Wear and Tear

Russell Street

Russell Street

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So I get the sense that the SF crowd, by and large, constantly wear stuff that just got the tags cutoff. It makes sense, as every day is school picture day for them.

Some people fetishize over new. Any sign of wear and they are done with the garment.

I'm practically a hobo in my insistence on wearing things till catastrophic failure (giant stain, rip). I mean the way they get worn shifts, items get downgraded to lower formality wear, but I'm not tossing wearable items. In fact I have a surplus of shirts with frayed out collars that are reserved for house/dirty work wear...like so.

What amount of weathering, signs of age and wear is acceptable to you? What are your standards?
 
I wear shoes until there are holes in the uppers (and even then I might keep them for beaters). I wear shirts until they fray really bad or get holes in them. I've never worn out a jacket, but I've gotten rid of stuff I grew out of (same with pants). I never throw away wearable clothes. If I can't wear them anymore because I've outgrown them I sell them or leave them to thrift shops.
 
A bonus of this is that you get to appear "dressed up" when wearing trashable items for perilous or very casual activities.
 
Rarely does anyone on SF look comfortable in their clothes. Or relaxed. They are PhotoClothes, iClothes, SelfieClothes.

Note to Luxire:: I need this shirt by next Wednesday. As I have a photo shoot in my bathroom scheduled. The shirt needs to fit like a condom (unused thank you) and look good in a military at attention stance. Photographed in a mirror. I do not need to be able to breathe for more than the 20 minutes it takes to get a perfect shot. I do not need to walk in it, sit in it, drink sustainable organic quinona tea in it, turn my head in it, drive in it, sit at a desk in it, use a keyboard in it. I would have you note I am and attorney. (or at least would like to be one when I grow up) and I will not hesitate to expose you on the internet if you mess anything up. I must say I love your service.
 
Russell Street said:
What amount of weathering, signs of age and wear is acceptable to you? What are your standards?
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I try not to get out in the sun too much and use a moisturizing after shave instead of alcohol based one. I clip nose and ear hair. Other than that I let it just happen.
 
I was once told a shirt I was wearing was so worn out it wasn't even good enough to be a rag anymore.
 
Apart from ties, of which I have a fairly revolving door of new ones at all times, I try not to buy too much new stuff. That's mostly due to current circumstance of having an 18 month old, a new one due in 4 weeks and a mortgage rather than want. I also have 2 other expensive hobbies that keep my budget down (fly fishing and cycling).
Shirts I see as disposable and I'm pretty hard on them, prefer to have 10 shirts I'm really happy with and wear them out quicker than 30 I hate.
Suits and trousers though I really hate parting with pieces I like once they wear out. If I'm honest, I get more joy out of buying flies and goretex jackets than blazers and trousers..
 
The first sign of deterioration really endears me to a garment. It makes me realize that we've been together a while and that our days together are numbered. I know that sounds corny, but it's true.
 
Russell Street said:
The first sign of deterioration really endears me to a garment. It makes me realize that we've been together a while and that our days together are numbered. I know that sounds corny, but it's true.
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Unless you thrifted it, and then you do a :rage: when you realize you got someone's cast off.
 
The old Preppy Handbook had a quip about wearing other people's clothes to the effect that they had inherited charm. Doesn't really work if you didn't know the person though.
 
There was a time when I EBayed used suits and odd jackets. But these were temporary garments bought as a stop-gap measure. They would invariably end up being put up on EBay again or sent to Goodwill.

For years I have tried to acquire things for the long hall. This began prior to getting older but now at 50 it is factored into the equation even more.

I am at a point where with dress shirts, suits, odd jackets and trousers I have enough to wear them once a month over the 10 months a year I dress for work. This reduces wear and tear and changes in taste might relegate something to the back of the closet before they become to shabby to sport in public.

The pieces that I have liked over the years the most - and it has not been dress wear - I wished I had bought two of them to either extend their life or have a replacement when the original have up the ghost and couldn't be replaced because it wasn't made anymore. I actually now buy a pair of things to accomplish this task.

Like HenryC HenryC I agonize more over non-suiting purchases especially casual & outerwear. Probably because finding the right non-MC jacket, pants & shirts is harder than getting something bespoke.

I wear the hell out of my casual stuff and the elements, barbed wire, brush do take their toll especially because I buy far fewer pieces and do have favourites that I will wear constantly.

I buy old Pendelton shirts on Etsy because they are made better than the new ones, cost a fraction of the price and even the ones with many, many years on their shoulders will probably continue and outlast me.

I've found some good custom makers for cold weather technical wear where I am able to spec amount/type of insulation, measurements, fabrics to get bulletproof stuff that will last over other technical gear.
 
I'm reminded of Paul Fussell's insistence that the clothing of the upper-upper class is tattered and threadbare. There is a certain reverse snobbery to that, as it shows that:
1. I buy stuff that lasts forever and still looks good.
2. I've always had the money and taste to do so.

Which is rather evidenced by the "whole new wardrobe" crew that are presumably starting with flip-flops, cargo shorts and free t-shirts.
 
Wow, you're more extreme than me. I'll sew buttons back on and bleach aggressively, even mend when possible. But I haven't bothered patching anything that I can remember.
 
I've had elbow patches put on Pendelton shirts and occasionally will mend a little moth nibble or other hole.

Carhartt work pants last me about a year until they are threadbare and trashed and I just replace them. Until then I just leave the tears and holes as is unless my ass is hanging out.

I do like me some canvas pants. gravitate to that in lighter weight fabrics for casual pants (not Carhartt) and even have some that I will wear with an odd jacket. All about the texture ya know
 
You should get some Dickies man. I've got some 10+ year old pairs. And I did construction in them for probably 5 or 6 years.
 
Tried Dickies. Nice fit. Don't last. Tried Arborwear. Fit better than Carhartt but don't last and have crap pockets - shit falls out way too much. Tried Firehose (Duluth Trading Company) which are bulletproof but the crotch gusset and fit is so huge I look like Stitch. Mountain Khakis are nice but no double knee, not as heavyweight and are not a great value based on price.

Have one pair of TAD Gear Covert DC pants. Just got them and so far are pretty solid. 13 ounce canvas but at 119 pigs per pair pretty pricey.
 
I don't know what you are doing in your pants, but I don't know anyone that wears out Dickies quick.
 
Ranching. Brush cutting. Playing with barbed wire. I wear some Dickie's shirts but at least for me Carhartt lasts longer. But if I factor in the cost difference I should be wearing Dickies if I'm replacing Carhartts every year anyway
 
Interesting thruth .I will say I haven't bought any Dickies in a decade so I don't know if the new ones are cheaper.
 
doghouse said:
Interesting thruth .I will say I haven't bought any Dickies in a decade so I don't know if the new ones are cheaper.
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I can only go by the duck canvas ones. They used to be really good. Maybe Walmart has something to do with this? Evil influence that it is.
 
Shit, just dropped an ash and burnt holes in my favourite Dickie's shirt!
 
Damn it. That sucks.


Speaking of Wal-Mart, I went to Buffalo Wild Wings (My first mistake I know) last night to watch the Skins - Pats preseason game, and I swear it was like someone shook out an Arkansas Wal-Mart and sprinkled white and black trash all over the joint.
 
Damn. Upwardly mobile trash. Well maybe horizontally mobile.

Going to Walmart is good for the ego.

"Cletus, let's go down to the Walmart to get granny a new walker before we take her to that healin' preacher"

"Sure thang Effie, we can stop at Buffalo Wild Wings & catch the Skins-Pats game"
 
I keep my Dickie inside my pants to avoid the stains and wrinkles.
 
I flash freeze most of my jackets and pants after taking them off to slow the molecular decay of the fabric as well as to kill any parasitic lifeforms (mold, moth larva, etc) that I might have picked up during the course of the day.
 
Chorn said:
I flash freeze most of my jackets and pants after taking them off to slow the molecular decay of the fabric as well as to kill any parasitic lifeforms (mold, moth larva, etc) that I might have picked up during the course of the day.
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Someone get me Foo's IP address so I can cross check this against Chorn's account to make sure who has hacked it.
 
Who wants to help me decorate my apartment?

and by help, I mean, respond to my solicitation for advice, and then allow me to ignore your suggestions and/or explain why you are wrong.
 
Im just about to turn the collar on a fav old vintage LL Bean OCBD. So there.
 
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