6 High-End Fabrics That Make Any Outfit Look Expensive [Part II]

Fabric is perhaps the most important component when assessing the quality of clothing. Yet, if you’re like most consumers, you probably have a hard time identifying true quality vs. crap. By mastering the basics of discerning high quality from low-quality fabric, you can shop with confidence, select exceptional wardrobe pieces, and never be fooled into buying crap clothes again.

So how does one identify high-quality fabrics from total crap? Discerning high quality from low-quality fabric in clothing is two-fold.

1. (A) – Identifying the best types of fabrics.
2. (B) – Assessing the quality of fabrics.

It goes without saying that when creating a high-quality garment, a designer is likely to opt for the best, most suitable, and the finest types of fabric. But beware, not all fine fabrics are made equally. Let’s jump right in, shall we?

Featured Image Via @melanin_matryoshka

Here Are 6 Luxury Fabrics That’ll Make You Look Expensive

Silk, cashmere, leather, and linen have long been highly renowned, sought after, and expensively priced in the fashion world; and for good reasons. Although these high-end, natural materials typically come with a pricey tag, when building a solid, timelessly elegant wardrobe, these fabrics are worth the investment. Not only do these materials look expensive, but they also feel luxurious, and will stand the test of time.

1.Silk

Well known for being decadent and exquisite, silk is the epitome of luxury fabric. Silk is breathable, lightweight, and undeniably beautiful in appearance; perfect for classy and sophisticated wardrobe. And although fine, don’t be quick to underestimate the durability of this precious fabric. Silk’s tensile strength (the resistance of a material to breaking under tension), is the same as iron wire of the same diameter.

Mulberry silk, is known to be the most expensive and luxurious silk of them all. Mulberry silk is pure white in color, odorless, and 100% natural. It is made from the Silkworms of the Bombyx Mori Moth, and is the most refined silk in the world.

What should you look for when buying silk?

• Silk is especially known for its luster. The surface color of genuine silk should appear to change as the angle of the light changes.
• As silk is a natural fiber, it should feel warm to the touch when rubbing; unlike with artificial fibers.
• Genuine silks sleek nature will allow you to easily pull a silk blouse, for example, (or at least part of one), through a finger ring without tugging.
• 100% genuine silk will be considerably more expensive than look-alike, or blended fabrics.

2. Wool

For ultimate warmth and comfort, look no further than wool.

The most expensive in the world is Vucana wool. Harvested from the Vucana, the national animal of Peru, this wool can only be collected/shorn, once every three years.

Cashmere Wool

A type of wool known for its very soft quality, cashmere is also synonymous with luxury. Cashmere is made from the soft underbelly hair of Kashmir goats, who live in extremely cold and harsh climates primarily in Asia. To survive, they grow long, fine fibers to protect themselves. Cashmere is incredibly smooth, almost silky to the touch, insulating, and long-lasting.

What should you look for when buying cashmere?

• When looking to buy high-quality cashmere, “creamy is the best word to describe it…if you go into somewhere like Zara, you can feel that it’s just kind of dry. A cashmere sweater should feel almost springy when you squeeze it” says Carolyn Yim, designer of cashmere clothing line Plyknits.
• Also, be sure to check the label. The Federal Trade Commission mandates that cashmere products be appropriately labeled. Only pure cashmere sweaters can be labeled “100% Cashmere.”
• Although a slight sheen is possible, cashmere will typically have a matte appearance.
• Artificial fibers easily collect static electricity, which when rubbed together attract small particles like dust. Rub the garment together to detect any artificial fibers.

3. Leather

Leather, technically a raw material (rather than a fabric), its made from the skin of an animal by tanning or a similar process. Most commonly, leather is made of cattle, sheep, goat and pigs. Shell Cordovan is a type of leather with a mirror-like finish made of horse hide, used to make high-end shoes.

Lamb, deer, elk skin, reptilian hide, kangaroo, ostrich, even stingray’s are also used to make more high-end and exclusive leather goods.

Suede

Often confused as an entirely different material, suede is actually a particular finish of leather. Suede simply refers to the finish that gives the fabric a soft, fibrous effect.

What should you look for when buying leather?

• You can identify genuine leather by its unique texture and smell. It should be soft and warm to the touch and have a distinctive aroma which is rich and appealing.
• Check the surface of leather for unique grain. Imperfections, in leather, are an indicator of genuine authenticity.
• “Full Leather” is the most prestigious, followed by Top Leather, Genuine Leather, and lastly, Bonded Leather.

4. Linen

Linen is yet another high-end fabric that offers both quality and style. Linen is made out of flax and is one of the oldest textiles in the world. In Europe, linen was a widely available fabric worn by peasants in medieval times. Today, however, linen is highly coveted for being stylish and cool; both literally and figuratively.

Luxury brand 100% Capri features the most beautiful and stylish almost exclusively linen clothing in their stores. 100% Capri maintains to carry the highest quality linen wear, and are exclusively located cities such as Miami, Dubai, St. Barths and off course Capri, Italy.

What should you look for when buying linen?

• One great thing about linen is that it can easily pass itself off as expensive, even if you didn’t fork over big bucks to add it to your wardrobe.

5. Fur

Undoubtedly the most controversial material in the market, fur throughout the ages has long been synonymous with luxury. Today, however, fur has become taboo, calling into question ethical concerns. Viewed by many as fashionably extravagant, fur is still worn today amongst the super elite.

While fur, even faux fur, may not be as practical as wools or leathers, the sheer opulence is hard to beat. High-quality faux furs can be worn as an alternative without ruffling any feathers.

What should you look for when buying fur?

• People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), suggests checking out companies like Unreal Fur, Jakke, and FURious Fur to get the fur look ethically.

High-quality fabrics, without the high price tag

Natural fabrics are kinda the holy grail of luxury. They don’t all have to break the bank, however. Here are some more affordable natural fabrics.

6. Cotton

Cotton is perhaps the most underrated of all fabrics because its so, well, common. However not all cotton are made equal. Cotton’s natural fibers are durable and low-maintenance.

What should you look for when buying cotton?

• 100% cotton is usually a good option. Don’t assume however that because a garment is 100% cotton, that the cotton is of high quality.  Be sure to assess 100% cotton garments case by case.
• Good quality cotton is made of long fibers, resulting in a fabric that is soft to the touch, and less prone to pilling. 
• High-quality cotton will also be tightly woven. Hold a cotton garment up to the light and inspect to its density; good cotton should be thick and not too transparent. 

Other Natural Fabrics

Hemp is becoming increasingly popular for its highly sustainable quality.  

BONUS: More High-End Fabrics We Love

Fabrics that can look expensive, but won’t break the bank.

Satin

Unlike silk, which is a raw material, satin is actually a type of weave. Although satin may be made of silk, it often contains a combination of other fabrics such as nylon, rayon, and/or polyester. Satin typically has both a glossy side and a dull side.

Charmeuse for example, is very popular satin not made of silk. It is a man-made fabric from finely woven material including polyester.

If you don’t quite have the bucks to drop on genuine silk, a type of satin can be a suitable alternative —try to opt for a more matte finish, as very shiny satin can look cheap.

Houndstooth

Houndstooth is a cotton with duotone textile pattern, often in black and white, that’s characterized by broken checks or abstract four-pointed shapes named for their resemblance to a dog’s tooth. We love houndstooth because its thick nature makes it looks high end, and more expensive than it actually is.

Camel Wool

Camels produce longer fibers than sheep, which results in a more durable finished product. Mongolian camels are known to produce even longer fibers than their southern born counterparts, due to living in colder climates, hence producing a more durable material.

Camel wool fibers tend to be finer than most merino wool, which results in a softer, more delicate feel. Many high-end coats are made of camel wool.

Denim

Denim is a sturdy cotton twill fabric, generally used to make garments such as jeans. Today denim is often blended with polyester to prevent wrinkles and control shrinkage when washing.

An article by High Snobiety suggests if your priority is immediate comfort, find a pair of denim created with anywhere from 2-5% stretch (elastane). Stretch fabrics, however, tend to wear out quicker than a 100% cotton jeans, which are typically more hardwearing.

Bubbling up – Velvet

Velvet almost got left out of this guide completely. Although velvet has long been considered one of the most luxurious fabrics available, in clothing, it can sometimes look tacky.

Velvet, which can be made from cotton or silk thread, giving it a slight sheen, is often used to make draperies, upholstery and accent pillows. If you come across a fabulous velvet article of clothing, be sure its not velour or velveteen; which have a similar look but are not as thick and rich in appearance as the real thing.

Fabrics We Love To Hate.

Among the most popular fabrics in fashion, today, are the highly debated polyester and viscose/ rayon. But what the heck is are these “fabrics” anyway, and what’s all the fuss about?

It goes without saying that synthetic fibers have earned themselves a slight stigma, and are considered inferior to natural fibers. Polyester and viscose rayon are generally associated with looking cheap, being uncomfortable, and being bad for the environment. But with so many designers and retailers choosing to incorporate these materials, surely they must have some positive points, right?

Viscose Rayon

Viscose, also known as rayon, is a chemically manufactured cellulose fiber made from wood pulp. Hence, viscose rayon is neither truly natural (like cotton, wool or silk) nor truly synthetic (like nylon or polyester) – it falls somewhere in between.

The Good

Viscose rayon is renowned for being inexpensive, easily blended with other fibers, and relatively breathable, light, and strong.

The Bad

Often require dry cleaning, prone to stretching and bagging, and the manufacturing process is extremely polluting to the environment.

Learn more about the Advantages and Disadvantages of Viscose/Rayon.

Polyester

Polyester, on the other hand, is a completely man-made synthetic fiber. I won’t get into all the scientific jargon, but basically polyester is a type of plastic. But when even high-end designers so widely use polyester and poly blends, what’s the deal?

The Good

Polyester is generally durable and is resistant to many chemicals, tends to be resistant to shrinking and stretching, is also resistant to wrinkling, is lightweight, and retains its shape well.

The Bad

Polyester can look cheap, can be uncomfortable (not breathable) to wear, and like viscose rayon, polyester is bad for the environment.

A Closer Look into this “Love it or Hate it” Fabric.

So what the takeaway from viscose rayon and polyester clothing?

From a style standpoint, many designers today incorporate these synthetic fibers in very fabulous clothing styles. This helps consumers save cost, and this sometimes even results in stronger, more resistant clothing. Generally, I believe polyester should be chosen with reservation, but it can sometimes have its place in a curated wardrobe.

From an environmental standpoint, just as with using plastic in daily life, choosing 100% sustainable clothing can be equally challenging. At the very least, it’s important that we understand what these materials are when analyzing the contents in our garments so that we can all be more conscious consumers.

When contemplating synthetic fibers in garments, one should do so very selectively. Both for the sake of style, and our environment.

More from this series:

• The Ultimate Guide To Identifying High-Quality Clothing.
• How to assess the quality of the fabric. (this post)
• How to assess the construction and tailoring + finishing, workmanship, and details.