In the world of clothing, quality is one of the most overused and least understood words. Its meaning has been diluted, but most of us have a strong sense of “even if I can’t quite describe it, I know it when I see it”.
We may use “quality” to describe something based on how it looks, how it feels, or even how expensive it is. But true quality isn’t a feeling or a slogan. It’s something more measurable, and is rooted in construction, materials, and care. And while it used to be the norm, it has become increasingly rare. Happily, we’re seeing a resurgence in people caring about the quality of the pieces they buy, and the materials and labour that go into them.
Understanding what makes a garment truly well made isn’t exactly a skill we’ve collectively honed over the past many years. Yet, for anyone who cares about longevity, whether for environmental, ethical, or simply practical reasons, it’s worth exploring what exactly quality in clothing looks like.
How We Lost Quality
Clothing wasn’t always disposable. For most of human history, garments were built to last because they had to. Fabric was expensive to produce, sewing was slow, and any design details were painstakingly added. People owned fewer pieces, cared for them more carefully, and repaired rather than replaced.
The industrial revolution (and later, globalization) changed everything. As production scaled up and shifted overseas, clothing became dramatically cheaper to make. And once clothing became cheap, our expectations changed too.
Today, the average person buys over 60% more clothing than they did 20 years ago, but keeps each piece for half as long. Fast fashion has made “new” our default, while quality has become something nostalgic— something we remember, rather than something we expect.
Even the luxury sector hasn’t been immune to a drastic drop in quality, despite bold price tags. When fashion influencer Wisdom Kaye posted a viral video earlier this year showing buttons falling off an $18,000 Miu Miu haul (and then falling off again on the replacements!) it touched a nerve. Many viewers weren’t surprised. The gap between luxury prices and luxury quality has been widening for years.
So what happened? In short, we began racing to the bottom. Over time, the demand for lower prices reshaped the way clothing is made. Corners were cut (no pun intended!) not just in how quickly pieces are sewn, but in what they were made from and how carefully they were constructed. A T-shirt that once required dense, 100% cotton fabric might now use a thin polyester blend. Stitching that was once done meticulously by hand is now done faster, with less attention. From the outside, these garments might look the same. But up close, you can spot the differences. And over time, after wears and washes, it only becomes more obvious.
Why Quality Still Matters
When something is made to last, it offers more than durability. For instance, a well-made coat can become part of your life for years, offering a familiar comfort each year when the weather cools. There’s a quiet confidence that comes from owning something well made– in knowing the zipper won’t fail, the seams won’t twist, the fabric won’t fade after a single season. Quality offers reliability in a world that’s increasingly designed for obsolescence.
And there’s an emotional side, too. When you find something you love and know it will last, you care for it differently. You reach for it more often. It becomes a part of your life,
It’s also more sustainable in the most practical sense: a coat that lasts ten years is ten coats that never had to be made. Quality is often discussed in terms of luxury, but in many ways it’s really about responsibility. Making fewer, better quality things, is better for our planet and communities.
While insisting on quality pieces that last might seem like a ideal from decades past, the “buy-it-for-life” mindset is having a modern resurgence. People are starting to question not just what something costs, but what is behind the cost. There’s more conversations about the cost per wear for higher quality items at higher price points, and also more questions around how it’s possible to sell a t-shirt for only a few dollars (spoiler alert: it involves a lot of people being treated very poorly).
At its core, quality is about respect– for the people who make these pieces, for the people who will wear them, and for the planet we share.
What Makes a High-Quality Winter Coat
Outerwear is an area where the difference in quality between pieces can be quite stark. A coat isn’t just aesthetic, it’s functional. It has to protect you from wind, snow, and rain while withstanding years of friction, folding, and wear.
Since outerwear is what we know best, we’re looking more closely at what makes a high-quality winter coat truly last.
1. Material: The Foundation of Durability
Most modern winter coats are made from polycotton or polyester blends. They’re the norm, easy to sew, and look good on the rack. But they’re thin, not super windproof, and prone to UV fading, which can make a coat look tired long before it’s worn out.
Our coats are made from ballistic nylon, a material originally engineered for industrial and military use. It’s woven so tightly that it’s naturally windproof and water-resistant, without the need for coatings that wear off over time.
This fabric is exceptionally difficult to sew, which is why no one else uses it, but it’s also the reason our coats hold up the way they do. It doesn’t tear, scuff, or fade. Because the wind is fully blocked at the surface, the insulation inside doesn’t need to work as hard, which allows for warmth without bulk. That balance of warm, windproof, and lightweight comes down to the integrity of the material itself.
2. Zippers: The Small Detail That Fails First
During four years of research and development, our founder Inder studied and tested countless outerwear designs and found a common pattern: the zipper was almost always the first point of failure.
A broken zipper renders an entire coat useless, no matter how good the fabric or insulation. That’s why we chose to use YKK zippers made in Canada. These high-quality metal zips are designed for industrial durability. It’s a small detail, but in quality design, it’s the small details that matter most.
3. Insulation: Warmth That Endures
There’s a misconception that warmth necessitates bulk, and that a heavy coat equals a warm coat. But effective insulation depends as much on construction as on fill.
We use a high-performance synthetic insulation that traps heat efficiently while remaining breathable and machine washable. It doesn’t clump or lose volume over time, and unlike down, it’s easy to care for.
Ease of care is an under appreciated part of longevity. Even the most durable materials can fail if they’re difficult to maintain. A coat that can be washed and worn again without special handling is far more likely to stay in use for years.
4. The Making: Slow, Skilled, and Local
All of our coats are made in Montreal by master tailors, people whose skill and precision turn a difficult material into a finished garment. Each coat takes time, both because of the complexity of the design and because ballistic nylon resists being rushed.
In much of the fashion industry, speed is a measure of efficiency. But in our workshops, slowness is a mark of quality. Every seam, topstitch, and lining is done deliberately, often by hand.
This is why we produce in small batches, and it’s also why we offer preorders. Preorders allow us to prioritize based on demand and make only what’s needed, without rushing to make a bunch of style/ size combos that we don’t need imminently.
When you experience a coat that’s been thoughtfully designed, slowly sewn, and made with care you can feel the difference. The even tension in the stitching, the smoothness of the lining, the little details and the quiet sturdiness that shows it was built to last decades, not seasons.
These big and little details are the reason we can offer a lifetime guarantee on all our coats. Our lifetime guarantee covers all manufacturer defects, but we also offer repairs for damage caused by wear or accidents, at cost. Because we believe that a coat built to last deserves to be kept in use.
For us, repair isn’t a marketing point; it’s a philosophy. It restores the idea that things are worth keeping.
Why Quality Declined and How to Recognize It
Modern fashion’s decline in quality isn’t just about greed. It’s about the economics of speed.
Shorter trend cycles and faster production means cheaper fabrics, less oversight, and fewer skilled hands involved. Pieces that were once made with 100% cotton are now blended with polyester to lower costs. Factories are pressured to cut time, so stitch density drops and finishing details are skipped. And design details like embroidery that were once thoughtful, artistic additions are mass produced by a machine.
Learning to recognize quality involves paying attention to clues in the construction:
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Stitching should be even, tight, and straight. Loose threads and uneven seams are early signs of shortcuts.
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Fabric should have density— you can feel when something is tightly woven versus loosely constructed.
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Hardware like zippers, buttons, and snaps should feel substantial, not lightweight.
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Finishing matters: lined pockets, reinforced stress points, and secure hems all speak to thoughtful design.
Quality reveals itself most clearly in the parts you don’t immediately see.
Caring for Longevity
When clothing became cheap, we stopped expecting it to last. A ripped sleeve or broken button no longer feels worth fixing, because replacing it is easier, and in many cases, cheaper. In a sense, we’ve unlearned maintenance. And with lower expectations and the ease of replacements, we can find ourselves losing a sense of connection with our clothes.
When shifting to prioritize quality pieces, it’s important to remember that even the best-made garment can’t survive neglect. Understanding care is part of understanding quality. A 100% cotton shirt washed in hot water and dried on high heat will shrink and distort. Not because it was poorly made, but because it wasn’t cared for properly.
Our top tips for maintaining clothing:
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Wash in cold water, not hot.
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Avoid high-heat drying, which breaks down fibres.
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Use a gentle detergent
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Don’t wash items too frequently
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Store coats on wide hangers to help maintain shape.
We make our coats intentionally easy to maintain. They’re machine washable, with durable hardware, and synthetic insulation that doesn’t require dry cleaning.
Rethinking the Price of Quality
Part of the reason quality has become confusing is that our sense of price has become distorted. When a cheap coat can be delivered overnight, it’s easy to wonder why another might cost ten times as much.
The answer lies in what we rarely see: fair wages, local manufacturing, small-batch production, durable materials, and the time it takes to do things properly. And when we consider the cost-per-wear, a piece that is a higher price upfront will often be the cheaper option long term.
Clothing made to last isn’t just an investment in the item, it’s an investment in everyone and everything connected to it, and it’s an investment in your future self.
The Return of Quality
There’s something incredibly satisfying about buying less, but buying better. Quality isn’t about extravagance, it’s about endurance. It’s the opposite of trend. It’s the feeling of zipping up a winter coat that still looks and feels new, year after year, because every element was designed to last.
As consumers, we’re beginning to remember what that feels like. To value materials that age well, craftsmanship that can’t be rushed, and companies willing to stand behind what they make for life.
