Modern Clothing is so Terrible

I went into a large clothing store that specialized in outdoorsy type of clothing.

It is very expensive and the clothes look nice. Here’s the thing, the way they all feel is TERRIBLE.
Plasticky, artificial.

I miss natural clothing. Cotton, wool, silk, linen (real linen, not mixed). It is getting harder and harder to find clothes made with real natural materials. Not even ten years ago, you could find them in stores like these. Now all these clothes are basically plastic. I’m sure there is some real engineering to these new clothes, thin and warm. I still don’t like it. There is something so comforting about natural materials. I’ve gotten really into alpaca wool. It is much much warmer than wool and feels nicer. I have a little sweater and can wear it in leu of a winter jacket.

I posted a while back about fabrics and why the Bible said not to mix materials. I think I know why. Somehow the “energy” of these artificial fabrics is awful. Real fabrics like linen especially, are uplifting. They make you feel good. I have a pure linen shirt. Somehow it’s always the one I reach for. The more it is washed the better it gets. When it has holes, I can use it as a rag. When it is done as a rag I can safely compost it.
I think we’ve gone two steps forward but we now need to take a step back.

Just my daily musings, sometimes I think I recollect past lives in this manner.

I completely agree. I can't stand microfiber. It makes my skin crawl. And its everywhere now. I love linen. Especially linen bedding. My sister got me a set of hemp sheets for my birthday in july. I want so much to love them. But they are kinda rough. I have washed them probably 15 times trying to soften them some. This is my first time with hemp sheets. I do have a shirt and summer dress that is hemp. They are soft. I don't get these sheets and why they are so sandpaper rough. They just refuse all of my attempts to make them comfortable.

My angry sandpaper hemp sheets are still better than microfiber.

a reply to: Kentuckymama

Real organic linen can be like hemp. It takes a looong time to soften up.
One tip is to wash in boiling water.

My Italian linen duvet felt like silk after a few years. No other fabric could compare.

I can’t stand the feel of microfiber either. It’s slimy and hot. It doesn’t breathe at all.
Absolutely hate it. When my husband and I vacationed recently the room had a beautiful bed.
All the covers were microfiber. Neither of us slept well because we are so used to our bedding and how
It regulates temperature.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Mass produced Modern clothing is meant to be replaced after 5 to 6 washing machine runs.

It's a horrible system..

I still have t shirts from the late 80s early nineties that are in my regular wearing line up..

They are thread bare but again.. they are 30 years old..

I have a few polo shirts from the Gap made in the early nineties that look like they just came off the shelf..

You get what you pay for..


😇

Respectfully,
~meathead

I agree about the stuff you can buy in the regular shops. Everything else is too expensive, so I sew a lot of clothes for my daughter and made some dresses for myself too. Good quality fabric is essential. I really recommend giving it a try. A simple sewing machine is all you need and some time.

Sold some pieces that my daughter grew out of over the years for like 5-15€. Not even covering time and sometimes not even the fabric. But enough so I could buy myself a computerized sewing machine without guilt. It's like a normal one, same handling, except I can free program own stich patterns and also write out letters and names.

The best with self made clothes is that I know it wasn't done in some sweatshop by children, that the cloth quality is good and local made, not always though. I can make it to my size and body shape, also feels very good. Got a lot of comments and compliments over the years. I prefer cotton and cotton-stretch mix. The stretch stuff has a bit of synthetic fibers inside but it's great for children clothes, as children are far more active and doing all kinds of things a normal cotton fabric would not endure.

a reply to: Mike Stivic

I still have t shirts from the late 80s early nineties that are in my regular wearing line up..

I have a few articles of clothing from my mom that are 1960’s. They all look brand new.
The other thing is that fabric was actually thick back then. None of this tissue paper nonsense.

Shoes too. Whatever the bottom of shoes are today are terrible.

a reply to: JAGStorm

And costs 4 times as much as it did 25 years ago.

Riddle me this, clothes were super baggy back in the day. Which means roughly twice as much fabric. Why do clothes cost so much more, when they use much less fabric than in the past???

It’s a racket I tell you.

originally posted by: Mike Stivic
a reply to: JAGStorm

Mass produced Modern clothing is meant to be replaced after 5 to 6 washing machine runs.

Really? The Dry Cleaning and Laundry Institute says 35-50.
www.bing.com...

originally posted by: schuyler

originally posted by: Mike Stivic
a reply to: JAGStorm

Mass produced Modern clothing is meant to be replaced after 5 to 6 washing machine runs.

Really? The Dry Cleaning and Laundry Institute says 35-50.
www.bing.com...

I think it depends on the retailers. For example, I purchased some shirts for my daughter at Target. They made it about 4 washes, but look terrible after one. I don’t buy from there anymore. Kohls and Macys have mid range, some a bit thicker but still not premium like they used to make.

Your feeling is the boundary between what we make and what was made. Enjoy your travels.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Jeans!

So many jeans are Crap!!!

I remember when Levi's actually lasted for years. The last pair I bought, the knee blew out within a year. And those Silvers everyone raves about? Thin Crap.

So far, the only ones I've found that are thick, and last, are Ariats. Expensive as heck, but so far, they have lasted 3 years, and while faded, still feel thick, and no holes

Even hubbys jeans have been ripping at the back pocket corner, his shorts too. Within 3-6 months.

a reply to: JAGStorm

The one place I found to be great for quality clothing is second-hand...

a reply to: JAGStorm

Buy "real" military surplus. The quality is much better and in may cases you can get it new. If you prefer less military and more solid colors, LA police gear has good stuff.

www.propper.com...

blog.refactortactical.com...

Everything sold from Propper® is made by them in their Tennessee facility.

lapolicegear.com...

I miss baggy jogging pants so bad. Every time I try finding some jogging pants all I can find is jogging pants that are tight.

Yeah, I read an article on leggings causing a need for some kind of surgery down there with women wearing them. It causes some problems with the lower lips and the number of operations women are getting has been increasing over the last five years or so.

I don't want to know much about this subject so I did not want to do more investigation of what they do. Sounds like a painful place to have cosmetic surgery.

originally posted by: rickymouse
Yeah, I read an article on leggings causing a need for some kind of surgery down there with women wearing them. It causes some problems with the lower lips and the number of operations women are getting has been increasing over the last five years or so.

I don't want to know much about this subject so I did not want to do more investigation of what they do. Sounds like a painful place to have cosmetic surgery.

Ha, I read that article and it’s not what you think.

I guess some women are more… um… endowed down there and because leggings are so tight it would show everything.
So basically women wanted surgery out of vanity. Some had real issues, but it was mostly vanity.

I have the same concerns.

My closet is very stripped down, most of it are high quality winter clothes I found at Goodwill.

Classic conservative styles that will never go out of fashion.

The rest of it is jeans and tshirts.

I rarely shop for new clothes because I can't stand the trends in womens fashions.

Just give me cotton and no fancy synthetics with weird cropping or cutouts and I'm happy.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Totally agree.
Even 'jeans' isn't jeans anymore, real jeans isn't supposed to be stretchy.

about 3 years ago I noticed I started getting rashes from certain fabrics, including new 'jeans', underwear bands, socks. This means they have plastic and latex in them that weren't there years ago. So I have to go out and look for 100% cotton but it's sooooooooo expensive these days

a reply to: KindraLabelle2

Might I recommend Lucky Brand jeans at TJMaxx?

Sometimes they have them in stock.

Classic denim, well made built to last and no funky styles.

I found a pair at Goodwill for five bucks once, and a pair of shorts for around $25 at the aforementioned retailer.

TJMaxx usually has regular jeans in the $30 price range when stocked, whereas retail in regular stores for $120.

Sorry if this seems like an advertisement, I used to be big on Levi Strauss before they shipped out of the USA and the quality of the make and models of Lucky Brand are similar to the old classic Levi's.

Hope this might help.

a reply to: GENERAL EYES

thanks,
I'm not in the US so we don't have these stores over here.
Levi's used to be my favorite brand as well!

I do a lot of flea markets in the weekends, looking for treasure.. I found a pair of real Levi's jeans a while ago for 3 euro's
In the past I didn't like buying second hand clothing, it made me feel bad (poor)... but now I'm like scrw it! If it's a beautiful piece, and it fits me and it's cheap then I'm buying it. I might wash it two times before wearing it though and I don't buy second hand shoes (something smelly about them) ! lol



Just for old times sake: