In an era of "quiet luxury" and rapidly declining production standards, the real flex isn't the logo on the chest, it’s the construction inside the ribs. If you want to build a wardrobe that lasts decades rather than seasons, you have to stop looking at the silhouette and start looking at the guts.
Here is how to perform an "Internal Luxury Check" to ensure you’re actually buying a piece of art, not just a piece of fabric.
The easiest way to tell if a brand is cutting corners is to turn the garment inside out. In mass-produced "fast-luxury," you’ll often see overlocked edges, that zigzagged thread meant to keep the fabric from fraying. While functional, it’s the bare minimum.
True quality reveals itself through French seams or Hong Kong finishes. A French seam encases the raw edge of the fabric within the seam itself, leaving a clean, smooth line that won’t irritate your skin or unravel. A Hong Kong finish uses a thin strip of silk or bias tape to bind the edges. If you see these, you’re looking at a garment that required significantly more time and precision to create.
The Pull Test: Gently tug at the seam from the outside. If you see daylight between the stitches, put it back. High-quality stitching should be dense, even, and tight enough to hold the tension of your movement.
A lining isn't just there to make the garment slide on easily; it’s the architecture that maintains the shape.
Check the material first. If you’re buying a $500 wool blazer and the lining is 100% polyester, you’re going to be wearing a sweat-trap. Look for Bemberg (Cupro), Viscose, or Silk. These materials breathe, drape beautifully, and feel like a second skin.
Furthermore, look for a "bagged" lining. In high-quality tailoring, the lining isn't stitched flat to the outer fabric. There should be a small "give" or a pleat at the hem and the back. This is intentional. It allows the outer fabric to move and stretch without the lining pulling or tearing. If the lining feels tight or restricted, the garment will eventually warp.
If you want to spot a "tailor-made" feel in thirty seconds, look at the buttonholes. Most machine-made buttonholes are cut first and then stitched over, leading to frayed edges over time.
