Learn How Good Quality Looks And Feels
Silk blouses are a wardrobe staple and every woman should have at least one piece in her wardrobe. But not all blouses are created equally and shopping for them can prove to be a bit of a task.
There are a few pro-tips for buying blouses that will last years:
Let your hand guide you
• the best way to judge a fabric, is to touch it
Pay attention to the individual yarns, too
• the more tightly spun they appear, the better
Fabric, of course, isn’t the only element that matters. Look at the seams, inside and outside
• It’s important to check the seams holding the garment together. The stitches should be even, closely spaced, and lying flat on the fabric
• Even a stitch that is flat on the surface of the garment but bubbling on the inside may be cause for concern. A sewing machine uses two threads to create a stitch, and they can pull on the fabric differently if the tension between them isn’t balanced
• If the seams look sloppy, or if there are spots where they appear loose or stitched over multiple times, those are warning signs
• Check out the hem on a shirt collars and cuffs, and other parts of garments should ideally have interfacing, which is a stiff layer of fabric used to create structure that you can feel when handling the garment.
Without it, these areas can become misshapen over time
• Button holes should be sturdy, not flimsy and with fraying threads
If the inside of a garment looks just as clean and finished as the exterior, it typically shows that the item was made with care
• The fabric of a garment should be cut either straight along the grain, or in the case of a bias cut, on a clear angle, usually 45 degrees, which allows for the fabric to stretch.
If it isn’t cut properly, the garment can pull out of shape with wear
Hopefully these tips will help you to buy better, but they’re only useful if you’re shopping for clothes you’re going to wear for years.
Special thanks to Nada Kobali
Photographs by Duška Stepanov