So imagine you've finally found an article of clothing you like that fits, but the price is a little bit higher than you expected. How do you justify spending so much money on something you like, but don't love? The best way to judge quality is to determine the material from which the garment is made, and whether or not that fabric suits your needs. Learning about fabrics is significantly easier than you might suspect, especially if you use this handy guide.

Fabric is the warp and weft of fibers. Some fibers occur naturally in nature, but be aware that natural fibers are not necessarily better than synthetic ones.

Cotton is a natural substance because it comes from a cotton boll plant; if you've ever studied U.S. history, you knew that. Because it's natural, it breathes much more easily, and is more comfortable to wear in summer. It can almost always be washed because it is actually made stronger in hot water.

Linen is also a plant fiber, so it breathes like cotton and is also a great choice for warm weather. But beware, linen wrinkles and shrinks extremely easily, and should therefore always be dry-cleaned.

Silk is beautiful and expensive because it comes from worms and takes a long time to collect and prepare. Because it is the strongest of the natural fibers, it can be hand-washed unless it has a nubby finish, in which case it needs to be dry-cleaned.

Wool is one of the worst natural fibers. It shrinks more than anything else, is very weak and usually has to be mixed with synthetics. That said, it is very popular and good in sweaters.

Man-made fibers can be great, especially if you are allergic to natural ones or need a garment that is made of combined fabrics. They certainly have their advantages.

Polyester makes a great fabric because it doesn't attract dirt and stains are easy to remove (with hand or machine washing). The problem is that it doesn't breathe at all, so it retains sweat and can be uncomfortable.

As for rayon, it should be noted that viscose rayon (like its partner, spun rayon) shrinks extremely easily, and should be dry cleaned with care.

Nylon is the most elastic type of fabric, and therefore is usually used in garments such as stretch underwear or swimsuits. It doesn't get dirty, and is very easy to wash.

Acrylic is like wool, except it can be hand-washed.

Those distinctions clarified, there may still exist several terms with which you are not familiar. For example, chino, corduroy, denim, flannel, khaki and madras are all types of cotton! Who knew? But the most important distinctions within the cotton family regard those nice button-downs that, sooner or later, everyone has to buy. Broadcloth is either entirely cotton or a cotton blend with tiny crosswire ribs. Cambric is a thick, tight cotton that is usually used in those blue, casual sportswear shirts. Poplin is one of the heaviest cotton fabrics, usually used in high-quality shirts. Voile is usually found in tuxedo shirts and formalwear; it is very thin and usually shiny. Lastly, seersucker makes great pants and suits that are crinkly (if you are Mr. Big-Shot-Ivy-Leaguer, you can afford to wear wrinkled clothes) and very comfortable for the summer.

Wool, on the other hand, has fewer subcategories, but the names are usually more obscure-like crepe, gabardine or melton. In addition to cashmere, the two most prominent and important types of wool are merino (a cheaper alternative to cashmere, but a high-quality material) and tweed, which is composed of actually fiber-dyed yarns (usually yellow or brown in color) and is rough.

With this basic understanding, you can make more informed decisions on what to buy and how to care for it. Different fabrics are very useful for different times of year (for example, I'd wear cambric in the winter and madras in the summer) but some are also universally appropriate (such as cashmere or broadcloth). Although dry-cleaning can be expensive, it is definitely better to spend some dough than ruin a perfectly nice silk blouse or tie. And hopefully now you can make wise choices on how to care, and when to spend the extra time or money, for the well-being and upkeep of your precious and important-to-clean clothes.