I’ve made a bit of a list of things that can go wrong and put you off wearing clothes in your wardrobe. Not all things will be as important to everyone. Take a look at the things you have bought that you rarely or never wear and see what resonates with you. Next time you buy things hopefully you can avoid the same mistakes. You might have other things to add or share with me.
Dimensional stability:
This is when garments lose their shape after wearing and/or washing. It is most problematic for body conscious garments like trousers and jeans resulting in saggy bums and knees. Whilst it worsens over time, just sitting in something for a few minutes and then taking it off can show you if it is going to be a problem. Better quality fabrics are engineered to retain their shape. When buying trousers and jeans it is better to spend more money and buy from specialist brands as the fabrics are much more likely to have better dimensional stability. Avoid trousers with a lot of give lengthwise or if they are very drapey as they won’t hold their shape as well as something more rigid, unless, of course, you want something more loose fitting.
Abrasion/ catching:
Some fabrics are really bad at snagging and rubbing up. You can normally tell by gently rubbing something a little bit to see if it is going to be an issue. Choose somewhere inconspicuous. Looser woven fabrics, fabrics with looser yarns on the surface, lurex and things like boucle are the most susceptible. If I want something that I can keep wearing I avoid more novelty cloths and stick to more densely woven fabrics. If you still want or already own susceptible items avoid wearing them with things like buckles and rough jewellery that will snag them, or overgarments that aren’t lined or not smooth, and avoid rubbing up against rough surfaces or bags. You’ve probably had a coat that has been damaged on the side where you have your bag. For snags you can usually pull them through to the inside. Never cut snags off or you will end up with a hole.
Seam slippage:
This is when the fabric pulls apart at the seam because the weave is too weak. Eventually it will tear at the seam. If the seams are going to slip then make sure the garment isn’t tight as it will only put pressure on the seam. Worst affected are lower quality silks, especially if they have been sewn with a long stitch length. If you pull on a seam in an inconspicuous place you will be able to see if it is going to be a problem. Don’t buy the garment if this is going to happen as you won’t be able to wear it that many times before it tears. If you have something you really love then sometimes you can correct it a bit by sewing with a smaller stitch.
Loss of colour:
Some things look great a bit faded out but it can be annoying if this isn’t what you want or if they shed colour on furniture and other clothes. Before buying you can check if this is an issue by rubbing with a clean white cloth to see if the dye comes off. If cloth has been dyed correctly there should be no loss of colour. Natural fabrics like cotton and denim are most susceptible to colour loss. If you really have problems with dye loss getting it dry cleaned first sometimes can help to set the dye. Apart from this there isn’t much you can do about colour loss except washing the item separately or with similar colours in cold water. For dark items I always wash with cold water regardless as it is so much better for the environment and the garment. If you are worried about colour transfer avoid wearing the item with paler colours.
Pilling:
Is one of those things that you can’t accurately predict. Blended fabrics with polyester and acrylic are most susceptible. Lower grade natural fabrics where the fibres aren’t as long tend to pill worse but manufacturers don’t label this and sometimes makers substitute with a lower grade yarn. When I’ve analysed my various cashmere jumpers, some without issues and those that have pilled badly, I’ve noticed that the ones that look fuzzier seem to have been affected the worst. There are pill removers you can buy to gently remove the bobbles. On some jumpers once I’ve done this a few times the issues have gone away but others have still continued pilling. As a rule, the more money you pay for luxurious yarns like cashmere the less pilling you should expect. Items like my affordable 100% merino jumpers have been worn hundreds of times and have never pilled.
Shedding fibres and picking up fluff:
Some fabrics shed fibres everywhere and you will find it impossible to keep them off whatever you wear with them or whatever hangs beside them in your wardrobe. When shopping it’s easy to spot as they will moult over whatever you have on or the garments hanging on the rail beside them. I would imagine these fabrics are also much more problematic in shedding fibres when washed and contributing to the microfibre problems in our waterways. Likewise some fabrics pick up fluff and fibres much easier and if you want to keep them looking smart will require clothes brushing. It’s quite easy to check how susceptible a cloth is to picking up lint and fibres.
Hole and tear easily:
Some fabrics like viscose tend to tear easier when wet. Anything, apart from synthetics, will tear or rip more if it is a lighter weight or a looser weave. Fine wools and cashmere are often susceptible to moth damage. When not wearing try and keep safe in a plastic bag and use moth repellants to deter them.
Seams coming undone:
It’s much faster to sew things in the factory if the stitch length is bigger but for them to stay together longer it is preferable to have a smaller stitch length. Better quality items should also be reinforced on pocket corners or areas where the seams are under more stress. It can be worth checking the seams inside and if they are not all caught in the overlocking or French seam, they are likely to come undone.
Buttonholes too big:
In addition to buttonholes being made too large for the size of the button sometimes the buttonholes also get bigger with use. This is easy to fix by making the buttonholes smaller by hand stitching them on the inside where the stitches can’t be seen.
Buttons loose:
It’s always worth checking the buttons are securely stitched, if not it is easy to reinforce them before you start wearing the item so you don’t lose any, or you may even want to personalise the garment by changing the buttons.
Difficult to iron:
It’s easy for things that are difficult to iron to just get left aside to iron another time. Avoid garments that look difficult to access with your iron or if the cloth looks like it will be time consuming to iron. You can also try stretching a garment to flatten and correct its shape, drying on a hanger or using a steam generator to soften creases if you hate ironing. Alternatively you can embrace a crushed look. In the early days of my fashion label I sold to a very stylish store in Melbourne who insisted that all garments be delivered washed and crushed. If you really dislike ironing and don’t want crushed garments I recommend choosing easy care fabrics like polyester.
Scratch or bruise easily:
This is probably more to do with leather and velvet but worth considering.
Melt:
Really synthetic items can melt if they come in contact with too high a heat source.
Knitwear/ jersey twisted:
I don’t like knitwear or jersey that is skewed or twisted out of shape. Check seams sit at the side when buying. When they are badly twisted, they often get steamed a bit into shape to fix this during manufacture but the problem can get worse with washing. They don’t usually sit as well when worn and it makes ironing difficult. If you have something like this already, try pulling it to straighten it when wet and then dry flat.
Off grain:
Where the weave is on an angle, and this is not a design feature, the garment won’t hang symmetrically and you can have issues with it looking worse after washing.
Expensive or difficult to clean:
If something is dry clean only decide how often it will need to be cleaned and will it be worth paying for specialist care every time you need to clean it. For something like a woollen coat hopefully it is only once or twice a season but a silk top may need dry cleaning every time you wear it. Always check the care labels before purchasing. I recently had a coat which required you to unpick the collar before drycleaning. Surely it would have been easier to construct it so it was removable before cleaning. Even worse I sometimes discover garments that can’t be wet or dry cleaned making it impossible to keep wearing them when they get dirty.
Shrinking:
Tends to affect cotton, viscose, crepe weaves and knitwear the worst, mainly in the length. I try and buy things a little longer than I want and if I need to hem them, I always wash them first. Sleeves often get shorter as you bend your arms in them. If you want to avoid items shrinking, washing in cooler water and drying naturally (which are also better for the environment) will prevent excessive shrinkage. Apart from something you know will loosen with wear, like jeans, I tend to buy things on the bigger side in case they shrink width wise or I gain weight. If something is too small it is virtually impossible to let out.
Waterproof, if needed:
No matter how great the raincoat looks, if you get wet in it you aren’t going to want to wear it in the rain as much. If you want something to be waterproof always check first or ask when purchasing. I’m always surprised that you would make a raincoat that wasn’t waterproof.
Itchy:
Always try a garment on and if something feels itchy or uncomfortable don’t buy it. It will feel worse after you wear it a bit.
Lining poor quality:
As I have been checking garments for resell I notice that the lining has worn out on several items. Replacing linings is expensive, difficult and time consuming because you have to recut the pattern so it fits back exactly the same. For trousers and jackets avoid lightweight acetate linings and choose polyester linings or bemburg linings in jackets and coats. Weaker acetate linings are fine for sleeveless dresses or loose skirts. Cotton linings, whilst not as easy to move against, are strong and breathe well.
Attract odour:
Some fabrics are much harder to keep smelling fresh. Polyester has even been proven to grow odorous microbes. Cotton breathes more than synthetics so you should stay fresher while wearing it, and it also absorbs odours and moisture so usually won’t smell bad unless it is left damp and goes a bit rancid. I’ve always found thick cotton knitwear hard to wash and likely to smell but fabrics like merino wool actually wick moisture so can be worn for days without smelling. Likewise, 100% wool doesn’t smell. If lycra is added this seems to trap odours a bit so it is often better to stick to non-blends.
Too high on armhole:
If you perspire then things that are very high on your armpit are much more likely to be affected. Choose looser items or look at wearing something underneath.
Show marks easily:
Paler, plainer, matt clothes in more absorbent fabrics tend to show marks worst. Unless I want darker colours I sometimes choose things that are marled, flecked or patterned which don’t show marks if I know I’ll be wearing when more likely to get the stained.
Is it something that I will keep wearing… and suitable for what I want it for?
This is probably the most important thing on my list. Before you buy, think do you love this item enough to wear it loads or is it just something that will do until you find something better? Do you think it suits you? Do you feel comfortable wearing it? Do you even need it? Have you already got something very similar? Does it fit with your lifestyle? Is it suitable for what you want to use it for? Is a delicate silk dress suitable to withstand being worn to a festival without trashing it? Is a winter coat that is made from a lightweight material and/or very low on the neck going to keep you warm and be versatile enough to wear with lots of different things underneath? Will you keep wearing it or is it suitable to onsell if you don’t?
