How much wear do you tolerate? - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Dressing

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

How much wear do you tolerate?

Sharon

Veteran

I was ironing a few of my tops this morning and noticed that a couple of my favourites from last year are starting to show signs of wear. Nothing major - no big holes or stains. But a number of thread-ends/pulled threads on the fabric. Not all that noticeable unless you are up close.

The thing is, although the top is still perfectly functional and looks fine if you don't peer too closely, it's going to bug me knowing those stray pulls are there. I am going to try clipping them, but I was wondering how you all deal with garment wear and how much you can tolerate before it bugs you and makes you think twice about wearing something?

Dressing

44 replies

Latest reply was from Carla

Helena

Veteran

Hi Sharon, that's a great question! Honestly, I use my sister as she has a good eye for "tat" as we call it ... I will let things slide more depending on the type of clothes; for example, jeans, hoodies, casual items I'll let go a lot further, but (in the past) work items or dressier pieces, I tend to purge once they start looking worn. Anything fixable I'll try to fix. Black in particular I don't enjoy once it looks faded, again unless it's super-casual wear. Looking forward to what others say!

Anonymous

I have little tolerance for that sort of thing. Once I know it's there, I can't ignore it and find it hard to wear after that point. I'll try to fix pulls in yarn in a sweater or scarf, but not much else is fixable in my experience. Footwear is especially on my radar for this - once polishing and cleaning stops working , out they go.

deb

Veteran

It really depends on the item. My silk shirts I wear for work and lately with everything, but when they start to fade I usually just wear them with jeans. They get the sand washed look and feel and I love it. Small pulls do bug me and if I am not able to pull the snag to the back without it being noticeable to me, it goes into the gardening gear part of the closet.

Thistle

Veteran

Not much, honestly. Not even in my workout or casual clothes. It makes me feel unfab. I might make do for a short time while I look for a replacement, however.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

This is a good topic and one I have thought about before. I think I am more intolerant of flaws and wear than the average person. For example, my Mother, who is not fashion-oriented, will wear frayed and stained tops (she is 81). I have to tell her, "Mom, it's time to treat yourself to some new tops." I did some laundry for her and pointed out the elastic was coming out of her undergarments, she listened and let me purchase 6 new pairs for her. I think a lot of us on YLF would be more intolerant to wear than the average person.

When I am sorting through things, if they are worn but I love them, I might demote them to another purpose. For example, I love soft knit tops but they get those little holes, sometimes after one wear. The top then gets used to sleep or lounge in. I think a lot of us do this on the forum.

unfrumped

Veteran

I've actually become more sensitive to this (for work and any "good" occasions) as it makes for a normal lifespan of the item that feels right, for me. I'll be muddling over some tops or something and then get in good light and see the rayon knit is fuzzing a little or the seam is puckered --or whatever I would notice and not buy if I saw it on a "new" item. So then I'm thinking, here is my one-in, one-out opportunity right here.

Loungewear has to meet different expectations, but even there, it has to still be comfortable in all respects, not just soft, but long enough, not too tight, and no stains!

jenanded

Veteran

I too have low tolerance and it annoys me when quite good pieces have holes, fade etc in no time. I jokingly figure since my skin, hair and figure are no longer "pristine" I really can't afford for my clothes to be likewise flawed in any way. This also relates to a post from a few days ago re what is an investment piece and how long a piece lasts in your wardrobe. And here is a really bad quirk - I can't bear the smell of the inside of handbags after a few years... whacky I know

Zibbets

Veteran

If it's showing wear, I don't wear it but I seem to have a hard time parting with it. Today I'm wearing a favorite blouse that the cat cut a hole in with his claw, just a neat little slit, but right up on the chest. I was so sad. I haven't worn it since it happened until today. I'm wearing a sweater over it and only the collar shows.

Sharon

Veteran

It's reassuring to hear that I am not the only one who has a low tolerance for things looking a little worn. Unfrumped, I think you are right - it is a good basis on which to choose to say farewell to an item. Sadly, it is usually my favourites that get the most wear and tend to look a bit bedraggled first. But I suppose that give me a chance to find new favourites.

unfrumped

Veteran

It's not that it makes me happy--as you say, it could be my favorite thing.
It's just that I finally figured out there will always be something else, so it may as well replace something worn.

Aquamarine

Veteran

It depends. Casual, hang-around-the-house clothes...I can let a LOT slide. But if it's for street wear, I am very picky about wear.

retailgirl

Veteran

I'm picky about wear, too. I just recently noticed that a Brooks Brothers non iron shirt I have was wearing at the cuff...only two years old and I know non iron does that. Still, it bothers me. But! As far as knits go, don't snip a pull or snag! Then you'll get a hole. Use a needle or crochet hook to pull it through to the inside.

Staysfit

Veteran

It depends on the garment. And it seems that the further from my face, the higher my tolerance!

Low tolerance for blouses and button downs
Fairto low tolerance for scarves
Fair to low tolerance for tees.
Fair to low tolerance for knitwear
High tolerance for denim - I will keep wearing as long as any holes are not in obnoxious places
High tolerance for shoes and boots
High tolerance for belts and handbags

I will toss anything with an obvious snag. I hate snags. I don't mind fading too much, but I really dislike stains and holes. Pilling on knitwear doesn't bother me much. I am also not bothered much by thinning fabric until it is so worn it becomes transparent

DonnaF

Veteran

I don't usually get pulled threads (no cats!) or holes (always wear an apron near my stone counters), but I do get fading. My deep orange linen J. Crew shirt has faded around the cuffs and collar, but I still pulled it out of the donate bag. If I don't wear it with my faded jeans when it gets hot, I will definitely get it out of my house. My black jeans and my burgundy jeans have faded a bit as well, but I'm telling myself that RATE is part of my style, at least part of the time. If the perfect replacements present themselves to me, however, I will probably pass them along.

My exercise clothing is ancient, but other than fading, hasn't worn out. I decided that since I am maybe 25 years in, I should wear them to the bitter end kinda like a badge of honor since nothing but nothing is likely to wear as well.

My DH has a tendency to wear the most disgusting cheap Ts -- worn and fraying at the neck, faded, and stretched out of shape. I have to sneak them out of circulation.

Staysfit

Veteran

Oops, sneakers are a very special case, especially for runners. Those get replaced by mileage, or by worn treads on the bottom whichever happens first. In the winter, my treadmill wreaks havoc on my sneakers.

Other exercise gear can go until it rips or has been washed so many times it is either stiff or transparent.

deb

Veteran

Staysfit, for me there is nothing better than a summer cotton shirt that has been worn to an inch of its life. They are so soft and comfortable. And I really like the look with denim.

Anonymous

I have almost zero tolerance - just can't deal with it. I have a couple of sweaters with pills that I've started to wear only on weekends; but as soon as my budget recovers from my 2014 purchases and I find fab replacements, they'll be purged from my wardrobe entirely.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I am glad you raised this.

My favourite Citizens of Humanity skinnies have mysteriously sprouted a couple of pulls on the calf. How could that happen? I suspect maybe they snagged on my suitcase when I was travelling...

I am going to do my best to fix them, but I am kicking myself that I didn't duplicate last year when they were available. I love those jeans so much.

As you say, it is usually the favourites that show wear the fastest, which makes sense, of course.

I think those with a polished style will in general tolerate fewer signs of wear. I notice that I have a distinct preference for newer items. Part of it is the thrill of novelty. But another part, for me at least, is that those items feel and look pristine.

I do allow some pills on sweaters, although I try to remove them when I notice them. Fading on jeans that are supposed to be faded already is fine. A bit of patina on more rugged boots or leather jackets is also fine. But on most things? Forget it.

Anonymous

Fading and pilling can happen so gradually that I try to routinely replace knitwear and black pants yearly. White too if it starts to yellow or stained. Knits in general don't seem to hold up well so I hate to spend much for them, although fabric content makes a difference.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Very interesting question - now that I am blabbing away about my new job in a thrift store I will answer - very little! I am in charge of quality control and am quite tough on any sweater with pilling, any staining at all, black fading, loose hems and falling threads. etc. This has absolutely spilled over to my attitude toward my own clothes.

Windchime

Veteran

Since starting a wardrobe building process, I'm more aware of, less tolerant of, and more dismayed by signs of wear in my now carefully-chosen clothing items. Like others have mentioned, I too will tolerate some pilling in knitwear, as long as I don't think people will notice. One of my new merino wool turtlenecks just developed a small hole; I sure hope it can be inconspicuously repaired.
I've had tee shirts shrink even though they are washed in cold water and line dried; then it's time to pass them on.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I'm with everyone else, I tend to have pretty low tolerance. It depends a lot on the item and the fabric, though. Jeans that have faded can, up to a certain point, look better than when they were new. Same with some other wovens - linen shirts only get drapier and more luscious even if the dye has faded a bit. Most knits, though, once they start looking old, need to be replaced. I suppose I'm less picky about PJs and such but even they need to fit and not have stains or holes.

Louise

Veteran

Oh dear you'd hate my favourite hoodie!! It's all frayed at the sleeves and has several small holes in it!! Thankfully I only wear it for lounge wear. Seriously though I live with 4 cats so I am very tolerant of snags as Tigger in particular likes to have a good knead at my lap before he settles down for a nap, if I'm quick enough I pop a blanket on my lap first.

Ashish101

Member

@lousie i experienced the same thing that u had noticed on your appreal..
infact much more than you

Quietgirl

Veteran

I am with ya'll.......low tolerance. My pet peeve is knitwear. My new BF sweater (merino wool from JCrew) looks horrible before the first drycleaning.
Granted, I snagged it while carpet shopping at Lowes but the rest of the pills and fuzz just seem to stem from poor quality. Maybe I AM hard on my sweaters?

Has anyone else had the "knits last only one year" problem?

Anonymous

Quietgirl, I've had a problem with knits, and I honestly don't know what the issue is. I only buy machine washable sweaters, and wash them inside out in cold water on the gentle cycle; dry flat (no heat)... yet almost all of the ones I bought last year have pilled badly. I replaced most of them this year, and bought from a different store (Lands' End) in hopes of better quality. I don't expect sweaters to go the distance like my workhorses, but I do expect a certain level of quality, and just one season is unacceptable to me. I'll let you know how my Lands' End sweaters hold up.

Jules

Veteran

Pretty low tolerance.
The main motivation when I initially started dressing better was to perform better self-esteem and get that reflected back at me, and I think visible wear is a pretty glaring sign of having given up (or not caring for personal/political/enviro reasons, which I can respect, but the person has to really own it). Come to think of it, this thread made me realize wear is probably one reason I've gone off black - black cotton blend jerseys/knits just fade so quickly, and differently from one item to the next so you end up with many different shades of black. They lose their freshness quickly and are hard to wear together. I also am seeing that more expensive denim wears better. Stripes and patterns can wear better than solids, not showing faint stains, fading or even pilling as much, something my mom taught me when I was young.
OTOH, from ylf I've realized knits are a crapshoot. Even buying the same brand, with the ever-changing blends (11% X! 23% Y! etc), you get varied wear results. So I buy fewer items, but allow myself to go trendy, no expectation of "investment" essentials.
I do try to either donate items while they still have some life in them, or wear them out as loungewear. It doesn't bother me to wear worn stuff around the house and it helps me keep my good stuff more pristine and ready when I need it.

Anonymous

Sadly, I am so picky that I either toss or donate the item (depending on the type and degree of wear). I am particularly sensitive to staining. If it is stained, out it goes. I don't know why I am this way.

kkards

Veteran

my tolerence is directly related to my love of the item. if i was lukewarm on it, then it goes pretty fast, if it was a total love, then i'll wear it until it's embrassing (but i'll downgrade where it gets worn). that being said, i'm typically pretty good about care.....i only clean sweaters about 2 times a season, dry clean all dark pants to reduce fading, take shoes to the shoemaker on a regular basis, use the dryer as little as possible.

12