One of the biggest statements I hear from clients is the want for high quality clothing at an affordable price. Unfortunately the truth of the matter is without the budget for scale of production (lowering your unit costs) the expectation doesn’t necessarily align to the reality.

Although I make no secret about my opinions on sustainable fashion and raise the obvious points in terms of quality equalling a higher cost, there are small changes you can make if scale of production is beyond your budget.

The easiest option to consider is construction methods over fabric choice. Selecting a quality fabric is a sure fire way to quickly rack up production costs, yet a textile more in-line with your budget can still manifest into a quality article of clothing if the construction methods are considered. Overlocked edges on woven fabrics are a quick route to cheap-looking clothing, exploring various seams and finishes can not only strengthen the construction of your clothing but result in the inside of your garments looking as neat and beautiful as the outside.

Do bare in mind improved construction will correlate to longer labour hours, french seams and flat felled seams are just two examples to doubling the time it takes to sew part of a garment as the stitching is doubled, trimming allowance may be necessary and of course an extra round of pressing all accumulate to more craftsmanship.