Sewing, Repairing and Reducing Waste

1507 readers

1 users here now

A place to share ideas, knowledge and creations with textiles. The focus is on reducing waste, whether that be sewing from the scraps left from other projects, using the end of rolls and remnants, or repairing and remaking finished pieces.

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

BrightFadedDog

Is there a way to improve badly cut clothes? (jlai.lu)

submitted 1 month ago by [email protected] to c/sewingrepairing

16 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I buy most of my clothes second hand, the quality is much better for the price but when I look for something precise, too replace something wear out for example, rather than a new piece for my wardrobe, it take me a lot of time to find what I look for. Meanwhile, fast fashion brand sells lots of clothing that seems exactly what I need except that the quality is fast fashion quality :(

Is there any general advices you have to improve bad quality clothing?

Here is two specific examples that really disturb my shopping experience:

T-shirt that have not T, because the cloth piece under the arm has been removed. The t-shirt looks fine, folded or wear with your arms lying against your body but as soon a you raise them, in a T, or high to reach some high shelf, the whole t-shirt raises with them
Long sleeves than a just long enough to keep your arms lying against your body. If you go for a crazy move, like using your hand, you hand up with almost 3/4 sleeves.

What do you think? Is there anything that can be done to improve these type of badly cut clothes? What about all the others? With loose stitches, bad made buttons... You know what fast fashion looks like.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I probably don't have the best of answers, as I'm a guy that tends to be a bit rough on clothes. Either they dryrot or rip, or both, within like a year or so.

So, I've taken to finding clothes that are either almost perfect fit, but might be slightly oversized or sleeves perhaps slightly long. I don't mind slightly loose fit clothing, nothing a belt can't help with.

After I manage to rip through the knees in my pants, I'll just cut the pant legs off, convert them into shorts for the summer, and use the cut pant legs as oil rags for vehicle repairs.

Sorry if this isn't quite the answer you were looking for, just sharing my experience with old clothing.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Don't be worry. That's helpful :-)

[–] mutual_ayed 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

If your clothes are dry rotting, wrap em up in orange peels. I don't have any fix of they're dry rotting on the hanger.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Okay, sounds good on paper I guess.

My clothes tend to gradually dryrot as I wear them out, not in the closet. Mechanic work tends to take a toll on clothes, especially when you do stuff like wipe brake fluid or transmission fluid on your pants..

[–] mutual_ayed 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Oh. In that case, wax the pants you like. Work shirts too if your shop doesn't provide them.

https://www.artofmanliness.com/skills/how-to/how-to-wax-your-own-clothing-and-gear/

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

I do appreciate the advice. But at the same time, waxing is only particularly suitable for waterproofing, it's most certainly not suitable for vehicle fluids. If anything it can actually make the clothing even more dangerous and even potentially more flammable. Waxing is also really bad on washing machines.

Sigh, worn clothes kinda come with the territory of mechanic and construction work and the like.

[–] mutual_ayed 3 points 1 month ago

I respect the trade and the info. Good luck to you.