Expensive-Looking Fabrics

Whowhatwear.com featured a piece this week about fabrics, describing ones that always look expensive and nice and others which don't wear well and look cheap. I like their guidelines:

Linen

One of the hallmarks of cheap clothing is a shiny, obviously synthetic fabric. Natural fabrics like linen feel expensive because they have the exact opposite feel. It actually gets better with age, whereas many synthetic fabrics deteriorate at an accelerated pace.

Faux Suede

We all know authentic suede is an expensive fabric, like most leathers. “Vegan” suede tops our list of great affordable fabrics, because it’s difficult to differentiate the faux from the real, so it naturally looks fancier than it is.

Cotton

Cotton is a high-quality fabric that doesn’t necessarily come at an elevated price. Its natural fibers are its strong point, similar to linen, and the washable, low-maintenance fabric is easy to care for.

Rayon

Rayon tends to age poorly, and it will often start to pill or show wear and tear after a few wears.

Acrylic

Acrylic pieces can lose their shape easily, so you after you wash an acrylic sweater, for example, you may find it stretched out and ill-fitting. It also isn’t a very warm fabric for winter pieces.

Polyester

Polyester has a bit of a bad reputation, but today’s versions have a decent feel, and the fabric is so ubiquitous in affordable clothing that it can be hard to avoid. We recommend considering each polyester piece individually—stick to affordable brands known for high quality, and always run your hands over the fabric to ensure it doesn’t feel cheap.