Casual Do’s and Don’ts: Why Quality Still Matters

Fit

There are a huge number of body shapes out there.  Even two people who are the same height and weight may be proportioned quite differently.  So what looks fine on one person may not look good at all on another.  Add to that the reality that the cheaper the clothing, the less the likelihood that it’s even a little tailored.  And the difference in fit, and therefore look, is huge between a straight line cut and a properly fitting item.

Feel

There’s two aspects of feel.  How the item feels to the touch, and how you feel when you wear it.  It’s my personal experience that when I slip into something that’s high quality, I feel very different.  There’s a reason for that cliche’ “dressed to kill.”  It’s because you feel as though you could conquer the world.  It’s a boost to self-confidence like no other.

Construction

While fit and feel are easy to understand, quality is such an elusive idea.  Whose standard are we using?   The best way to relate to quality is to remember your wedding dress, or a formal you’ve had in the past.  You looked at it and it was simple perfection.  Straight, even seams.  Finished and tailored everywhere.  And when you slipped it on . . . you probably took on a posture that was almost demanded by the excellence of your clothing.

The Economics of Quality

Once you’re beyond the physical aspects of going with quality, you’re ready to talk about cost.  Yeah, we all have to consider how our clothes fit into our budget.  Or sometimes, how we can force our budget to comply with our clothing needs!  But even if you’re on a tight budget, is going with lower-priced clothes a good idea?

If you look at the math of it, you’ll find that many times the real cost of owning a cheap piece of clothing is actually higher than owning something of better quality.   The better quality item lasts longer, and the cost per wear is lower than a cheaper item that’s going to wear out sooner.    And don’t forget the cost in time to have to go out and replace the item that wears out more quickly.  Finally, by going with the cheaper item, you lose out on the fit and feel benefits mentioned above.

So while it’s tempting to go casual on the cheap, consider all the factors.   And remember, perhaps most important of all is the message you’re sending to yourself.  Yeah, you’re worth it.