Why quality matters, whether the price tag is low-priced or expensive
Cheap clothing & gear come from cheap-minded people that want to ruin the Earth for a buck or two
Look, I don't want to come across as anything I'm not — I'm not the perfect person: I'm not vegan, I don't donate to charitable causes very often, and I can have a contentious personality.
But I do have are principals. Principals that are very much in line with what most good people would consider true and right; even when it comes to something as "simple" as clothing.
Keep reading if that was your impression.
We may come into this Earth naked, but pretty shortly we become clothed. We more than likely die with some clothing on, and our friends and family see us out of the world in clothing (hopefully).
When you think from the perspective of basic needs and necessities, things that get you by in life the most, you begin to realize the clothing on our bodies and the footwear on our feet are some of the most important things in the entire world to us.
That's not even an exaggeration. We can live and die by the clothing we wear.
Even today, while that statement may not hold as strongly as it did for our ancestors, it still very much holds strong for the people that live a hard life. And whether that's a hard job or a hard life, one thing that makes life just a little more comfortable—a little more bearable... is what you have on your back.
And maybe who you have by your side, if you're so lucky.
Buying quality is an appreciation of art, and it's a human necessity
If we didn't support quality things and quality people, where exactly would that put us? What would we be learning, if not how to produce quality things in life?
It would teach our children and future generations that craftsmanship, detail, and pride aren't part of our culture.
Over time, things like this get lost, craftsman die out, and people start to forget what's truly important. We outsource things we feel are beneath our calling, and we begin to separate ourselves from our true nature: expression. Just like nature does it.
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Cheap clothing, cheap gear, and cheap crap in general are not an expression of anything; they are a shell of an artform that a lot of people can't even seem to see the art in.
The way material is woven, the way it's stitched and sewn: these aren't just simple, mindless processes that happen. These are people putting in their lifeblood, their life's energy, to produce something.
So when you're doing this in a fashion to save and scrimp every penny, you utilize synthetic materials where they're unneeded, and you hire untrained labor... you're removing the form from the art.
Every detail should be thought about:
- Who made this garment or gear?
- Where does the material come from, where is it sourced?
- What is the purpose of the pattern and why does it work?
- How much does it cost to make, and provide the maker an honest wage?
- Who's going to appreciate this item in particular?
When you're buying from a quality brand, all of these details and more are thoughtfully planned.
It's not investors pumping money into a hype brand, outsourcing to the cheapest factories in the world, and grabbing the bag and running.
I feel I don't even need to mention the actual quality brands I'm thinking of, but I will say that quality can come from anywhere, and anyone.
It doesn't matter the country of origin. It doesn't matter the hands that made it — if you have the intent on producing quality work, it will be quality.
Just as a craftsman's intent matters, so too does a buyer's: the more you fuel quality work and quality people, the better the world becomes.
We tend to think in more abstract ways, we create with more from a place of love, because we're so passionate about it.
And we protect what we've already been taking for granted: the Earth, and the future generations that need it.
So whether you're buying your next item of clothing or expensive piece of gear, just take a little time to understand what you're buying, who it helps, and how it helps you.
Uplift the good people in your life, the ones you know are passionately driven to create something great.
You'll receive your dharma back tenfold.
Some quick examples of high quality material and brands —
In this article I didn't link any examples, but if you want to see some examples of what quality clothing is, look for brands that actually TALK about quality — and not fluff. E.g.
Franklin & Poe
Iron Heart is considered to be the cream of the crop when it comes to heavyweight selvedge denim
3SIXTEEN
3Sixteen is a great American-made alternative to Iron Heart, for those that want to buy something crafted a little closer to home
Franklin & Poe
And you'll be hard-pressed to find anything higher quality than a Japanese horsehide jacket, like this Simmons Bilt "Citywide" jacket made in Scotland
