertical lines on a shirt should be equal space apart and should join up and correspond to the lines on the shoulders of the shirt. Often on cheaper pieces of clothing, lined patterns will not correspond with each other.

Next time you’re shopping for a key piece – a coat, pair of jeans, bag or pair of shoes, consider designer and brand names for quality and longevity, and believe it or not, value for money. If you take a high-street coat for £50-60 and it’s fallen to pieces by the end of the season and then take a designer coat for £200-250 and it lasts you years and years, you’re actually getting better value for money from the designer piece even though it’s considerably more expensive.

As well as lasting you a lot longer, designer pieces are not made in sweatshops, unlike many of the high-street stores who use these labour methods. Designer pieces are either hand-made or made with quality and precision by skilled professionals who are paid fairly and work in proper conditions.

Designer clothing doesn’t have to cost your wage packet, there are many online shops that sell designer clothing below the recommended retail price. There are many online shops that sell slightly out of season designer labels, which are dramatically reduced in price. Quality brand name clothing like folk clothing and folk jackets can be found online and in specialist stores.

Clair O\’Hara is writing on behalf of The Shed Community, specialists in folk clothing including folk jackets.

Clair O\’Hara is writing on behalf of The Shed Community (http://www.theshedcommunity.com), specialists in folk clothing including folk jackets.

Author Bio: Clair O\’Hara is writing on behalf of The Shed Community, specialists in folk clothing including folk jackets.

Category: Advice
Keywords: folk clothing, folk jackets, shed menswear, folk shoes