Great q! I am particularly picky with knits - I hate when there are fluff balls or fuzzies on the front or under the arms (even if they are slight.) I have tried uying more expensive merino sweaters (Theory instead of Club monaco and j crew) - we'll see if they wear better.

I don't mind signs of wear when it comes to most clothing, especially if a piece has given me a year or two good wear. I ABHOR signs of quality issues with clothing--- i.e. when things fade, stretch or deform prematurely, shrink greatly or unevenly, or pill (sweaters get an exception, knits do not). I don't mind de-pilling something (a sweater!!!) 1-4 times a season if it actually de-pills well. Having to do it after every wear isn't going to happen, and I am one that notices this on others.

I can't tolerate shrinkage or stains, so out they go!
I am prepared to mend or repair items, especially favourites.
Sox with serious thinning at the heels I keep until there is actually a hole, but I prefer to replace undies earlier.

Many of my favorite sweaters are pilling beyond what I deem acceptable, and jeans are getting snagged thanks to my two kitties. I really shouldn't wear my good jeans when I am at home.

In past years I have been much better at recycling or tossing worn stuff, but now I'm having a hard time with it, even though I have too many clothes. When to say good-bye to a loved sweater that has had pills removed one too many times.

I have a lot of clothes that I seldom wear because I stick to my favorites. Well, tis the season to make new goals and think about what hasn't worked. Off to read more threads on this general topic.

I love the way patina from wear develops on denim & chambrays, as well as leathers. I hate stains but I'm a stain removal wizard; I will give the stain a go 4 or 5 times with different products before I give up. I LOATHE PILLS. Gah! (Tell you how I really feel, right?) I have 86ed entire brands over pilling knits. There's just no excuse.

It does bug me when items lose their look due to pills, stains (white shirts, I am looking at you!), snags and other imperfections. I never feel good even when I force myself to wear them - so I don't. If something feels too past its prime to me it is demoted to lounge wear or beyond.

Like many of you it depends on the team, and wear is different to stains in my book.

I am disappointed when items do not last the distance, and annoyed with myself if I stain or ruin clothes prematurely.

I do quite like the English aristocrat look in expensive but worn clothing!

As I do my closet purge, I have actually been considering this topic. If something is stained then I cannot overlook it. If it looks worn because of poor quality then I cannot overlook it. However, if it looks worn because of natural aging then I actually LOVE it! Sometimes an item really needs to look aged and becomes a part of you. Some of my jeans fall into this category for example. Sometimes natural wear is a positive.

Argh, reading this has made me realise I really do have a bad eye/sense for looking good. Most of my clothes have some sort of visible wear, but I've inherited a bad habit of keeping them until they're literally falling apart. I've only just become aware of how other people notice little things like snags that I honestly thought no one ever picked up on.

Judging by this thread I probably need to throw ALL of my wardrobe away. Might just do that actually.

Detta, I can always remember wearing a top that was a little worn and someone saying to me "I bet you've had that top since Uni!". It made me really aware of how other people may perceive wear.

There seems to be two camps: those with a low thresh-hold and those who appreciate an aged look. Do you think it is related to whether you bat for Team RATE? And is fading a different beast to actual defects in the integrity of the fabric? I think I am probably more tolerant of fading, and I like the idea of fabric softened by washing, but snags or holes or puckering just upset me.

For me, it is directly proportional to how much I love the garment or the shoes - and how easily I can find a replacement.

Some items, I am willing to live with some wear. I have a swingy cape-type coat I found at a thrift store that quickly became a workhorse. It was missing buttons and was pilled throughout - but I LOVE the style. I have since replaced all the buttons (and there were like, ten, yikes), and spent a good chunk of time (like, 30+ minutes) with a disposable safety razor shaving off pills. It is still a little fuzzy but I feel like Tippi Hedren in "Marni" when I wear it with equestrian boots and leather gloves.

If something is stained and the cleaner can't get it out, out the door it goes!

I think for me its just a case of having grown up poor and rural in almost entirely poor-fitting charity shop finds or hand--me-downs, and having parents who literally used to electric tape their shoes together to cover holes.

I grew up never having any sense of fashion or looking at clothes beyond their keep-you-warm-and-not-naked factor.

However, I'm supposed to be being a professional now, and projecting a good image, and watching my little ones growing up, I'm acutely aware of how I don't want to be the embarrassing mum, or even set them a bad example. I'm just ready for a change I guess... I really need one.

I get that, Detta. There are a lot of people here who have really only discovered fashion in the past few years, myself included. Hopefully, you can make this a joyful and exciting experience, giving yourself some of the things you didn't have as a child. My experience as a parent is that you'll embarrass teenagers irrespective of what you wear - your mere presence on the planet is enough!

Detta, I think there's been a cultural shift, too. I also grew up in a family where money was tight and we wore our clothes until they weren't wearable anymore, although we had nicer things for church etc and wore the older stuff around the house to play or do chores.

Clothes are a lot cheaper now, and considered disposable - it's expected that even people without a lot of money will have a fairly large variety of clothes, compared to what people used to have. On the flip side, wearing the same clothes for years and years is looked down on, when it used to be perfectly normal. (Not advocating this, just saying that's how it is now, at least here in the US.)

Horrible at noticing most signs of wear. I do lots of maintenance in order to keep clothes and shoes in good repair, but miss fading and tiredness. I am always shocked (and embarrassed) when I pull out clothing that hasn't been worn in a while and it is sorely faded or reveals stains I somehow missed.

On the other hand I have *no* tolerance for pilling!