Steps to the ultimate wardrobe, part II: The lifespan of a garment

 I often dress like I’m out to a party.

Why not? The life is short.

It’s not a fact that I will outlive my coat,

My skirts, my dresses, jackets, sweaters, blouses…

And once, when I am done with earthly trifles,

Someone will check my overflowing wardrobe 

Exclaming, “Why did she never wear thise clothes?

She had the time, the body and the style…

Now, what are WE to do with all this stuff?”

Thus— while I can— I better outfit myself 

For the exciting party of today.

This lyrical intro by yours truly should put us in a mood of discussing the longevity of garments. All clothes are not created equally, some deteriorate and others pass the test of time; some clothes we might want to keep forever, while others serve their purpose in one day and are no longer needed; some are worn constantly and others rarely leave the closet. There are a few factors to consider when choosing a wearable item. 

1.First of all, the material- usually fabric (woven or knitted) or yarn (knitted or crocheted). There are advantages and disadvantages to each fiber. Let’s look at a few most common types of fibres used to make fabric.

Cotton. A very common natural fibre derived from a plant. 100% cotton can be light and airy (toile), or stiff and heavy (denim), or anywhere in between. As often woven as it is knitted. Most cottons are machine washable, so to prolong their life use a machine that does not have a centrifuge, go lightly with the detergent (no more than 3 tablespoons of liquid detergent per full load), do not over-dry in a dryer, yet iron on high. According to an old article in Martha Steward’s Living magazine, a dress shirt can successfully withstand 50 washes. I’m not going to argue with Martha, her team does detailed research. However, there could be exceptions to most rules and you might be lucky with gentle care to keep that shirt for additional 10-20 washes. It also depends on the wearer: a farmer working in a field would probably earn more holes, fabric discoloration, lost buttons, and frayed sleeves, than a desk clerk. There are many cotton blends. Most common are cotton/polyester (expect pills and discolouration of whites), cotton/elastane (more comfort but shorter life), cotton/linen (great comfort if you don’t mind wrinkles). 

Wool. It comes most commonly for woven fabric from sheep’s fur (fleece) sheared off while the animal in unharmed. The other types of wool, usually knitted, are cashmere and angora (both goats), alpaca, camel hair (this one is at times woven for winter coats), and yak. The wool could be of different weight (thin fabric= light, thicker fabric=heavy). There is such thing as very light “summer wool”, even though wool is more often associated with cold weather. With wool, follow the care instructions for anything woven and constructed. However, most knits can be hand washed (or washed in mesh bags on gentle cycle of a no-centrifuge machine) in cool water with a regular hair shampoo. These items should be dried flat on a drying rack or spread out towel. Not only that keeps the items in shape, it diminishes the need for ironing. Resist putting them in the dryer unless you need to shrink your sweater to a toddler size.

Silk. Just like wool, silk comes from an animal—silk worms, however, unlike in the wool-making process, the silk worms die supplying us with the beautiful and sturdy silk thread. This thread is then woven into fabrics with different weights and finishes from silky satins to knobby raw silk tweeds; from draping grainy crepes to smooth durable brocades; from transparent chiffons to supple Thai silks — and beyond. You might find silk lining in the premium items and silk facing on items of any price range. Follow the care instruction for cleaning. Most require dry cleaning, yet some can be washed. Silk should never go into your dryer (trust me, I tried…). However, if hand washed,  non-knit items can be hang to dry, ironed on medium. Knitted ones should be treated same as wool. 

Linen/lyocell/rayon/viscose. All plant-based fabrics with similar characteristics. Most of them are lightweight. Care instructions should be obeyed for these somewhat fussy yet extremely comfortable fibres. If you own washable non-knit garments of these materials, prepare to like to iron. However, skipping the dryer and hanging these items can prevent most wrinkles.

Polyester, polyamide, Elastane (Lycra). Synthetic fibres made from new or reworked petroleum. Very popular because they can replicate silk, rayon, and wool often at a lower price. The difference is that synthetic fibres are not breathable, not good for the environment (they don’t decompose) and if white in colour, would yellow excessively. However, some of today’s fabrics are produced exclusively of these fibres: bridal mesh, for instance, or pantyhose, as well as most athletic/outdoor/rain gear fabrics. There are many blends of polyester-cotton, wool-polyester and such, where first typed word usually marks the prominent fibre. So, avoiding synthetics altogether is hard. Care varies, so follow the instructions, especially for the embellished formal garments. Some of those can be spot-clean only. Check the care label before buying.

Besides the fabric of which garments are made, their lifespan depends on storing conditions, proper timely cleaning, added embellishments—including buttons and other closures, and most importantly, purpose.

2.Storing clothes in humid environment could cause mold and fabric deterioration. The metal embellishments and closures (buttons, zippers, snaps, beads, buckles) can oxidise or rust, leaving permanent stains on your garments. If you live in a humid climate, keep your clothes from jamming together in the closet, put most valuable items in canvas casing (not plastic), air the clothes when possible. Check the closet for musky smell often.

Moths and other insects can do even more damage. Lavender and cedar are natural repellents, as well as Irish Spring soap bars (if you like the perfume in it).

Any food, oil or sweat residue would attract the insects, therefore clean your clothes as soon as you notice stains or odors.

If the clothes are stored for a long time in too tight of an environment, the wrinkles could become permanent, pleats or pant creases — irregular, nap on velvet or corduroy—crushed. Therefore, check and weed out your clothes regularly.

3.Garment’s construction can affect the aging of a clothes item in many ways. 

Buttons that were not sawn on properly could come off and get lost (you are lucky if it happens in your closet), potentially ruining the item, especially if the buttons are designer-specific with logos or symbols, or otherwise unique and irreplaceable (antique, hand-made, made of rare materials). Check every button by tugging gently and making sure there are no loose threads around them on a new garment or every time you are putting the garment in the closet.

Unfinished seams might be ok for one-time items (wedding and bridesmaid’s gowns), but not ok for much else, unless the garment is designed that way. The unfinished seams on most fabrics will start to unravel rather soon, creating mess and seam damage along the way. There are a couple of exceptions: true bias cuts unravel only slightly and could be left alone, as well as most knits. But I would err on the side of caution.

Lining can be a blessing (comfort, better fit, luxurious feel and look) or a curse: if the lining is cut a bit too snug or lacks the stretch that facing fabric offers, you would be tearing the lining seams all the time. Also, the lining usually wears out sooner than the facing fabric and replacing it is labor intensive, and costly. 

The threads used in the construction could play a big role. Beware of the invisible thread aka fishing line. This plastic (red flag) thread is rather irritating if it is in contact with bare skin; it becomes brittle with age (don’t we all?), which creates gaps in seams; and a repair is needed. However, if beading on your purse or belt is attached by such thread— don’t fret. It will do its work as designed.

4. Rough repairs can do more damage than good to a garment. Resist the urge to use fusible (iron-on) glue to hem your pants, sleeves or skirts. This process is irreversible and will damage the item permanently ☠️ 

Crookedly cut hem might not be straightened out if the cut is made too high or too far off the desired line. Leave cutting to the pros.

Dull safety or straight pins can snag any fine or delicate fabric. Keep that in mind for jewelled pins as well, they can create permanent snags or holes, so wear them on the woven cottons or wools, tweeds of all fibres, or thick sweaters.

5. Style of the cut, and the fabric pattern/color could age the garment out of your affection. The trendiest clothes age fastest, while basics in neutral/flattering shades can last quite a long time, until their deterioration, ideally. So, investing in the pieces that would serve you indefinitely would be a better choice that splurging on an item that would barely pass one season before becoming obsolete, unless you have a very large closet to host the unwearables, or plan to hold on to that item as a souvenir displaying it in your house.

6.Last but not least, body size changes can make favourite clothes useless. Most things can be taken in successfully, but not all could be taken out. This is one case when I suggest to find a new owner for your formerly loved clothes as soon as possible. Sale it, give it to someone, donate— just don’t keep those in your closet as a reminder of what you no longer can enjoy. But before you part with the clothes, take them to your trusty tailor/dressmaker for an assessment. Sometimes, miracles can be produced and a new life could be granted to the outfit. Be open to suggestions: a dress might become a skirt or a vest; a pair of pants could turn into a skirt; sleeves might be replaced or removed; inserts might expand many areas. Make sure to discuss the cost of such lifesaving surgery. If it’s not worth it to you, or you are not sure of the outcome, consider finding a new wearer for the item.

Additional points: 

prints show less fading and spotting but wearers might get tired of a print, or the pattern might become overused or out of fashion;

solid colors show more stains, design/fit flows, fabric imperfections (snags, fading), but tend to stay in favour of the wearer longer;

dark colors can get spots almost as well as light colors;

lace, embroidery and trims can make or break a garment, yet they can camouflage imperfections and holes beautifully.

So, what would be the super-anger of your wardrobe?