Sure, that handsome men’s suit looks good. But how can you assess its quality? Men’s clothiers Ken Giddon of Rothman’s and Barry Kirschner of Lubin’s at Rothman’s share their best tips.
Suits/Sport Jackets
Consider fabric: wool is of much better quality than polyester. Feel the lapels to see if the chest piece is glued or sewn. Hand-sewn lapels are of a higher quality and the garment will move with you. Look at the garment on the hanger. If it looks like you could just walk out and wear it and the shoulders are nice and full, it’s of good quality.
Pants
Crunch up the material, then release. A higher-quality fabric, like worsted wool, springs right back. Look inside the waistband. Higher-quality pants have a piece of fabric stitched into the waistband. Check for a lining. Lined pants are of higher quality than unlined ones.
Dress Shirts
The tighter the stitches, the better the quality. If the stitches are spaced far away from one another, the quality is lower. For solid-color shirts, check to ensure the color of the stitching and buttons match the color of the fabric. For patterned shirts, make sure the pattern on the pocket blends in unobtrusively with the rest of the shirt.
