What Does "High Quality" Mean in High Fashion?

[@BlissFoster]

Join the Patreon. Is very high quality 😤 link in description 💫💫

[@piccalillipit9211]

Hi dude - is the Geoffrey B Small video going public at some point...??? That was brilliant. Also DM'd you about your measurements - you never got them to me.

[@hilohahoma4107]

Yes that Andrew can definitely F off. 😂 And dude the Cerulean belt was brutal, btw that was Merrill Streep not Barbara S. Oopsys 😮

[@seabreeze4559]

Show us how you hand wash things please?

[@annakarenina3188]

Long staple cotton may be one of two things... And these are "educated guesses" as I'm a trainee hand embroiderer, so work with fibres from spool, or pre-loom. The first, and most likely, is it's a long stranded cotton fibre, such as Egyptian and Pima. The longer strand fibres mean that the threads have less in the way of ends which can work loose (fewer fibres per threads of same weight/size). The second, may be that it is mercerised or triple mercerised. So long fibres are used, and bonded strongly to the cotton threads, giving a lustrous and silk-like feel & sheen.... Then after this, it goes to loom: so the cotton fabric you get is beautiful quality. I think this is why Egyptian butter muslin of a low gsm feels so much better quality than a higher GSM in Calico.... The butter muslin has been made with long strands and has had the threads mercerised before weaving. (Sorry, am a bit of a nerd on fabrics and threads which feel lovely to work with... Some high end butter cottons feel better than the lowest quality silks.... But when you've got the highest quality silks? Homygods they are a pure joy to work with!! And those moments, I love life.)

[@annakarenina3188]

Haha I wrote this about the pure joy of working with certain fabric over others, and specific threads over others, and beautiful butter cotton verses nasty silk, and X brand of cotton embroidery floss verses Y brand of silk embroidery floss..... And how I love the feeling of working with these fibres in my fingers, as I slowly use the sharpest needles, scissors, have hand chosen my tambour needle......... ...... I said all of that long before you got to the point about the pleasure, time, and effort of the maker goes some way to the determination of quality. Can I voice one minor gripe: why does no one sell silk tulle netting any longer????? Seriously, this stuff is the *best* for conservation work, tambour, beading, bridal... .... Also, why don't we have a silk which has all the best lustrous properties of silk, but comes in 80 TPI for doing white work embroidery techniques..... ...... These two things, especially the latter, are driving me mad. Quality can also be defined by the workmanship/wotkwomanship..... So the fabric, the cut, the pattern, the fit, hand finishings from someone experienced, embellished or fabric manipulation by someone experienced, the precision and exactitude of standards of the pieces.... Good quality tools to make the garment, a strong good quality thread to stitch, the types of stitches used (or did they just use fabric glue)... Embroidery done which will last centuries (or did they put on crystals with glue), did they accurately hand-stitch on the bugle beads (or did they buy in a pre-stitched which had a machine making a mistake every 17th bead?).... Natural materials (compare a cashmere coat to an acrylic felt coat) ........It is much more easily quantifiable as to what is quality, if we look at women's fashion. ...... Dior shows the making of their white bar jacket from a couple of years ago (and on resale websites, it's obvious which are genuine and which are copies).... ...... Channel release the most extraordinary Savoire Faire videos, showing the time, effort, love, work, with everything handmade in their Paris atelier and how...... It really shows... The materials, fabric, tools, they should all be a joy to work with; to feel beautiful as we handle them to make.... That's my basic standard starting point... But a lot more goes into making something truly good quality.

[@costanzadiperna1429]

About the pilling problem… I’m a fashion design student and in our technology class we learned that there are two variables (that affect pilling) in threads; the length of the fiber (aka staple) and the torsion that’s given to those fibers. It’s difficult to know the length of fibers before buying something but at least, specially in the case of wool and knitted garments, you can actually see how much torsion the thread has. Those super fluffy and soft wool blankets that are gigantic are beautiful yes, but that “thread” has hardly any torsion, so pilling is going to show up almost immediately. If you want less pilling, look for threads that have more torsion, they are going to be less soft, but also have less pilling. You choose 🤷‍♀️

[@thecontinentalpangea]

bless you!!!

[@MegaKonieczko]

As an avid wool products user and enjoyer, I accept the fact that chuncky, low gauge knits, especially cashmere will pill, especially in the beginning. I get rid of it regularly and carefully with a sweater shaver. With the quality yarns, you don't have to do it very often and with washings, cashmere tend to pill much less gradually. It is important to educate the consumers however that pilling does exist and that it is a small inconvenience compared to the perks of wearing good quality knits.

[@costanzadiperna1429]

@@MegaKonieczko Exactly! Pilling doesn’t necessarily mean something is bad quality, it’s just something that happens to fibers. You need to pick your poison: super soft threads ->pilling will show up after one use; threads with lots of torsion -> more rustic to the touch, it will show pilling but in the future Also note that pilling doesn’t appear magically, it’s made of fibers that come out of the thread and amalgamate into each other and creat little balls. You can cut them (basically the only way to get rid of pilling) but other tiny balls will keep forming after that. If you repeat this process of cutting pilling, letting it form, cutting it again, and on and on (I’m talking years) you are basically consuming the thread, you are taking mass from it, which means you can end up (again, after lots of years) with a thin, prone to snapping, thread. I’m not saying that it’s bad to cut the pilling in clothes, but just something to keep in mind. I would recommend reserving it for special occasions, if you really are that bothered by it. Edit: oh also, when you wash a garment that’s knitted, after every wash (which involves water and friction) the fibers get more and more condensed and entangled with each other, that is why maybe some garments produce less pilling after washing them multiple times, because you are basically giving torsion to the fibers but in a more “natural” way instead of the one done by machines.

[@fairycloudz315]

Wool yarn will inevitably pill with time. However, the soft yarn you mentioned (in the crafts world we call it roving) pills almost immediatelly. Also, coarser wool yarn may become softer as it wears.

[@Laura-jx7il]

What do you mean by torsion? I looked up the meaning but still dont get it

[@lianamaris7738]

“The only thing that produces Quality is Care” cut deep. Not just with fashion but I think with everything, especially if we are talking about Quality of life

[@abcdk3805]

It’s also a guarantee

[@artistana523]

yes! agreed.

[@quitschool9820]

Well said 🥰

[@Alexander-cj4ml]

I'm almost 70 years old. I've been seeing for 65 years. Those early years, my work was pretty bad. My mom, aunt grandma were all sewers. The greatest part of sewing is the fabric. The quality of fabric and thread gets more and more pitiful every year. Why do I care? Well draped and made clothing is beautiful to the eye and feels great on the body. And yes it does last longer, because when you cherish a garment you care for it. I took classes in the 1970s from 2 women who worked for Coco Chanel before the war. I was so disappointed at the pattern of the dress that was chosen. A simple A line 3/4 sleeves, lined, scoop neck, back zipper. I was astonished at rule number 1, cutting out the garment. 2"seam allowance for Each vertical seam (sides, center back or front). Why 2" seam? So you can let the seams our as you age (your ribs and pelvis bones widen as you age). Then there is interlining which helps the fashion fabric from stretching out of shape. Sleeves are hung from the shoulder rather than pinning the sleeve into the armscye.. Hems are a minimum of 2 inches, 4" for longer dresses . This gives the skirt the weight it needs to drape properly. Clearly, I deal with women's clothing. But the same kind of details is important in men's clothing. Especially jackets and their interlining. The Quality of the fabric is most important. What is quality fabric? It used to mean... High quality: fibers, dyes, weaving or knitted. Basically, it sounds like modern fashion is pathetic. Are you saying we're spending lots of money for a label only. I have several Awesome wool/silk and wool/cotton suits that date from ,mid 1930s to ,mid 1950s that still look and feel great, and they are not high fashion. I love your channel and the fact that someone still cares enough to have a conversation about the importance of what we wear on our bodies and how it makes us feel.

[@Hairspring]

For good or ill, there's always someone out there trying to make things cheaper to make and turn a higher profit. From padding bread with sawdust to weighted fabrics that shred in a few years. The cat and mouse game of regulations vs someone trying to pull a fast one are currently very on the side of the con artist. Narrower seam allowances allow for cutting more pieces out of the same fabric with less scrap. They also mean the garment is more disposable because it's harder to take out/in. Overlocking is a lovely time saver and very good sometimes, but often is used for a whole seam so that it only goes through one machine once. Meaning to take it out or in you have to take out the seam finish as well. Good luck finding a garment with buttons on it that didn't have the buttons themselves sewn on by machine. Meaning they will pull off at some point as it's just looping the thread enough that it wont immediately fall off. It's not just spending money on a label but that is certainly part of it. The lowering of standards of production and the shift away from focus on user experience and owner use means things being made worse on all levels. Economy of scale is also a big one. While manufacturing has never been cheaper in general it DID used to be cheaper for a lot of things when compared to modern cost. Because there's a whole sea of materials that used to be used standard and are now in the range of specialty production for hobbyists or for smaller production higher end sales. There's a ton of ribbons and structure materials that were far more widely used 100 years ago that are now in the realm of specialty supplies that are only made by one or two companies. When those same things used to have many producers all making more versions of the thing.

[@thesehandsbytiffinyjulian1136]

Thank you for your input. I am a fashion designer and have worked in the industry as a technical designer. I now work for myself making custom or Bespoke garments. I have never heard of hanging the sleeve from the shoulder but now that I have read your comment I am definitely going to look into it and do some research.

[@c.r.8195]

I also would like to know more on the whole "hanging the sleeve from the shoulder". It sounds like when you hang a pocket from the waist instead of a side seam, but..... How does this work?? The sleeve still needs to connect to the armscye... Would it be a sort of connecting interlinning/backbone coming from the shoulder and down the sleeve? I'm incredibly curious about this, as I'm just starting my more-tailored sewing journey and this is the sort of things I want to know, because I care about me and the final garment ❤

[@Bria.W]

As someone trying to get into making a higher quality small fashion brand, I would love for you to explain more about what you learned all those years ago if ever you come back to answer these other comments. Thank you for your knowledge

[@marylhere]

My mother was the daughter of a tailor. She always told us what to look for as quality. Bound button holes was one. Good luck with that. Buy vintage. Extreme vintage….1950/60s.

[@Soulcrash3]

As far as I understand at least in japanese kimonos, seams being weaker is actually desirable because under great strain either the fabric or the thread breaks and sacrificing the thread on the seam is better than ripping a huge hole on very expensive silk fabric. So like stronger seams=/= better quality in that sense either😅

[@leamubiu]

I was going to say something to this effect as well, thank you for wording it so well. :) I was tempted to use silk thread in my silk sewing projects, but this piece of advice said that it’s better to use a weaker thread, for example cotton thread, as you’d rather the seam pop open, if it means saving the main fabric. Then again all thread is not created equal, and I’m fairly certain that my cotton thread could still outlive many a garment 😅

[@seanyeo5514]

Also really expensive kimonos were designed to be completely disassembled into their rectangular components by specialist kimono Cleaners who would literally sew your garment together again after washing. I have a fine men’s haori from a secondhand shop and all the seams are indeed hand stitched with a basic running stitch. I always suspected their love of deconstruction came from the fact that it was just so intrinsically a part of their clothing culture.

[@seanyeo5514]

@@leamubiuI have a gorgeous and rather expensive silk shirt that I love and I realise that the problem with silk garments is that the stress points are wherever they are held together by stitching.. the silk satin weave is just too loose to have sufficient integrity in the Long run. I Guess the only way to guard against it would be to iron thin strips of interfacing along all seam lines to create a sturdy base for sewing, but that labour intensive process would be impossible at an industrial level.

[@calicojakk9974]

​@@seanyeo5514You just gotta do it yourself!

[@barbiebunnybakery1896]

@@seanyeo5514 basically all kimonos are designed the same. They need to be able to take them apart not only for the very rare occasions of washing them but also because you dye the pattern onto the silk before sewing it so it has to be as precise as possible to have a continuous pattern across seams and perfect colour gradient for example. This is way harder than it sounds because something like evaporating water in the paint has to be taken into account. For everyone who loves Hermes scarves, kimono fabrics or furoshiki are a good option 💜

[@alexfindex]

All I could think about throughout watching this was the $800 Dior polo in 100% polyster that they released this spring

[@karigrandii]

Comme does a lot in 100% poly. Yes it’s bad for the environment and doesn’t scream high quality but there are quality poly clothes.

[@PrincipalSkinner3190]

Misconception that poly = low quality or inexpensive. It usually does, but all poly isn't made equally. Similar to "made in china".

[@milkflys]

@@PrincipalSkinner3190but what's a good reason to use polyester over something like cotton that isn't just cost cutting?

[@PinPinKula]

@@milkflys filament polyester fiber is straight and round.. you cant get natural fiber like that.. for some products its essential.. like shell of your down jacket which is nylon - same difference. For very shiny, very smooth plain weave textile polyester or man made fibers are only choice, with exclusion of silk which has other problems in these settings.

[@calicojakk9974]

​@@PrincipalSkinner3190You're still wearing a synthetic petroleum based plastic no matter how you dice it...

[@gdetamlina]

Textile buyer here! The thing is that as a consumer you don't have much opportunities to know if the garment quality is truly good. In terms of fabrics, there are A LOT of important technical characteristics, that are not stated anywhere - it may have good composition, feel nice, but it might have low colorfastness or poor dimensional stability and so on. It's impossible to predict how a garment will behave once you start wearing and washing it (really important to properly take care of it). Also there are a lot of finishing techniques for fabrics that make it look smooth and feel soft at the store, but it will wash out after a couple of weeks and may leave you with stiff fabric In my opinion, there are some signs that the garment is good and the brand does care. Some points that you can check at the store: 1) Composition of fabric (100% natural is not always good), weight of fabric; 2) Quality of furniture; 3) Use of non-standard colors; (you can notice that almost the same palette is used in the mass market, because the fabric is ordered according to a ready-made color card, it is cheaper) 4) Quality of the sewing, attention to details (closed seams, pocket for the care label etc.) 5) Quality of the patterns and fit Sorry for a lot of text haha But I am really in love with clothes production, thank you for this video ❤️

[@7lawaneeena]

what to look for in composition of fabric?

[@djsaxe520]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge! Can you elaborate on ‚2) Quality of furniture?‘

[@surveyor1515]

@@djsaxe520 I think they mean the store furniture to decorate and sit in, if it’s high quality then they’re probably not skimping on clothes quality either

[@blueredyoyo]

@@djsaxe520I believe it means notions, like buttons, zippers, etc.

[@blueredyoyo]

@@surveyor1515​​⁠I believe it means notions, like buttons, zippers, etc.

[@DownwiththeRabiit]

Learning to weave, spin yarn, intricacies of fibers, dye, etc. has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done in my life but has also ruined my perspective on so many clothes and fashion. I am so thankful for it and I’d do it again. However, there are so many nuances. Just because you have fine alpaca with a longer staple length (😉), if you do not prepare, perhaps mix the fiber, and spin the yarn in the right way, you will have issues with the garment. You can’t just stop at “This one aspect alone makes it better.” It’s multiple steps that have to be done correctly to truly see a meaningful end user effect. It's also why I like watching your channel, because you understand the nuances.

[@SL-lz9jr]

I cannot even imagine being so close to the manufacturing process! I'm only a casual knitter and somewhat avid sewist. Just even doing that and being in proximity to nicer materials has ruined me. And I'm a shopaholic! ETA: my mom spent her career sewing in a garment factory and she is always of the opinion that every piece of clothing available for purchase is overpriced. It really does ruin our perspectives to be so close to the garment producing process

[@charlies2197]

I'm a weaver as well! Just got my own floor loom. It really does ruin it for you. Once you start using real yarn it's hard to go back to polyester

[@DownwiththeRabiit]

@@charlies2197 Yes! It also helps you realize how different yarns are and what they can be suitable for and which applications.

[@DownwiththeRabiit]

@@SL-lz9jr It's a Rabit hole! It's why I call my page "Sam in Fiberland". It's another world.

[@polishtheday]

I remember a tour of the small house where a weaver with friends also into textile arts and a husband who built furniture lived. Even the dish towels exuded a quality superior to anything we were wearing.

[@fiemy6888]

I work as a seamstress, mainly doing repairs and alterations. I just wanted to add a comment RE tailors not knowing what they’re doing. I think you are partially right, because the vast vast majority of what we get is people needing a zipper changed or their pants hemmed, allowing my my boss to take in more people without a formal education. HOWEVER, another big reason is that people simply don’t want to pay for the time it would take to do something the right way, because they don’t see the labour and skill that goes into it. This means that we are often told to just get the job done in the easiest(read fastest) way possible. And well, if you buy something from H&M and go get it altered or tailored to you, most people would not want to pay more money for that service than they paid for the garment. It is incredibly unfortunate, and it hurts me an every time I have to cut corners for the sake of efficiency, because the craftsmanship is why I got interested in this trade in the first place. Yet here I am, not infrequently getting praised for work that I would not even want my name attached to

[@RishaBond]

There's an atelier in Burlingame, CA with amazing skills (and also she's really nice). I have taken stuff from Target to her -- as well as second-hand designer clothes -- to get altered. In both cases, I have paid her as much or more than I paid for the clothes, and it's completely worth it.

[@carlosillustrates]

Pattern making is no joke, our pattern making instructor in college said that if we can draft the basics pattern blocks, we can make anything from that, even swimwear. ❤ this video! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@neeharikaraghunath9644]

When Bliss mentioned, no one gets things done bespoke and/or tailored anymore (something along those lines?), I was kind of taken aback a little bit. Then I realised this shift in clothing people could also be cultural (I'm Indian). Most of my ethnic (or Indo-Western) wear, casual or fancy, is tailored almost all the time and most of my friends/family in the Indian community have a rapport with a tailor they frequent. Also the point about care and trust from the maker of the clothes signifying the quality we experience (one of my takeaways from the vid was that quality although is difficult to articulate, is still experienced) was something that really resonated with me 😊.

[@BlissFoster]

Wow, I stand fully corrected! Thank you so much for sharing that with us 🦾

[@davidpachecogarcia]

My middle eastern friends also talked about how their clothing was also way more tailored than us Americans.

[@teekue]

In countries where labour is still cheap it makes sense to have clothes tailored. I do not live in such a country but I am unbelievably privileged to have a tailor make bespoke clothing for me from time to time. It has slowed down my time between purchases and it makes me think about the next piece I want to have made more. Of course because of the cost associated with this but also just because I only see him every once in a while.

[@rxlfe7177]

In South Africa a lot of people get their clothes tailored, especially for special occasions like weddings, graduations, birthdays, prom (matric ball) and other special moments/events. Its a common thing to go to a tailor for a suit or dress bespoke. Our body types here make it difficult at times (especially women) to find fancy items they can wear comfortably.

[@DustyMusician]

This is also true of Nigeria! It's very common to get your clothes tailored/bespoke over there as well

[@danijb3105]

Quality, in all things, is a mutualism of care. The care of the designer joined with the interest of the buyer. The care of the musician and the passion of the listener. The energy of two lovers/friends in a relationship. The care one has for oneself, to give and receive love. If one party does not care, there is a noticeable imbalance in the experience. We can seek and create quality experiences for ourselves and those around us.

[@tomseppe6406]

Yep, its crazy how when you learn about care you suddenly notice how most issues stem from a lack of care

[@stephaniebates1504]

This is actually quite profound. Thank you for this, it’s super interesting and something I hadn’t thought of, but agree with.

[@MrTar333]

According to a textile professor from FIT (18+ years ago)…after conducting extensive research…the denim / jeans with the highest tensile strength was the Kirkland / Costco brand. Quality could be construed as durability…but I much prefer your existentialist approach to unpacking why fashion, design and luxury is relevant as it relates to the word “quality”

[@_oe_o_e_]

You really spent 43 minutes verbalizing why I hate shopping for clothes as someone not really into fashion. I get ALL of that cause I sometimes feel picky for no good reason when out shopping.

[@VK-rl6wl]

Easy answer to this is shop only for brands you see manual laborers wear. Those can not afford to make clothes that aren’t durable.

[@adelaova9868]

I hated shopping for clothes too, never (very rarely) would I find something that I actually like. Now I shop only in charity and vintage shops and trying to curate my wardrobe. I love the element of surprise and out-of-fashion-atm element. I never liked wearing what everyone else wears. You might want give it a try, it could give you a new perspective.

[@LiliS319]

​@@VK-rl6wldurability =/= quality though. If that's what you're interested in then fine. But durable clothes is not what make you look more put together. Zoe Hong has some fantastic videos on clothing quality, I don't think this has to be as elusive as this video makes it sound.

[@SignoreCloset]

"Damn, your argument on this topic hits me hard. I really agree with you. To me, the definition of quality is relative to one's circle of peers, culture, individual beliefs, and what we've internalized since childhood - and of course, marketing. When combine all of this, each of us is going to have our own ideas of what is good, better, or the best. I think, to a certain extent, some aspects of factors that defined 'quality' are quantifiable, but the rest is still subjective and immeasurable. Keep it up, Bliss! You're my favorite critic out there!"

[@BlissFoster]

Thank you so much for the tip and the kind words 🙏🙏

[@kombuchas4684]

You should do a video on how to find a good tailor!! I have no idea where to start and I can't afford too many "misses." You are the only person I heard talking about this.

[@Laura-jx7il]

Sameee

[@luigifueyo6138]

Literally was just looking at how to know what a look tailor looks like and how to find one.

[@charlies2197]

Hi there! I tailor my own clothes and I would recommend that if you want to learn you should go to good will and find the ugliest lumpy tent dress that no one will ever buy and the gross sheets and use this as your practice material. I recommend coats and Clark brand for sewing supplies personally. I'm not like sponsored its just decent quality for a decent price. You'll also need some pins. Then I'd recommend you do your best to find some KZbin tutorials on handsewing. The very basics of it is that the only way to learn how to sew is to screw it up a lot. This doesn't mean you need to be wasteful. If the project doesn't work you can always use the supplies for something else. So like if this dress doesn't work out you can find a pattern for like an oven mitt so don't feel bad about any misses. But my homework for anyone who wants to learn how to tailor is to get that ugly dress. Turn it inside out and put it on. Then pin it so it fits you the way you want. Don't try to make it too "sexy" just a loose comfortable fit. Add some darts if you please. Then take it off and "straight stitch" all the way around where you pinned. Some quick tips - when you hem, fold the hem twice to keep it from fraying -Always assume you will need more fabric or length than you think -use an iron (if you own one) to press seams as you sew them -make your stitches even and if you're doing a straight stitch generally you want the stitch length to be like a grain of rice.

[@Alexander-cj4ml]

A good tailor is almost always busy, probably cannot have it done quickly.

[@artistana523]

When I did my undergrad at the school of the art institute of Chicago, one of the major things my professors emphasized was that ultimate craft is creating EVERYTHING yourself. This can look like building your own canvas vs buying one, making your own metal pieces for handbags instead of outsourcing, creating a pattern by hand.. all these things to consider when diving to the deep deep nature of good craftsmanship

[@marissabulso6439]

Yes! Or gathering a team of skilled artisans around you. Magic can happen, then.

[@artistana523]

@ yess this too🙌🏼🙌🏼 seeing others work is inspiring

[@ghosteh._6416]

Genuinely getting the warm fuzzies from Bliss saying that it is okay to like fashion just for no reason

[@emerobo]

I consider myself stylish (although in a VERY relative way) and concerned with fashion and the curation of my wardrobe. Never have I been so compelled by a fashion-hobby centric channel. I think it's to do with the sincerity of presentation, the high standard of informativeness, and I don't know. it just feels more like a conversation between adults, or a lecture, rather than someone constantly shouting at me and trying to push products on me. All that is to say I appreciate this channel and I find it very captivating after only two videos

[@BlissFoster]

I’m so glad it’s been useful for you! We try to keep these videos as information rich as possible. As you work your way through more videos, I would love to hear your thoughts!💫💫

[@rniemeyer05]

As a seamstress and a hobbyist for sewing garments for myself.... thank you ! Thank you for mentioning that we have to care. Because i cant speak for others but i genuinely care so much.

[@BlissFoster]

Thank you for doing good work! Never stop 🦾

[@نهىسامي-ز6ظ]

"Quality is care, and that the manufacturer is satified with their product"... i like this concept... and it applies to every job

[@sfo3113]

woah. i feel like i was just traipsing around youtube aimlessly and walked into this college-level lecture on fashion. i like it.

[@TeaCupCracked]

Watching a lot of content about historical dress making has really opened my eyes to differences between how clothes use to be made, vs today in weird, weird little ways. A strange "upgrade" that does totally work to improve the fit and drape of your modern woven-fabric (not knit!) nature fiber clothes is to pull out your sewing machine (or needle and thread, if that's more comfortable) and do a "fake" fell-seam. Which is to say stitch-in-the-ditch on the side seams and then go-over horizontally a few stitches, turn vertical again and stitch down the "flappy" edge of the garment's surged seam to the garment. This will create a visible stitch line, where before you had a clean line of a turned-in seam, but now that seam edge will stop rubbing/flipping around on the inside of your garment and the piece will feel smooth again your skin. It will also cause the garment to crumble/wrinkle less and iron-out better/quicker/with less effort and time. The reasoning/logic behind all of this is that most major seams on a garment use to be what's called "fell-seamed" when they were first put together; all the raw-edges folded in and no edge flopping around. However, with the introduction of the serger, manufacturers now had a way to finish seams faster and stronger; a surged edge does hold incredibly well over time, BUT it sticks out from the garment and affects the feel and the drape. Overtime we've gotten use to this new "standard" and now we think of the old standard (a fell-seam) as a luxury feature. However; it's really not; it's achievable at home easily.

[@Alexander-cj4ml]

Great thought. I make Mid 19th century reproductions. Fabric looms were about 22-24 inches wide. I see alot of reproduced mid 19th century skirts with only one seam with the fabric sewn horizontally. I started making fake seams every 22" by running 1/8" vertical line on my machine, then iring flat and hand sewing it down, press again. I found it improved the weight and drape of the skirt and with an 18" lining at the hem looks more like an original. Happy sewing!

[@inezalinedejong449]

Thank you for this video! As a designer running my own small sustainable fashion label, where every piece is crafted as a one-off using only waste fabrics, I often find myself debating whether the work I do truly contributes positively. I'm also deeply committed to be transparent and avoiding any risk of greenwashing. The line, "The only thing that produces quality is care," struck a chord with me. It’s a powerful reminder of what I strive to embody in my work. I’ll carry it with me as I continue to grow and educate myself in this journey. Thank you for sparking this.

[@brquaz]

When I'm about to skip an ad but remember I'm watching bliss foster

[@BlissFoster]

🙏🙏

[@brquaz]

@@BlissFoster loved the ending, more people definitely need to hear that

[@raise_the_black_flag]

yeahhhhh i always let it rock and go make a tea or something

[@breanna6257]

I was hearing your conclusion before you said it, just thinking about my mom cutting the crust off my sandwich, and the secret pockets in my favourite skirt. The tailoring that never required a tailor which give shapes in my favourite coat. Someone thought of those struggle, thought of the people wearing them, and fought for those designs to succeed.

[@teekue]

Thanks for talking about the Boots Theory. I've spend way too much time arguing with people on reddit that the Boot's Theory is no longer true today due to the cost being way too low for acceptable quality compared to "high quality".

[@EddySpaghetty]

I come from the automotive industry, I'm a car person, work on, dream of, look up to, and truly enjoy cars (by the way the way you explained the concept of finding a tailor is basically a mirrored image of finding a trustworthy mechanic). Anyways, I know exactly how you feel about trying to but ultimately failing to tell somebody what a GOOD car is. Opinions aside there is objectively important items that can't really be pinpointed as "YES that is THE best (BLANK)!" And I actually do have a wedding coming up, my own, but I'm also the type of person who doesn't just search "good wedding suit" I'm the type to learn what I must in order to decide on my own. And I think I just found the right channel. Thank you.

[@BlissFoster]

Welcome in, Eddy. I’m glad you’re here. For the suit, I strongly recommend you find Die_Workwear on Twitter. He will have the info to help you find the right suit. 💫💫

[@karlenglewood8940]

Watching and commenting for algo gods. Not being able to have company tell me where they source their materials is why I got into this hobby. You never realize how much you miss the 90s $80 gap trousers until they switch to cheaper stuff.

[@faiora]

I must have been recommended this video by the algorithm because I watch so many sewing videos. I see all my own clothing, using materials I enjoy the feel and weight of (linen and wool, mostly). Everything I make fits me well, wears better and lasts longer than previous purchased clothing, and feels good to my senses. Am I trendy? I doubt it. I’m tending Victorian - long skirts, big sleeves - but in navies and greys. But by your definition of quality and mine, i don’t think I could be doing much better for myself.

[@BlissFoster]

I completely agree. Massive props to you for investing your time into making something you’re very proud of 🦾

[@arielhansen4344]

As someone who does alterations I'm blown away by how many people bring me botched professionally done alterations to fix.

[@Pinkpeonysss]

A luxury shirt can definitely last longer due to “quality” if one bears in mind the construction. The skill put into the seam work and grain of the fabric can impact the article’s longevity for sure

[@eileenternullo8077]

Care.. is right. I produced hand made, handwoven clothing for 20 years, a one woman show. ( designed/ wove/ washed/ cut/ sewed/ pressed/ shipped) Made my own shoulder pads. I can spin yarn , I have sewn for small leather designers. I find Europe more experienced in textiles. Indeed, CARE , is the reason for quality.

[@faizasusan5865]

Watching this video reminds me of the many conversations and interactions I’ve had with my mom who’s from Lahore, Pakistan where she grew up around textiles especially at that time (60s-early 90s); at that part of the world, she was intimate with the process of making clothes, having a relationship with the tailors, knowing who dyed the clothes in her neighborhoods, selecting fabrics, knowing (based on how she was taught) what qualifies as “good” cotton, lace, or silk etc;. I remember going with her to clothing or fabric stores and seeing her use what she knew to purchase and design clothes and upholstery items here in the states. I have to agree that much of what she knew, what she taught me in this day and age is now rendered “useless” - we don’t have a “community” of care especially with regards to clothes especially for us ordinary people. We are in a whole new territory, forced to either shell out money or deal with what’s given to us and even then, you’re not given assurances as to their longevity and wearability. At this point …. I’m just picking what looks good on me and makes me happy at this point. But as ever, your videos are so insightful and brilliant.

[@piccalillipit9211]

*LONG STAPLE COTTON* is 30mm to 40mm Long staple wool is 40m to 50mm Long staple Linen is 150+mm Long staple silk is 1000+mm - over 1m Can you see the correlation between the strength and durability of the fabric and the length of the staple??? I actually pull the threads out of the weave and then unwrap them and look at the length of the fibres Then you want a 100mm square and scrunch it up in your hand tight - open your hand quickly and the fabric should spring back to shape quickly and NOT sit like a damp squashed ball - you can do the same with the sleeve of a jacket or the body of a T Shirt

[@bovefactory]

A long staple cotton is anything above 34mm. 30mm is actually a really common length. There is definitely a correlation between staple length and durability. However that depends on the properties of the fibers. Evertough silk has longer "stapels" (silk is considered a filament fiber so calling it a staples is not correct) it is not more durable than cotton or linen.

[@karlenglewood8940]

@@bovefactory 30mm would be Pima territory which would technically count as ELS. They are more common then they use to be, but still small compare to overall output. 1.3333 inches (34mm) would be one step above that. You are right about the silk thing.

[@piccalillipit9211]

@@bovefactory Sorry but silk IS more durable than cotton - maybe not linen. But silk is usually woven into extremely fine fabrics. If you wove silk into a 16oz fabric it would be astonishingly durable. They use to make bulletproof vests out of silk before they invented Kevlar...!!! Quote "Silk's unique molecular structure lends its inherent durability. Each silk fiber consists of a protein called fibroin, which has remarkable tensile strength." Quote "Silk garments and other articles made from silk have about an 80-100 years life span "

[@LI-kb3jy]

One thing that i believe counts for quality is “character”. Like when your grandma knitted you a pair of socks. Even though they may be imperfect in some way, they will have that character that make it enjoyable to wear. I think trend forecasting is more like “borrowing” character from millions and mixing it in a blender, for many it will be more character than they’ll ever get, for some it will always feel shallow. I know this sounds snobbish but maybe someone will put it better than me 😅

[@metelavas]

I’d love to see more similar content about jewelry. Unlike with clothing, where people know the basics like cotton versus polyester, why a low-quality shirt stretches out (fiber quality and weave), and how to care for items, most people lack similar knowledge about jewelry. Large brands often view jewelry as merchandise with higher profit margins than clothing, offering extremely low quality at inflated prices. Ironically, better, more authentic pieces are often available from brands specializing in jewelry, creating in-house pieces at more reasonable prices than luxury brands. Concept stores do something similar with their selections. While many offer a good selection of clothing (since people have learned how to distinguish good pieces, with the help of shopping assistants, etc.), the jewelry section often disappoints. It’s frequently filled with low-grade pieces, knock-offs of brands like Bottega Veneta and Tiffany, and poor-quality items from dubious sources-with massive markups.

[@Hairspring]

This is a great video. I primarily do personal one off work and have had so many conversations that boil down to "I am so sorry. This is nice because I could not afford to buy this and because I make my own nonsense." and over the years have had to add on "you can't buy this because the fabric itself is nicer than what you're going to find in any premade clothing you'll find". Heck. Linens. No one really does long staple smooth fine linen anymore. What used to be so standard that all the ironing instructions are for it for getting a nice sheen and crisp table cloths, is basically unobtainable without commissioning it from a mill. Manufacturing is a wonder. But I've met more and more folks over the years who just don't understand that design for manufacture is different than design for small production or design for individual production. I also work in miniatures and as a result have found so many things over the years are things I have to do myself because no one is making what I need. I've been spinning my own threads for miniature weaving because no one spins fine enough for my purposes. Why? Because it's hard or impossible to do by large machine and not by a skilled spinner. Seeing more and more folks get into this through things like the people working on bringing back Dhaka muslin gives me hope. Care, love, skill, and knowledge all together. At least we're not using leaded silks standard that irreparably shred themselves in a few years so that's something. lol

[@ashenwalls3558]

This was a great talk to listen to! I mostly thrift and make my own clothes, and in stead of just "is this quality" I like to identify specific qualities to find/achieve. Over time I'm becoming both more skilled and more discerning.

[@robotrilla9663]

I buy a majority of my clothes from one “brand” who is a one woman show. I’ve been buying from her for a few years & everything I have purchased from her has been “high quality.” She does everything from concept to fabric selection to design to pattern making to producing, etc. She also offers customization if you need or want that. I’m also a mixed race more femme presenting plus size human & I get compliments from strangers of all varieties pretty much whenever I wear her clothing out because they fit & work so well. I hand wash & air dry all of my clothes & everything still looks good as new. So my advice is to find your own Revelle Collection. It’s truly life changing, especially if you are living in a marginalized body & were used to hiding in clothes.

[@oliverjames6913]

I have no Idea about fashion. I generally buy my clothes from Marks & Spencer and my shoes from Clarks, been doing it pretty much my entire life. I do have a tailor I visit every once in a blue moon for a rarely worn suit or blazer. I probably wouldn’t look particularly out of place in 1950s Britain. I know M&S has become quite fast fashiony in recent times but at this point, and having watched this video, I wouldn’t know what else to do. Don’t know how or why I ended up here but really enjoying the content on this channel. Very engaging.

[@debblouin]

I run a plumbing, sewer, and drain company. I want to set my company apart. The problem and solution seems indeed to be “care”. I am trying to transfer the concept of care in design and fashion to my industry. Bear with me. There are a lot of ways to get your drain cleared or repair a sink. Some people, customers, hell HOMEOWNERS, don’t seem to think about care in their providers and they don’t seem to care about their homes. They are basically your Shein or Temu shoppers. Those are the ones who I realize are not my customers. Same thing goes for my employees and field service techs: they need to care -about the work they do and about the people for whom they do it. Care in a fundamental and defining way. Gonna chew on this one.

[@BlissFoster]

For sure! It’s kind of crazy how this doesn’t just apply to art, it applies so much more to technical things. It’s crazy how much distance there is between a good job and a bad job.

[@JohnMorris604]

Barbara Streisand? Haha That’s Meryl Streep! ❤

[@MayaKabat]

@@JohnMorris604 testing to see if we’re listening 👂

[@emayaych]

Oooo, I laughed so hard! 😂

[@trekofalltrades]

Calling Meryl Streep “Barbra Streisand” is WILD

[@louisdinh5947]

Was he kidding??? I wonder

[@polishtheday]

I love your videos. I measure quality by the clothes my mom, and my sister who learned from her, used to make for me. She was a hobbyist, not a professional, but she would probably have felt at home in an haute couture artisan workshop. Her specialty was attention to detail, whether she was sewing or fixing a plumbing problem. Each piece was bespoke. Everything that went into making it was chosen with care. As a kid, I used to groan when we entered a sewing shop. It meant what seemed like hours of boredom. Even today, I measure a quality coat, not just by the feel of the fabric and the construction of the seams, but whether it has bound buttonholes. I don’t see much of them in so-called designer clothing shops today.

[@anti-histamine]

Genuinely one of the best channels these days im obsessed

[@wongstea]

I love the idea of a metric of care applied to fashion. I just wrote "Did the person who made this / is selling this CARE about the garment?" at the top of my fashion wishlist that I refer to when shopping. This is a lifechanging philosophy that I'm sure a lot of us were already applying irl but you captured it so eloquently! It made me think of the "knockoff" tabis I bought from an etsy seller. I have the real deal and an archival pair from MMM, but I feel a deeper connection to the $150 knockoffs because I know the name of cobbler who painstakingly designed the perfect lasts, handpicked the leather, and assembled them. I've heard that in the past few years (RTW) Margiela "quality" has gone down (definitely felt this when I had to return a wallet with a skipped stitch which rendered it unusable) so it certainly makes sense to put confidence behind something that was made with CARE rather than something that cost $$$ from a luxury house.

[@annakarenina3188]

This video just earned my follow, and i will sign up to your patreon too. Thank you for being so honest..... As someone who is hoping to train to the level of being able to do high end embroidery art & embellishments (illness permitting)...... ........ I need to know who to train with, the ethos to put into my own work, the standards to which i have to hold myself..... ..... True artisan and bespoke still happens... It may not be of the Haute Couture model of Worth and his contemporaries/followers.... But it's certainly artists who have become the absolute best they can, in an incredibly tiny niche area. Hope you enjoyed paris fashion week.... Looking forwards to watching those episodes.

[@BlissFoster]

Wow, thank you so much for the support and the thoughtful comment. We’ll have the new Megavideo out after the weekend 💫💫

[@sukanasuke88]

I'm not a fashion enthusiast at all. I came to this video because youtube decided to throw it into my recommendations and I thought it'd be a useful thing to know. I'm leaving this video deep in thought about what kind of work I want to do in this life. Thanks.

[@BlissFoster]

That’s why we do our work 🦾 thanks so much for saying this, encouragement means a lot to us. Let us know your thoughts if you check out any other videos on the channel 💫💫

[@AnjaliLuthra]

Great video as always, but I have to point out that if one looks to South Asia, there are a lot of brands that work with handloom woven textiles- and not just limited to saris either. I urge you to look at brands like Injiri, Maku textiles, 11.11, Eka, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Raw Mango (and so many more) that truly innovate with handwoven textiles IN ADDITION to silhouettes, often having in-house looms and artisans. It's a whole different world here due to the sheer amount of people engaged in handmade textiles.

[@triciad4100]

I feel the same way about trusting artisans who really care about their product. I have a collection of thrifted hand-knit wool sweaters with really intricate patterns; just earlier today I was looking at the one I'm wearing and thinking about how someone put in a LOT of time and effort to make it. I really think they'd be happy to know their work is still being appreciated decades later, because they cared.

[@joshsmith5759]

I find the best single indicator of 'quality' is respect. You can tell if the designer respects the wearer through how they construct their clothes and the fabrics used compared with the price paid, and how that makes you feel. If you feel good for what you've got then it's high quality

[@kseniaparomova]

As someone who designs and sews garments for personal enjoyment, I totally agree with you. The fabric can be cheap, pattern can be copied but the way you sew and fit a garment is all that really matters.

[@enriquekhoza8566]

You know after your video, I concluded that quality is a 2 part perception. the perception of the buyer and the perception of the seller. Both have to do their part to make sure that care is taken in the production process and the purchasing process. Quality is a nuanced topic and requires devotion to find out what it actually means in an industry, eg. fashion, motor vehicles, even mugs and other ceramics. etc. Love is what concludes and surpasses all as it is the love you have from being and doing. Something that is created is created with a mean or a story and that story begins with love, The love of something or someone. God Bless you guys and thank you for teaching me something new.

[@ammvision]

The Craftsman by Richard Sennett is a great book on this topic. He comes to much the same conclusion as you Bliss - that craftsmanship is the desire to do a job well for its own sake. The book is interesting as he looks at the incentives and disincentives to execute a task with craftsmanship within both the Communist and Capitalist systems.

[@takyiwah2022]

This was so thorough and well presented! Thank you! What stuck with me was the bit at the end. "If you like fashion, you do not need a practical reason for why you like it."

[@BlissFoster]

Honestly, I’m very flattered you watched the whole way thru. I’m glad the work was useful for you 💫💫

[@sarahemmons7555]

Thank you! Good stuff here, it was fascinating! “The only thing that produces quality is care” this applies everywhere I think 🥰

[@Bakerygo]

I totally agree with your definition of quality! It takes time, money, care and pride in order to make something of true high quality. I'm tailoring anything but I'm an amateur cook and I can confidently say that what I cook at home is better than 90% of restaurants or pastries' shops. I don't buy cheap ingredients, I don't cut corners in the process and I take my time to do anything. In the end it shows.

[@connectropy]

😅or, *tastes*? 😚

[@chrissybrownnz]

I agree with everything! I had this thin cashmere jumper that I bought from an outet store over 15 years ago and my mum and I would always comment about it LOL. It evetually got holes but I blame the washing machine/dryer for that. I love owning an item for ages, I find it more of a flex to tell someone "oh it's had this for years".

[@isaacrobbins9526]

Momotaro has a loom in their hq on Jeans Street in Kojima Japan and has a huge waitlist for jeans made from the hand woven denim. Amazing stuff. Real selvedge denim. I know I just mentioned one other company with a loom and brought up selvedge denim, but we love you Bliss. Thank you for all you do for us!

[@3MadCats]

I’ve had to learn a hard lesson, I love knitting beautiful sweaters for myself & family, but for those with long covid or just work too many hours everything has to be machine washable and dry able and the best yarn for this is acrylic or at least an acrylic blend. They are quality because of the work I put into them, but also because I’ve also taken into consideration what works for that individual 💕

[@Yougotthis1212]

Italians dont make textiles as a whole anymore ( maybe a few small textile companies), the best quality fabric I’ve found is in Ghana and certain parts of India. I agree about many of your points. I designed in Asia and some of the best tailors or artisans that I have met have been there, making garments well since they were teens from generations of clothiers. Being in the fabric markets there or warehouses I’ve seen “Italian” clothes to the best Chinese silks. It was an amazing experience and most of my clothes were bespoke. My tailors made it with love, like you talked about and it was evident. Clothing can speak to you if you listen so from an esoteric perspective buy clothes that speak to you and feels good on you and to you and that is quality to me! Learned some new stuff from you today and thank you

[@BlissFoster]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience and insights!💫💫 I’ll just add that great textiles can come from anywhere that has infrastructure to support quality textile workers. I’ve been to the Veneto region in Italy and visited multiple textile mills that service everything from Deisel to niche artisinal brands. The quality was excellent. But that doesn’t negate your other points! There are certainly some incredible fabrics in India, China, and Ghana as well! I’ve really enjoyed seeing more. designers choose traditional cloth made in rural areas of various African countries. I don’t believe we have to disregard Italian craftsmanship in order to highlight these other excellent makers 💫💫

[@blowitoutyourcunt7675]

I found LOADS of quality Italian wool in Japan of all places! their fabric district in Tokyo had many,many shops with all kinds of wool. it was sooo notable cuz I woulda never thought lol

[@ines591]

i'm totally not a fashion person but hearing you speak about fashion is so interesting

[@luciaprandlova]

I bought a pair of trackies 20 years ago, practically lived in them for sports, house lazines, garden work. The color is a bit faded, but the fabric is like new, not a single tear, not a stitch loose. Made in China, bought in Australia in 2002. That to me is a good quality item. Interestingly, no item bought in Europe lasted a fraction of the time with a fraction of the wear.

[@affectojfgidi1246]

It's the first video I ever watched by you and I really enjoyed it. You were rlly good at preventing things from getting boring!!!

[@BlissFoster]

Thanks so much! We have a new Megavideo coming on Monday, you should definitely check it out, it’s gonna be one of our best 💫💫

[@TheGreatMaster-dr6yx]

Your approach to quality reminds me of the concept of "qualia" which the Internet defines as "the subjective properties that determine the conscious aspect of experience". Imagine a sunset, all a sunset objectively is is wavelengths of light in a certain order to create the image of a sunset yet when someone observes a sunset, it can take on a much deeper meaning. That's the qualia. Very thought provoking video

[@seabreeze4559]

experiental knowledge in psychology, qualitative research fodder

[@lorenzoscialanga348]

I study textile engineering and today our professor went on a very interesting rant on sustainability, it ended with "as humans we are not really sustainable, we are bugs on Earth's back". He was talking about how most energy we use (and as societies we use a lot) does not come from sustainalbe resources and how as humans we are liable to blindness when it comes to environmental consequences to our "green" choices today.

[@seabreeze4559]

like Smith from the Matrix and his virus speech, it's true there's also an oil cost to ALL manufacturing from Asia shipped west - ALL

[@unfilthy]

Everything alive is a bug on Earth's back, including us. Thankfully, the earth doesn't care about any of it, as it was here before us and will remain after us, and the various other "bugs" that come and go, as it freezes and floods and gets hit by debris. The nature of unsustainable things is that they are not sustained. The only question is one of timelines.

[@costcobongwater]

As far as the consumer can see, long staple cotton is mainly gonna be denoted by some branding based on region (supima, giza, sea island). Yes, Supima doesn't automatically mean good Yes, clothing is largely made with polyester thread, but not all polyester is created equal, and the weave/ structure of the fabric is gonna be the main thing that will separate a "bad shirt" from a decent - good one. This is how we run into the selvedge problem. A shuttle loom isn't a magic device that makes things good. Companies can still cut corners with lower quality cotton and looser weaves. This is also why heavyweight tees aren't a silver bullet either-the gsm is fudged early and often, they WILL count the double layer of tube fabric as if it was a single layer. Important note on patterns: fast fashion patterns are super optimized to not waste fabric. A lot of the cost increase is from modifications that make them less optimized for cutting in comparison, but more interesting and nicer. Fast fashion will not have the grain corrected, and might disregard it entirely when cutting certain pattern pieces.

[@jessiesscienceonline29]

Re: bespoke clothing - it's true that hardly anyone wears bespoke clothing these days, but if you live in a major city and want bespoke clothes, it's definitely achievable. I've commissioned some clothes. It's not foolproof! Some tailors know their stuff, some don't. (And fit is actually fiendishly complicated for some types of garment.). But it's very possible. And you can end up with amazing stuff that's very personalized, since you'll be acting as the designer/fabric purchaser. It's a niche way to get clothes, but it's not outlandishly expensive or difficult. Much more expensive than fast fashion, but you know the people cutting and sewing get the money since you hand it to them directly. Also, you can sew your own. That's the other way I get bespoke clothes.

[@dreamgood130]

Brooo I could not find your channel I miss this content !! I have been subbed but for some reason just couldn’t find it after I used to watch u everyday in 2022

[@BlissFoster]

Ahhh yea, KZbin often assumes that you’re no longer interested if you’ve been subbed for a long time. Glad you’re back! Thanks so much for the support!!

[@lanakim2537]

Ughhh this video scratches that part of my brain that I had been questioning my whole life. I have the weirdest body proportions with a weirdly sensitive and distinct sense of "looks good" so I was unhappy my whole freaking life about my body looking so bad in all these nice clothes. So honestly designer clothes never played an important role in my life until I started to realize cheap clothes don't last and I don't want to keep buying the same basics over and over again. Love this video.

[@wpickle]

Although you anchor this around fashion, I think your conclusion as to what quality is is universally applicable. Really thankful for coming across this video - its (rather, your) care is evident and delightful to witness.

[@ujeel2210]

Hey Bliss! Nicklas Skovgaard, danish designer with whom I interned last year, also has a weaving loom in his studio and weaves himself some of the cloth for his collections :) But it is definitely a very rare thing nowadays...

[@sophomorphia]

The more I learn about fashion the more I want to become a designer and make my own clothes from scratch. It feels like it would be less complicated 😂

[@lachlanfoord2472]

Hey :). Any natural fibre, either from an animal or plant is always going to be a staple fibre. Meaning you cannot control the length (is usually rather short) therefore, resulting in the yarn spun from the fibre to have little bits sticking out of the yarn causing the pilling. The best way to not have pilling is to have filament fibres which are manufactured, meaning you can make them as long as desired. This eliminates the previous problem. My textiles teacher is obsessed with author Sara Kadolph who has published multiple textile books. I hope this makes sense :)

[@marissabulso6439]

One important factor, especially in cotton, that is often overlooked is the actual plant. Some of the highest quality cotton plants, for example, simply don’t exist anymore. They were genetically altered or destroyed by natural (like diseases or droughts) or human causes (like development or warfare tearing up the land). Then, too, there is the problem of how the plant is harvested. Even a high quality cotton plant can’t give you a high quality fiber if it is carelessly harvested by a machine that chews it up. And after that? After that it has so be combed, and spun, and turned into thread, and woven, etc, etc, etc. Polyester thread may have allowed us all to have a much larger variety of clothes that we can treat more roughly, but arguably the handful of garments owned by an impoverished person in the 19th century were still much better quality. Far better for your thread to break than for your fabric to rip or fail to withstand much washing, especially since many people reworked old garments into new fashions. Thread is much easier to replace. Still, even then, I imagine care was the true underlying factor in quality clothing. A wealthy woman could get a ballgown of the finest material and trimmings made in a week, but I doubt any care was put into it. Simply no time for a group of overworked seamstresses…. And often the patroness would only wear the dress once. So how much care was really put into a dress rushed through production for profit even then?

[@SUMUSGARMENTS]

I had never seen a video of yours. This was highly entertaining and also educational. At a certain point in my life I decided to quit engineering and dedicate myself to making clothes, it has been a long and difficult road. The approach we use is that of the transferring of energy. We only use italian fabrics bc we know where and how they were made, it also applies to our manufacturing process. I don't wanna have an item that has been stained with human suffering in my hands. There are so many things to unfold here, like you said, this would be an incredibly long conversation, you haven't even touched the subject of what the future of garment manufacturing will be with AI and newer 3D printing techniques. Thank you for spreading this information, I look forward to see more of your videos. God bless, amazing hair!!!!

[@flamingpi2245]

It's always a treat to see your videos Bliss. Easily one of the best sources of fashion edutainment on the internet. I tend to agree with the idea that quality is mostly a vibe, but it's a vibe you can learn to tune in to. The 'list of things to make it good' approach is useless for making things of actual quality, but it's useful in that they help you to get a sense of the "quality", sort of divining it out of the feel and the make of the seams and the fabric. Through thrifting, I've found quality is mostly a thing you have to feel out and develop a sense for

[@camilanunez7393]

On trend forecasting: As a design student, before starting the design process and after reviewing the briefing, we explore the latest trends. Our focus includes color palettes, textures, and materials. While we often choose not to strictly follow trends, they can provide useful guidance for our products and collections. I believe there is no escaping trends; whether we set them or find inspiration in them, they have an influence on our work (p.s I do not want to generalize).

[@madewithrach]

This was such a fun and fascinating watch! I think you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned care. Since learning to sew, and making it a goal to sew most new garments in my wardrobe, I’ve learned a ton of finishing touches that make clothes feel fancier to me, and I’m always a little more impressed when I see them on store bought clothes too. French seams, topstitching, flat felled seams, darts, understitching, etc are things I know to keep an eye out for now. When I’m sewing things for myself, I’ll add these extra time consuming steps to projects I particularly care a lot about, but skip over them on others. For example, I just made a metallic dress for a themed event, and I doubt I’ll get too much use out of it, so it’s lacking all those extra steps, but a shirt jacket I plan on reaching for several times per month will have all the bells and whistles! This was the first video I’ve watched of yours, and I definitely plan to watch more! Thanks for sharing your unique perspective!

[@jlyt18]

you touched on it a bit at the end but i think the separation between designer brands and artisanal brands should be emphasized Klassica, Geoffrey b small as mentioned, elena dawnson, jm ribot, john alexander skelton, etc. should be held in a different class than fashion house brands Its a big reason why i shifted from fashion house runway aesthetic personal style to artisinal sartorial

[@karigrandii]

Yes because artisan brands are crazy expensive for a reason. Not just because of the name/status/legacy.

[@milespaloma]

My heart sank at the “expensive clothes last longer” myth

[@piccalillipit9211]

*IVE BEEN PRACTICING BOUND BUTTON HOMES FOR A **_WEEK...!_* the house is littered with bits of fabric with button holes in them - you cant make a shirt from a book [A bound button hole is like a mini pocket without the pocket bag - it has the two "lips" the welts as we call them === its not stitched like a normal buttonhole] *EDIT: CARE* - that's why I have been practising buttonholes for a whole week, that's why each one takes an hour, thats why I matched the same side of the fabric for every welt

[@balduin_b4334]

TUBA MENTIONED

[@caraid9263]

Omg thank you for talking about the durability thing! One of my petpeeves is ALL the channels that talk about sustainable fashion parrot the idea that fast fashion peices “fall apart” after 2 wears! Not true! Ok Im sure it does happen (not as the rule though) and Im sure there is less quality control to catch issues but generally speaking , a seam is a seam. and sewn with polyester thread like you said is strong no matter who sewed it. Most fast fashion seams are finished via serging which is maybe not the strongest of all finishes bit should be sufficient to last a good while. i say this as someone who designs and sews all their own clothes. Many of my clothes have lasted for years. But so have my old fast fashion clothes! Dont get me wrong, I hate fast fashion for many reasons, I just think this false notion stated as fact so widely is absurd! Another pet peeve- on the other hand people get mad when expensive clothes wear outeventually! Hopefully expensive clothes is relatively more durable but expensive clothes do not have magic super powers of indestruction! Fabric wears out eventually! A friend of mine has brought a pair of pants to me multiple times (pants by an expensive “sustainable brand” ) to be patched because they keep getting holes. Another friend told her she should write to the brand to complain that there’s a quality issue. I said I don’t agree with that, she got quite a bit of wear before there started to be holes in a high tension/friction area and now the holes keep cropping up because the integrety of the fabric has been compromised by being patched so many times (i make sure people are aware of this when I paych for them but she’s still willing to pay to have them patched. ) Im like, I dont know why we’d expect these pants to be made from everlasting miracle fabric! Rant over haha! I like the idea that it’s about care! My clothes I make for myself are not necessarily more durable or anything measurable like that but they feel high quality because I dont just make whatever- i put immense though and care into making what suits me, what works with my colour pallet, is custom fit, works with the exact type of shoes and accesories i have in my wardrobe, works together with existing clothes in my wardrobe, maybe have thoughtful like unique details, was designed based on a mood or concept that accentuates my vibe. And i put all that care into it because i am creating for myself and an selfishly motivated to look great!

[@Borq_Borq]

i love this! you tapped into what i've sensed but can hardly describe; here's my attempt: to sense quality in a thing is like sensing a spiritual/ethereality in the thing that's being experienced. another way i see it is when a person is "wow'ed" at an art piece thats made of mundane things like plastics or particle wood.

[@jiayichen8111]

From watching this video, I can tell you are very passionate about what you are doing and what you like. And you put care into what you are doing. I totally feel and understand what you said and I’m just glad you said this so I know I’m not alone.

[@Setsunako6587]

I just want to applaud the editor for knowing EXACTLY whose portrait to use for the illustration of "Andrew" 😂!

[@BatsAndBadgers]

quality to me is when you look at it, you can feel someone else's care and love. And their time in making something.

[@TheStitchWitchPodcast]

as a knitter and sewist interested in fashion, a lot of the grey-area points you discussed can be easily addressed by knowing your own fiber supply and making your own garments and studying finishes!

[@jenavasexton1645]

I've started to learn sewing and patternmaking. I've discovered that I LOVE making bespoke clothing for people. I love seeing that beautiful fit happen. It's addicting. Now, when I see things I like, I think about how hard it would be to make. Because if I can make it myself, it will fit the way I want, have pockets wherever I want, have colors I like, I control the type of fabric, etc. Makes it really hard to buy basic clothes. Of course, finding the time to make all these things is...not easy. But the entire process is very enjoyable to me, and I end up with beautiful clothes that are perfect for me. I make my husband work shirts because he can move better in a well fitting shirts and I can make them in a way that they wash and wear really well.

[@ang5798]

The clothes I used to have in the past from H&M etc, 1. Twisted after washing, where the seam was running across my body instead of on the side, 2. Ripped easily 3. Had messy seams. Not the material of the thread was the problem, but the rush and bad skill that produced it 4. Didn't lay flat, had bumps and unevenness 5. Was only nice and soft for 2 washes, then became either very rough or very chipped or very transparent 6. Quickly feel "not worth repairing or maintaining" 7. Don't get me started on polyester pilling which is impossible to remove cleanly but absolutely no problem with wool pilling Like, I know that everyone uses polyester, I know it has benefits and I know that I'm unhappy about it anyway. But it's not just the threads that speak for longevity

[@sayurik]

Not an expert in fashion, just an enthusiast. I managed to get my hands on an acne studio T-shirt a few months ago. It’s 100% cotton and it’s the softest and most comfortable shirt I’ve ever worn. After wearing it I felt that I understand why they’re charging $300-$500 for it now. I’m not sure if this reflects the quality of the rest of the clothes in their brand or are they ethical. But if you want a simple t-shirt or have a chance to feel their clothes, please try it out!

[@fruitsandveg]

Acne quality is mid tier tbh ..

[@marpjc]

Surely good quality tees should never be that much, it basically means only the top 1 percent can afford clothes in that pricing bracket where’s tees are 300 and jackets are thousands etc Be cool if we could aim for much more of the population being able to experience good clothes

[@dougdoug9223]

​@@marpjcwhat price range would be better?

[@sayurik]

Thank you Bliss & Daniella ❤

[@BlissFoster]

Thank YOU 🙏

[@just_p_b9878]

I'm at the start of my fashion journey, and I'm so glad that I found you

[@BlissFoster]

Welcome in! I’d love to hear your thoughts in rh comments as you check out more videos. If I can recommend one, the mega videos we make about Paris fashion week are a great way to get exposed to a lot of brands at once. Even if they’re not brands you would buy from, it’s a good way to figure out what your priorities are with brands and clothes 💫💫

[@danielerdody160]

Thank you, this framework goes far beyond fashion. It helps to hear it formulated with eloquence and passion. Can’t wait to read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance!

[@ayde92829]

" The person who makes it has to care". In a world where certain jobs and interests are deemed as less important: the distinction of intention; and celebration of aptitude is so whole heartedly necessary. In a globalized world; labor can be pushed onto the lowest paid, and we can justify this saying that it is low skilled work: because it does not conform with the job titled we have traditionally been told are worthy of honor or high compensation:: take manufacturing, take clothing, take food. Yet, these are the very things that are foundational to society. Not private equity, not management, not stock exchange. It is the creation and maintenance of utilities so we can survive, then the production of agricultural goods so we can eat , then the creation of goods, tools, products and humans: so we can be modern humans. The valorization of positions close to power, and wealth are artifcats from a pre democratic era of dictatorships and monarchies. Our world lies to itself and creates chaos when it pushes people to pursue wealth and status in lieu of knowledge and contribution.

[@Contraltosarah]

For me, the question that I ask myself is “does this object have soul?” I think what you are talking about with care is a big component of that. I mostly find this in vintage and antiques these days.

[@ordinaryguy815]

That is exactly what I ask too! Does it have soul? Does it have vitality/life? Mostly find this vintage. Sometimes in designer garments

[@brigittastone-johnson7683]

Great thought provoking vid. Listen to people talk about quality and price in the chat. One of the reasons I got into sewing and designing my own cloths in fit and fabric. To start with if I say by a good ‘quality linen’, just the fabric is sometimes twice the cost of the store bought garment, then to make it fit properly, either I have to alter a pattern, or make one to my measurements… that’s for 1 garment for 1 person. Add a monetary cost to that. Let’s all move to Lahore, and I enlist a Taylor. For regular folks, who want to examine their cloths, you know how you always see people hand sewing in all those fashion houses. Have a look at where care is obvious. Was it finished with care. Are the seams tied off? Are the messy bits, carefully finished off. (Every thing has messy / godly bits.)

[@grace_129]

A companies quality underlines how much experience they have. the more experience the better the quality the reason people trust these high quality companies is because we know these designers have so much experience with what’s good and bad