The method
How we score
Two scores, one consistent system — how we judge every piece, out in the open.
Most reviews tell you something is “good quality” and expect you to take their word for it. We don’t. Every piece earns two scores you can check for yourself — here’s exactly how they work.
The Make Score
The Make Score rates how well a garment is made on its own merits, before price comes into it — a number out of 100 built from the five things that actually decide whether a piece is well-made and built to last. We score every item against the same criteria, weighted by how much each affects the finished garment:
| What we judge | Weight | Why it matters to you |
|---|---|---|
| Fabric & fibre | 30% | What it’s made of, and how it feels, drapes, and ages. The single biggest factor in quality. |
| Construction & seams | 25% | How it’s stitched and held together — the difference between a garment that lasts and one that fails at the seams. |
| Cut & engineering | 20% | How it’s shaped to sit on the body, so it skims and flatters rather than clings. |
| Hardware & finishing | 15% | Zips, buttons, waistbands, and hems — the small parts that tend to fail first. |
| Longevity | 10% | How well it holds up to washing and wear over time. |
How each part is scored
Each of the five is rated from 1 to 5 — from 5 (excellent, genuine craftsmanship) down to 1 (poor, built to be replaced). We multiply each rating by its weight and total it out of 100. Because fabric and construction carry the most weight, a piece can’t earn a high score on looks alone — it has to be genuinely well-made.
Reading a Make Score
- 80–100 — Excellent. Real quality, built to last.
- 65–79 — Good. Solid, with only minor compromises.
- 50–64 — Acceptable. Wearable, but corners were cut.
- Below 50 — Weak. Expect it to show its age quickly.
For example: a skirt with great fabric, an average build, a good cut, average hardware, and good longevity works out to a Make Score of around 72/100 — a solid, well-made piece with a couple of small compromises.
Why you can trust the number
- We score the piece, not the brand. A respected label can still produce a weak garment, and we’ll say so.
- The weightings never change between reviews, so every score is directly comparable — a 78 here means the same as a 78 anywhere else on the site.
- Affiliate links never move a score. We score first and link second, and we recommend pieces because they score well — never because a retailer pays us.
The Value Verdict
A beautifully made garment isn’t always a smart buy, and a cheap one isn’t always a waste. The Make Score tells you how well-made a piece is. The Value Verdict tells you whether it’s worth what you’re being asked to pay. It weighs a piece’s Make Score against what’s reasonable to expect at its price, and lands on one of three calls:
| Verdict | What it means |
|---|---|
| Great Value | Punches above its price — the quality is better than the tag suggests. |
| Fair | You get what you pay for — a sensible, honest buy. |
| Overpriced | The quality doesn’t justify the price — you’re paying for the label, not the make. |
Cost-per-wear is the real test of value. A £150 skirt worn 100 times costs £1.50 a wear; a £30 skirt that pills after five wears costs £6. The “expensive” piece is often the cheaper one in the long run — so we note a realistic cost-per-wear on our top picks.
Using the two scores together
- High Make Score + Great Value — a standout buy. These are our favourites.
- High Make Score + Overpriced — beautiful, but wait for a sale, or see our value pick.
- Modest Make Score + Great Value — a smart budget choice that does the job well.
- Low Make Score — we’ll tell you to skip it, whatever the price.
Why you can trust the verdict
- The same logic applies to every piece, so verdicts are comparable across the whole site.
- A high price never earns a better verdict on its own — quality has to justify it.
- An affiliate commission never softens an “Overpriced.” We’d rather send you to a £40 skirt that’s Great Value than a £200 one that isn’t.