https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/trying-hard-to-cull-items-failing-too-soon Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Tue, 21 Apr 2026 09:45:47 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/trying-hard-to-cull-items-failing-too-soon#post-1816496 Sun, 18 Jun 2017 21:03:50 +0000 Style Fan 1816496@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>It is very difficult to predict how long clothes will last.&nbsp; My clothes tend to last a long time.&nbsp; I have no idea why.&nbsp; I find the quality of the garment is not always related to the cost.&nbsp; I do think clothes lasted longer 50 years ago.&nbsp; I read somewhere that they were more expensive and that people had fewer pieces of clothing. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/trying-hard-to-cull-items-failing-too-soon#post-1816342 Sat, 17 Jun 2017 22:23:21 +0000 Sal 1816342@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>It is unpredictable and frustrating. &nbsp;It is easier when casual clothes show a bit of wear - they are easier to move to the most casual of settings (lounge or gardening or even the sports sideline). &nbsp;Not so easy with work dresses or pants that just look tired and sad. &nbsp;I will wear a worn sweatshirt under a jacket to rugby, but would not wear pants sagging at the knee to work.</p> <p>There a few categories of items that wear out too quickly for me - so that I am wary of purchasing them any more. &nbsp;White knits, any tissue knits, vinyl shoes or bags, cheap black workwear, fluffy knitwear.</p> <p>I stick to wovens now for light colours as they seem to be easier to treat for stains.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/trying-hard-to-cull-items-failing-too-soon#post-1816340 Sat, 17 Jun 2017 21:54:23 +0000 Jenni NZ 1816340@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks Cindy that is helpful! I essentially wash my clothes like you, I have a big back yard with a line and a spare bedroom to put drying racks in. I took care of the pants and top, washed in cold. Interesting that some fast fashion stuff has lasted better. I was interested that Joy thinks clothes last 3 years. Many of mine easily last 5 years. I will keep trying. At least since they died it reduces my too large wardrobe but very slowly </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/trying-hard-to-cull-items-failing-too-soon#post-1816339 Sat, 17 Jun 2017 21:43:55 +0000 cindysmith 1816339@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have clothes that have lasted much longer than I expected them to, and others that didn't survive anywhere near as long as I expected them to last. </p> <p>I think the reason my stuff that lasts DOES survive is because of the way I launder my clothes. Almost nothing goes in the dryer. Nothing gets washed in hot water, or even warm water. I turn things inside out to hang them on the line so they don't get sun faded. I treat all my clothes like they were delicates, with the exception of some pajamas and some clothes that are for gardening and such.</p> <p>I have found that the price tag on a garment is no indication of quality. I have h&amp;m (and other fast fashion) jeans that are workhorses in my closet (well over 30 wears in the last year or two since I bought them), and expensive labels that just disappointed me; and they all get treated the same in laundry and storage. I find that fabric content, laundry, and storage all matter more in determining an item's longevity than price or brand.</p> <p>As for shoes, dear heaven, I'm hard on shoes. Rural life is brutal to them, what with the dirt and mud and fruit/vegetable juices and animal poop and gravel and so on, so I've learned that I either have to spend the money for something leather that's Goodyear welted or stalk sales and hope I don't kill them; both kinds get the same care/cleaning/storage to try and ensure longevity.</p> <p>I don't know if any of that is helpful, but it's my experience. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/trying-hard-to-cull-items-failing-too-soon#post-1816336 Sat, 17 Jun 2017 21:17:08 +0000 Jenni NZ 1816336@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks all. It is true that "wears" vary- I wore 2 different tops yesterday as I changed to visit DH's elderly aunt in hospital. Neither needs a wash.<br /> I am trying to remember what happened in my childhood. Mum was a primary school teacher in the 1970s and wore her summer dresses a lot, they were pretty short too and she was in her 50s! I feel like they must have lasted quite well but exact memory is too hard.<br /> I guess my take-away is, keep buying them on sale! If I had paid $ 229 for the boots then with 32 wears CPW is around $7. At $69 it is about $2.<br /> I will also be wary of the brand where the new pants pulled at the seams and needed mending, especially if I get any more pants from there. It was a pain cause I really liked the pants! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/trying-hard-to-cull-items-failing-too-soon#post-1816278 Sat, 17 Jun 2017 14:51:14 +0000 JAileen 1816278@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think when we buy something we have high hopes that it will meet all of our expectations. But sometimes they let us down. When that happens, we need to let them go.</p> <p>My exception was underwear I bought that I didn't like. The top hem showed too much under some of my clothes. When I wore something where I didn't want that hem to show, I pulled out even older underwear with a better top hem. By golly, I wore the hated underwear out! I bet I got at least 100 wears from them. I recently replaced them with some underwear that I really like (Jockey from Kohls). </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/trying-hard-to-cull-items-failing-too-soon#post-1816274 Sat, 17 Jun 2017 14:45:43 +0000 Anonymous 1816274@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I love what Liz said! So true! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/trying-hard-to-cull-items-failing-too-soon#post-1816273 Sat, 17 Jun 2017 14:45:21 +0000 Anonymous 1816273@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have a couple tops that I bought this year that I can already tell will only see one summer. It is frustrating, but they are cool and thin, and I need some of that in my wardrobe, even if they don't hold up. I will consider after the summer if I am willing to choose something similar next year. </p> <p>Obviously, there are also things in my wardeobe that last a long time and that I've worn for years. I've got a pair of lucky cutoffs that were originally jeans that I've worn for probably 12 years. They're about done at the seams. </p> <p>It's not easy to tell this ahead of time, and sometimes you kind of know it but like it enough anyway, as long as the initial price point is comensurate. I wouldn't choose low quality for all things, but a couple for specific reasons, and the ones you don't know about in the beginning but end up not lasting mean sometimes more churn than is ideal, but that's life. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/trying-hard-to-cull-items-failing-too-soon#post-1816262 Sat, 17 Jun 2017 14:16:13 +0000 Jenn 1816262@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>What <b>Suz</b> said!&nbsp;</p> <p>I struggle with this, too, because it feels wasteful to pass an item on before it's been well-worn. Using the 30 wears guideline in purchasing, though, helps me to choose better-made items that are more likely to stand the tests of time and abuse. Mistakes happen, and sometimes quality issues aren't apparent until after a few washes. The best we can do is to be mindful and aim for the best purchases possible with the information available. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/trying-hard-to-cull-items-failing-too-soon#post-1816253 Sat, 17 Jun 2017 14:03:18 +0000 Suz 1816253@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><b>Liz</b> and <b>Rachy</b> raise excellent points. Different types of wear will affect clothing differently, and different types of clothing will deteriorate at different rates.&nbsp;</p> <p>I think <b>Jenn's</b> 30 wears standard is a great guideline to consider <b>when making a purchase</b>. It <b>might</b> be a good one to consider when editing, but I think it is less valuable there. Because no matter how many wears you've had from an item, if you: </p> <ul> <li>Don't like it</li> <li>Don't wear it</li> <li>Don't fit into it</li> </ul> <br />It ought to go!! There is no point worrying about sunk costs. </p> <p>I also think 30 wears is better as an overall guideline than a strict rule. I do in fact get at least 30 wears from most of my clothes before I pass them along. But not all. Some of that is due to purchasing error; some (very little) is due to clothes wearing out before "their time" &nbsp;either due to accident, laundry mishap, or just poor quality; and some is due to the specialized nature of the piece -- I simply don't get that many opportunities to wear it before it begins to look dated or tired. </p> <p>But meanwhile, there are other items in my closet that I easily wear up to 300 times or more. To some extent, this averages out. Items that, in the past, have passed the 300 marker would be mostly jewellery or accessories (scarves, bags, watch) but also include favoured jeans and footwear.&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/trying-hard-to-cull-items-failing-too-soon#post-1816249 Sat, 17 Jun 2017 13:57:32 +0000 Angie 1816249@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I echo Liz.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/trying-hard-to-cull-items-failing-too-soon#post-1816242 Sat, 17 Jun 2017 13:34:14 +0000 rachylou 1816242@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Have to come back because as I think more... finer clothes are more delicate. And we're all darn rich compared to the Middle Ages, so maybe it's reasonable. I mean, if you dressed in head to toe denim, you could probably wear just one outfit every day and get it to last a decade... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/trying-hard-to-cull-items-failing-too-soon#post-1816241 Sat, 17 Jun 2017 13:30:49 +0000 rachylou 1816241@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Well, it's sort of interesting because... It seems like you're averaging about 30 wears or 30 days of wear. One might ask, if I wore this item every day for a month, what kind of shape would I expect it to be in?</p> <p>I think that with 30 solid days of wear, I wouldn't *expect* much of mine to last. On the other hand, well, in days of yore, if you got a new dress once a year, you were just living the high life. One rather wonders how that would even be possible, to keep one's clothing going so long. And you know, people TOILED for a living. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/trying-hard-to-cull-items-failing-too-soon#post-1816235 Sat, 17 Jun 2017 13:16:33 +0000 Anonymous 1816235@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Liz makes an excellent point. I can't seem to track number of wears but I think in terms of years of wear. In general, I expect an item to last 3 years. In a four season climate, there is almost nothing that gets worn year round. I don't expect summer hot weather items to last as long, or knits. The weather any particular year plays into it too. Some years can have long periods of very hot or very cold weather, others are more mild.<br /> In general, a new item gets lighter wear the first year in my closet as I play with styling it. Sometimes my eye has to adjust to the style or proportions. The second and third year it is in heavy rotation, not so precious any more. Occasionally I buy something only expecting one season out of it. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/trying-hard-to-cull-items-failing-too-soon#post-1816227 Sat, 17 Jun 2017 12:23:50 +0000 Anonymous 1816227@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><b>Liz</b> had very good points. &nbsp;I agree with her assessment. &nbsp;</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/trying-hard-to-cull-items-failing-too-soon#post-1816222 Sat, 17 Jun 2017 12:12:27 +0000 Liz 1816222@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm not sure it matters whether items "should" last a certain number of wears -- they last however long they last. I honestly think that fabric is generally lower quality these days than it has been, and just doesn't hold up as well. </p> <p>Also, people have different points at which they consider their clothing worn out. And,some people's "wears" are harder on clothes than others. (One person's wear is 2 hours not followed by laundering, another's wear is a 10-hour day followed by laundering, which will wear out the clothing more quickly.) <br />All told, I don't think there is a way to calculate how many wears clothing "should" get. I'm not sure where the number of 30 came from, but one number like that just can't hold across all items. Use it as a guideline, if you like, to keep yourself from buying too many clothes. I can see how it would be helpful to say "I'll never get 30 wears out of my tops if I buy so many of them." But I wouldn't use it as an<i> expectation </i>for clothing quality. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/trying-hard-to-cull-items-failing-too-soon#post-1816198 Sat, 17 Jun 2017 09:13:16 +0000 Jenni NZ 1816198@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Well, I have been trying to review and edit my closet for a while. This is while also hoping to not waste clothing. I would like to have much of it at near Jenn's 30 wears before I cull it. I think it's my upbringing with older parents partly, who remembered the Depression, Mum was 40 when she had me and Dad 38. They were born in 1920 and 1922 respectively. Obviously I spend more freely than they did because I'm richer, but thrift/frugality are still a big part of my make-up. I have culled the olive tunic which I had thought I loved, bought on extreme sale 2014 for $10, worn 24 times- because I could see in a photo that it wasn't doing me any favours! As The Cat noted on one post it did seem to draw attention to my mid-section!<br /> I culled the warm olive pants I had bought last winter ( not the ones in these pics) because of poor quality. I had bought a pair at the outlet store of a fave brand and had to return them quickly as found the seams were pulling. Got a replacement pair but when trying on noted a small oddly coloured patch on one leg so the shop assistant let me have them for $20. However the seams soon began to pull a little too and I had to mend them. After 27 wears out they go too. Also the boots in these pics- 2014, 32 wears, getting scuffed/worn on the toes and not polishing up well. And another top from a sale in 2014 also in the olive colour scheme, worn 24 times and now floppy around the neck. The 3 failing items (well-used, fading, scuffed, floppy,pulling) are going to the "clothing bin" where they may be made into rags or possibly sold if they think good enough, which raises money for child cancer. The good condition one, the olive tunic, is going to the hospice where it is sold in their shops to raise money to help fund hospice services. We don't have "Goodwill" in NZ but places like the hospice have "op shops" ( stands for opportunity shops, an opportunity to buy something at low cost).<br /> Do you think these items should be failing after 24,27 and 32 wears? They're not cheap brands. The original price on all was much more than I paid. $90 for the pants, I paid $20. $229 for the boots, I paid $69. Not sure for the top that got a floppy neck but not a cheap brand, it would have been over $100 and I probably paid about half that on their factory sale. Forgot to keep the receipt on that one. If I had paid full price on any of these I would have been really annoyed at these clothes dying after this time. Am I unrealistic ? Interested in your thinking. </p>