Making clothes last

[Ausmumof3]

I'm always really surprised in fashion threads when people say they have shirts that last them 10 years.  What is your secret?

we use a front loader washing machine on cold, line dry outdoors undercover.  Separate colours.  In spite my clothes just seem to fall apart.

for example I started the year with 2 t shirts.  I've bought four more.  Two from target, four supermarket brand.  The two target ones stretched wide and short on the second wear!  I can now only wear them with a long shirt underneath or I can't bend over.  One supermarket one has stitching that came undone.  I will repair but I imagine that it's only a matter of time till the otherside goes.  One other supermarket one has developed a small hole in the middle of the front that can't really be repaired.  The last one that's still good is actually an off the shoulder one that i bought not realising.  Because I don't really like wearing off the shoulder I've double layered it so it hasn't had a lot of wear.

 

anyway so what is your secret to durable clothes?!  Is it in the laundry technique?  The number of shirts in rotation?  Picking a certain type or quality of fabric? I don't mind buying more expensive stuff but I haven't found they last much longer.

[Arcadia]

The clothing that last for many many years for me are

- business casual clothing (dresses and coats) which are worn a few times a month so not much wear and tear

- outerwear, mine are mainly hiking/outdoors outerwear and those seems to last forever. My favorite Columbia windbreaker has been in used regularly since college days (early 90s) and still looks gently used. My favorite Calvin Klein down jacket however looks very well used after 5 years. My Spiewak down parka has held up well so far but I have only used it for a few months.

My kids Children Place clothes has gotten larger after each wash but my kids don’t care as long as there is no holes. So they have worn Children’s Place polo shirts that are four years old and the small size shirt has become the size of a large size shirt. 

My husband and my casual shirts all last at most three years but we bought at sale prices that makes it affordable to throw after two years if we have to. My husband’s formal shirts doesn’t get worn often so they look at most gently used. 

[TechWife]

Clothing from Target would never last me 10 years, I'd be lucky to get a couple of years out of it!

In order to last a long time, the fabric has to be high quality, the thread has to be high quality and appropriate for the type of garment and constructed well. Garments such as jackets, skirts and slacks need to be made of a durable fabric (typically a wool or wool blend for me) and lined in order to maintain their shape. Taped seams wear better as well, but it isn't as easy to find. Interfacing on collars and necklines helps them wear well, too. These features aren't typically found on clothing at Target and similar stores.

I spot treat stains immediately and make sure I follow the instructions on the label as a minimum guide. I hang and/or fold as soon as possible, not only to prevent wrinkles, but to help clothes maintain their shape. I use the dry cleaner when needed. 

[Lori D.]

I don't use the dryer on Target tees -- hang up or drape to dry. I can usually get 2 seasons out of about 6-8 Target or Walmart tees (when interspersed with wearing other tops as well -- usually 2nd hand store/used clothes of higher quality). Also, when they come out of the washer, I "re-stretch" length-wise to prevent drying short and wide. Not quite sure how to describe it, but I hold the shirt so that it hangs as you would wear it (with neck up and bottom hem down), and then with both hands, one above the other, I encircle the body of the shirt just under under the armpits (picture as if throttling the body of the tee-shirt -- lol). The top hand tightens and holds the shirt while the bottom hand still in "throttle" position, slides down the length of the shirt (using quite a bit of force), stretching the whole shirt body downwards to lengthen it. I then give the shirt a shake to snap out wrinkles and reshape, and then drape or hang so that the weight of the wet shirt continues to pull downward so it dries "long" rather than shortening up and widening.

[Katy]

Try Lands End, LL Bean, Deluth Trading Company, and equivalently priced $30+ department store brand shirts.

[Ausmumof3]

24 minutes ago, Lori D. said:

I don't use the dryer on Target tees -- hang up or drape to dry. I can usually get 2 seasons out of about 6-8 Target or Walmart tees (when interspersed with wearing other tops as well -- usually 2nd hand store/used clothes of higher quality). Also, when they come out of the washer, I "re-stretch" length-wise to prevent drying short and wide. Not quite sure how to describe it, but I hold the shirt so that it hangs as you would wear it (with neck up and bottom hem down), and then with both hands, one above the other, I encircle the body of the shirt just under under the armpits (picture as if throttling the body of the tee-shirt -- lol). The top hand tightens and holds the shirt while the bottom hand still in "throttle" position, slides down the length of the shirt, stretching the whole shirt body downwards to lengthen it. I then give the shirt a shake to snap out wrinkles and reshape, and then drape or hang so that the weight of the wet shirt continues to pull downward so it dries "long" rather than shortening up and widening.

Sounds like this is what I need to try!  This seems to be a frequent problem with my shirts!  DHS men ones are fine I don't know what's different about the weave.

[Ausmumof3]

2 minutes ago, Katy said:

Try Lands End, LL Bean, Deluth Trading Company, and equivalently priced $30+ department store brand shirts.

In Aus so don't have those brands here.  I actually buy online from Gymboree us for kids because the quality is better.  Average quality of clothes is definitely lower here.

the only better quality department store local to me is Myer and their clothes are some of the worst quality I've had!

[regentrude]

No secret that I know of. I have $5 shirts from Kmart that still keep shape after 10 years.  Cheap sundresses are still fine after 10 years. Dressier clothes last forever because they aren't worn that often.

I rewear shirts; so they don't get washed after a single wear. I have plenty of shirts, and I don't need to wear the same shirt every single day. 

I have a cheap top loader washer, nothing special. I line dry outside and use the dryer only  in wet winter weather. (Judging by the amount of lint that the dryer collects, that must be really hard on clothes.)

[Arcadia]

31 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

In Aus so don't have those brands here.  I actually buy online from Gymboree us for kids because the quality is better.  

 

Quiksilver jeans has been great for my DS13.  As durable as Levi’s.

For round neck tops, we have tried Billabong, Quiksilver, Rip Curl. I have not tried Seafolly swimwear but they looked well made. 

[Liz CA]

Tops from Lands' End or LL Bean will last a while unless I run into the kitchen after coming home from work and start cooking which virtually guarantees that I will spill something on it that will leave an indelible stain. As a poster above said, the more you have the less often the individual item gets washed. I have a front loader (but had a clothes shredding top loader until last year) and certain shirts I have truly had for a decade. This also usually means they are "special event" clothing that only gets worn to weddings, etc. Some incredibly well made T-Shirt from Lands' End (the early years of the company when things were still well sewn) that I wear fairly often in the summer is still in my closet - bought before the year 2005. :) I never take anything to a professional cleaner - I don't like the use of common dry cleaning chemicals. 

Since I don't deal with little ones anymore - not at home at least - clothing seems to suffer less as well. :)

 

[KungFuPanda]

I can’t get ten years out of a cheap target t-shirt, but it’s not unusual for me to get 5.  I’ve bern sleeping in my husband’s Army t-shirts for 25 years. 

I put everything in the dryer, but I have always had top loaders. The shorter cycles must help since the clothes aren’t rubbing together as long. I don’t know if the higher water volume would help or not.  Does anyone know the science behind this? It seems that clothes floating in agitating water might get  abused less than clothes tumbling against each other in less water for a much longer time. 

[GailV]

My summer clothing tends to wear out more quickly, probably because the fabric is flimsier. This is especially true of Target tshirts, which usually last about one season. Plus in summer I'm more likely to wash items after every wearing since I'm sweatier and more apt to be covered in dirt.  OTOH,  cold weather layers (cardigans and pullovers) usually don't get washed after every single wear.  I have sweaters and jackets from decades ago.

Also, I make a lot of my own clothing, and can choose more indestructible fabrics and construction methods.

[Ausmumof3]

19 minutes ago, GailV said:

My summer clothing tends to wear out more quickly, probably because the fabric is flimsier. This is especially true of Target tshirts, which usually last about one season. Plus in summer I'm more likely to wash items after every wearing since I'm sweatier and more apt to be covered in dirt.  OTOH,  cold weather layers (cardigans and pullovers) usually don't get washed after every single wear.  I have sweaters and jackets from decades ago.

Also, I make a lot of my own clothing, and can choose more indestructible fabrics and construction methods.

Interesting point.  I don't seem to have the same trouble with winter clothes so maybe it's the increased wash frequency.  Plus we've had really short true winters here the last couple of years and been away through the coldest months of two of them.

of 

[Ausmumof3]

1 hour ago, Arcadia said:

 

Quiksilver jeans has been great for my DS13.  As durable as Levi’s.

For round neck tops, we have tried Billabong, Quiksilver, Rip Curl. I have not tried Seafolly swimwear but they looked well made. 

Interesting.  We've never gone for surfshop type brands because I've always thought they were priced for brand name appeal.  I didn't realise they weren't also higher quality.

[Katy]

Maybe see if any of this is appealing?

https://www.theweeklyreview.com.au/live/5-sustainable-fashion-brands-you-should-have-in-your-wardrobe/

https://ecowarriorprincess.net/2016/08/12-australian-ethical-fashion-brands-you-can-shop-for-online/

https://www.llbean.com/    This company is based in Maine but does have free shipping to Australia over a certain $ amount.

[Arcadia]

7 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

We've never gone for surfshop type brands because I've always thought they were priced for brand name appeal.  I didn't realise they weren't also higher quality.

 

I get the rash guards for my kids and me for summer and these brands are easily available locally at discount/outlet stores. I won’t pay full price for them. Their tops lasted as long as the Nike tops my kids have. 

[Ausmumof3]

1 hour ago, Katy said:

Maybe see if any of this is appealing?

https://www.theweeklyreview.com.au/live/5-sustainable-fashion-brands-you-should-have-in-your-wardrobe/

https://ecowarriorprincess.net/2016/08/12-australian-ethical-fashion-brands-you-can-shop-for-online/

https://www.llbean.com/    This company is based in Maine but does have free shipping to Australia over a certain $ amount.

Some of it is appealing but way over my budget... llbean might be affordable at a stretch if they last longer?  Are they better quality?  

[Lori D.]

2 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

II put everything in the dryer, but I have always had top loaders. The shorter cycles must help since the clothes aren’t rubbing together as long. I don’t know if the higher water volume would help or not.  Does anyone know the science behind this? It seems that clothes floating in agitating water might get  abused less than clothes tumbling against each other in less water for a much longer time. 

That makes sense. We have a 30+ year old Maytag top loading clothes washer, so floating in agitating water... and never any problems with holes or shredding. We do have a front-load dryer, BUT I don't run my tee shirts through the dryer very often to reduce chances of shrinking...

Another thought: could detergent choice be a contributing factor?

ETA: PS -- Here's an article with steps of using the trick of hair conditioner to help reshape a shirt back to original length.

Other tips include: wear an undershirt to extend between washings; wash in cold water (hot water causes shrinking); if you live in an area that has hard water, add citric acid softening tablets (from the drugstore) to the wash load to counteract the calcium/mineral levels in the water; never put on/wear a wet tee and don't hang wet tees on a hanger, as that stretches out the neck -- dry flat (also, store dry tees folded in a drawer and not hanging on a hanger).

[Hannah]

We have long summers as well and I find that I have a lot of winter clothing that has lasted for years and very little summer clothing that lasts for more than 2 seasons before it is washed and worn out.  This includes work blouses and long trousers that I wear in summer.  

I think its mainly because I seldom wear a summer item more than once before washing, the fabrics are lighter and they also need to get ironed more because the cottons and lighter fabrics crease more.  

[J-rap]

My every-day clothes don't last nearly as long, but my twice/month clothes -- which generally I get at a higher quality -- actually will last for years.  Those are the clothes that are a step nicer than every-day.  

My black jeans (which are part of my every-day wardrobe) tend to fade after two years.  My winter wool sweaters last forever.

[HomeAgain]

Ditto to everyone else.  Well made is the key.

I tend to shop thrift stores, looking for brands that hold up well there.  It's how I found a favorite pair of jeans for my son (he destroys them in 6 months instead of 2 - seriously, this kid can even go through Iron Knee stuff), and many of my favorites.  Then I hunt up the companies and pay attention to their sales.  I've often gotten items new for nearly as cheap as the thrift store because I'll go through the clearance first.

And second, we tend to layer.  That makes clothes last longer because you're not washing outerwear as often as the things that touch your body. And I'm not talking layering like the crud that is popular with each piece being so thin you can see right through it. That wears out quick. No. I mean layering for warmth. Right now I'm wearing a super soft long sleeve shirt over a tight fitting short sleeve.  The long sleeve shirt may end up hung up back in my closet tonight while the other is thrown in the wash.  I realized last week that my favorite sweater is almost 9 years old, and the only reason I thought about it was because the cuffs were fraying.  I was debating whether or not to re-knit the cuffs with a contrasting yarn or finally toss the thing.  Re-knitting won out, lol, because I really do love it and it's in fabulous shape except for that.  I'll knit a new belt, too, to make it look cohesive.  But that's a third point - quality clothes use quality materials.  I wear a lot of natural material and save the synthetics for their proper use: workout and winter gear, undergarments, swimsuits.  Everything else is cotton, wool. linen, and maybe a bit of silk.

[Katy]

6 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Some of it is appealing but way over my budget... llbean might be affordable at a stretch if they last longer?  Are they better quality?  

 

Yes, they are much better quality.  Start with sale and clearance items and try a few things at a time. I've never had anything from them fall apart, even if it's more than 10 years old.  The only time I've ever gotten rid of anything is if we got a stain on it.

[Pawz4me]

DH and I have tons of clothes that are 10+ years old. They range from brands like LE, LLBean, Nautica, J Crew and things from Kohls (mostly their store brand) to things like special event t-shirts. I don't do anything special--

• Front load washer (which I believe is generally considered much gentler on clothes than top loaders, but we had very long lasting clothes when we had top loaders, too)
• Almost everything goes in the dryer
• I never hang clothes outside
• Name brand detergent (Tide, Persil, Arm & Hammer)
• Stains are treated as soon as possible
• I always use a fabric softener sheet in the dryer, and usually use liquid fabric softener, too
• Some of the oldest things have been worn at least weekly from April through October (neither of us likes to shop, so we don't have tons of clothes)
• Unless we get unusually stinky or dirty most things get worn more than once before washing. I believe frequent washing wears clothes out more than frequent wearing

[SparklyUnicorn]

No secret that I can tell.  I do wear stuff more than once usually. 

I wash and dry in a dryer (I never hang stuff outside).  I doubt that makes a difference though.

 

[SamanthaCarter]

Fwiw, I think that 10 year old clothing was a lot better made than most things you can buy now, unless you are paying a premium. I had a favorite skirt that got lots of wear that I just said goodbye to after 12 years. The fabric was beginning to disintegrate. Wanna know where I bought it? Target. I don’t expect anything I bought at target today to last even half that long. 

When looking at clothes, I suggest you turn it inside out and look at the seams. The most trouble I’ve had with clothes is that they fall apart due to lack of adequate fabric in the seams. If the thread doesn’t have enough fabric to catch in the stitching, its going to pull apart in no time. 

[Wheres Toto]

I have some t-shirts from Eddie Bauer and Target that I've had for 5 or so years, both long and short sleeve.  Sweaters that I've had for almost 10 years in some cases.  Dd wears a t-shirt of dh's from a Led Zeppelin concert in the 1970s. ?

I had a sweatshirt from seeing Phantom of the Opera in Canada 20+ years ago but it's in pretty bad shape now.

I was in the washer, dry in the dryer.  I use the hand-wash cycles for my sweaters but that's it.  I use Tide liquid.

My dressier and more expensive clothes do last longer but I think partially it's because I don't wear them as often.  My "everyday" t-shirts are worn constantly.

 

[shawthorne44]

 

How is your water?   If your water is really hard, or loaded with chemicals, then that might be wearing down your fabrics.   Also, maybe try adding another rinse cycle.  Soap residue in the fibers could cause wear.  

I think the only things I've ever worn out are when the elastic eventually lose their elasticity after 10+ years of frequent use.   Also, for some reason shirts from my MIL, which is sad, because I've really liked them all.   Generally it is grease stains that turn into permanent stains that cause me to toss clothes before I'd like,   

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

5 hours ago, shawthorne44 said:

 

How is your water?   If your water is really hard, or loaded with chemicals, then that might be wearing down your fabrics.   Also, maybe try adding another rinse cycle.  Soap residue in the fibers could cause wear.  

I think the only things I've ever worn out are when the elastic eventually lose their elasticity after 10+ years of frequent use.   Also, for some reason shirts from my MIL, which is sad, because I've really liked them all.   Generally it is grease stains that turn into permanent stains that cause me to toss clothes before I'd like,   

 

 

Our water is very hard and has lots of chemicals.  Still no issues.