I Bought Terrible Quality Clothes 🤦‍♀️

[@KurlyKy]

I hear you Erin! I’m continuously amazed that even not-stereotypically “fast fashion” brands break down so rapidly too-and I don’t think I am particularly hard on my clothes! Makes me so annoyed and upset. But also determined. It makes me resolute in my goal to buy better and support people who care about crafting clothes. Even if it costs more and means I have a closet 25% of the size it is now. If we experienced this kind of persistent poor quality in any other area of our lives, we would be outraged. Can you imagine if a frying pan only guaranteed 2-5 uses?! I detest how this has been normalized with our garments.

[@MyGreenCloset]

That's such a good point! In so many other products this quality would be unacceptable, but because fast fashion has taught us to view clothing as disposable I think that's why most people just accept it.

[@blisles7626]

I've found some local indie brands which make their products in my city in small scale runs which I'm picking up pieces from when I can afford/when something in my wardrobe needs replacing. But if I get something thrifted that doesn't last or that I can't donate back after I'm done with it, I break it down to either cloths for cleaning or as filling for my sewing projects so I don't end up buying poly-filler which is just awful plastic fluff and sheds everywhere not to mention when you wash something filled with it what probably ends up in he water system.

[@megan2176]

It's good to remember that not everyone feels the same about "worn out" clothes. Personally, pilling doesn't bother me that much, especially for clothes to wear around the house. New maternity clothes are so expensive, so for my three pregnancies I scoured thrift stores for clothes, and really wouldn't have minded pilling (or even holes), I'm not fancy :). Sometimes we just want something that's comfortable and fits around our growing baby bellies. I would encourage you to still donate the pilled dress, even though it's not in brand-new condition. Some thrifty pregnant woman will thank you! :)

[@MyGreenCloset]

Oh I'm still going to wear it, probably shave the pills once and then when it pills up again keep it for around the house. It's still incredibly disappointing though to have such worn looking garments after very little wear. I'm also very hesitant to donate anything that isn't in good shape because the thrift store very likely won't put it out (only about 20% of donations make it into the store) and might just throw it away. I would much rather make sure it's properly recycled.

[@saskia....]

I agree - it’s very frustrating. I don’t think I pay enough attention before picking something at a thrift store. I usually look for any major damage like holes and check out an overall look. I think I should get better at it.

[@MyGreenCloset]

It's definitely worth it to take a few extra minutes and inspect the seams, fabric quality, buttons/zippers/trims and any areas that tend to get more wear!

[@kays3870]

I would make a loop scarf out of the red dress. The colour ist very nice and as scarf it will last much longer.

[@biscuitmessiah1774]

Or cut it down to a tank top! The stitching problem is on the lower back/bum area that gets a lot of stretch with movement but if it was cut down to a tank it wouldn't go that far down and be under the same stress.

[@MyGreenCloset]

@Ellie That's the plan! It seems like the easiest solution and I'll still have a wearable garment :)

[@xswtmiseryx07]

For the t shirt dress, I've used one of those fabric shavers and gently shave over it. That usually handles my piling problem on light weight clothes and sweaters.

[@MyGreenCloset]

It does get rid of the pilling and is something I'll probably do just so it looks better, but shaving garments (especially light knits) also unfortunately thins out/breaks down the fabric faster.

[@Anna-pd6dc]

While this is frustrating, it's still great to purchase these second hand so that at the very least they get the use they can before being disposed of.

[@MyGreenCloset]

Definitely! It's just really disappointing to put time and money into finding garments that only last a few months. Then there's also a lot of time to mend them and find sustainable ways of disposing of them. I just believe clothing this poor quality shouldn't even exist in the first place.

[@HecticSophie]

I used to buy Forever21 leggings back in college, thinking that I was saving myself money. What happened to you with that red dress would happen along the seams of all of the leggings within a few months. I thought 20-30 bucks was way too much to be spending on leggings but in retrospect I probably spent that on multiple cheaply made ones back then. I don't really wear leggings any more but if I did I would definitely just drop more money on one solid pair.

[@MyGreenCloset]

I really think it's worth it! When you add up replacing poor quality pieces it's often the same or cheaper to invest more in quality.

[@loveandbitterness4295]

Don't know if someone already said this but you can fix the red dress by reinforcing the fabric. Iron some fleece (i don't know the correct english word for it, but I bet you've seen those fleece inlays you would iron in a collar) against it from the inside. Then take a matching thread and sew all over it, up and down, side to side, criss cross, whatever, until you have a more sturdy fabric.

[@MyGreenCloset]

That's definitely a possibility and something I though of but since the fabric has ruching built it, adding interfacing (that's the english word for what you're describing 🙂) would remove any stretch and I'd likely have to do the whole top area, which would then change the fit and texture of the fabric. Also interfacing is really not very comfortable against the skin so would also need lining - basically it would change it from a breezy, light dress to a pretty heavy, more structured one which isn't what I want for summer.

[@Erinraewellness]

Yes, I feel this I've been to several local thrift stores and the maternity section is a total bust of poor quality falling apart items. Do you have a maternity brand you like as investment pieces??

[@shaunaburton7136]

I've been trying to not buy new clothes and I haven't bought new ones in a few years. It's amazing looking at them now. There's quite A few pieces that the dye is fading in different parts, so they look almost tie dyed. All of the sequins are off most pieces. The whites are dingy so I dyed them. Clothes aren't built to last.

[@marylhere]

I just threw a load of linen summer dresses in the washer for the 15th season. Pretty good since I have gained a ton of weight in that time. Vintage Flax holds up well...and there is still a market for it on eBay...especially for that natural duster coat. Size M fits from size 6 to size 14 obviously. And all was purchased second hand....so someone else probably wore it for a few years before me.

[@LittleRedTeaCake]

For the red dress, take the back seam apart and add in a new panel of fabric, that way there is less strain. For the pants, you can easily resew the seaming that’s coming undone as for the button, you can actually reattach it! It does involve making it a covered button or using a little piece of fabric as an anchor, but it can work.

[@MyGreenCloset]

There would likely still be strain on the seams even with an added panel, the dress is already pretty loose but even the slightest pressure it starts pulling apart the weave of the fabric. The only way I can see solving it would be to line the whole thing. Also I don't think you can separate the metal tack button sides once they've been hammered together.

[@gelisawalker9646]

I've owned a second-hand viscose (a trype of rayon fabric) skirt for about 5 years now, it's one of my favourites and is worn very regularly. Perhaps it is a quality issue, guess back in the day clothes were made to last longer. It is pretty shocking how badly some things are made, and how we just seem to tolerate this. Thank you for sharing your experiences and opinions. Watching your KZbin channel helped me to become more confident in sharing my passion for consciously made & second-hand fashion! :)

[@MyGreenCloset]

There is some good quality rayon/viscose that has longer fibres and doesn't pill easily, however it seems harder and harder to find. :(

[@ninak8506]

You are adorable pregnant! Also you make some really great points. Iam weeding out worn & poor quality clothing from my closet & trying to replace with fewer investment pieces.

[@tomomiminamotoban3996]

I realized that the second-hand clothes I have purchased do not last for more than one season, or two seasons if better. Even the ones I thought good quality and from high brand seem to lose the shape, color, for example. I usually take good care of my clothes. I am wondering whether buying second-hand clothes every year is more sustainable than buying new clothes (preferably from ethical brands) every 2-3 years or more. Or maybe I should invest more and/or find better quality second-hand clothes.

[@ifihadfriends437]

Tomomi Minamoto Ban its always more sustainable to use what already exists but I agree this must be super frustrating. I’ve found my stuff holds up really well with hang drying, cold washing and mending.

[@Katie-rq7bv]

Please consider doing a video on what to look for in the stitching of clothes and how to tell if it’s something that will hold up

[@MyGreenCloset]

I have an older video linked in the description about what to look for re good and bad quality clothing.

[@marcelac4029]

Lately I been shopping at consignments stores in my town, I don’t even bother thrift stores in my area because they are full of Urban planet clothing which is like a even cheaper version of forever 21 clothing, a new consignment just open like a month ago and love what they have and how everything is better quality is not cheap like thrift store but I feel better paying a bit more when things have been selective in the stores instead of a bunch a clothes for a$1.

[@MyGreenCloset]

Consignment stores are great! Like you said, it's nice that they're more selective about what they sell, definitely makes it easier to find better pieces.

[@daden82]

For the red dress, try fusable interfacing on the inside. Will give the fabric some stability so you can then sew it. Should get you through the pregnancy

[@MyGreenCloset]

I thought of that but since the fabric has ruching built it, adding interfacing would remove stretch and make the texture look different and/or easily peel off without a lot of stitching so I'd likely have to do the whole back area, which would then change the fit and look. Also interfacing is not very comfortable against the skin so might also need lining - basically it would change it from a breezy, light dress to a heavier, more structured one which isn't what I want for summer. :(

[@pjalexandra]

Hi Erin don't know if you know the Elizabeth Suzann brand but your video made me think of her recent article of suggestions gathered from her customers, on which of her sustainably-made pieces are good for maternity through post-partum through motherhood of a newborn and toddler and beyond, i.e. in a lot of cases buy the same piece, same size and it carries you through all phases, especially with her tops and dresses. (although they are more 'investment' pieces in terms of price point, they can last for years).

[@MyGreenCloset]

That's really cool! I've been super happy that most of my existing wardrobe has also been able to transition through maternity so far. Some areas are tricky though, like pants.

[@heyfaye5290]

My secondhand clothes actually last longer then my store bought new clothes. I tend to go for the worn in clothes because they usually don't change/break further. I haven't found any reliable t-shirts or socks though...

[@NutNayOQ]

Could you do something with that fabric then? Party banners, perhaps?

[@MyGreenCloset]

Also I forgot to mention, if you have clothes that are in bad condition and can't be donated DON'T THROW THEM AWAY!! I have an older video about what to do: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3PKmXqtis6kmNk

[@DjBlondeAmazon]

Awesome video ❤️I had an idea for the first dress you showed, a temporary fix 😊You could find a beautiful strip of lace to sew over the splitting seam all the way down the back of the dress, it would fix it for a while 😜

[@MyGreenCloset]

Because it's a fabric issue (the weave is too loose and can't handle any pressure) it would likely then start splitting alongside where you stitched the lace. 🙁

[@blisles7626]

Maybe if the seam around the neckline is heavier, attach a piece of linen in a darker colour (black or grey) the length of the seam to the bottom hem and in the dimensions of the back of the dress and then leave the seam to either come apart or take it apart so that you have a centre back split but then a panel that works as a back piece? Just thinking about how I've adapted some thrifted pieces for theatre when they don't fit the actors.

[@faeriesmak]

I have had those issues especially with maternity clothing. I think that they are not made to last. Manufacturers just figure that you are only going to use them for a short time and skimp on quality.

[@MyGreenCloset]

2 out of the 3 pieces weren't actual maternity clothes, but I agree with maternity wear they probably assume they don't get used a long time.

[@i123456987654]

i have not purchased any clothes whatsover in 2019...i can totally relate to the splitting problem...my favorite long sleeve, v neck, black shirt had to be resewn multiple times in the arm area by my sister...thank god somebody in my family has sewing skills...i also had a pair of jeans that were ripped and my sister helped me sew it back up as well...i love all my clothes so i'm not going to just discard it because there's one minor flaw that can be easily fixed...i have plenty of clothes and i would rather save up money for something that i really want and heavily researched

[@SustainablyStylish]

Maybe upcycle the dress. A kimono might be an easy transformation and place less pressure on the seams.

[@Fuegomtl]

Thanks I find it very helpful to see how you inspect fabrics and clothes, I also have a pilling shirt but I didn't know that was because of bad quality fabric/rayon. I also find it super difficult to find things that fit AND are my style, let alone also good quality. Perhaps I can even use this to improve my sewing, because I think the things that I made also are "bad quality" - I am just happy to even be able to make something wearable and have no idea about better quality seams (like french) and also don't always put a lot of energy into the inside, but maybe it would be nice to learn about to make them longer lasting.

[@spenx09]

I've had that in the seam on the back in a skirt, because I love it I had it restitched there, but I expect it to separate again eventually. Thankfully there's a lot of fabric left for restitching, I guess if it was tighter I would have to say bye 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@berrygud2331]

please do a video on easy wash clothing, For example if you try to wash a pure cotton garment it takes alot more water than a lets say polyester or cotton poly blend which fabrics wash easyest

[@MyGreenCloset]

I have an older video on clothing care: kzbin.info/www/bejne/raWcqnVtjdeWpMU but I disagree that polyester takes less water - while stains etc. might be easier to get out of synthetics, they also hold smells a lot more than natural fibres and therefore generally need to be washed more frequently.

[@raisingforhim3186]

Pregnancy looks so great on you :) you are beautiful and thanks for the video! We just had baby number two and cloth diaper and all my kids clothes are thrifted :)

[@fienl.6493]

So sad to see that gorgeous burgundy dress falling apart. Hopefully you can find some other use for it maybe afterwards! Could be a fun challenge, maybe you could construct a baby carrying wrap out of it or something like that? :)

[@MyGreenCloset]

I know 😔 Honestly the fabric is so bad though it would be tricky to sew something else - anytime there's pressure the threads are so loosely woven they start to pull apart, definitely not safe for a baby carrier. I could maybe cut it into a tank, since then there's at least no pressure on the fabric/seams from bending and sitting.

[@fienl.6493]

@@MyGreenCloset if it is not safe then it's indeed better not to use it that way... A tank seems like a good option! Then you still have something in your wardrope of that lovely color that suits you so well! 😊 And maybe a round scarf or something like that with the bottom that gets cut off?

[@adventuresofthewild]

Maybe you can cut the red dress into a tank top! I'd love to hear more about what to look for when shopping, this was informative, but I'd love to hear more!

[@MyGreenCloset]

I have an older video linked in the description about what to look for around clothing quality!

[@adventuresofthewild]

@@MyGreenCloset thank you! I did find those!

[@desiree2086]

I've had my kids in 2009, 2011 and 2012 and worn the same clothes during the pregnancy's. I've ended up selling them in 2013, they were still in good condition. On some of them was some pilling but not extreme. Maybe the quality has gone down in 10 years, I don't know.

[@MyGreenCloset]

That's really lucky!

[@sarahr.3241]

This is super useful info!

[@maaikedenboer9287]

All my new maternity wear for number three. Clothes from number one and two (different season) all O.K., but a pair of shorts and two shirts for number three were gone in three wears.

[@kimberlygray227]

Can you shorten the burgundy dress into a cami-style top that wouldnt be sat on...might gain another 6-12 months of wear.

[@MyGreenCloset]

Yeah! That's what I'm probably going to do. :) I'll try and repair it long enough to last the pregnancy and then turn it into a tank.

[@raisingforhim3186]

Maternity pants are so hard to find too. I only wear leggings while pregnant... I am totally blessed to be a stay at home mom who can do this but maternity pants are so hard to find!!

[@kriscox4019]

Thanks for the honesty and another great video!

[@janagoes9851]

How many wears do you think you got out of them? I don't have a capsule wardrobe (yet), so my poor-quality clothes still last somewhat longer (not going to buy them again). But I am keeping track of how many wears I get out of my clothes, and it is interesting to compare with other people and between different brands.

[@MyGreenCloset]

I didn't really keep track but in the last couple months I probably wore the green dress 1-2 times a week, the pants 2-3 times a week and the red dress maybe once every week or two.

[@meaganm77]

I recently heard that if you can wear an item 30 times that’s considered “good quality”. Would you agree with that number? I wrote down every item in my wardrobe and I’ve been tracking how much I wear each piece and it’s been really interesting.

[@MyGreenCloset]

Are you talking about the #30wears campaign? I wouldn't say 30 is the benchmark for good quality since quality clothes should last WAY longer than that, but it is a great campaign to promote more thoughtful/conscious consumption. The idea is if you can't see yourself wearing a garment AT LEAST 30 times then it's not worth buying.

[@mysticfox1563]

I used stylebook to get an idea of how many wears I can get. For a tee shirt may be 30 is ok, but My Fair Indigo once get 60 easy. For a cardigan or jeans 200-500 seems more reasonable for good quality.

[@annarehbinder7540]

Mystic Fox though ive had t-shirts ive used once a week for 15 years...

[@meaganm77]

No, this wasn’t the 30wears campaign. But I thought the number seemed low, especially for jeans and other items. But i have liked the idea of tracking how many times I wear items to see if I can pair down my wardrobe even more and to also see how long clothing can last.

[@nightgazer251]

So educational, thank you.

[@uioth]

Great video! What do you do with the pieces you consider too bad to give back to thrift shop?

[@MyGreenCloset]

There's a video all about what to do with worn out clothes that I've linked at the top of the comments!

[@daniellesherlock9725]

I have definitely had a similar issue. Before I started buying better quality and more sustainable clothes I bought two pairs of shoes for work. After a month of wear they both cracked across the sole. It was even worse because I got terrible blisters wearing them in.

[@MyGreenCloset]

That's so frustrating!

[@TheRealCupicakeStar]

Do you mend clothes when seams pop or come loose? If so when mending use some old fabrics or clothes you no longer wear and make some type of liner for the dress. Or find one at the thrift store that's a little longer and sew them together.

[@MyGreenCloset]

I do mend clothes, but I don't think lining the whole thing would work for me since the goal was to have something light and breezy for summer. I'll probably stitch up the seam a couple times so it lasts through the summer and then maybe turn it into a tank.

[@itsstephie5492]

Very good video. Thank you for sharing! 🌸

[@111-k4d9m]

Where on earth for you buy those bad quality clothes Erin. This was a very interesting video. I also think all this designer stuff like Gucci and..... is badly stitched. Yet people pay a fortune for these garments.

[@MyGreenCloset]

They were all thrifted.

[@lopsupopsu]

This is the reason most clothes I buy are either new from ethical fashion companies or vintage. Most modern clothes unfortunately are pretty bad quality and often times I go thrifting and end up buying nothing because most clothes there are fast fashion and made of flimsy materials and are bad quality.

[@MyGreenCloset]

Usually I have pretty good luck finding some treasures secondhand but yeah, it's frustrating how many poor quality garments there are.

[@umerislam7990]

Well explained..

[@JJSolitude]

I'm wondering how to you feel about you Eileen Fisher copper colored cardigan you're wearing in one of the scenes here. I have the same one and we both know how expensive it was. It's one of EF's things I've bought where I've been surprised in how bad it looks after several wears. Mine now looks very old and matted. How do you wash yours?

[@MyGreenCloset]

Really? I'm sorry and surprised to hear that! :( I haven't had that experience. I love mine and have been wearing it probably about twice a week since I got it in the fall. It's definitely not incredibly fluffy like it was brand new, after the first wash the fibres settled a bit which I expected since it's cotton, but other than that it hasn't really changed for me. I wash it about once a month on a delicate setting and then lay it flat to dry on a drying rack, blocking it the same way you would a sweater. Have you tried reaching out to EF about it? Their pieces are usually incredible quality so they definitely shouldn't be looking bad after just a few wears. They also are very much into repairing and reducing waste so I'm sure they'd like to know about/help with quality issues.

[@vanessakountul7639]

Perhaps you could put Some kind of ribben all over the lengte of the dress? Stich it on both sides. Might work

[@MyGreenCloset]

Because it's a fabric issue (the weave is too loose and can't handle any pressure) it would likely then just start splitting alongside where you stitched anything to cover. 🙁

[@cmac2295]

Is it economical to have a seamstress fix it?

[@MyGreenCloset]

I sew and there's unfortunately not a lot you can do to fix the dress.

[@abbie2151]

Cut the red dress and make it a shirt!

[@priscillamariekleven]

Girl get you a fabric shaver for all your pilling woes!

[@MyGreenCloset]

It does get rid of the pilling and is something I'll probably do just so the dress looks better, but shaving garments (especially light knits like this) also unfortunately thins out/breaks down the fabric faster.

[@mkp08706]

Rayon is the worst! I refuse to buy anything that is over 60% rayon.

[@sister3448]

I never saw those kind of problems with Turkish textile. Even I buy sometimes very cheap things like 15-20 TL for a t-shirt which means 3 USD..

[@111-e7n2k]

Just buy less but quality.

[@Blondesmartarse]

I really appreciate this. Seeing actual examples for what to be on the lookout for. P.S. what are some brands you find have good quality a majority of the time? Are any of them not online only?

[@MyGreenCloset]

The vast majority of brands in my capsule wardrobes have been great and lasted years! You can see lists of my various capsules and the pieces/brands on my website: mygreencloset.com/topic/fashion/capsule-wardrobes/