This sounds incredibly bad. I wear underwear shirts daily, and the three or four I have in rotation I have had since before Covid... Each of them has at least a year of daily wear, and only one of...
Underwear shirts typically last between 20 and 25 times. That means an active shirt with about 28 wears is likely to be nearing the end of its lifecycle, and that a shirt that starts falling apart after 10 uses is no good.
This sounds incredibly bad. I wear underwear shirts daily, and the three or four I have in rotation I have had since before Covid... Each of them has at least a year of daily wear, and only one of them have a tiny hole that doesn't matter. They even fit pretty nicely still.
I think it’s really good that this guy did this project because it seems to me that he is clueless about the basic economics of personal clothing. I could only wonder what his criteria for...
I think it’s really good that this guy did this project because it seems to me that he is clueless about the basic economics of personal clothing. I could only wonder what his criteria for throwing out these shirts were. Does he know they aren’t meant to be seen so they can be a bit worn out before he needs to throw them away? His conclusions are to build a wardrobe of favorite clothes, and all I can say about that is “why are you buying clothes that you don’t like?”
I would venture to guess that his biggest problem is the mentality that lead to him needing to do this project to begin with. He likely couldn't tell the quality of his clothing because he could not estimate how often he wore the clothing. He could not estimate them because he owns too much clothing. The amount of money he spends per year on shirts alone is more than I spend on my entire wardrobe. He owns some 15-odd pairs of shoes - the vast majority of which are boring white sneakers.
This might not be so bad if they were small simple things like playing cards or things of that ilk, but as I seemingly constantly bring up, the fashion industry is pretty terrible. It is one of the highest polluting market sector on the globe, it produces some three times more articles than actually get sold, and many items are made with unconscionable labor practices, to put it mildly. The richest person on the planet right now is the head of LVMH. We all need to stop overconsumption of clothing and fashion items.
It's possible the author sweats or is more active than you are? I'm sure an undershirt worn by someone who sweats a lot is going to last less than an undershirt worn by someone who smells fresh...
It's possible the author sweats or is more active than you are? I'm sure an undershirt worn by someone who sweats a lot is going to last less than an undershirt worn by someone who smells fresh after a 14 hour day.
I also have several undershirts I've owned for a few years but they definitely don't last as long as yours. Some of that is because when I put on an undershirt at 6 in the morning, it stays on until about 9 at night when I get to the gym. And sometimes if I didn't do a good job preparing, that same undershirt may be worn during a workout. Add to that the humidity in the south (in the States) and your shirt is soaked after being outside 30 minutes.
As someone who sweats a ton, is relatively active, and lives in a humid climate, 20-25 cycles seems like a ridiculously low number even for an undershirt. Do people normally go through base layers...
As someone who sweats a ton, is relatively active, and lives in a humid climate, 20-25 cycles seems like a ridiculously low number even for an undershirt. Do people normally go through base layers that quickly?
Sounds really low to me. I haven't regularly worn undershirts for the last several years, but when I did, I only bought new packs of undershirts every like 3-4yrs. I only had like 15 of them, and...
Sounds really low to me. I haven't regularly worn undershirts for the last several years, but when I did, I only bought new packs of undershirts every like 3-4yrs. I only had like 15 of them, and I wore them almost every day for work. So they had to have lasted more than 20-25 times. Each one probably got that much wear in a single year. Yeah, they got pit-stained, plus discolored and stretched out from washing, but I basically wore them until they started developing holes. And even small holes would be OK; because no one would see the undershirt!
Similar situation. This strikes me as more of a laundry issue than anything else. Unless I'm missed it, I didn't see how his "wash cycle" is defined. I think the article writer is blasting his...
Similar situation. This strikes me as more of a laundry issue than anything else. Unless I'm missed it, I didn't see how his "wash cycle" is defined. I think the article writer is blasting his clothes with heat and a tougher wash cycle than necessary.
I mean, sure, but I would still expect any piece of clothing to last much longer than this. I was just surprised by the statistics. Edit: Maybe this is the super low quality clothing from Shein...
I mean, sure, but I would still expect any piece of clothing to last much longer than this. I was just surprised by the statistics.
Edit: Maybe this is the super low quality clothing from Shein that I've heard so much about, but luckily never had to experience in real life.
Even with that much use, it shouldn't wear out that quickly. If you did that every day you wore that shirt, and let's assume you wear it and wash it one day a week. That means it barely lasts six...
Even with that much use, it shouldn't wear out that quickly. If you did that every day you wore that shirt, and let's assume you wear it and wash it one day a week. That means it barely lasts six months? That's ridiculous.
It should last at minimum a year even with heavy use like that
Yeah, I was about to say that that's a ridiculously low amount of wear. I actually have some pretty good data on this, because I was deployed with the us army for a year. For that whole year, even...
Yeah, I was about to say that that's a ridiculously low amount of wear. I actually have some pretty good data on this, because I was deployed with the us army for a year. For that whole year, even though I had a ridiculous amount of gear with me I wore: One pair of uniform pants. One uniform jacket. Six undershirts (similar to the underwear shirts he's mentioning here), six pairs of socks, six pairs of underwear, and one pair of boots. I wore all of them six days out of the week, on the seventh day, I'd wear civilian clothes, and do my laundry (warm water wash with detergent, tumble dry on medium heat).
The uniform top and bottom were pretty washed out (this may be from the washing, or from long days in the desert sun), but still perfectly functional. The underwear, undershirts, and socks were all totally usable with some slight wear. In fact, 3 years later, I still wear some of the socks and underwear.
The boots didn't fair as well, with the soles becoming work down, and holes in each developing in multiple places. I still wore them for a few months afterwards.
This was all doing some pretty rough and tumble stuff.
So that's around 300 wears for the uniform and boots, and 50ish wears for everything else.
Granted, the uniform and boots were specifically rugged military gear designed to survive in harsh conditions for long periods of time, but the other stuff was mostly things you could just pick up from Walmart.
Not sure what this guy is doing with his clothes, but that seems really low to me.
It probably has to do with using a tumbling clothes dryer. They wear clothes down very quickly. All the lint in the lint filter is material shaved from the clothes with friction. Not to mention...
It probably has to do with using a tumbling clothes dryer. They wear clothes down very quickly. All the lint in the lint filter is material shaved from the clothes with friction. Not to mention that the heat severely degrades synthetic materials, such as printed designs on T-shirts. For any clothes I want to last, such as swag T-shirts I value, I hang-dry, and they look new years later.
I tumble dry most of my clothes because life, but I don't have the same issues he does with clothes wearing out. Certainly not undershirts. I have camis with elastic that are a decade old and...
I tumble dry most of my clothes because life, but I don't have the same issues he does with clothes wearing out. Certainly not undershirts. I have camis with elastic that are a decade old and still fine
I kind of wonder if most people don't use a clothes drier or if I just buy magically good clothing. I hear a lot of people talking about them wearing down clothes but it seems like mine last...
I kind of wonder if most people don't use a clothes drier or if I just buy magically good clothing. I hear a lot of people talking about them wearing down clothes but it seems like mine last pretty long, minus some minor fading of dyed fabrics over the long run. I notice that whenever my housemate runs the dryer the lint trap is saturated with fuzz, but when I run my load it's pretty scant.
Or perhaps it's a specific kind of fabric weave that's extra susceptible to it? I wear button shirts but not undershirts or tee-shirts, and I mainly wear jeans that only get washed after a number of uses.
And of course my clothes still wear down, but it's not as fast as internet discourse suggests.
It's definitely dependent on the type of clothing. Some stuff is more delicate, other stuff tends to lose its shape in the dryer. I've been told never to tumble-dry bras since I was old enough to...
It's definitely dependent on the type of clothing. Some stuff is more delicate, other stuff tends to lose its shape in the dryer. I've been told never to tumble-dry bras since I was old enough to help with laundry, for instance. Most of the other stuff that's too delicate for a tumble-dry is pretty obvious from looking at it (and even more obvious from reading the label). I went without a dryer for ~4 years, and I didn't notice any marked improvement in the longevity of my basics (t-shirts, jeans, underwear, towels, etc.)
I don't think even the most delicate piece of clothing I own tumble-dried after every use would wear out as quickly as this guy apparently wears out his undershirts. Tumble dryers can contribute...
I don't think even the most delicate piece of clothing I own tumble-dried after every use would wear out as quickly as this guy apparently wears out his undershirts. Tumble dryers can contribute to wear for sure, but they don't literally eat your undershirts.
Same for Denmark. I think young people might not use the tumbler (a shared one, usually, if they live in student housing) or they might simply not need one. I bet almost all families with one or...
Same for Denmark. I think young people might not use the tumbler (a shared one, usually, if they live in student housing) or they might simply not need one. I bet almost all families with one or more child use their tumbler at least weekly, especially outside summer months.
Interesting. I have never in my lifetime lived in a house with a tumbler. I'm an only child, so maybe it can be a thing with bigger households. Also I've mostly lived in apartments, which may...
Interesting. I have never in my lifetime lived in a house with a tumbler. I'm an only child, so maybe it can be a thing with bigger households. Also I've mostly lived in apartments, which may limit their usage. I hang dry in a shared space currently.
Just...wear everything until it falls apart. When buying new stuff, try to gauge the gauge the quality of the product, you'll get better at this through the years.
Just...wear everything until it falls apart. When buying new stuff, try to gauge the gauge the quality of the product, you'll get better at this through the years.
I do the same. I also donate things that are still usable and I don’t like to wear anymore, but those circumstances are pretty rare. I once had a coworker be surprised when I casually mentioned...
I do the same. I also donate things that are still usable and I don’t like to wear anymore, but those circumstances are pretty rare. I once had a coworker be surprised when I casually mentioned that I had clothing items in my wardrobe that were more than 5 years old. She couldn’t imagine having the same clothing item for that long. And I am not just wearing ratty old worn out clothing, they are still in good condition. High quality long lasting clothing doesn’t have to be expensive. I don’t even baby my clothing when it comes to washing either. I know some people try and use delicate soaps, wash on cold, wash as little as possible. Not me. I don’t go out of my way to buy harsh soaps, but I get whatever is convenient and cheap, and often wash on hot. If you buy quality, things will last just fine.
It doesn't even have to be high quality to last 5+ years. You could have something you wear several times a year, you just have to take care of it and not throw it away. It's possible your...
It doesn't even have to be high quality to last 5+ years. You could have something you wear several times a year, you just have to take care of it and not throw it away. It's possible your coworker may not realize they have articles of clothing they've had a long time?
I have several dress (button up) shirts which I've had going back to 2012-2014. For example, I have a pink dress shirt which I only wear maybe three times a year. I bought the shirt at Old Navy in 2012 for a wedding I went to. I paid something like $15 for it. Because I only wear it 2-4 times a year, at this rate, unless I lose it during a move, I'll still be wearing it 2-4 times a year in 2042.
And if you learn to do basic repairs, you can get even more mileage out of your clothes. I have shirts that are 20 years old or more; some of which have been really worn and continue to baffle me,...
And if you learn to do basic repairs, you can get even more mileage out of your clothes. I have shirts that are 20 years old or more; some of which have been really worn and continue to baffle me, and others I have mended here and there.
You are right that quality makes a big difference. I will note that being expensive does not mean something is high quality, though. You are right that you have to get an eye for it!
In my experience, washing and drying are the things that destroy clothes, not wearing. I strongly recommend buying wool blends, limiting your washes as much as possible, hang drying exclusively,...
In my experience, washing and drying are the things that destroy clothes, not wearing. I strongly recommend buying wool blends, limiting your washes as much as possible, hang drying exclusively, and airing out your clothes (instead of washing them) if you don't sweat into them or get them visibly dirty. This is very easy with button-ups, possible with t-shirts, and achievable even with underwear (!!!) if you buy the right stuff.
It's also nice if, like me, you take multi-week work trips sometimes. Instead of dealing with hotel washes, you just lay your clothes out and it's ready to go in a day or so.
Bingo! I don't currently have a chair closet in the bedroom but I do have the laundry basket closet (and a dresser for me) so the closet doors are always open but rarely used
Bingo! I don't currently have a chair closet in the bedroom but I do have the laundry basket closet (and a dresser for me) so the closet doors are always open but rarely used
Right? I'd love the data but the work to get it is beyond me. I just wear my clothes until either I'm tired of them or they're so far gone that they're not presentable anymore.
Right? I'd love the data but the work to get it is beyond me. I just wear my clothes until either I'm tired of them or they're so far gone that they're not presentable anymore.
Do you understand how adhd and executive dysfunction work? It's extra steps, so that means extra steps to keep track of - those with adhd trends to struggle hard with multi step tasks because it's...
Do you understand how adhd and executive dysfunction work?
It's extra steps, so that means extra steps to keep track of - those with adhd trends to struggle hard with multi step tasks because it's either difficult to keep track of where you are if it isn't a hard coded routine (and even then...) or it just feels overwhelming and you skip steps to achieve the bare minimum for success.
Thanks, exactly. And there's some evidence it's harder to form habits as I rarely do things on that kind of automatic. Hell people with ADHD have worse dental outcomes because it's hard. I'd start...
Thanks, exactly. And there's some evidence it's harder to form habits as I rarely do things on that kind of automatic. Hell people with ADHD have worse dental outcomes because it's hard.
I'd start it and make it less than a week on typical patterns, definitely not a full month under best case. Which like happy it works for him. I just got overwhelmed immediately
Saying things like this inherently invalidates everyone with ADHD's lives. While everyone else is talking about the executive dysfunction, I will also add that people with ADHD DO NOT create...
Saying things like this inherently invalidates everyone with ADHD's lives.
While everyone else is talking about the executive dysfunction, I will also add that people with ADHD DO NOT create routines. They follow the dopamine, and their brains wire to where the dopamine is. Routines are not dopamine creators, so there is no reason for our brains to have them.
I'm not sure if this hyperbole, but people with ADHD absolutely can and do create routines and habits. ADHD runs in my family, and my siblings still keep routines even without their stimulants....
I'm not sure if this hyperbole, but people with ADHD absolutely can and do create routines and habits. ADHD runs in my family, and my siblings still keep routines even without their stimulants. There can be an inherent sense of reward in maintaining some scheduled tasks every day. It's a commonly suggested strategy for coping and living with ADHD per some psych professionals I've talked to.
It can be possible to maintain some habits as a person with ADHD, but saying "it only takes a minute a day" in response to someone with ADHD saying they wouldn't be able to maintain a habit is...
It can be possible to maintain some habits as a person with ADHD, but saying "it only takes a minute a day" in response to someone with ADHD saying they wouldn't be able to maintain a habit is still super condescending and invalidating. Establishing habits like this is extremely hard work for someone with ADHD, and I can say from firsthand experience that the amount of time it actually takes to do the thing is rarely even close to the most important factor. Our brains are legitimately not giving the intrinsic sense of reward that neurotypicals get from maintaining a routine like this, and in order to establish and maintain something like this, someone with ADHD will almost definitely struggle a lot and need to expend great personal effort to an extent beyond what a neurotypical person would -- and even then, there's a very high likelihood of failure.
I can say from my personal experience that any sort of daily tracking systems are very difficult to maintain after an initial period of excitement, and maintaining such a system for me requires a strong source of motivation to keep it up over time. I think the only thing remotely similar I've been able to be mostly consistent with is tracking my medications (the importance of which being what gets me back on track with it if I slip). I would absolutely not be able to maintain a habit of tracking which clothes I was wearing each day, and I've failed many times at attempts to do similarly "simple" tracking for other habits and activities.
Is owning six pairs of white sneakers normal? Or 15 pairs of shoes in general? I don't think I've ever simultaneously owned more than 5 or 6 pairs of shoes at once. One (or at most two) pairs to...
Is owning six pairs of white sneakers normal? Or 15 pairs of shoes in general? I don't think I've ever simultaneously owned more than 5 or 6 pairs of shoes at once. One (or at most two) pairs to fit each category that I wear until it falls apart before tossing them and buying something new in that category:
daily drivers to walk in
heavier boots for hiking/rain/snow
flip flops or crocs when I want something quick and easy
something dressy which I literally never wear but my wife thinks I should own "just in case"
edit to add: I guess I should also count the Vibram FiveFingers I only use on the treadmill, so right now I own 7 pairs total which already feels a bit excessive to me
Yes! And I've been trying to figure that out. I did a kind of vague count of the total days worn by all the footwear and came out to 1280. Three years of days is 1095, so he's only wearing two...
Yes! And I've been trying to figure that out. I did a kind of vague count of the total days worn by all the footwear and came out to 1280. Three years of days is 1095, so he's only wearing two pairs of shoes in a day like once every other week; most days, when he puts on his shoes for the day, that's what he wears.
They say you should replace your sneakers every six to eight months for best support. The stuff in the "retired" column is between 49 and 102 wears - let's call it between 2 and 4 months - which is low. But -- they also say that you should replace them every 300 to 500 miles.
Of the four pieces that are still in use and have over 100 wears (and assuming the pictures are correct), there's one set of outstanding sneakers, two pairs of leather shoes, and a pair of hiking boots. The hiking boots have been worn like 210 times in 3 years, or once every 5 days; that's a lot of hiking. If we extrapolate the retired sneakers and assume the writer retires their footwear based on miles worn, you get someone who runs 5 - 10 miles a day and who goes hiking on weekends.
I'm still at a loss as to how t-shirts only last 20 wearing, though.
Wow! I will admit I haven’t read the article, and it seems crazy that he replaces shoes so quickly. I have a ton of feet problems, so I need good support. That means I have to buy relatively...
Wow! I will admit I haven’t read the article, and it seems crazy that he replaces shoes so quickly. I have a ton of feet problems, so I need good support. That means I have to buy relatively expensive shoes and I seemingly replace them much more often than other people do. I was slightly disappointed by my first pair of running shoes since I really got into running. They lasted about 6 months. I used them for running exclusively, and ran at least a 5k every weekday. Some back of the napkin math puts that at 125 wears and 380 miles. So on the lower end of the mileage range, but pretty decent. And I sometimes ran more than that, so the actual value is probably a good bit higher. And after all that, I retired them from running, but not from my wardrobe entirely. I used them for a 3 day trip to Disneyland because they were comfortable and still had a bit of life on the sole left. I have no idea how many miles I put on them there, but it was probably a lot. I flew and didn’t rent a car, so I was walking or taking a train everywhere. This guy needs to figure out how to use his things for longer.
Who is “they”? Shoes have a nearly infinite variety when it comes to how the soles are built. Some of them are extremely sturdy, while some of them are extremely soft and will wear quickly. For...
Who is “they”?
Shoes have a nearly infinite variety when it comes to how the soles are built. Some of them are extremely sturdy, while some of them are extremely soft and will wear quickly. For instance I generally avoid Sketchers because it seems like most of their soles are so soft they literally crush under my weight.
In any case, if the reason why you are replacing shoes so often is for arch support, why not simply replace the insole instead of the entire shoe?
I definitely own over 15 pairs of shoes, and categorize them as such junky shoes: gray sneakers, colorful sneakers, slip on sneakers sandals: knock off tevas, house slippers, birkenstocks nice...
I definitely own over 15 pairs of shoes, and categorize them as such
junky shoes: gray sneakers, colorful sneakers, slip on sneakers
sandals: knock off tevas, house slippers, birkenstocks
nice sneakers that I clean regularly: AF1 and Stan Smiths (yes, both white 😅), colorful vans
GYW boots: one tan suede, one brown leather
rain boots
hiking boots
dress shoes: one tan pair, one black pair
punk-y boots I bought for clubbing and have only worn twice
Technically I have 17 if you count the pair of sneakers I didn't wear enough and plan to give away... But the only saving grace of having this many shoes is they don't wear out quickly. One pair of junk sneakers I've had for 15 years. I tend to buy 2 pairs of shoes a year and having to throw out worn ones with holes once or twice a year.
I have a lot of shoes, not because I like them but because I have very specific purposes for each. I probably own 20 pairs of shoes and I wear most of them regularly. Work shoes are only work...
I have a lot of shoes, not because I like them but because I have very specific purposes for each. I probably own 20 pairs of shoes and I wear most of them regularly. Work shoes are only work shoes, dress shoes for work are only dress shoes, casual shoes are only casual shoes. They seem to wear out much less when I pick my situation to wear them. It sounds like you have a similar practice but with less pairs.
I actually just found a honey pot of sneakers at an estate sale, I bought 11 pairs of sneakers. They should last me another 20+ years, and I got them for 20 bucks a pair.
I think it varies wildly based on your fashion sense and your lifestyle. I have: 2 pairs of workout shoes (one at home, one at gym) 3 pairs of hiking boots, for different climates 1 pair...
I think it varies wildly based on your fashion sense and your lifestyle. I have:
2 pairs of workout shoes (one at home, one at gym)
3 pairs of hiking boots, for different climates
1 pair motorcycle boots
3 pairs of red wing boots (different colors)
2 pairs of Chelsea boots (different colors)
4ish pairs of dress shoes (different colors/styles)
1 pair white sneakers
1 pair of sandals
I agree that 15 pairs is a lot, and that 7 (or even 6, or 5) starts to feel like a bit much. Then I counted all my pairs of shoes and, surprise!, I technically own 12 pairs. Two of those pairs are...
I agree that 15 pairs is a lot, and that 7 (or even 6, or 5) starts to feel like a bit much. Then I counted all my pairs of shoes and, surprise!, I technically own 12 pairs.
Two of those pairs are old casual shoes, and they're so worn out that I don't wear them anymore, and should probably trash them. The others are:
Fancy boots (for weddings and such)
Work boots
Motorcycle boots
Running shoes (aka daily drivers 2)
Running shoes 2
Casual shoes
Ugly casual shoes
Hiking sandals
Indoor rubber slippers
Outdoor rubber slippers (aka daily drivers)
I have to gush about my rubber slippers (you could also call them "garden clogs" or "Crocs-likes", but they're not as ugly). They were cheap (less than $30), but have been surprisingly durable and long-lasting. During the warm months, I wear my outdoor pair pretty much everywhere, including when I go trail riding on an ATV. Being rubber, they're easy to wash. I'm amazed they haven't fallen apart yet. Their only downside is I can't take them off and leave them in direct sunlight, or they'll shrink.
So yeah, 10 pairs that I consider wearable. I could reduce that though.
Ugly casuals: I bought these right after Hurricane Harvey because they were cheap, and literally all of my other shoes were wet, moldy, or ruined.
Running shoes 2: These were a gift, but they're too ugly for me to wear anywhere except on a run, and I already have another pair for that.
Work boots: I don't need these anymore, and thus never wear them. Anything I might need a boot for in the future, my motorcycle boots would probably be an adequate (and more comfortable) replacement.
So that's down to 7 pairs. I could probably get rid of the hiking sandals too. I never used them for hiking. They were my original trail riding shoes before I got the rubber slippers. I kind of want to hang onto them for now though.
I have like... 5 pairs of footwear. hiking shoes that are also my daily footwear sandals for the summer snow boots when I go sledding or play in the snow slippers in the house when it's cold .......
This is WILD to me on so many levels First of all, my most expensive clothing is rarely worn, they're all nice dresses that I wear only if I'm going to a musical/opera/symphony/nice dinner/etc....
This is WILD to me on so many levels
First of all, my most expensive clothing is rarely worn, they're all nice dresses that I wear only if I'm going to a musical/opera/symphony/nice dinner/etc. But I really enjoy dressing up a bit for such occasions, and I also actively enjoy just seeing them in my closet when I'm gonna put on something more everyday.
Second, 100 euros is the cutoff between less-nice and nice????? I would put that cutoff on maybe half that. Bit of a different situation as a cis female but shirts are probably the cheapest thing in my wardrobe & I almost never spend more than about $25 USD on a top, I almost always wear either a branded tshirt if I'm at home for the day or a tanktop (with maybe a couple layers on top) if I'm going out (yes, even in the winter, layers though). A dress in the summer with no layers below it. (tbh, branded tshirts are usually more expensive than tanktops but in this case I'm paying not just for clothing but also for a memory)
Third as others have said, throwing something out after 20 wears????????? I still wear clothing that I bought during college, which is approaching 15 years ago. And again I'm talking like $15 tanktops from Old Navy, branded tshirts, etc. Probably the shortest lifespan is for bras, and I would say that (a) I still get about 100 days out of one before replacing; and (b) if I washed them less often (which afaik is the recommendation for bras, to wash once every 3-4 wears instead of every single wear) I could get significantly longer; but that triggers my OCD, once I've taken clothing off it HAS to get washed.
Finally, can't you just intuitively know how you feel about your clothing?? Clothing is not solely about utility, it's literally a piece of artwork that you are wearing that give people their first impression of you. If you have the budget to spend 100 euros on a shirt ever I feel like you have the budget to just make a judgment call here.
The one recommendation I've seen that I kinda like is that each year you turn all your hangers backwards, and turn it around when you wear it. Then you donate anything that you didn't turn around that whole year. However (1) I have in the past gotten rid of a LOT of clothing that I now really really regret not having (specifically a bunch of shirt.woot tshirts that were super cute but I was gonna start dressing differently after college but now I'd totally wear super cute shirts like that again no matter how 'unprofessional' they are, I don't have issues with that anymore lol) and (2) imo 1 year is too short a time for that anyway because sometimes you might just have a super mild season or super dry/wet and your wardrobe can change a lot based on that, e.g. some of my pants are slightly too long and I CANNOT wear them if it's AT ALL wet, if February is unusually warm I will never wear my heaviest coat that year, etc etc and (3) if you don't wear something because your weight changed a bit, that's not necessarily a reason to get rid of clothing cos it could always change back.
But, I could see this as a way to track what kind of clothing you actually wear frequently so that you know better what to buy in the future. But again, this is something I just intuitively know so idk.
Woot shirts! I loved those! I'm more teeturtle these days. Being plus size and woman-ish, work clothes (business casual) are the biggest expense, I do more sale shopping and making my clothes last...
Woot shirts! I loved those! I'm more teeturtle these days.
Being plus size and woman-ish, work clothes (business casual) are the biggest expense, I do more sale shopping and making my clothes last as long as possible but I end up having to do a big purchase to make use of all the coupons (and torrid cash and whatever). I actually want to buy more gender neutral stuff but having boobs means that it's harder to do.
That said , I broadly agree that this is not my standard of living. The last time I threw something away it was fully destroyed or was socks that no longer match my giant pack of ankle puma socks from Costco so I don't have to worry about matching socks anymore (or socks on my legs, a sensory nightmare)
But I recognize that may sound equally wild to someone who likes clothing. I like to wear a polo and slacks/ shirt and jeans OR be a fae in the woods. (The two genders. ).
Since I'm definitely not a fae, it's the polos for me I suppose.
...I may now be considering another spreadsheet. Though it'd probably be simpler to just frequency sort my clothes as I wear them instead of color sorting them as I do now.
...I may now be considering another spreadsheet. Though it'd probably be simpler to just frequency sort my clothes as I wear them instead of color sorting them as I do now.
I have noticed that the vast majority of damage actually happens during so-called "normal" wash cycles which are far rougher than necessary for clothes that aren't truly dirty (like those with...
I have noticed that the vast majority of damage actually happens during so-called "normal" wash cycles which are far rougher than necessary for clothes that aren't truly dirty (like those with stains you need to get out). If you are just washing them to remove daily sweat, a wool/silk cycle is more than enough.
Since I swapped to using this mode for my only sweat dirty clothes, they last a ridiculously long time.
A lot of waste happens because washing machines "default" to such a rough cycle because the priority is to give a good impression of cleaning power, not preserve your clothes.
I'm curious, do you use a toploader or front loader for washing? I've recently done a few washes in a top loader (and quite a bit 'lower end' than my usual front loader) and each wash and dry has...
I'm curious, do you use a toploader or front loader for washing? I've recently done a few washes in a top loader (and quite a bit 'lower end' than my usual front loader) and each wash and dry has my clothes getting worn at a rate easily 10 times that of my front loaders.
Not to say that front loaders haven't destroyed some clothes but it was every few years not every few loads.
Front loader. I have worked hard to keep my front loading large capacity Miele w4800 working as they are no longer available. At this point I have set up a manual lock and unlock. The thing...
Front loader. I have worked hard to keep my front loading large capacity Miele w4800 working as they are no longer available. At this point I have set up a manual lock and unlock.
The thing survived a house being struck by lighting, with literal scorch marks on the back!
This sounds incredibly bad. I wear underwear shirts daily, and the three or four I have in rotation I have had since before Covid... Each of them has at least a year of daily wear, and only one of them have a tiny hole that doesn't matter. They even fit pretty nicely still.
I think it’s really good that this guy did this project because it seems to me that he is clueless about the basic economics of personal clothing. I could only wonder what his criteria for throwing out these shirts were. Does he know they aren’t meant to be seen so they can be a bit worn out before he needs to throw them away? His conclusions are to build a wardrobe of favorite clothes, and all I can say about that is “why are you buying clothes that you don’t like?”
I would venture to guess that his biggest problem is the mentality that lead to him needing to do this project to begin with. He likely couldn't tell the quality of his clothing because he could not estimate how often he wore the clothing. He could not estimate them because he owns too much clothing. The amount of money he spends per year on shirts alone is more than I spend on my entire wardrobe. He owns some 15-odd pairs of shoes - the vast majority of which are boring white sneakers.
This might not be so bad if they were small simple things like playing cards or things of that ilk, but as I seemingly constantly bring up, the fashion industry is pretty terrible. It is one of the highest polluting market sector on the globe, it produces some three times more articles than actually get sold, and many items are made with unconscionable labor practices, to put it mildly. The richest person on the planet right now is the head of LVMH. We all need to stop overconsumption of clothing and fashion items.
It's possible the author sweats or is more active than you are? I'm sure an undershirt worn by someone who sweats a lot is going to last less than an undershirt worn by someone who smells fresh after a 14 hour day.
I also have several undershirts I've owned for a few years but they definitely don't last as long as yours. Some of that is because when I put on an undershirt at 6 in the morning, it stays on until about 9 at night when I get to the gym. And sometimes if I didn't do a good job preparing, that same undershirt may be worn during a workout. Add to that the humidity in the south (in the States) and your shirt is soaked after being outside 30 minutes.
As someone who sweats a ton, is relatively active, and lives in a humid climate, 20-25 cycles seems like a ridiculously low number even for an undershirt. Do people normally go through base layers that quickly?
Sounds really low to me. I haven't regularly worn undershirts for the last several years, but when I did, I only bought new packs of undershirts every like 3-4yrs. I only had like 15 of them, and I wore them almost every day for work. So they had to have lasted more than 20-25 times. Each one probably got that much wear in a single year. Yeah, they got pit-stained, plus discolored and stretched out from washing, but I basically wore them until they started developing holes. And even small holes would be OK; because no one would see the undershirt!
Similar situation. This strikes me as more of a laundry issue than anything else. Unless I'm missed it, I didn't see how his "wash cycle" is defined. I think the article writer is blasting his clothes with heat and a tougher wash cycle than necessary.
I mean, sure, but I would still expect any piece of clothing to last much longer than this. I was just surprised by the statistics.
Edit: Maybe this is the super low quality clothing from Shein that I've heard so much about, but luckily never had to experience in real life.
Even with that much use, it shouldn't wear out that quickly. If you did that every day you wore that shirt, and let's assume you wear it and wash it one day a week. That means it barely lasts six months? That's ridiculous.
It should last at minimum a year even with heavy use like that
Yeah, I was about to say that that's a ridiculously low amount of wear. I actually have some pretty good data on this, because I was deployed with the us army for a year. For that whole year, even though I had a ridiculous amount of gear with me I wore: One pair of uniform pants. One uniform jacket. Six undershirts (similar to the underwear shirts he's mentioning here), six pairs of socks, six pairs of underwear, and one pair of boots. I wore all of them six days out of the week, on the seventh day, I'd wear civilian clothes, and do my laundry (warm water wash with detergent, tumble dry on medium heat).
The uniform top and bottom were pretty washed out (this may be from the washing, or from long days in the desert sun), but still perfectly functional. The underwear, undershirts, and socks were all totally usable with some slight wear. In fact, 3 years later, I still wear some of the socks and underwear.
The boots didn't fair as well, with the soles becoming work down, and holes in each developing in multiple places. I still wore them for a few months afterwards.
This was all doing some pretty rough and tumble stuff.
So that's around 300 wears for the uniform and boots, and 50ish wears for everything else.
Granted, the uniform and boots were specifically rugged military gear designed to survive in harsh conditions for long periods of time, but the other stuff was mostly things you could just pick up from Walmart.
Not sure what this guy is doing with his clothes, but that seems really low to me.
It probably has to do with using a tumbling clothes dryer. They wear clothes down very quickly. All the lint in the lint filter is material shaved from the clothes with friction. Not to mention that the heat severely degrades synthetic materials, such as printed designs on T-shirts. For any clothes I want to last, such as swag T-shirts I value, I hang-dry, and they look new years later.
I tumble dry most of my clothes because life, but I don't have the same issues he does with clothes wearing out. Certainly not undershirts. I have camis with elastic that are a decade old and still fine
I kind of wonder if most people don't use a clothes drier or if I just buy magically good clothing. I hear a lot of people talking about them wearing down clothes but it seems like mine last pretty long, minus some minor fading of dyed fabrics over the long run. I notice that whenever my housemate runs the dryer the lint trap is saturated with fuzz, but when I run my load it's pretty scant.
Or perhaps it's a specific kind of fabric weave that's extra susceptible to it? I wear button shirts but not undershirts or tee-shirts, and I mainly wear jeans that only get washed after a number of uses.
And of course my clothes still wear down, but it's not as fast as internet discourse suggests.
It's definitely dependent on the type of clothing. Some stuff is more delicate, other stuff tends to lose its shape in the dryer. I've been told never to tumble-dry bras since I was old enough to help with laundry, for instance. Most of the other stuff that's too delicate for a tumble-dry is pretty obvious from looking at it (and even more obvious from reading the label). I went without a dryer for ~4 years, and I didn't notice any marked improvement in the longevity of my basics (t-shirts, jeans, underwear, towels, etc.)
I wear T-shirts and tunic tops and sweaters and slacks and jeans, idk. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I don't think even the most delicate piece of clothing I own tumble-dried after every use would wear out as quickly as this guy apparently wears out his undershirts. Tumble dryers can contribute to wear for sure, but they don't literally eat your undershirts.
He's in the nordics; we don't use tumblers here really. Maybe he just has incredible high standards and can afford it; he's a well paid IT-consultant.
I have the exact opposite experience here in Sweden.
Same for Denmark. I think young people might not use the tumbler (a shared one, usually, if they live in student housing) or they might simply not need one. I bet almost all families with one or more child use their tumbler at least weekly, especially outside summer months.
Interesting. I have never in my lifetime lived in a house with a tumbler. I'm an only child, so maybe it can be a thing with bigger households. Also I've mostly lived in apartments, which may limit their usage. I hang dry in a shared space currently.
Where are you located, if you don’t mind me asking?
In Finland we don't have it as nice here :)
There are definitely plenty of people with tumble -dryers in the nordics. Even my wife's grandma had one.
Just...wear everything until it falls apart. When buying new stuff, try to gauge the gauge the quality of the product, you'll get better at this through the years.
I do the same. I also donate things that are still usable and I don’t like to wear anymore, but those circumstances are pretty rare. I once had a coworker be surprised when I casually mentioned that I had clothing items in my wardrobe that were more than 5 years old. She couldn’t imagine having the same clothing item for that long. And I am not just wearing ratty old worn out clothing, they are still in good condition. High quality long lasting clothing doesn’t have to be expensive. I don’t even baby my clothing when it comes to washing either. I know some people try and use delicate soaps, wash on cold, wash as little as possible. Not me. I don’t go out of my way to buy harsh soaps, but I get whatever is convenient and cheap, and often wash on hot. If you buy quality, things will last just fine.
It doesn't even have to be high quality to last 5+ years. You could have something you wear several times a year, you just have to take care of it and not throw it away. It's possible your coworker may not realize they have articles of clothing they've had a long time?
I have several dress (button up) shirts which I've had going back to 2012-2014. For example, I have a pink dress shirt which I only wear maybe three times a year. I bought the shirt at Old Navy in 2012 for a wedding I went to. I paid something like $15 for it. Because I only wear it 2-4 times a year, at this rate, unless I lose it during a move, I'll still be wearing it 2-4 times a year in 2042.
And if you learn to do basic repairs, you can get even more mileage out of your clothes. I have shirts that are 20 years old or more; some of which have been really worn and continue to baffle me, and others I have mended here and there.
You are right that quality makes a big difference. I will note that being expensive does not mean something is high quality, though. You are right that you have to get an eye for it!
In my experience, washing and drying are the things that destroy clothes, not wearing. I strongly recommend buying wool blends, limiting your washes as much as possible, hang drying exclusively, and airing out your clothes (instead of washing them) if you don't sweat into them or get them visibly dirty. This is very easy with button-ups, possible with t-shirts, and achievable even with underwear (!!!) if you buy the right stuff.
It's also nice if, like me, you take multi-week work trips sometimes. Instead of dealing with hotel washes, you just lay your clothes out and it's ready to go in a day or so.
My ADHD could never.
Oh I could possibly set up the tracker but I could never maintain it.
If it was like... mandatory data entry to open the closet door, maybe. This is so cool though.
I mean, my clothes often don't make it to the closet so even then.
lol even in that case I'd probably just raid the laundry hamper and stop using the closet.
Bingo! I don't currently have a chair closet in the bedroom but I do have the laundry basket closet (and a dresser for me) so the closet doors are always open but rarely used
Right? I'd love the data but the work to get it is beyond me. I just wear my clothes until either I'm tired of them or they're so far gone that they're not presentable anymore.
It takes less than a minute per day per the article.
Do you understand how adhd and executive dysfunction work?
It's extra steps, so that means extra steps to keep track of - those with adhd trends to struggle hard with multi step tasks because it's either difficult to keep track of where you are if it isn't a hard coded routine (and even then...) or it just feels overwhelming and you skip steps to achieve the bare minimum for success.
Thanks, exactly. And there's some evidence it's harder to form habits as I rarely do things on that kind of automatic. Hell people with ADHD have worse dental outcomes because it's hard.
I'd start it and make it less than a week on typical patterns, definitely not a full month under best case. Which like happy it works for him. I just got overwhelmed immediately
Saying things like this inherently invalidates everyone with ADHD's lives.
While everyone else is talking about the executive dysfunction, I will also add that people with ADHD DO NOT create routines. They follow the dopamine, and their brains wire to where the dopamine is. Routines are not dopamine creators, so there is no reason for our brains to have them.
I'm not sure if this hyperbole, but people with ADHD absolutely can and do create routines and habits. ADHD runs in my family, and my siblings still keep routines even without their stimulants. There can be an inherent sense of reward in maintaining some scheduled tasks every day. It's a commonly suggested strategy for coping and living with ADHD per some psych professionals I've talked to.
It can be possible to maintain some habits as a person with ADHD, but saying "it only takes a minute a day" in response to someone with ADHD saying they wouldn't be able to maintain a habit is still super condescending and invalidating. Establishing habits like this is extremely hard work for someone with ADHD, and I can say from firsthand experience that the amount of time it actually takes to do the thing is rarely even close to the most important factor. Our brains are legitimately not giving the intrinsic sense of reward that neurotypicals get from maintaining a routine like this, and in order to establish and maintain something like this, someone with ADHD will almost definitely struggle a lot and need to expend great personal effort to an extent beyond what a neurotypical person would -- and even then, there's a very high likelihood of failure.
I can say from my personal experience that any sort of daily tracking systems are very difficult to maintain after an initial period of excitement, and maintaining such a system for me requires a strong source of motivation to keep it up over time. I think the only thing remotely similar I've been able to be mostly consistent with is tracking my medications (the importance of which being what gets me back on track with it if I slip). I would absolutely not be able to maintain a habit of tracking which clothes I was wearing each day, and I've failed many times at attempts to do similarly "simple" tracking for other habits and activities.
Is owning six pairs of white sneakers normal? Or 15 pairs of shoes in general? I don't think I've ever simultaneously owned more than 5 or 6 pairs of shoes at once. One (or at most two) pairs to fit each category that I wear until it falls apart before tossing them and buying something new in that category:
Yes! And I've been trying to figure that out. I did a kind of vague count of the total days worn by all the footwear and came out to 1280. Three years of days is 1095, so he's only wearing two pairs of shoes in a day like once every other week; most days, when he puts on his shoes for the day, that's what he wears.
They say you should replace your sneakers every six to eight months for best support. The stuff in the "retired" column is between 49 and 102 wears - let's call it between 2 and 4 months - which is low. But -- they also say that you should replace them every 300 to 500 miles.
Of the four pieces that are still in use and have over 100 wears (and assuming the pictures are correct), there's one set of outstanding sneakers, two pairs of leather shoes, and a pair of hiking boots. The hiking boots have been worn like 210 times in 3 years, or once every 5 days; that's a lot of hiking. If we extrapolate the retired sneakers and assume the writer retires their footwear based on miles worn, you get someone who runs 5 - 10 miles a day and who goes hiking on weekends.
I'm still at a loss as to how t-shirts only last 20 wearing, though.
Wow! I will admit I haven’t read the article, and it seems crazy that he replaces shoes so quickly. I have a ton of feet problems, so I need good support. That means I have to buy relatively expensive shoes and I seemingly replace them much more often than other people do. I was slightly disappointed by my first pair of running shoes since I really got into running. They lasted about 6 months. I used them for running exclusively, and ran at least a 5k every weekday. Some back of the napkin math puts that at 125 wears and 380 miles. So on the lower end of the mileage range, but pretty decent. And I sometimes ran more than that, so the actual value is probably a good bit higher. And after all that, I retired them from running, but not from my wardrobe entirely. I used them for a 3 day trip to Disneyland because they were comfortable and still had a bit of life on the sole left. I have no idea how many miles I put on them there, but it was probably a lot. I flew and didn’t rent a car, so I was walking or taking a train everywhere. This guy needs to figure out how to use his things for longer.
Who is “they”?
Shoes have a nearly infinite variety when it comes to how the soles are built. Some of them are extremely sturdy, while some of them are extremely soft and will wear quickly. For instance I generally avoid Sketchers because it seems like most of their soles are so soft they literally crush under my weight.
In any case, if the reason why you are replacing shoes so often is for arch support, why not simply replace the insole instead of the entire shoe?
I definitely own over 15 pairs of shoes, and categorize them as such
junky shoes: gray sneakers, colorful sneakers, slip on sneakers
sandals: knock off tevas, house slippers, birkenstocks
nice sneakers that I clean regularly: AF1 and Stan Smiths (yes, both white 😅), colorful vans
GYW boots: one tan suede, one brown leather
rain boots
hiking boots
dress shoes: one tan pair, one black pair
punk-y boots I bought for clubbing and have only worn twice
Technically I have 17 if you count the pair of sneakers I didn't wear enough and plan to give away... But the only saving grace of having this many shoes is they don't wear out quickly. One pair of junk sneakers I've had for 15 years. I tend to buy 2 pairs of shoes a year and having to throw out worn ones with holes once or twice a year.
I have a lot of shoes, not because I like them but because I have very specific purposes for each. I probably own 20 pairs of shoes and I wear most of them regularly. Work shoes are only work shoes, dress shoes for work are only dress shoes, casual shoes are only casual shoes. They seem to wear out much less when I pick my situation to wear them. It sounds like you have a similar practice but with less pairs.
I actually just found a honey pot of sneakers at an estate sale, I bought 11 pairs of sneakers. They should last me another 20+ years, and I got them for 20 bucks a pair.
I think it varies wildly based on your fashion sense and your lifestyle. I have:
2 pairs of workout shoes (one at home, one at gym)
3 pairs of hiking boots, for different climates
1 pair motorcycle boots
3 pairs of red wing boots (different colors)
2 pairs of Chelsea boots (different colors)
4ish pairs of dress shoes (different colors/styles)
1 pair white sneakers
1 pair of sandals
I agree that 15 pairs is a lot, and that 7 (or even 6, or 5) starts to feel like a bit much. Then I counted all my pairs of shoes and, surprise!, I technically own 12 pairs.
Two of those pairs are old casual shoes, and they're so worn out that I don't wear them anymore, and should probably trash them. The others are:
I have to gush about my rubber slippers (you could also call them "garden clogs" or "Crocs-likes", but they're not as ugly). They were cheap (less than $30), but have been surprisingly durable and long-lasting. During the warm months, I wear my outdoor pair pretty much everywhere, including when I go trail riding on an ATV. Being rubber, they're easy to wash. I'm amazed they haven't fallen apart yet. Their only downside is I can't take them off and leave them in direct sunlight, or they'll shrink.
So yeah, 10 pairs that I consider wearable. I could reduce that though.
So that's down to 7 pairs. I could probably get rid of the hiking sandals too. I never used them for hiking. They were my original trail riding shoes before I got the rubber slippers. I kind of want to hang onto them for now though.
I have like... 5 pairs of footwear.
.... OK I actually have 4 pairs of shoes.
This is WILD to me on so many levels
First of all, my most expensive clothing is rarely worn, they're all nice dresses that I wear only if I'm going to a musical/opera/symphony/nice dinner/etc. But I really enjoy dressing up a bit for such occasions, and I also actively enjoy just seeing them in my closet when I'm gonna put on something more everyday.
Second, 100 euros is the cutoff between less-nice and nice????? I would put that cutoff on maybe half that. Bit of a different situation as a cis female but shirts are probably the cheapest thing in my wardrobe & I almost never spend more than about $25 USD on a top, I almost always wear either a branded tshirt if I'm at home for the day or a tanktop (with maybe a couple layers on top) if I'm going out (yes, even in the winter, layers though). A dress in the summer with no layers below it. (tbh, branded tshirts are usually more expensive than tanktops but in this case I'm paying not just for clothing but also for a memory)
Third as others have said, throwing something out after 20 wears????????? I still wear clothing that I bought during college, which is approaching 15 years ago. And again I'm talking like $15 tanktops from Old Navy, branded tshirts, etc. Probably the shortest lifespan is for bras, and I would say that (a) I still get about 100 days out of one before replacing; and (b) if I washed them less often (which afaik is the recommendation for bras, to wash once every 3-4 wears instead of every single wear) I could get significantly longer; but that triggers my OCD, once I've taken clothing off it HAS to get washed.
Finally, can't you just intuitively know how you feel about your clothing?? Clothing is not solely about utility, it's literally a piece of artwork that you are wearing that give people their first impression of you. If you have the budget to spend 100 euros on a shirt ever I feel like you have the budget to just make a judgment call here.
The one recommendation I've seen that I kinda like is that each year you turn all your hangers backwards, and turn it around when you wear it. Then you donate anything that you didn't turn around that whole year. However (1) I have in the past gotten rid of a LOT of clothing that I now really really regret not having (specifically a bunch of shirt.woot tshirts that were super cute but I was gonna start dressing differently after college but now I'd totally wear super cute shirts like that again no matter how 'unprofessional' they are, I don't have issues with that anymore lol) and (2) imo 1 year is too short a time for that anyway because sometimes you might just have a super mild season or super dry/wet and your wardrobe can change a lot based on that, e.g. some of my pants are slightly too long and I CANNOT wear them if it's AT ALL wet, if February is unusually warm I will never wear my heaviest coat that year, etc etc and (3) if you don't wear something because your weight changed a bit, that's not necessarily a reason to get rid of clothing cos it could always change back.
But, I could see this as a way to track what kind of clothing you actually wear frequently so that you know better what to buy in the future. But again, this is something I just intuitively know so idk.
Woot shirts! I loved those! I'm more teeturtle these days.
Being plus size and woman-ish, work clothes (business casual) are the biggest expense, I do more sale shopping and making my clothes last as long as possible but I end up having to do a big purchase to make use of all the coupons (and torrid cash and whatever). I actually want to buy more gender neutral stuff but having boobs means that it's harder to do.
That said , I broadly agree that this is not my standard of living. The last time I threw something away it was fully destroyed or was socks that no longer match my giant pack of ankle puma socks from Costco so I don't have to worry about matching socks anymore (or socks on my legs, a sensory nightmare)
But I recognize that may sound equally wild to someone who likes clothing. I like to wear a polo and slacks/ shirt and jeans OR be a fae in the woods. (The two genders. ).
Since I'm definitely not a fae, it's the polos for me I suppose.
thanks for the rec!!
...I may now be considering another spreadsheet. Though it'd probably be simpler to just frequency sort my clothes as I wear them instead of color sorting them as I do now.
I have noticed that the vast majority of damage actually happens during so-called "normal" wash cycles which are far rougher than necessary for clothes that aren't truly dirty (like those with stains you need to get out). If you are just washing them to remove daily sweat, a wool/silk cycle is more than enough.
Since I swapped to using this mode for my only sweat dirty clothes, they last a ridiculously long time.
A lot of waste happens because washing machines "default" to such a rough cycle because the priority is to give a good impression of cleaning power, not preserve your clothes.
I'm curious, do you use a toploader or front loader for washing? I've recently done a few washes in a top loader (and quite a bit 'lower end' than my usual front loader) and each wash and dry has my clothes getting worn at a rate easily 10 times that of my front loaders.
Not to say that front loaders haven't destroyed some clothes but it was every few years not every few loads.
Front loader. I have worked hard to keep my front loading large capacity Miele w4800 working as they are no longer available. At this point I have set up a manual lock and unlock.
The thing survived a house being struck by lighting, with literal scorch marks on the back!