A well-made garment

Sunday, January 15, 2012

One of my college roommates once asked me what exactly classified an article of clothing as 'well-made.' My first thought was, "well isn't it obvious?" The second was, "What exactly does make a well-made garment of clothing?" I don't remember exactly what I told her (although it was probably vague), but several years later, I have put some more time and energy into thinking about it, and this is what I have come up with. It is a rather short list, but it is the most obvious things that

1. Are there stray threads hanging off it?
2. Is it lined?
3. If it is not lined, were the seams finished with a binding and look beautiful or was the excess fabric just serged off?
4. Do the seams lay the way they are suppose to on the body without puckering?
5. Is the inside as beautiful as the outside?
6. Are the buttons sewn on well?

I have strong feelings about the fifth point. There are few things that I enjoy more than seeing a coat or skirt that has a lining with a contrasting print or color that makes the inside just as fun as the outside. No one else may know, but it makes all the difference to me, the person who is wearing it.

4 comments

  1. I couldn't agree more about lining. It just makes me happy :)

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  2. Who knew we were a family of lining snobs??

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  3. I'm in the middle of reading Steve Jobs' biography. The man had an obsession with making the inside of his computers as beautiful as the outside, even though the only people who'd ever see the inside would be the engineers and technicians. There's something to be said for internal and external quality in all we do!

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  4. I totally agree with you, Mike. Since reading that book I've had a greater appreciation for quality of the whole. I have a sewing project underway that I'm determined to do properly, inside and out.

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