Apropos, I recommend reading https://www.amazon.com/Travels-T-Shirt-Global-Economy-Charac...
How to assess the quality of garments (2014)
211–220 of 292 posts
Re: How to assess the quality of garments (2014)
#212I mostly dress pretty casually: jeans and a T shirt is pretty typical. My shirts “fail” not because of stitching or things like that. Most of the time they get armpit stains from deodorant after probably 20 time I wear them or so. At that point I toss them. I don’t see how higher laity fabric would result in anything different, so I stick to cheaper basic shirts for everyday wear. I like clothes, but I like variety.…
I used to throw away shirts for collar sweat stains, until I learned I could soak them in oxiclean for a few hours and wash them normally and it would be so much better. I also had to hand scrub the worst stains with a little detergent, but now that I'm regularly pre-soaking it hasn't been a problem.
Re: How to assess the quality of garments (2014)
#213In a previous life when I wore suits to work on a frequent basis, I got interested in this topic and spent way too much time learning about it. I now have a closet full of quality clothes that I wear much less frequently, but, for whatever it's worth, they'll last me the rest of my life. There's a lot of good info in this article, but there's also a lot more beyond it. For example, it mentions (accurately) that the f…
Do you have any high-quality clothing stores that you recommend?
Thousand Mile, made in the U.S., makes great clothing. They started with hiking shorts, then slowly grew their line. Their shorts last forever — I'm talking 5-10 years — and are super comfortable and look nice.https://www.thousandmile.com/
Re: How to assess the quality of garments (2014)
#214Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't really believe this anymore. Basically because of this theory my last pair of boots want the nicest I could find, high quality materials, hand made construction, almost $500, thinking it was an investment and I'd never have to go shoe shopping again. Well, I've had to repair them once already, and frankly with how cheap boots are at Walmart I don't think anymore I'll ever break even. Nice boots, though, and a…
Do you wear them daily? Even boots from Alden or Viberg should be rotated with at least one other pair.
Yeah, any leather shoes will wear out much faster if you don't let them sit and dry out after wearing.
Shoe trees can vastly prolong the lifespan of a pair of shoes.
Re: How to assess the quality of garments (2014)
#215Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't really believe this anymore. Basically because of this theory my last pair of boots want the nicest I could find, high quality materials, hand made construction, almost $500, thinking it was an investment and I'd never have to go shoe shopping again. Well, I've had to repair them once already, and frankly with how cheap boots are at Walmart I don't think anymore I'll ever break even. Nice boots, though, and a…
Do you wear them daily? Even boots from Alden or Viberg should be rotated with at least one other pair.
Huh. So you are saying if I have 2 pairs of identical shoes, A and B, if I wear A for T months, then B for T months, by alternating every day I should get >2T months out?
Re: How to assess the quality of garments (2014)
#216Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you don't have a sewing machine, and you're interested in repairing/tailoring your own clothes (and most importantly you have the time) it's well worth looking into historic sewing methods. Hand sewing can be just as strong if not stronger than machine sewing, it just takes the right techniques and the time and patience to sit there and do it. I've found the two most useful stitches I've picked up are the felling…
I have some socks that probably have more darned surface area than original material, just because it amused me. Socks have a hard life really, and cheap nasty polyester (or significant % blends) ones can last much longer than more expensive pairs. Especially because you won't want to wear them!
What kind do you like?
I agree that a polyester blend tends to last ages. My Uniqlo 100% cotton socks tend to wear out at the sole and big toe quite quickly (those were rubbish), but my military-issued $1/pair polyester socks last me months, and are comfortable enough for daily use.
Maybe I just haven't tried the really good stuff.
Re: How to assess the quality of garments (2014)
#217I get what the article is getting at, its lovely for what it is trying to do. my take: Cloths are what people you meet look at. They create a mood in the spectator and leave an impression of who you are. First you have to figure out who you are, who you use to be and who you want to become. Who are the people you meet? they use to be what? who do you want them to be? After doing that you pick cloths that compliment t…
I thought this growing up. My favorite clothes were all chosen for function over fashion. Took me some years to accept fashion as an important function. Now I think like you.
static vs dynamic function
Re: How to assess the quality of garments (2014)
#218Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Or rather, they're expensive upfront but often turn out to be more economical over the life of the garment. In either case, they will be more pleasant to wear than a lower quality alternative. Good ol' Vimes "Boots" Theory of Economic Injustice strikes again: > At the time of Men at Arms, Samuel Vimes earned thirty-eight dollars a month as a Captain of the Watch, plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots…
What is the injustice here?
Some basic philosophical disagreements revolve around this. One mans injustice is another's evolutionary survival of the fittest where patience, planning, and low time preference are strongly rewarded by the system. One mans injustice is lack of equality of opportunity, another's is lack of equality of outcome.
There's a quote often falsely attributed to John Wayne "Life is hard; it’s harder when you’re stupid". Some folks see that as good, some as bad. A classic argument of individualism vs collectivism. Obviously the individual is better off if individual stupidity is not punished and obviously the civilization is better off, especially in the long run, if stupidity is punished, so opinions on punishment usually simplify down to an argument about individualism vs collectivism.
Re: How to assess the quality of garments (2014)
#219How refreshing to see something like this on HN; I want to iterate that there is an inextricable link between textiles and computer technology going back to the invention of the loom
This is a wonderfully insightful connection. You could think of fabric as an early display technology, especially when paired with something like this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacquard_loom
Re: How to assess the quality of garments (2014)
#220Earlier quoted context omitted.
I did manage to move the not so nice thoughts to the end of the train. Now if I could just learn to stop writing/talking/thinking(?) before we get there the world would be a happier place.
I doubt anybody thinks you’re really being macabre, purposely or otherwise. It’s sort of accidental poetry.
If I was I would wear a pink shirt with 10X on the front and RTFM on the back.