Make trousers and jackets last longer

Trouser and jacket cuffs are the first areas to fray, so you can make these items last longer by rehemming them just enough for the frayed area to be moved out of sight.

You can then paint on a product called 'fray stop' which seals up the frayed area and stops it running any further, or reinforce it with hemming tape.

On new trousers, you can iron on hemming tape on the inside of the cuffs to protect them.

Pockets, linings etc can be patched up in seconds using iron on patching material.

If you have a tweed or corduroy jacket you can patch the elbows with leather or suede patches. The 'Oxford Don' look this produces may not be to everyone's taste, but you can get patches that match closely in colour so you hardly notice.

In extreme cases, you can use binding tape (a complex job this) to reinforce the outside of jacket cuffs and even lapels and fronts of jackets. This is a bit extreme - although the late Earl Spencer wore a morning coat like this to Lady Diana's wedding.

I have kept a pair of jeans going for 5 years with these methods and a corduroy jacket for 10 years.