How the Reviews team tests clothing, shoes, and accessories at Business Insider

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Whether you're shopping for a work bag that can survive a daily commute or upgrading the basics you wear on repeat, the Reviews team at Business Insider offers style recommendations you can trust.

Our style coverage is led by experienced editors who have spent years reporting on the evolution of style and testing clothing, shoes, and accessories in real life, not just in a studio or for a single wear. Each year, our team researches and tests hundreds of style products to identify the options that deliver on quality, comfort, durability, and value.

Our approach to testing clothing, shoes, and bags

Our buying guides go far beyond first impressions. While fit and comfort are important, they're only the starting point. We prioritize long-term, hands-on testing to understand how products actually perform over time.

Depending on the category, we wear and use products for weeks or months — and in some cases, revisit them over the course of years — to evaluate how they hold up to regular wear, washing, walking, commuting, and travel. Clothing is laundered multiple times according to care instructions, shoes are worn for miles on real streets and sidewalks, and bags are packed, carried, and stored the way people use them every day.

We also evaluate brand claims closely. If an item is advertised as waterproof, machine-washable, or designed for all-day wear, we test those promises directly. That can mean wearing shoes in rainy weather, washing garments repeatedly, or loading bags to capacity to assess structure and comfort.

When we update our guides, we hold new products to the same testing standards as previous picks. Our editors often continue wearing shoes and clothing long after publication so we can update stories with new insights about durability and long-term value.

What we look for

While personal style is subjective, our evaluations focus on tangible, comparable criteria, including:

• Construction and craftsmanship
• Comfort and wearability over time
• Durability and performance after repeated use and washing
• Ease of care and maintenance
• Price and overall value
• Sustainability claims and materials, when relevant

Final recommendations are based on how each product performs in testing, how it compares to others in the same category we've tested, and whether it offers meaningful value for its price.

Editorial independence and standards

Our recommendations are editorially independent. We do not accept payment in exchange for guaranteed coverage or positive reviews, and brands do not review our content before publication. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission, and you'll always see a disclaimer on Reviews stories about this.

Our editors develop and refine testing methodologies in-house and collaborate to ensure consistent standards across our style coverage. As part of Business Insider — a global newsroom read by millions each month — our Reviews team follows established journalistic standards focused on accuracy, fairness, and transparency.

Style products we cover

Shoes: From the best men's dress shoes to the most comfortable heels, our testers spend hours on their feet evaluating walkability, arch support, break-in periods, and comfort over extended wear. For many shoe guides, editors log miles of walking per pair.

Basics: Basics are the foundation of any wardrobe, which is why we obsess over details like fabric quality, fit consistency, and how items look and feel after repeated washing. Our coverage includes the best women's basics brands, men's and women's underwear, loungewear, and other everyday essentials that can have an outsized impact on comfort and confidence.

Workwear: When evaluating clothing for work, our team focuses on fit, comfort, polish, and how well pieces hold up to a demanding workweek. Among our officewear stories, you'll find articles on the best places to buy women's workwear and men's business-casual clothing, and more specific guides like suits for women, chinos for men, wrinkle-free dress shirts, and more.

Bags and accessories: From women's and men's work bags for commuting to the office to crossbody bags for the weekend, our team knows its way around a good carry-all. We recommend bags across all price points, from budget to luxury. Editors assess capacity, organization, comfort, materials, and durability. Beyond bags, we also cover some jewelry and accessories, including the best places to buy affordable fine jewelry online, and where to scoop up silver pieces for everyday wear.

How we test clothing, shoes, and accessories

For most stories, we establish a standard for how long and where an item should be worn (in the gym, around the house, at work), and how many times it should be washed. We also look at claims made about the products (are they promising to be waterproof? Machine-washable? One-size-fits-all?).

We then use products the way people actually use them: we throw leggings in the dryer, wear sports bras during workouts, walk miles in every shoe we test, and stuff bags full on our commutes or vacations. We put brands' claims to the test, for example, by pouring water over shoes that say they're waterproof or water-resistant, and wearing them in rainy weather as much as we can.

When we update stories, we hold each new product we test to the same standard, putting it through the same paces. We also often wear and use products long-term to update our stories with new insights about how they fare over long periods of wearing, washing, walking, or general use.

Meet our expert style team

Our style and beauty team has over 25 years of combined experience testing and reviewing clothing, shoes, bags, and jewelry.

Sally Kaplan, Executive Editor of Reviews

Sally Kaplan has been with the Reviews team since 2018. She was the founding editor of the Style team and has since led coverage of clothing, shoes, and accessories. As the current Executive Editor of Reviews, she works with style editors to develop testing methodologies and regularly participates in product testing for the style team.

In her previous role as the lead style editor, Sally interviewed the founders of brands like Allbirds and Richer Poorer, as well as professional stylists and fashion directors. She's tested countless pairs of jeans, loafers, sneakers, and more.

She began her career on BuzzFeed's shopping team and has also served as the lifestyle editor for Hearst's product review website, Best Products.

See Sally's LinkedIn.

Amir Ismael, Men's Style Editor

Amir Ismael is a Men's Style Editor for Reviews. As a collector of sneakers and fashion, Amir is passionate about all things related to style.

Over almost a decade at Business Insider, Amir has covered the industry's shift to producing more sustainable clothing, the most comfortable loungewear and basics for men, the best places for affordable business-casual attire, and more. He's used his expertise in footwear and the footwear industry to test shoes from sportswear giants, well-known casual brands, and small startups.

Amir's coverage also includes eyewear, watches, and grooming products like electric razors and men's skincare. His writing has appeared in Complex Sneakers and Sole Collector, where he contributed to daily sneaker news and release dates, feature-length articles, and interviews with artists, designers, and athletes.

See Amir's LinkedIn.

Samantha Crozier, Women's Style Editor

Samantha Crozier is the women's style editor for Insider Reviews, where she leads fashion coverage across shopping guides and major sales moments. In her role, she designs the testing methodology for Insider Reviews' women's style content, making sure recommendations are based on real-world testing and not just hype.

Sam is especially known for her expertise in women's shoes. She famously walked a mile in more than 80 pairs of heels to find the most comfortable options online. She also has particular expertise in workwear, work bags, petite fashion, swimwear, and jewelry. She works closely with writers to test products for comfort, quality, durability, and real-life wear, always to help readers shop smarter.

Whether she's hunting down a pair of heels she can wear all day or figuring out which silk pajamas actually hold up after multiple washes, Sam approaches fashion like a trusted friend with very high standards — and a serious love of a good deal.

You can find her on Instagram @samcrozier_ or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Gabrielle Chase, Women's Senior Associate Style Editor

Gabrielle Chase is a Senior Associate Style Editor at Business Insider Reviews. She writes, edits, updates, and plans new style stories, and occasionally dabbles in skincare and luggage reviews.

Gabrielle came to Business Insider with a love of fashion and has since become the team's resident cashmere expert (a title that came naturally, as everyone else is allergic). She has tested countless ballet flats, boots, and sneakers to see whether they're really worth the money — and has formed permanent calluses in the process.

Gabrielle also works with a trusted network of writers from across the country to interview experts like podiatrists and dermatologists, while upholding Business Insider's rigorous testing methodology. Together, Gabi and her writers run pour tests on waterproof coats, tumble dry dress pants on high heat, and cram as much as possible into a single carry-on.

When she's not living la vida laptop, you can find Gabrielle out testing and photographing products in New York.

Connect with Gabrielle on Instagram or LinkedIn.