While I try to buy pure cotton garments (pants, jeans, tops & underwear), it is becoming increasingly difficult since an elastine component (usually about 3%) started to creep in.

While elastine gives the garment an element of stretch and supposedly enhances the fit, I find that within a relatively short time, the elastine starts to lose its mojo and makes the garment unwearable, long before it has actually worn out. For example, not inexpensive jeans develop white streaks and go baggy (I have a pair of jeans which are years old with no elastine which look as good as the day I bought them)

I'm looking at a pair of cotton/elastine pants of a well-known and reputable Australian brand, bought less than a year ago which have started to develop wrinkly little patches all over.

I have had it suggested to me that UV rays break elastine down which is plausible but shouldn't manufacturers know that?

Does anyone else have this annoying problem or am I showing my age in expecting clothing to last longer than a year?

Regards,

Barbara Anne

Barbara Anne Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Does anyone else have this annoying problem or am
> I showing my age in expecting clothing to last
> longer than a year?
>
> Regards,
>
> Barbara Anne

I don't know if it's age related, but if I spend good money on clothes I expect them to last for at least ten years, and many of my garments have done so. I have a Nom D merino cardigan that is at least ten years old, is worn daily over the winter, and it is still in as-new condition - well worth its high price. When I stopped full time work I had a wardrobe full of expensive office clothes, a lot of Anne Mardell skirts and tops, which I now wear around the house and garden. This was a deliberate effort to reduce my overall consumption and I thought that I would gradually wear them out, but this mostly hasn't happened. Consequently I have bought very few clothes in recent years, just a few t shirts when travelling.

I try to buy cotton, and 95% cotton is acceptable to me. I actually think this issue is related to the type of garment. Jeans/trousers I find loosen up pretty quickly and as a result don't pay too much for them. Everything else I find is fine. I buy tailored by not skin tight by the way, so theres a bit of give there anyway.

I have bought some quite expensive tops that had an elastine component and I, too, found that it did not take long for the tops to look bad and I had to biff them. I try to stay clear of elastine when I can.

Well as there did not appear to be too many other people with the same problem, and since I wrote the original post, more of my clothing has started to develop the bubbly look, I started thinking that it must be something that I am doing that is causing this problem.

The penny has finally dropped.......ironing.

I like to iron everything including tea towels and sheets but I am aware that many people don't iron these days particularly since the advent of drip dry fabrics and also the fact that many people use a dryer, rather than line drying clothing as I do, which takes a lot of the wrinkles out.

When I checked the labels on my ruined clothing, they all said use a cool iron on the reverse side - I have been using a relatively hot iron (cotton setting) on the right side.

So while it is too late for several of my favourite articles of clothing, I will be more careful in future - as the saying goes "if in doubt, read the instructions'.

Regards,

Barbara Anne



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/20/2018 12:45AM by Barbara Anne.

Barbara Anne, I too am guilty of ironing so will try to mend my wicked ways!

What is an iron? Mine only makes an appearance once or twice a year - guilty as charged!!

Irene, you made me giggle, I was not going to confess, but I too seldom iron. There are a few linen shirts that I avoid wearing because they must be ironed. Sheets I smooth and fold as soon as dry. My partner's good shirts require ironing but everyday polo type shirts never do. It seems that we are saving wear and tear and making our things last longer. Virtue rewarded.

phew thanks Stephanie!! I don't feel so bad now

I only iron things when absolutely necessary, too.
Ideally, I would like one of those 'irons' that clothing stores use...a steamer gadget, but I don't want to add yet another device that takes up space.
So many things have elastine in them now, especially jeans. I was told that when you buy jeans don't buy what you think is a good fit. Buy what is slightly tight, invariably they will stretch and your once perfect fit becomes something that becomes too loose.