We’ve all experienced wardrobe malfunctions — shirts that never looked the same after that first cleaning, buttons that popped off blazers, and pant seams that ripped open. It can be tough to tell which clothes will look and fit great from one cleaning to the next and which ones will fall apart. And paying more doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get better-quality clothes, according to our latest tests. We bought similar blazers, pants and blouses from five popular clothing chains — Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, H&M, J. Crew, and Talbots — and had our textile expert inspect every inch of them.

To assess the clothing’s tailoring and materials, which can affect not only the way a garment wears but also how nicely it drapes and how well it fits, we tore out seams (don’t try this in the store), peeked under the lining, tugged on and inspected stitching, and ran clothes through multiple cycles of dry cleaning or washing and drying, depending on label instructions, to check for pilling, fading and loose buttons.

No one store was best in every category, but there were a few surprises. H&M, though not a winner, did pretty well, making the store’s inexpensive clothes seem like an even better value. We found high-end details like functioning buttonholes on jacket sleeves. (Many jacket sleeves have buttons simply sewn onto the fabric.)  Talbots, on the other hand, was a little disappointing. Construction details like piped lining, which every other store offered, were missing on the jacket we bought from that higher-priced brand.

Here are the rest of the results and the winners. Plus we’ll tell you easy ways to spot well-made clothes on your next shopping trip and how to take care of them so that they look great every time you wear them.

What to look for in shirts:

• Straight, smooth stitching at the hems: If there’s a diagonal wrinkle, the shirt may have been pushed through the sewing machine too quickly or at the wrong angle.
• Two layers of fabric across the shoulders: This is called a double-lined yoke and it makes the shirt sturdier and gives it a more structured look.
• A separate button placket: This is an extra layer of fabric around the buttonholes. Also make sure that the buttons are neatly sewn. If there are loose threads the whole thing could unravel.
• French seams: These are a nice detail, and since all the edges are encased, the seams are smoother and stronger.
• Thick fabric: Shirts made with sturdy materials will last longer and drape better. They’re also not as see-through.

Bad signs

• Frayed or unfinished inside seams
• A collar that doesn’t fold down smoothly: It’s a sign the fabric wasn’t cut properly. Also look under the collar; the stitching there should be smooth and without wrinkles or puckers along the seam.

How to protect shirts from getting wrecked in the wash:

• Wash white shirts in cool or warm water:  Wash them only with other whites. To prevent underarm stains, try adhesive strips like Garment Guard, $11 for five pairs at www.amazon.com.
• Undo all buttons: It’ll keep them from falling off in the wash.
• Don’t completely dry shirts: Pull them out of the dryer while they’re still a little damp and iron them right away. The moisture makes de-wrinkling easier.
• Watch out for shrinkage: Don’t be surprised if your size 6 blouse looks more like a 4 after you wash it. When we washed the J. Crew and Ann Taylor blouses, they shrank nearly an inch in width, and machine-washable pants from Ann Taylor shrank more than three-quarters of an inch at the hips. Testing standards allow some leeway, and that can mean a whole size difference. A little spandex (1 to 5 percent) can compensate for small amounts of shrinkage.
• Try a smooth move: No-iron finishes cost a bit extra, but they’ll save you a ton of money on dry cleaning. Just one bummer — they may reduce the life of the garment by as much as 25 percent.

What our testers found for a plain white blouse:

Ann Taylor, $58
Pros: This shirt had thick fabric, like the winning blouse at right. And it can go into the dryer. There’s no label saying it must be line dried, as the other shirt’s label says.
Cons: No separate button placket.

Banana Republic, $58
Why it’s a winner: This blouse got our highest marks overall for its excellent construction. It has French seams, a double-lined yoke, and was made from a thick fabric.

H&M, $19.90
Pros: Although this shirt was the least expensive of the bunch, it had a separate button placket, a nice extra.
Cons: It has just a single layer in the back yoke, a shortcut manufacturers use to keep costs down.

J. Crew, $59.50
Pros: Detailed piping on the inside of the collar will keep it from stretching.
Cons: This one had the second-highest price but didn’t offer high-quality extras for the money.

Talbots, $68
Pros: This shirt has princess seams, which are better than darts because they create a more tailored fit. They’re also more costly to make.
Cons: The shirt was made of lighter fabric than others we tested.

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