How to choose clothes that will last

In generations past, members of a household would have made a family's clothing. Even in wealthier homes, lace-making and embroidery were common hobbies; even if clothes weren't sewn at home, seamstresses and tailors were close by. It wasn't so long ago that this was still the case. I was raised by my grandmother, who made about half my clothes until I was a young teenager.
Besides creating clothing that fit the wearer perfectly, home sewers also knew fabrics well and could tell by eye and feel if a given cloth would last or fray after a few wears. They also could tell if something was sewn well using proper techniques, or if it was thrown together cheaply.

Because my grandmother taught me to sew and what to look for in a well-made garment, I can tell whether something is good quality or not. But very few of my friends can do the same. The sad part is that poor quality plagues all levels of the fashion marketplace. It's not just cheap, fast fashion that tends to fall apart after a few wears. But even pricier brands, which used to boast quality materials and workmanship, have a wider variability in quality than you'd expect.

That fast fashion, by the way, refers to clothes that quickly go from the catwalk to the retail stores to capitalize on fashion trends. It is often sewn by people — sometimes children — who are paid poorly, abused and overworked. But consumers want those low prices, and they don't think about what paying bottom dollar means for the people who make the clothes or what it means for the planet's landfills, which are already full of discarded clothing.

Here's what to look for so you can invest your money in good-quality pieces for yourself of loved ones — and know they will last.