Where oh where do good quality clothes come from ???? !!

[ginorwine]

I need to invest in good basics .
Jeans .jumpers .shoes .boots.bags.blouses .trousers .
I'm an hourglass shape so things like co s - hangy clothes - which I love - look terrible on me !!!!!!
Thanks wize ones !

[chumbler]

I'd also like to know this! Always seem to hear - don't shop there... So where is good??

[clayspaniel]

Watching with interest as have wondered the same thing many times.

[WeSailTonightForSingapore]

I can't find good quality cotton or silk tops anymore. Everything is either polyester or viscose, even at high end, reputable shops and is overpriced. Or is embellished to death, badly cut, too short, pills after one wash etc.

Would love some recommendations. Am appalled by quality and cost of clothes made of rubbish material.

[BoboChic]

High Street clothing chains are increasingly lousy quality but they all use multiple suppliers and quality varies massively within a single brand. Yesterday I was wearing a Zara gold leather mini skirt I have had for five years. It cost €100 and looks brilliant still. But much of Zara is black polyester rubbish. You have to look very closely.

I buy most of my jeans from J Brand and my trousers from Marni and Sofie d'Hoore. All excellent quality and fit me beautifully, but at a price. Sales are a good source.

[herecomesthsun]

Sales are good.

Gerard Darel at John Lewis.

Boden for cotton and silk basics in sale. I quite like some of their shoes - with 70% off in sale.

Search TK maxx for cotton and silk in your size

[BillStickersIsInnocent]

I don't think there's any one place really - I just check labels for fabric content and check seams. I mostly like cotton, silk, silk/linen mix or wool/silk mix and plain wool (merino instead of cashmere) but not bothered by viscose really if the quality is good or used in a mix.

Places I look -

Jaeger outlet for silk tops and t shirts which wash really well. Also wool coats and leather bags.
Marks for merino knitwear.
I like baukjen for jackets but they are synthetic. But made well.
Massimo Dutti for jackets also good.
Jigsaw for trousers and knitwear
sea salt cotton stripey tops wash well but have really long sleeves.
Boden sometimes good for cotton tops - I had a lovely linen silk top from there which I've worn to bits.
H and m cotton mix vests are brilliant.

[Fluffycloudland77]

I have the exact same problem. Everything's polyester or viscose.

I haven't had new tops in about 4 years and I am starting to look shabby TBH.

😡

[HanSolo]

You have to

[OnlyHereForTheCamping]

What do we have to?

[Nanasueathome]

Baukjen
Jigsaw
Hush

[Saurus72]

It's unfortunate that Cos doesn't work for you as the clothes are great quality. I love Jaeger outlet for work clothes - the quality really is outstanding and I find I can pick things up for very good prices when they have their extra 40% off promotions - I have many skirts/dresses/jumpers which have been worn on heavy rotation, still look fantastic and each cost less than £40 - I am slightly evangelical about it .

Banana Republic do good silk shirts, as do Hobbs if you can fight through the rest of the frump. This year, I have bought 4 merino wool jumpers from Gap which have been worn and worn and still look great.
I also like Jigsaw and Whistles but the quality is more variable from item to item, so difficult to make blanket recommendations.

[Kennington]

Uniqlo, and other stories and COS all do a fair amount of natural fibres of decent quality

[SchnitzelVonKrumm]

Uniqlo knitwear is very good for the price - I have two cashmere jumpers from there that I've worn and worn.

[fredabear]

agree with jaeger outlet, some absolute bargains and great quality, also hobbs, me and em

[Twowrongsdontmakearight]

My Boden stuff is still going strong long after other stuff has long been consigned to the bin.

[HanSolo]

So sorry! Phoned crashed and router died.

You have to go and feel a lot of fabrics is what I was going to say.
For bags, go to somewhere like TKMaxx, and forget labels, look at style/cut of bag and feel the leather. All my best bags have been like that (though they have been decent enough 'labels' when I've looked inside them).
Ditto fabrics.

Sometimes GAP do heavyweight good quality cotton tops and shirts, but it's very hit and miss these days. John Lewis too have good quality basics, but go inshore and feel them before buying.

[MrsPear]

Espirt are quite good too

[JemimaMuddleDuck]

I do most of my shopping in charity shops and Gap, Phase 8 and Hobbs consistently work well for me. Have lots of other brands in my wardrobe ranging from M&S to Jaeger but those are the ones that stand out for me as decent quality and hard wearing/wash well.

[IslandGirlie]

Anyone tried Mistral? Newly discovered and I like their dresses..

[WeSailTonightForSingapore]

Yes to tk Maxx and Cos, comptoir des cotonniers used to be so good but not so much now.

Gap - I do like their basics but find they lose shape v quickly. That said I have a cashmere jumper from there that's almost ten years old and its in amazing shape despite lots of wear.

I will check out the jaeger outlet now!

[GladysTheGolem]

Gap Outlet and uniqlo sales for me!

Need to find somewhere for jeans as I'm petite and like bootcut, everywhere is 400 types of skinny jeans...are Levis any good still? Their Curve looks decent.

[chumbler]

Ok so i have to ask -which fabrics????

100% cotton, wool = good
Synthetic = bad

What else?? Sorry for the daft question!!

[HopefulHamster]

People Tree is good for organic cotton. Picked up a few bits in their sale recently and really liked them for both work and more casual wear. Suspect they might not be to taste here but worth having a browse.

[OnlyHereForTheCamping]

Not all synthetic is bad and not all cotton is good. I bought a lovely cotton top from toast thinking it would wear well. It shrank in the first wash and I was super careful. It is a lottery.

[BillStickersIsInnocent]

100% wool or cotton, but cotton may need a bit of Lycra (3%) to keep its shape. It depends on whether its woven or knitted. (I think knitted fabric is springier?)

Polyester is plastic, which is why it feels sweaty. Viscose, rayon, modal is from wood pulp so semi synethic but quality varies massively. Viscose can be terrible, bobbly, tatty, twisted seams etc, but can be ok in mixes and better quality fabric.

Silk, linen, wool, cotton all good. I like modal/modal cotton mix because it wears brilliantly and doesn't crease much (Jaegar tops use this mix)

You need orangesandlemons as she's ace at this stuff.