A Stylist’s Guide to Recognizing Quality

without the designer price tag

a curated rack of our favorites

As a stylist, I spend a lot of time with clothes—thrifting them, sourcing them, tailoring them, editing them out of people’s wardrobes when they’ve given up the ghost. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that quality isn’t always obvious. A garment might look luxurious at first glance, but the real test is in how it holds up: how it moves, how it feels against the skin, how it endures a few washes without unraveling at the seams (literally and metaphorically).

And let’s be real—most of us aren’t shopping in a world where quality is guaranteed anymore. We’re combing through vintage stores, making the most of mid-tier brands, and trying to avoid fast fashion pitfalls. But hey, you don’t need a designer price tag to find beautifully made pieces. You just need to know where to look—and what to look for.

flaking leather, disintegrating interior, yellowing glue, oh my!

Here’s a disclaimer, though. I don’t always get it right. It’s hard to be right 100% of the time, and honestly it entails a lot of trial and error. Here’s a fun example–I purchased a pair of Rebecca Minkoff boots from TheRealReal last summer, in preparation for the cooler season. They were new in box, never worn. They. Are. Falling. Apart. Her boots retail from around $248-$398 (sometimes more) so at the very least you’d expect them to last longer than one season. Needless to say, these didn't even last one whole season. The point is, sometimes, despite your best efforts, it doesn’t work out. But hopefully those instances are few and far between with the right discernment.

So today, I’m sharing everything I know about how to assess quality in clothing, even if you’re shopping secondhand or on a budget. From fabric composition to construction details, let’s break down the telltale signs of a piece that’s worth investing in—and how to spot the red flags that mean it won’t last.