That's something you often only find in pre-1959s or high quality handmade. Even though I would need to sell an organ to buy the item I'm happy to see some off the rack products still have that quality
My Dad was a master tailor & always insisted on coming shopping for clothes when I was younger. He would closely inspect every single item & then happily say whether it was good quality or not. He was brutal. Lol He was also right, some of the items of clothing he approved are still going strong, 30 years later. He always advised buying good quality staples, like a coat trousers or skirt, & then accessorising with cheaper, more fashionable items. That way the most expensive things lasted for decades, but you still kept up with fashion. My Mum is small, only 5', & she had an extreme hourglass figure when she was younger, 18" waist, 38" hips. She could never buy off-the-peg skirts or dresses. He used to make them for her &, obviously they fitted like a glove. My brothers were alive during Beatlemania & they both had Beatle suits that Dad made for them. Dad ended up with women queuing up to be measured up by him when he got home from work & he used to make them made-to-measure skirts cheaper than they could get mass-produced items in the shops. It helped out with paying the bills too as it was almost a 2nd income. My parents both came from poor families & their hard work meant they were able to move from an inner city estate to a village in the countryside, better for my brothers & me. They also put all 3 of us through university, something they were justifiably proud of. Mum had wanted to go to uni when she was younger & she had the ability, but she had to give up studying at 18 due to her parents not being able to afford it. She vowed her kids would never have to do that, & they5 worked hard to ensure I happened. Mum finally achieved her ambition in her late 30s, when she got her degree & qualified as a teacher. It was the perfect career for her, she loved it & was very good at it (I say that as a qualified teacher, not her daughter). She taught history initially, then moved into special educational needs after about 10 years. Even now he's in his mid 80s, I always value Dad's input when buying clothes. He no longer sews though, thanks to arthritis in his hands.
I'm always a bit envious of people who can fit the clothes they bought 30 y ago. My body changed a lot with time. Good on you for preserving your physique 🙂
This is what drives me nuts about clothes shopping nowadays. It feels like there are no brands that you can count on for quality across the board anymore 😢
@@hviviench they used to still be good 3-4 years ago. Their cashemere pull-overs used to be really good quality. The one I bough in 2024 was uber sh*t it's already starting to peel and loosing shape.....
Muji has some good clothes but do check the materials tag. Some are made from recycled materials. I used to work there and I love the feel of their clothes. 😅
You really learnt it only from the videos? Usually parents or other family members tell us about the importance of fibers in clothes. Like when you are a kid you go to a store and mom or aunt would say stuff like "this shirt is 100% polyester, you'll be sweating like crazy in it. Let's choose something else"😄
@cb9825 if the parent was never taught, they can't pass that knowledge on to their children. I was taught the polyester one but that's where it ends. I've learned a lot on this channel, including the nuance surrounding polyester.
@@cb9825 Respectfully, not everyone has family that is knowledgeable enough or cares enough to teach that kind of thing. Some parents also do all the shopping for their kids so the kids aren't even involved.
@@cb9825 no you're lucky, most people don't know much about quality fabrics and clothing or don't know the importance of them, and others don't look at them because they're on a budget anyway and just go to a cheap store that are everywhere, quality is so hard to find and so expensive these days
When you learn how to sew, you go to a nice brand store, see a dress and think "I could totally make similar dress from a better quality fabric and the total cost of the materials will be cheaper than this dress. Also the hem length and the sleeve length will be exactly how I want them"😂
I don’t know how to sew (I’m trying to learn) but I have a good seamstress so when I see something nice but expensive she could make it for me for cheaper and more flattering for my body.
Same. The best is also hacking your closet and copying/making patterns from pieces and making adjustments according to your preferences. Honestly just making a simple tank top (willow tank pattern from grainline studio) with nice fabric, customized to your body, looks so so so much more polished than a tank top from any store. The darts in the bust make it look much more tailored. It’s such a simple pattern but I’ve made several tank tops (and dresses) with this pattern and I always feel more put together.
I need to look at more nice brands, because more often I will buy all the materials for a project and realize I spent 10x as much on just the materials than the thing would have cost from a fast fashion retailer. But you’re right that I usually use much nicer (and much more expensive) fabric or yarn to make mine and sew it much more carefully. (I won’t say better because garment workers are extremely skilled. They just aren’t given anywhere near enough time or paid enough to do their best work.)
I’ve been meaning to learn. I’m not fancy or anything, but nice even pants/blouses are hard to come by these days 😭😭 a nice fit changes everything. I would love to pick up this skill someday
Taught my kids to check seams and finishing. Loose threads, shoddy seams or hems are not worth buying. Even inexpensive clothing should last three seasons and not look like crap on.
i was taught to quality check clothes before buying. i have a tracksuit from kmart thats lasted me from 2015 until now whereas my tommy hilfiger hoodie starting pilling after a few months
This is one of what my parents taught me too! My dad had an especially good eye on leather products while my mom taught me on sizing & color matching. It's also why i only bought online if i'm familiar with the brand since i can't inspect the clothes by myself
I still have a Columbia winter coat from when I was in high school, back in the early 2000s. It’s gotten dingy in areas such as the sleeves and has lost a few feathers here and there, but overall is still doing pretty well.
Polyester is the worse!! And all brands use it a ton, even expensive brands (bc polyester is the cheapest material out there, they make huge profit from pieces made from it)! You're basically wearing plastic & its terrible for the environment!!😢
My grandmother used to critique designer dresses just like this! She was a seamstress from the Great Depression and wouldn’t allow us to buy poorly made clothes. I miss her so much!❤
I'm so demotivated to buy nice clothes because I feel like everything that's actually good is 200x above how much i can afford so I can never ever buy any of it, and everything i CAN afford is horrible quality that becomes dull and useless after only a few washes so why even buy it 😢
Have you thought of using a washing bag? My family would use a washing bag, separate clothes into black, white, and colored ones. Especially use less detergent for black clothing. Most of our clothes are tailored made from another country so it’s cheaper but changing the washing habit might help your clothes last longer. If the piece is so thin and you’re not that active, you can hand wash them too.
@scottishgirlreacts thankfully I can save up a little bit because I still live at home but I think it would still take a pretty long time before I would have a full outfit though but I’m trying my best!
My favourite tip: go shopping at consignment stores in "rich" neighbourhoods. You'll find excellent quality clothes, mostly designer, at very affordable prices.
Order from 3rd world countries from boutiques. For 55$ approx you could get pure 100percent silk with good quality other pure fabrics too, but they need dry cleaning.
This channel is a godsend. I got tired of retail garbage. Got a few machines and started sewing for summer. I know how to do it but I've been lazy and scrolling and spending my cash for crap that doesn't last. 😖
This channel has inspired me to buy second hand and from small local makers... finally. For a few years I told myself if it's a brand I can't usually afford, but it's on sale, it's going to be premium quality. Not falling for that anymore!
I took my silk and lace dress to be cleaned a few years back. It was for an event and I wanted it to be unique. I had it custom made when I was in Hong Kong and I loved it so much…it just had a few marks on it and it was white…so quite noticeable. When being professionally cleaned back in Australia, I let them know it was silk, and I don’t know what they did..but it was destroyed. The hem was all over the place, the silk had been stretched in some areas…it was ruined. They refused to compensate me as they said I didn’t tell them it was silk, but they either didn’t write it down, or got rid of my original order incase I tried to involve the law. This was many years ago, and it’s over and done with now, but every time I see silk a little part of me cries on the inside.
I had similar happen to a beautiful garment by a dry cleaner in Alice Springs. It had a white bodice and sleeves and the rest was a red based navy. Well, he let that red base run, didn’t he… 🤦🏻♀️ I cried. Luckily, I was recommended to a great dry cleaner in Adelaide and he actually saved the garment for me!
@Chumpess_X dry cleaners ruined my pure wool coat and denied it. I never used a dry cleaners again. Wash all my wool coats in the bath and they come out perfect.
After your videos, shopping for clothes will never be the same! I love all your insights because I hate buying a nice blouse only to wear it a couple of times due to the material.
I love the work you’re doing and hope companies take notice of how people respond - at some point, we need to pay for quality when dropping quality-level dollars 😅 And checking the fabric makeup has helped me save as a shopper and totally upgrade how my closet feels so… all in all, thank you! You rock
@@yoshiropong3722 the checkered fabrics are very hard to match. Usually the pattern is matched in the front (where the buttons are). Almost no one matches shoulders and sides. Even if you match the shoulders, it's almost impossible to simultaneously match the sides too.
I’m the same way. Except now post Covid in-store shopping is also a bit of a pain when there’s staff shortages, items that are sold out for months, stores just bombarded with kids (Ulta teens, a perfect example). Consumerism across the board, whether it’s in person or online, is soooo different now than what it used to be. At this point I’m just not even buying anything until I absolutely need to replace it because so much of the joy of shopping just isn’t there anymore. It’s just super stressful haha. Especially the stress of having to spend hours inspecting every garment in the store you might be interested in
The pressed flowers could be machine or hand done not sure. There is one last place in NYC that still does handmade pressed silk flowers and they can be expensive.
Exactly, I’ve been to M&S Schmalberg on a school field trip and these could definitely be pressed silk. Just goes to show that even people on the internet claiming to be experts don’t know everything and you should do your own research
@@christinegallo4983 exactly. I wouldn't put it past contemporary brands to be cheap but pressed silk flowers can be very expensive. Also thank you for the name, I couldn't remember it.
@@christinegallo4983 I agree with the general idea (don't blindly trust people online), but even if these are expensive hand pressed silk flowers, they look awful! It's important that things are made right and with good materials, but if they look cheap, it doesn't matter that they aren't.
Awesome commentary! Thank you for showing how to spot 'lazy patterns' and sloppy stiching. As a seamstress and a maker of my own patterns, I'm happy that you are sharing how to tell the difference!
My BF worked at Zimmerman HQ and the stories she told me about how they treat their staff like 💩 is absolutely appalling. I do not support this brand for this reason. Horrible founders.
The only problem with all of these is they will keep costing you in dry cleaning forever. And it's not like a wool suit where you might get a couple or more wears before you need to clean it, all of those are going to need washing pretty much every time. Plus I'm extremely skeptical that any of that price tag goes into more ethical manufacturing. It's not like some couture.
Seconded. I get a lot of really nice things second-hand for cheap (wool, silk, cashmere) and I spend more on the dry-cleaning than the clothing. And yeah, no correlation between cost, quality, and worker compensation and treatment.
You can extend time between cleanings by 1) hanging wool garments on line to air. 2) removing scents by misting w water n vodka mixture (old costumers trick.) 3) hanging woolens in closet or bathroom w stick of bag champs incense that’s lit. Take clothes out once stick’s fully burned…
You can hand wash and air dry pretty much anything that says "dry clean only." Use gentle detergent and cold water. Gently agitate the garment in the water for a bit then let it sit for a few minutes. Do don't wring out the water, just gently squeeze out the excess, and lay delicate weaves out flat on a rack instead of hanging to dry. I've never taken anything to the dry cleaners and all my nicer fabrics are still perfect.
@@rani-pj5me modern convenience aka fast fashion made you people entitled and stupid. You are all the types to scream for fair wages and think "oh,poor me,i m opressed because i want to be paid an unreasonable amount cause my ego feels i deserve it and the mean boss won t let me live my dream" ,but what do you think are the costs of 1700 dollars piece or 3000 dollars piece. It means the fabris,,the costs of employers(and we re talking actual salaries,not slavery in china),the machines you use to make the clothes,the costs of operating a bussiness,etc.
@@rani-pj5meit might last longer than a smart phone though lol. If it lasts a lifetime vs the phone which will last 2-3 year buying cycle or 5-7 year service cycle. The moment you can no longer download / use existing apps, the phone loses most of its purchased utility. And that's not even up to you to decide
Can’t count on any brand name or anything ever, this channel gave me valuable advice and reminds me to never trust large names on name alone they will absolutely charge you 300+ for dollar store quality
I own few Zimmerman pieces (hand down from my SIL. I am not that rich lol) and they are beautifully sewn. I am also designer and a sewer and I really admire the finishes of them. So I was suprised at those straps. Even though I think they are very expensive price somewhat justified. I tried to recreate few styles and it took so much time to get the same quality
Similar process but probably some cheap polyester and not the and not delicate silk flowers kind. (Definitely mass manufactured than hand manufactured from manual presses)
Thank you! They look BUTTERY and seamless. Dollar store flowers are translucent. I love Zimmerman AND I love the dollar store. Mama needs her eyes checked ;_;
The flowers looked almost impossible to wash and iron - if you had the time I think you should remove them before washing, clean the flowers separately and then sew them back on. And who has the time for that?
This is why I always check the quality, and material now. Once I bought a $60 jacket only for it to wear out a week later and the pockets were basically falling off….
I only have one brand that I have any trust for anymore and it's a JC Penney only brand. I still check what the materials/stitching look like though. Every other brand that I've gotten clothes from either have lasted a few years (not too bad but getting rarer) or 3 months (much more likely).
Merchandise like this is going to go through a big struggle. People are no longer willing to shell out money for ‘brands’ and poor quality. It’s not worth it.
It’s cute that even what you think are dollar store looking flowers are still about 5 to 6 levels above dollar store flowers. You can literally see through a chunk of the dollar tree flowers.
Love that lemon shirt and the flowers. My peeve is mismatched lines or patterns because it means they have scrimped on the fabric. Never telly on just the brand name. Good pieces can be found everywhere but you must use your eyes and commonsense.
Way back in the day my mom had a black silk dress, with 3/4 sleeves that had fluttery white silk organza ‘cuffs’ that had to be unstitched and cleaned separately from the dress, then pressed and even lightly starched before stitching them back on. Removing and re sewing trims was was common back in the days of ladies maids, part of their never ending clothes care tasks, but not unheard of even back in the early 1960s. This is the first time I’ve seen a current era item where that is expected.
I have the palm tree dress it’s very comfortable to wear I always get compliments from random ppl when I wear it. You can dress it up for down which is handy. You have to watch the ‘cute’ buttons like a hawk I lost three off a Zimmerman blouse
Absolutely agree. After all, most of this stuff is just as mass produced as the stuff we buy in Target. I’ve found structural & sewing issues in clothes across many price points & across many brands.
Genuinely, thank you for this! I just gained extra knowledge and now know not to expect brands to have any consistency. I usually thrift so I didn’t know this was a huge issue, I’m glad I found out before wasting money on branded clothes. You’re awesome! 👍🏻💕
And food ends up in the toilet, holidays get forgotten, pets and loved ones die ect. Just because nothing is permanent doesn't mean these things don't deserve to be experienced and enjoyed!!!
If you read care label carefully, it mentioned the main fabric is silk / linen but exclusive trims (bc these kinds of fabrics cannot keep complicated drape ex flowers). 1200$ not just paid for fabric only, all patterns have been developed in house, print artwork are also authentic. Every single steps involve a lots of human creativity and workship.
I think that shirt is the kind of thing that would wash well and the fabric of the flowers would fray and soften the edges over time. not my style but the number of layers of fabric is nice i think it would be more voluminous with a good shake out and steam or after a few washes
So true. You don't have to be able to sew in order to tell quality. Short wonderful tutorial for those who do not know what to look for. My mother was a tailor and designer. I had great clothes. Just she had trusted her talents more.
Some brands, like Jil Sander, Prada and Yohji Yamamoto, have never disappointed me. But yes, you should definitely judge each individual piece and not assume that it's good because of the name.
If I could buy something I'll wear for the rest of my life that doesn't lose color, shape or form from wash, I might do that. For example a really good wool sweater is what I've been looking for.. over the years it becomes less expensive if it's true to its value. Whereas, a 15% wool, 35% cotton, 50% polyester sweater might still cost me an outrageous 60-100$ and immediately pill in the first wash..and I'd need them every winter..
I feel like I have gained SO much knowledge from watching these shorts. I swear I pay much more attention to what the fabric is, how it flows, and the stitching now.
Yes, I noticed country of manufacture on the tag. For those prices they definitely could have manufactured somewhere else with better regulations and labor laws.
This post is so refreshing. I learned to design at a two-year technical school. Mrs. Everette and Mrs. Falcone gave me everything I needed to compete with university students in the industry!
My grandma worked in a sewing factory for most of her adult life. My dad said that she did one of the most difficult jobs, according to the other women in the factory, which is setting and sewing collars. My grandad and my father also worked as sewing machine mechanics. My dad still works as a sewing machine mechanic for the Sleep Number Bed company. When my grandma was clothes shopping with me, she'd inspect everything and I learned to believe her when she'd say something was poorly made. She'd look at the seams and say "I don't understand how this passed inspection! It's going to fall apart after 'x amount of time' and if I bought the item anyway, she was always correct.
your content doesnt just help consumers, but novice sewists like myself who want to get better and learn what makes a quality garment. One day I hope to have a slow fashion brand that is sold all over the world. Right now its just local vendor events.
It "costed" $700. It costs $700 is the right way to say it. We all screw our words up and I didn't want to be mean about it, but I wanted to point it out for you. ❤
I enjoy this content, but on another note, I’m kinda over being chastised for purchasing fast fashion products by people who can afford to spend a lump sum of over $1000 on one shirt. I have fast fashion shirts that I’ve literally had for a decade and still wearing that was $20 and I don’t buy clothes often. I’m also not a size 2, so I’m not finding awesome thrift options either. In my local thrift, there is just a bunch more fast fashion items that people don’t want. Yes, I’d love to shop at places who use more ethical and sustainable practices. I just wish more was targeted at these big companies and the federal and international laws rather than seeing consumers who simply can’t afford these items as failing morally when I can barely afford a week’s worth of groceries. People “choose” fast fashion sometimes because it’s the only affordable option accessible to them.
100% agree!! & this goes even for lower priced garments. If you pay attention to these details, you can get great pieces for a great price. One that constantly kills me is “silk” garments made with polyester that cost several hundred dollars.
I worked with Zimmerman, up close for years. I’m sorry their pieces are very high quality. The attention to detail, design and construction is insane. If you don’t like the design, that’s cool but their quality and design is unmatched right now.
The quality of fabric is not represented by how it moves. Designers are selective on the flow and movement of fabric. This is usually done during the research phase of design. Some garments are meant to have less flow while other garments are designed to flow with a breeze. Think of the difference between resort wear and sportswear. You also have to consider the intended purchase price of the garment. You also have to consider the quantity that is produced, labor hours, price of fabric, the price of trims, packaging and distribution. A limited production garment that utilizes the same materials as a mass quantity garment will have a greater cost of production and it would be sold at a higher price even if the general quality is low or up-cycled. You typically see higher prices with startup/independent designers even though the quality may be less than or equal to more popular brands. It's best to understand fabric properties and garment construction if you want to have a better understanding of the quality of a garment. Price does not always reflect quality. Those "Dollar Store Flowers" are a trim that can easily cost 80$/ Yard. The interfacing was probably 20$/ Yard. Buttons can be very expensive if they had to create the mold to make a specially designed button. It's up to the artist/designer to say how they want the garment constructed. The pattern maker is supposed to follow the designers intent. The person doing the garment construction can really mess things up regardless of the intended quality of the garment. Therefore a designer may spend more money to hire a manufacturer that is known for their attention to detail and quality. The price will also be high if the designer is doing everything on their own.
I once made a fascinator for a vintage store using fish netting and a very famous miami socialite bought it for $1000. It's how you work the material that looks luxurious.
The fabric they use looks like a cheap bed sheet that I've had for years and washed so much that it became see-through. Maybe it was made to look that way and I'm just too poor to get it.
Tienes razón, tengo faldas de sari artesanales totalmente seda 100% y pesan. Su gramaje habla por ellas están hechas para durar. No son de usar y tirar. La última blusa color salmón no aguantará más de una temporada por 700$. Sí, también soy pobre para comprar esto cada año😂 y mis faldas transpiran por supuesto pero también duran años. Apuesta por lo artesanal no habrá errores.
![POLYCAT - ข้อความรูปยิ้ม [Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/lBhIgPGCgbI/mqdefault.jpg)
The hidden seam blew my mind!
It was so satisfying, too
This is something my grandmother always complains about in stores; but my butt can only afford solids. 😂❤️
I remember Alexander McQueens Plato Atlantis collection - all seams on those garments were immaculately aligned.
It looked insane in real life
A fellow Namie Amuro fan! I miss her so much 😔💕
That's something you often only find in pre-1959s or high quality handmade. Even though I would need to sell an organ to buy the item I'm happy to see some off the rack products still have that quality
My Dad was a master tailor & always insisted on coming shopping for clothes when I was younger. He would closely inspect every single item & then happily say whether it was good quality or not. He was brutal. Lol He was also right, some of the items of clothing he approved are still going strong, 30 years later. He always advised buying good quality staples, like a coat trousers or skirt, & then accessorising with cheaper, more fashionable items. That way the most expensive things lasted for decades, but you still kept up with fashion.
My Mum is small, only 5', & she had an extreme hourglass figure when she was younger, 18" waist, 38" hips. She could never buy off-the-peg skirts or dresses. He used to make them for her &, obviously they fitted like a glove. My brothers were alive during Beatlemania & they both had Beatle suits that Dad made for them.
Dad ended up with women queuing up to be measured up by him when he got home from work & he used to make them made-to-measure skirts cheaper than they could get mass-produced items in the shops. It helped out with paying the bills too as it was almost a 2nd income. My parents both came from poor families & their hard work meant they were able to move from an inner city estate to a village in the countryside, better for my brothers & me. They also put all 3 of us through university, something they were justifiably proud of. Mum had wanted to go to uni when she was younger & she had the ability, but she had to give up studying at 18 due to her parents not being able to afford it. She vowed her kids would never have to do that, & they5 worked hard to ensure I happened. Mum finally achieved her ambition in her late 30s, when she got her degree & qualified as a teacher. It was the perfect career for her, she loved it & was very good at it (I say that as a qualified teacher, not her daughter). She taught history initially, then moved into special educational needs after about 10 years.
Even now he's in his mid 80s, I always value Dad's input when buying clothes. He no longer sews though, thanks to arthritis in his hands.
This was beautiful, thank you for sharing!
Thank you for sharing!
This story is amazing! Say hi to your dad from internet strangers 🥰
That is really cool. Making clothing is truly an art form that I highly respect.
I'm always a bit envious of people who can fit the clothes they bought 30 y ago. My body changed a lot with time. Good on you for preserving your physique 🙂
This is what drives me nuts about clothes shopping nowadays. It feels like there are no brands that you can count on for quality across the board anymore 😢
Uniqlo is a good one for basics.
@@abi3yuwa it’s literally a fast fashion brand and their clothes don’t even last a year
@@hviviench they used to still be good 3-4 years ago. Their cashemere pull-overs used to be really good quality. The one I bough in 2024 was uber sh*t it's already starting to peel and loosing shape.....
Love Uniqlo basics, especially tshirts, last for so many years.
Muji has some good clothes but do check the materials tag. Some are made from recycled materials. I used to work there and I love the feel of their clothes. 😅
You changed the way I shop now.
I'm like "lemme see the composition" 🤨🧐
You really learnt it only from the videos? Usually parents or other family members tell us about the importance of fibers in clothes. Like when you are a kid you go to a store and mom or aunt would say stuff like "this shirt is 100% polyester, you'll be sweating like crazy in it. Let's choose something else"😄
@cb9825 if the parent was never taught, they can't pass that knowledge on to their children. I was taught the polyester one but that's where it ends. I've learned a lot on this channel, including the nuance surrounding polyester.
@@cb9825 Respectfully, not everyone has family that is knowledgeable enough or cares enough to teach that kind of thing. Some parents also do all the shopping for their kids so the kids aren't even involved.
@@cb9825 no you're lucky, most people don't know much about quality fabrics and clothing or don't know the importance of them, and others don't look at them because they're on a budget anyway and just go to a cheap store that are everywhere,
quality is so hard to find and so expensive these days
@@ashleyguthrie572 yes exactly thank you that's what i want to say
When you learn how to sew, you go to a nice brand store, see a dress and think "I could totally make similar dress from a better quality fabric and the total cost of the materials will be cheaper than this dress. Also the hem length and the sleeve length will be exactly how I want them"😂
That's how I feel about baking. A good bakery is worth it but most chains are mediocre and not worth the $5 cupcake
I don’t know how to sew (I’m trying to learn) but I have a good seamstress so when I see something nice but expensive she could make it for me for cheaper and more flattering for my body.
Same. The best is also hacking your closet and copying/making patterns from pieces and making adjustments according to your preferences. Honestly just making a simple tank top (willow tank pattern from grainline studio) with nice fabric, customized to your body, looks so so so much more polished than a tank top from any store. The darts in the bust make it look much more tailored. It’s such a simple pattern but I’ve made several tank tops (and dresses) with this pattern and I always feel more put together.
I need to look at more nice brands, because more often I will buy all the materials for a project and realize I spent 10x as much on just the materials than the thing would have cost from a fast fashion retailer. But you’re right that I usually use much nicer (and much more expensive) fabric or yarn to make mine and sew it much more carefully. (I won’t say better because garment workers are extremely skilled. They just aren’t given anywhere near enough time or paid enough to do their best work.)
I’ve been meaning to learn. I’m not fancy or anything, but nice even pants/blouses are hard to come by these days 😭😭 a nice fit changes everything. I would love to pick up this skill someday
Taught my kids to check seams and finishing. Loose threads, shoddy seams or hems are not worth buying. Even inexpensive clothing should last three seasons and not look like crap on.
i was taught to quality check clothes before buying. i have a tracksuit from kmart thats lasted me from 2015 until now whereas my tommy hilfiger hoodie starting pilling after a few months
Very good job 👏👏👏
Kids should know this kind of thongs
This is one of what my parents taught me too! My dad had an especially good eye on leather products while my mom taught me on sizing & color matching. It's also why i only bought online if i'm familiar with the brand since i can't inspect the clothes by myself
I still have a Columbia winter coat from when I was in high school, back in the early 2000s. It’s gotten dingy in areas such as the sleeves and has lost a few feathers here and there, but overall is still doing pretty well.
Three seasons?! That's such a low benchmark! Ay yi yi 😂
Pattern matching is how you tell handmade from mass produced. The tinier the plaid matched the more impressed I am.
Absolutely true - and it drives me crazy that most things are made out of polyester these days
Polyester is the worse!! And all brands use it a ton, even expensive brands (bc polyester is the cheapest material out there, they make huge profit from pieces made from it)! You're basically wearing plastic & its terrible for the environment!!😢
I do hidden seams in my quilting and it is a pain in the ass. Mad respect for the person that did that seam.
Yes. This is why I love physical stores. The feel of the fabrics and the at you can actually look at the quality of the seams.
😨 1700 for a piece of silk!! I will buy it from my local silk makers !!
Wow you know some silk makers? 😮 So jealous
@@LingLing-ti6vnYes, I know the worms personally. Had Jim over for dinner yesterday 😊
@@LingLing-ti6vn we have the traditional handloom silk weavers!
Fr and the local silk sellers would probably sell better quality
Made in China no less
My grandmother used to critique designer dresses just like this! She was a seamstress from the Great Depression and wouldn’t allow us to buy poorly made clothes. I miss her so much!❤
I'm so demotivated to buy nice clothes because I feel like everything that's actually good is 200x above how much i can afford so I can never ever buy any of it, and everything i CAN afford is horrible quality that becomes dull and useless after only a few washes so why even buy it 😢
Same
Have you thought of using a washing bag? My family would use a washing bag, separate clothes into black, white, and colored ones. Especially use less detergent for black clothing. Most of our clothes are tailored made from another country so it’s cheaper but changing the washing habit might help your clothes last longer. If the piece is so thin and you’re not that active, you can hand wash them too.
@scottishgirlreacts thankfully I can save up a little bit because I still live at home but I think it would still take a pretty long time before I would have a full outfit though but I’m trying my best!
My favourite tip: go shopping at consignment stores in "rich" neighbourhoods. You'll find excellent quality clothes, mostly designer, at very affordable prices.
Order from 3rd world countries from boutiques. For 55$ approx you could get pure 100percent silk with good quality other pure fabrics too, but they need dry cleaning.
This channel is a godsend. I got tired of retail garbage. Got a few machines and started sewing for summer. I know how to do it but I've been lazy and scrolling and spending my cash for crap that doesn't last. 😖
As a seamstress I love the tacked on straps. It makes it easy to move them and doesn’t cost the customer a custom tailoring fee.
This channel has inspired me to buy second hand and from small local makers... finally. For a few years I told myself if it's a brand I can't usually afford, but it's on sale, it's going to be premium quality. Not falling for that anymore!
I took my silk and lace dress to be cleaned a few years back. It was for an event and I wanted it to be unique. I had it custom made when I was in Hong Kong and I loved it so much…it just had a few marks on it and it was white…so quite noticeable.
When being professionally cleaned back in Australia, I let them know it was silk, and I don’t know what they did..but it was destroyed. The hem was all over the place, the silk had been stretched in some areas…it was ruined. They refused to compensate me as they said I didn’t tell them it was silk, but they either didn’t write it down, or got rid of my original order incase I tried to involve the law.
This was many years ago, and it’s over and done with now, but every time I see silk a little part of me cries on the inside.
I had similar happen to a beautiful garment by a dry cleaner in Alice Springs. It had a white bodice and sleeves and the rest was a red based navy. Well, he let that red base run, didn’t he… 🤦🏻♀️ I cried. Luckily, I was recommended to a great dry cleaner in Adelaide and he actually saved the garment for me!
I so hear you! Now we can take pictures or video of the garment and any special instructions. Some things can't be replaced.
@Chumpess_X dry cleaners ruined my pure wool coat and denied it. I never used a dry cleaners again. Wash all my wool coats in the bath and they come out perfect.
After your videos, shopping for clothes will never be the same! I love all your insights because I hate buying a nice blouse only to wear it a couple of times due to the material.
I love the work you’re doing and hope companies take notice of how people respond - at some point, we need to pay for quality when dropping quality-level dollars 😅 And checking the fabric makeup has helped me save as a shopper and totally upgrade how my closet feels so… all in all, thank you! You rock
I love your content. You are calling these companies out and making them step up their game. Thank you!
matched seams are designer now? we’re doomed
Ikr! 😂
The thing that should get you even worse is that there are designers who consider themselves designer who can't even be bothered to match seams
Ikr even then most of my Burberry stuff doesn’t have matched seemed 💔
@@yoshiropong3722 the checkered fabrics are very hard to match. Usually the pattern is matched in the front (where the buttons are). Almost no one matches shoulders and sides. Even if you match the shoulders, it's almost impossible to simultaneously match the sides too.
I nearly smacked the screen thinking your profile pic was a spider 😅
Exactly. And that is why I never buy clothes on the internet. I always need to physically inspect the item which you can not do on the internet.
I’m the same way. Except now post Covid in-store shopping is also a bit of a pain when there’s staff shortages, items that are sold out for months, stores just bombarded with kids (Ulta teens, a perfect example). Consumerism across the board, whether it’s in person or online, is soooo different now than what it used to be. At this point I’m just not even buying anything until I absolutely need to replace it because so much of the joy of shopping just isn’t there anymore. It’s just super stressful haha. Especially the stress of having to spend hours inspecting every garment in the store you might be interested in
@scottishgirlreacts way too much trouble.
It's no more trouble than going to the store in the first place as most stores let you return online purchases in store. @@debbiescott6732
The pressed flowers could be machine or hand done not sure. There is one last place in NYC that still does handmade pressed silk flowers and they can be expensive.
Exactly, I’ve been to M&S Schmalberg on a school field trip and these could definitely be pressed silk. Just goes to show that even people on the internet claiming to be experts don’t know everything and you should do your own research
@@christinegallo4983 exactly. I wouldn't put it past contemporary brands to be cheap but pressed silk flowers can be very expensive. Also thank you for the name, I couldn't remember it.
@@christinegallo4983 I agree with the general idea (don't blindly trust people online), but even if these are expensive hand pressed silk flowers, they look awful! It's important that things are made right and with good materials, but if they look cheap, it doesn't matter that they aren't.
Awesome commentary! Thank you for showing how to spot 'lazy patterns' and sloppy stiching. As a seamstress and a maker of my own patterns, I'm happy that you are sharing how to tell the difference!
My BF worked at Zimmerman HQ and the stories she told me about how they treat their staff like 💩 is absolutely appalling. I do not support this brand for this reason. Horrible founders.
After watching your videos I’m way more picky about what I buy, and I’m buying way less too, but higher quality. Thanks for your videos.
The only problem with all of these is they will keep costing you in dry cleaning forever. And it's not like a wool suit where you might get a couple or more wears before you need to clean it, all of those are going to need washing pretty much every time. Plus I'm extremely skeptical that any of that price tag goes into more ethical manufacturing. It's not like some couture.
Seconded. I get a lot of really nice things second-hand for cheap (wool, silk, cashmere) and I spend more on the dry-cleaning than the clothing. And yeah, no correlation between cost, quality, and worker compensation and treatment.
You can extend time between cleanings by 1) hanging wool garments on line to air. 2) removing scents by misting w water n vodka mixture (old costumers trick.) 3) hanging woolens in closet or bathroom w stick of bag champs incense that’s lit. Take clothes out once stick’s fully burned…
@@LunaShimmyDiva yeah and I just really need to get dress shields.
You can hand wash and air dry pretty much anything that says "dry clean only." Use gentle detergent and cold water. Gently agitate the garment in the water for a bit then let it sit for a few minutes. Do don't wring out the water, just gently squeeze out the excess, and lay delicate weaves out flat on a rack instead of hanging to dry. I've never taken anything to the dry cleaners and all my nicer fabrics are still perfect.
@@ariadne0w1 cashmere and wool can be hand washed. So can some silk.
The prices are a joke
Right?? How come a piece of fabric costs more than a smartphone
@@rani-pj5me modern convenience aka fast fashion made you people entitled and stupid. You are all the types to scream for fair wages and think "oh,poor me,i m opressed because i want to be paid an unreasonable amount cause my ego feels i deserve it and the mean boss won t let me live my dream" ,but what do you think are the costs of 1700 dollars piece or 3000 dollars piece. It means the fabris,,the costs of employers(and we re talking actual salaries,not slavery in china),the machines you use to make the clothes,the costs of operating a bussiness,etc.
Literally n the thing is people actually buy it 💀
@@rani-pj5mebecause silk is extremely expensive to produce as well as the labour that goes into it
@@rani-pj5meit might last longer than a smart phone though lol. If it lasts a lifetime vs the phone which will last 2-3 year buying cycle or 5-7 year service cycle. The moment you can no longer download / use existing apps, the phone loses most of its purchased utility. And that's not even up to you to decide
Can’t count on any brand name or anything ever, this channel gave me valuable advice and reminds me to never trust large names on name alone they will absolutely charge you 300+ for dollar store quality
Zimmerman has the most basic sewing patterns. They would be on a "Sew it in 5 min" page in Burda Moden
Not true at all.
I own few Zimmerman pieces (hand down from my SIL. I am not that rich lol) and they are beautifully sewn. I am also designer and a sewer and I really admire the finishes of them. So I was suprised at those straps. Even though I think they are very expensive price somewhat justified. I tried to recreate few styles and it took so much time to get the same quality
The flowers look like the silk flowers made the old way of pressing silk fabric into textured molds.
I have a hairclip from the 90s with these exact flowers. From H&M. They are NOT silk, the fabric is almost as thick as thin felt!
Similar process but probably some cheap polyester and not the and not delicate silk flowers kind. (Definitely mass manufactured than hand manufactured from manual presses)
Thank you! They look BUTTERY and seamless. Dollar store flowers are translucent. I love Zimmerman AND I love the dollar store. Mama needs her eyes checked ;_;
She has never been inside a dollar tree and it shows lol
The flower shirt is honestly so cute but yeah it is cheap looking. Might as well attach flowers myself.
The flowers looked almost impossible to wash and iron - if you had the time I think you should remove them before washing, clean the flowers separately and then sew them back on.
And who has the time for that?
Think they’re hand moulded and silk flowers which isn’t as cheap but since cheaper shops do fake silk flowers it gives that illusion.
I love the PSAs you do!
My mom was a seamstress and would point out these things to me, too. People need to be informed.
This is why I always check the quality, and material now. Once I bought a $60 jacket only for it to wear out a week later and the pockets were basically falling off….
Yes!!! So important to call out poor quality workmanship on High End brand name !!
I only have one brand that I have any trust for anymore and it's a JC Penney only brand. I still check what the materials/stitching look like though. Every other brand that I've gotten clothes from either have lasted a few years (not too bad but getting rarer) or 3 months (much more likely).
Merchandise like this is going to go through a big struggle. People are no longer willing to shell out money for ‘brands’ and poor quality. It’s not worth it.
It’s cute that even what you think are dollar store looking flowers are still about 5 to 6 levels above dollar store flowers. You can literally see through a chunk of the dollar tree flowers.
Love that lemon shirt and the flowers. My peeve is mismatched lines or patterns because it means they have scrimped on the fabric. Never telly on just the brand name. Good pieces can be found everywhere but you must use your eyes and commonsense.
My mother absolutely LOVES Zimmermann, their pieces are very much her style. You just have to read the composition label.
I love their designs but you are so right🎉
I love your analysis of pattern, material, texture, design, as someone whose into good design & textiles, this hits the spot!
That silk dress ❤😁👍
I hope these videos inspire people to shop more in person rather than online.
Omg the dress with the hidden seam was a gorgeous print 😍
Australian brands like Alemais and Zimmerman have some gorgeous fabrics this season
😂 Finally! Someone's speaking up! Thku Sista!
I have been saying this for years. Inspect everything before purchasing😊
Way back in the day my mom had a black silk dress, with 3/4 sleeves that had fluttery white silk organza ‘cuffs’ that had to be unstitched and cleaned separately from the dress, then pressed and even lightly starched before stitching them back on. Removing and re sewing trims was was common back in the days of ladies maids, part of their never ending clothes care tasks, but not unheard of even back in the early 1960s. This is the first time I’ve seen a current era item where that is expected.
I wish I could afford even just a little designer stuff like for the staples. That seam and the details on some of those pieces were mind blowing.
Zimmerman and Alemais have some beautiful pieces despite what is said here. It’s good to have some Australian brands succeeding worldwide.
i have sensory issues so i always have to feel and check materials of clothing before i even consider buying it, so i just always have done this
I have the palm tree dress it’s very comfortable to wear I always get compliments from random ppl when I wear it. You can dress it up for down which is handy.
You have to watch the ‘cute’ buttons like a hawk I lost three off a Zimmerman blouse
Absolutely agree. After all, most of this stuff is just as mass produced as the stuff we buy in Target. I’ve found structural & sewing issues in clothes across many price points & across many brands.
I wish I could go shopping with you for closet staples once in my life time 😂
Genuinely, thank you for this! I just gained extra knowledge and now know not to expect brands to have any consistency.
I usually thrift so I didn’t know this was a huge issue, I’m glad I found out before wasting money on branded clothes.
You’re awesome! 👍🏻💕
But ultimately clothes get worn, faded, torn... no matter how expensive a material is, it will wear out over time if used.
And food ends up in the toilet, holidays get forgotten, pets and loved ones die ect. Just because nothing is permanent doesn't mean these things don't deserve to be experienced and enjoyed!!!
I like the way you critique.
Many brands need this so they can stop selling useless materials for a heavy price.
If you read care label carefully, it mentioned the main fabric is silk / linen but exclusive trims (bc these kinds of fabrics cannot keep complicated drape ex flowers). 1200$ not just paid for fabric only, all patterns have been developed in house, print artwork are also authentic. Every single steps involve a lots of human creativity and workship.
Okay that’s nice - still a poor play and ends up looking cheap🤷🏼♀️
I think that shirt is the kind of thing that would wash well and the fabric of the flowers would fray and soften the edges over time. not my style but the number of layers of fabric is nice i think it would be more voluminous with a good shake out and steam or after a few washes
So true. You don't have to be able to sew in order to tell quality. Short wonderful tutorial for those who do not know what to look for. My mother was a tailor and designer. I had great clothes. Just she had trusted her talents more.
We don’t have expensive dress shops here, thanks for taking me along for the ride! ☺️
Some brands, like Jil Sander, Prada and Yohji Yamamoto, have never disappointed me. But yes, you should definitely judge each individual piece and not assume that it's good because of the name.
I'm allergic to silk. Can't afford it either 🤣🤣 But that's one way I de-influence myself!😅
Ur right some brands charge too much for ordinary dresses
It's all nice but still not worth 700-1200$ no matter where palm tree is going
If I could buy something I'll wear for the rest of my life that doesn't lose color, shape or form from wash, I might do that. For example a really good wool sweater is what I've been looking for.. over the years it becomes less expensive if it's true to its value.
Whereas, a 15% wool, 35% cotton, 50% polyester sweater might still cost me an outrageous 60-100$ and immediately pill in the first wash..and I'd need them every winter..
@@Chloe-dv9ns Exactly, and the saddest part is you see that in high industries too
You can pay sweater 1000$ and still not get 1000$ value
I feel like I have gained SO much knowledge from watching these shorts. I swear I pay much more attention to what the fabric is, how it flows, and the stitching now.
Costs $700-1000 and probably made with slave labor
Yes, I noticed country of manufacture on the tag. For those prices they definitely could have manufactured somewhere else with better regulations and labor laws.
This post is so refreshing. I learned to design at a two-year technical school. Mrs. Everette and Mrs. Falcone gave me everything I needed to compete with university students in the industry!
My grandma worked in a sewing factory for most of her adult life. My dad said that she did one of the most difficult jobs, according to the other women in the factory, which is setting and sewing collars. My grandad and my father also worked as sewing machine mechanics. My dad still works as a sewing machine mechanic for the Sleep Number Bed company.
When my grandma was clothes shopping with me, she'd inspect everything and I learned to believe her when she'd say something was poorly made. She'd look at the seams and say "I don't understand how this passed inspection! It's going to fall apart after 'x amount of time' and if I bought the item anyway, she was always correct.
You called wardrobe "dramatic". I f***s with you just on that statement alone. 😂❤
That price tag and they can't even make the clothes locally 🙅♀️
your content doesnt just help consumers, but novice sewists like myself who want to get better and learn what makes a quality garment. One day I hope to have a slow fashion brand that is sold all over the world. Right now its just local vendor events.
It "costed" $700. It costs $700 is the right way to say it. We all screw our words up and I didn't want to be mean about it, but I wanted to point it out for you. ❤
“It costed” 😂
Thank you. Im following you because of this. Dont always believe brand-name
It was all made in China.
As someone who never learned about clothing composition…. This is great help. 😅
That last dress feels like they sewed it first and added the print after, idk why
That seam was COLD! 🤩❤️
I enjoy this content, but on another note, I’m kinda over being chastised for purchasing fast fashion products by people who can afford to spend a lump sum of over $1000 on one shirt. I have fast fashion shirts that I’ve literally had for a decade and still wearing that was $20 and I don’t buy clothes often. I’m also not a size 2, so I’m not finding awesome thrift options either. In my local thrift, there is just a bunch more fast fashion items that people don’t want. Yes, I’d love to shop at places who use more ethical and sustainable practices. I just wish more was targeted at these big companies and the federal and international laws rather than seeing consumers who simply can’t afford these items as failing morally when I can barely afford a week’s worth of groceries. People “choose” fast fashion sometimes because it’s the only affordable option accessible to them.
100% agree!! & this goes even for lower priced garments. If you pay attention to these details, you can get great pieces for a great price. One that constantly kills me is “silk” garments made with polyester that cost several hundred dollars.
Most of my clothes r custom made. I look for fabric, n have a seamstress who sketches them up n sews them for me :)
The well hidden seam was so pleasing, meanwhile the flowers on the shirt still had unfinished edges and will most certainly frey apart
I work in a dy cleaner and I can tell you the amount of brand name things I have to fix because it is actually made like crap is high.
@sapphirewarrior which brands? Do tell 😁
I’ve learned so much from you!!!
I swear I don't judge people but I judge how the prints and pattern they wear align😭
I worked with Zimmerman, up close for years. I’m sorry their pieces are very high quality. The attention to detail, design and construction is insane. If you don’t like the design, that’s cool but their quality and design is unmatched right now.
The quality of fabric is not represented by how it moves. Designers are selective on the flow and movement of fabric. This is usually done during the research phase of design. Some garments are meant to have less flow while other garments are designed to flow with a breeze. Think of the difference between resort wear and sportswear. You also have to consider the intended purchase price of the garment. You also have to consider the quantity that is produced, labor hours, price of fabric, the price of trims, packaging and distribution. A limited production garment that utilizes the same materials as a mass quantity garment will have a greater cost of production and it would be sold at a higher price even if the general quality is low or up-cycled. You typically see higher prices with startup/independent designers even though the quality may be less than or equal to more popular brands.
It's best to understand fabric properties and garment construction if you want to have a better understanding of the quality of a garment. Price does not always reflect quality. Those "Dollar Store Flowers" are a trim that can easily cost 80$/ Yard. The interfacing was probably 20$/ Yard. Buttons can be very expensive if they had to create the mold to make a specially designed button.
It's up to the artist/designer to say how they want the garment constructed. The pattern maker is supposed to follow the designers intent. The person doing the garment construction can really mess things up regardless of the intended quality of the garment. Therefore a designer may spend more money to hire a manufacturer that is known for their attention to detail and quality.
The price will also be high if the designer is doing everything on their own.
I once made a fascinator for a vintage store using fish netting and a very famous miami socialite bought it for $1000. It's how you work the material that looks luxurious.
Do you have any sort of quick reference resources? Like a written down list of things to look for or avoid, fabric types, etc?
the dollar store flowers had me choking on my water
The fabric they use looks like a cheap bed sheet that I've had for years and washed so much that it became see-through. Maybe it was made to look that way and I'm just too poor to get it.
The last one? It's 100% silk
These are summer clothes, they are supposed to be sheer and airy. 😀
Tienes razón, tengo faldas de sari artesanales totalmente seda 100% y pesan. Su gramaje habla por ellas están hechas para durar. No son de usar y tirar. La última blusa color salmón no aguantará más de una temporada por 700$. Sí, también soy pobre para comprar esto cada año😂 y mis faldas transpiran por supuesto pero también duran años. Apuesta por lo artesanal no habrá errores.
This is my fave channel 🫶🏽
Who buys a dress for 2000 dollars???????? Even if you earn 15000 a month, that's a LOT!!!
There used to be proper silk flower workshops that made beautiful realistic looking fabric florals. Not those plastic looking ones.
My point is stop wasting money on this stupid clothes. And feed the poor instead
,👏👏👏
Ohhhh as a Zimmermann lover, I got so nervous when this was on your reel. Good there are some good ones too 😂
Thank you for all you have taught me, Jennifer.😊
I love your channel it’s helped a lot, I’m excited to see your clothing line!
Exactly there's tons of stuff that's not even brand name but it's tota quality to
I look at ingredients in my skinscare because of Dr. Dray. I believe you make me look for details on clothing tags from now on.
The silk was gorgeous 🤩