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Focusing on color, design, or fit is natural, when you’re purchasing a new dress. But you tend to neglect an important factor that largely contributes to the durability and long-term value of a dress, aka stitching quality.
While a dress appears beautiful on display, you might end up with one with loose seams, fabric damage, or loss of shape, after only a few wears, if you don’t stress on stitching. Want to make informed decisions and select dresses that maintain structure over time? Evaluate stitching appropriately.
You must understand what to look for, whether you’re going to purchase a dress online or offline. This ensures style and longevity, while making sure that the dress is what you need. Let’s understand this in greater detail here.
The structural foundation of any garment is stitching. A poorly constructed seam cannot be compensated by the highest quality fabric! Here are a few things high-quality stitching helps in:
Stitching is the component that keeps your dress wearable for longer periods. Thus, stressing on it is a mandatory thing during dress shopping.
So, what does stitching actually do? This is an important area to understand, even before you examine the quality of the dress. Stitching, in layman’s terms, creates the structure of the dress by joining separate fabric panels.
During movement, these stitched areas, also known as seams, face maximum stress. So, when you’re sitting, walking, or stretching, seams face maximum tension.
Some of the common areas where stitching is done include:
Thus, you must always cautiously inspect these areas for better results.
Stitch density is by far a clear sign of the quality of the stitches in a dress. Now, how do you understand stitch density? Look for the following areas:
If a dress has widely spaced stitches, the dress has poor stitching quality. This makes seams weaker, and more likely to unravel. Closely placed stitches create a smooth, secure seam, and indicate a well-made dress with quality stitching.
Following the seam visually can be helpful here. All you need to do is turn the dress slightly and check. The following are the characteristics of quality stitching:
When you get a dress that has wavy or uneven stitches, it’s a product of rushed manufacturing, which means poor quality control. The way in which the dress sits on your body is also impacted by the crooked seams they have.
Are you overlooking the inside finish? You must not! This is the area that reveals the true construction quality of a dress. Make sure to flip the garment inside out and check the following things:
Weak construction is indicated by messy interiors, which may not withstand repeated wear at all!
Want to reveal durability? Conduct a simple strength test. Gently pull apart a dress, by holding the fabric on both sides of a seam. Don’t overdo it by stretching the dress aggressively, just check stability.
The following are the signs of good stitching:
Check whether the stitching is separating during a gentle pull or not! If it does, the garment isn’t lasting long, in all likeliness.
Walking and movement cause frequent friction, which is mainly endured by the hems. So, how to you check for a quality hem? You can check for the following:
The dress drapes poorly, if the hems are uneven. It can also cause fraying over time, which also indicates a poor hemline.
There are areas in your dress where higher tension is experienced or which require reinforcement. You must pay attention to the following areas:
Did you find extra stitching or reinforcement at these points? Then the dress is completely well-constructed and can prevent tearing.
Just like stitch placement, thread quality too is important. Distinguishing between poor and high-quality threads is simple. High-quality threads are:
When the thread is weak of fuzzy, the chances are, it will break easily, after washing or repeated use.
Finishing methods that eliminates chances of fabric fraying is used by professional garments. Some common finishes include:
Don’t have expertise? No worries! You can simply check for clean and enclosed edges, which are clear signals of better craftsmanship.
Are zippers used in your dress? These are crucial elements that must be appropriately attached to your dress. Here are a few things to look for:
If you don’t want issues like fabric puckering or functional issues, make sure to choose dresses where the zipper is appropriately stitched.
Are the stitches pulling unevenly against the fabric? The issue is fabric puckering. The visible signs of the same include:
Your fabric will lie naturally, if the stitching quality is good. You’ll also find no tension marks at all.
Maintaining balance is essential for any well-made dress. You must check for the following areas:
Inconsistent stitching often causes uneven symmetry. This shows that the production process of the dress was poor.
Visible stitching as design elements are noted in some dresses. Don’t forget that even though decorative stitching enhances the appearance of your dress, the real deal is the structural stitching. It is ensuring the durability of your dress.
Here, you must make sure that your decorative stitching is supported by secure internal construction. It should not be about appearance alone.
You should wear the dress and try moving naturally. If the stitching is of appropriate quality, it will allow you complete freedom for the following things:
If your movement is being restricted, then it is indicative of poorly placed seams.
Physical inspection is not possible during online shopping. So, what should you do? You should look for the following:
Construction standards are generally revealed by detailed visuals.
A dress is not just about visual appeal, it’s also about comfort, durability, and repeated wear. So, the construction matters! If you know how to identify quality stitching, you can go beyond impulse purchases.
You can easily choose garments that are dependable for a longer time. So, the next time you embark on dress shopping, make sure to examine the seams. Taking out some extra time to do that can help you make informed decisions, and can add a dress to your wardrobe that can worn again and again!