Clothes that Last

BigSaver_2

Skint_Catt wrote: »

Also there are some fabrics (especially skirts & trousers) that you need to iron through a cloth to stop them going shiny - anything with nylon in it maybe?

Wondered why people sometimes use a cloth to iron shirt/trousers, to stop it shining.

McKneff

Skint_Catt wrote: »

Also there are some fabrics (especially skirts & trousers) that you need to iron through a cloth to stop them going shiny - anything with nylon in it maybe?

you brought back so many memories saying that, many years ago we had two old flat irons, which were heated on the on a plate over an open fire,
dads suit had to be pressed with these underneath some brown paper , and i hesitate to say this but i dont know why i hesitate because it is my heritage,
ready for the pawnshop on a Monday then it was taken out of Uncle Joes again on Saturday, for a Saturday night out, pressed again on the Sunday ready for the round again on Monday mornign . Happy days, not on your life.
i could hardly reach the counter.:rotfl: :rotfl:
(and no, i'm not in my dotage, i am not even an OAP yet.

trepxe

i don't recommend Tesco clothes.
I bought a jumper & wore it once, just general wear visiting family & walking round the supermarket, but on returning home i noticed most of the softness was not stuck to my car seat & it looks like its rubbed up & months old. I think i will be taking it back this weekend & complaining.

valk_scot

£20 nowadays wouldn't buy you enough really good quality wool fabric to make a pencil skirt, let alone pay for decent quality manufacture, lining, good finishing etc. If however you were willing to spend £60+ on a skirt and have it made up (with fitting) by a local seamstress you might find it lasts quite a bit longer and look better than anything of a comparable price in a shop. Better still, learn to sew yourself. There's not actually that much to the construction of a good straight skirt.

Lilith1980

trepxe wrote: »

i don't recommend Tesco clothes.
I bought a jumper & wore it once, just general wear visiting family & walking round the supermarket, but on returning home i noticed most of the softness was not stuck to my car seat & it looks like its rubbed up & months old. I think i will be taking it back this weekend & complaining.

I guess it depends what you buy - I got some suit trousers from there and a few tops and they have lasted me well so far. I don't really mind shopping there for work clothes but if I want something "fancy" I normally have a look round Debenhams.

Ianna

Make sure you wash your clothes carefully at the right setting and iron under a towel and as little as you can get away with. Don't tumble dry. I've found taking care of clothes makes a huge difference.

I mainly get clothes from Gap and M&S or designer labels from TK maxx. IME clothes are hit and miss wherever you go - I've had a jumper from H&M last me years but another from the same store fall apart after a few months. Best thing to do is set time aside to go into various shops trying clothes on and making sure you examine the care label, hems, stitching and material. You can usually guess accurately how long clothes will last if you do this especially if you do it in natural light.

I agree with everyone here clothes just aren't made to last anymore! It makes me so cross cos it's such a waste!

valk_scot

The other thing to do with good work clothes is to change out of them the minute you walk into the house. Hang suits or jackets or skirts etc up properly on supportive hangers, take a minute to sponge or brush off any marks and leave them hanging up where air can circulate, not stuffed back in the wardrobe. A steamy bathroom is a great place to hang creased clothes.

And I agree withthe above...good wash care makes a lot of difference too. Turn things like machine washable sweaters inside out to minimise bobbling and don't overload the washing machine. It's usually better to handwash sweaters, even if labelled machine wash. Also check hems, buttons etc and doing any tiny repairs as soon as possible.