Style Advice

Break in Your Clothes: the Quality Garments That Need Time

Quality garments require time to shape themselves to your body and style. From jeans and shoes to blazers and sweaters - through use and patience, they only get better over time, and a breaking-in period can be the key to long-term comfort and fit.

Text: Rasmus Motten Wernerby
Photo: AI generated

Published 2025-02-15

We have all, at some point, experienced that a newly purchased item doesn't feel quite right – the fit isn't as expected, the material feels different, or the colour doesn't match the pictures. Despite our best efforts to help customers make informed choices through images, size charts and personal style advice, there are times when a return feels unavoidable. But our experience shows that some garments are not meant to feel perfect from the start. Sometimes, time is all it takes for a garment to feel right. So, how should you think in order to avoid disappointment and returns? Let's dive into this.

”Good Things Take Time”

Many expect that a quality garment from an established brand should fit perfectly right away – and often, it does. Luxurious materials and timeless cuts, refined through many seasons, mean that in most cases, you will be satisfied with your purchase, as long as you've chosen the right size and a colour that suits your complexion. But a garment is rarely tailored just for you from the start. Just like a relationship meeds time to grow, a high-quality garment often requires time to shape itself to your body and your life.

Let's take a few examples:

The Jeans That Stand Up on Their Own When You Unpack Them

Anyone who has ever bought a pair of high-quality raw denim jeans will recognise this.The stiff fabric softens and moulds to your body with every wear. For denim lovers, this is part of the charm, while others may see it as a transitional phase to simply endure. Either way, this is one of the most famous examples of a garment needing time to become really good. The same applies to other thicker, high-quality materials such as a sturdier pair of chinos, a leather jacket, or a thicker Oxford shirt. The beauty here is that the tough start is often just a short but intense part of the long journey together, where the garment only gets better and more comfortable over time.

The Shoes That Give You Blisters Just by Looking at Them

Many can relate to this when it comes to dress shoes. Just like jeans, high-quality shoes also require a break-in period. If you have chosen the right model and fit, we can almost guarantee that the shoes will become your favourites. For hiking boots or sturdier leather shoes, it can even take miles of use before they fit as they should, but the reward is that they become your lifelong companions. Trust the process, buy a pack of blister plasters, and tough it out - that's all we can say.

Crockett & Jones Pembroke Milled Grain Vibram Black

The Blazer That Feels Wrong the First Time You Try It On

You've done your research and invested in a blazer you've been eyeing for a long time, and on paper, it's perfect. But when you put it on, it feels wrong. This feeling isn't uncommon, as the built-up expectations are often hard to match immediately in reality. But just like jeans, a blazer may need some time on your body to achieve that desired fit and that perfectly worn-in look that makes it look effortless on you. That is, natural and not overly dressed. Often, a garment feels wrong the first time you try it on because it is too new, too stiff, too pressed, too perfect. A feeling that some like, but most feel slightly dressed up in. A garment looks its best when it has had time to shape itself to your body with natural creases and a developing patina. Clothes are meant to be worn, and with proper care, they will last through many wears and thus over a long time.

The Sweater That Looks Like It Belongs to Someone Else When You See Yourself in the Mirror

The feeling when you try something new, something outside your usual style, can almost be an out-of-body experience. Sometimes, it just feels completely wrong, and in that case, you should probably trust your gut feeling. Butsometimes, it's simply a matter of an adjustment period when you've stepped out of your comfort zone. Experiment - what in your existing wardrobe pairs best with it? Look for inspiration and wear the garment for short periods in company where you feel comfortable. The worst thing you can do for your confidence is to test a garment in this category at a big or important event. You will most likely feel both uncertain and stared at, even though it is highly unlikely that anyone has even noticed that you are trying something new for yourself.

We hope these examples have given you some insight and reassurance that you're not alone in sometimes feeling that a garment doesn't live up to expectations - sometimes, it just needs time. Do you have more examples or tips that could help others in the same situation? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments.

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style advice Rasmus Motten Wernerby

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