It's tough figuring out where to get good stuff. Nearly all guys want high-quality clothing that lasts a long time. The difficulty comes in knowing where to go for that. If you’re not working with us to help you shortcut all that, there are some things you should look out for.

On a recent trip to a department store, as we were getting ready for an in-person client, I took a few photos to help illustrate a few things.

When you look at any item, there are some dead giveaways. It's a simple piece of fabric trash with a logo and price tag. Let's go over some ways to avoid getting swindled.


1. Stitching & Seams

First and foremost, you want to look at how the item has been sewn together. This will ensure you don't burst out of your items, but more than that, it gives you a clue as to whether or not the manufacturer actually gave a damn and put in the time and effort to get it right or did a rushed job.

We want tight and even stitching along the clothing seams with minimal gaps. Have a look at this jacket lapel. You can see the stitching is running in many different directions and it's spaced unevenly and far apart. You can even see the gap from the front of the lapel.

Like the above, look at the places where the fabric connects and evaluate those connections.

In this next photo, you can see the waistband has loose stitching, and the fabric under the waistband is puckering, meaning that the sewing wasn't done well—this should be laying a lot flatter.

2. Buttons & Buttonholes

Buttons and buttonholes can be a quick dead giveaway. If the stitching around the buttons and buttonholes is loose and fraying, it says a lot about the rest of the item. Look for tight stitching around the buttonholes and no loose threads around the buttons.


3. Pattern Matching

Patterns should line up. It's an attention-to-detail thing. Look at where the patterns intersect and make sure the patterns are aligned.

4. Fit & Sizing

Sometimes, you put something on and it just feels off. Maybe the sleeves are too short, but weirdly, the shirt feels too long. Understanding this takes a bit of time, but well-made clothing just fits better.

Someone at the brand had to think about it—how the item is going to lay on the body, how proportionate it should be, and how everything would actually look on a human. The more rushed the production process is, the less time goes into figuring all of that out.

If an item just looks funky when you put it on, you're probably wearing a brand that is rushing production.


5. Price

It's not always a good sign to go off of, but it's more reliable than you'd think. Think about it this way - sometimes bad quality clothing will be priced higher than it's worth, but good quality clothing will never be priced below what it’s worth.

You can't get a Ferrari for the price of a Buick. It's impossible as the components to build it cost too much to price it that low. Think the same about your clothing.

Always spend what you can to acquire the best, but be on the lookout for brands that are trying to dupe you, staying alert by using these tips.

Hope that helps.

x Patrick