When secondhand shopping it’s not always easy to determine the quality of garments. New clothes can often be recognised by brands, but vintage clothes are often in brands you’ve never heard of. This can make it harder to instantly tell the quality. A good checking list can be of good use. I will here give 25 simple tips of how to recognize wether the garment is of good quality or not.

1. A metal chain hanging loop on coats is an instant mark of quality.
2. Extreme softness in wool garments indicates that it has cashmere in it.
3. The softer leather or suede, the better the quality is.
4. Garments made out of wool should always have lining.
5. Knitted garments should be preshaped, rather than being cut and sewn after it’s knit.
6. Extra fine cables or weaves on knit garments is an instant mark of quality.
7. Ribbing on knit garments should maintain elasticy.
8. Buttonholes should have reinforcements like a ribbon to prevent sagging.
9. Unusual lining or cuffs on jackets are usually a good sign.
10. In pants, linings should be attached at the knee, crotch and ankle.
11. Belt loops should be generous.
12. Tags on jeans should be of leather.
13. A generous hem on skirts is a good sign.
14. A woven label on clothes is a mark of quality.
15. The lining of a dress should be attached at the armhole, waist and hips.
16. An instant mark of a good dress is that the zipper is concealed and runs by the side of the body.
17. Raw edge zipper tape should not be exposed in garment.
18. Good quality shoulder pads are covered by the same fabric as the garment.
19. The tinier stiches on blouses the better.
20. French cuffs on blouses is a good sign because they are harder to make.
21. T-shaped t-shirts, where the arms stick right out, are of poorer quality.
22. An unusually shaped neck on t-shirts is a sign of good quality.
23. The stiches on good pumps are hidden.
24. Real snake skin gives resistance when running the hand across it.
25. Leather soles on shoes is a mark of quality.

Puh. And these are just a few tips for quality checking. Still, they are nice to have in the back of the head while shopping. For more tips, check a good fashion sourcebook.