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A decades long pet peeve with me and such may have been discussed previously.......the decline in the quality of merchandise on the market.
A case in particular.....
I remember gabardine fabrics that dress slacks were made from a few decades back. Gabardine is a tightly woven, fine, smooth, medium weight fabric--synthetic or natural--that holds it shape, doesn't wrinkle badly, has good "body" and wears well for years. If made from a cotton/polyester blend it is comfortable, cool, easy care and washes and wears well. Due to the tight weave more fiber is required to make gabardine--and more fiber means higher production costs, something always in the cross hairs of corporations looking for ways to reduce production costs. Very difficult to find slacks--or anything--in this fabric today. I bought a pair of slacks online recently that seemed to have everything I wanted--excellent tailoring, a loose fit, front pleats, belted, elasticized waist in back and cut to sit at natural waistline. When they arrived I discovered they were made from a rough and loose weave, light weight polyester that would snag and wrinkle easily. I've had cheap, cafe kitchen curtains made with a better quality fabric than this. I sent them back.
I don't know if this kind of true gabardine is even manufactured anymore. I have searched the internet and found synthetic/wool blend slacks that claim that label (usually in men's slacks) but even those will have to be dry cleaned. I did buy some slacks online that are made of a better quality fabric with a tighter and smoother weave but they are a lighter weight fabric and wrinkle easily.
I wish we could buy clothing that tells us the "weight" of the fabric used. Or even the thread count as they do with linens today.
A decades long pet peeve with me and such may have been discussed previously.......the decline in the quality of merchandise on the market.
A case in particular.....
I remember gabardine fabrics that dress slacks were made from a few decades back. Gabardine is a tightly woven, fine, smooth, medium weight fabric--synthetic or natural--that holds it shape, doesn't wrinkle badly, has good "body" and wears well for years. If made from a cotton/polyester blend it is comfortable, cool, easy care and washes and wears well. Due to the tight weave more fiber is required to make gabardine--and more fiber means higher production costs, something always in the cross hairs of corporations looking for ways to reduce production costs. Very difficult to find slacks--or anything--in this fabric today. I bought a pair of slacks online recently that seemed to have everything I wanted--excellent tailoring, a loose fit, front pleats, belted, elasticized waist in back and cut to sit at natural waistline. When they arrived I discovered they were made from a rough and loose weave, light weight polyester that would snag and wrinkle easily. I've had cheap, cafe kitchen curtains made with a better quality fabric than this. I sent them back.
I don't know if this kind of true gabardine is even manufactured anymore. I have searched the internet and found synthetic/wool blend slacks that claim that label (usually in men's slacks) but even those will have to be dry cleaned. I did buy some slacks online that are made of a better quality fabric with a tighter and smoother weave but they are a lighter weight fabric and wrinkle easily.
I wish we could buy clothing that tells us the "weight" of the fabric used. Or even the thread count as they do with linens today.
I remember 1970s polyester gabardine. The stuff snags and pulls like crazy.
I wish for better quality of clothing as well. It isn’t just fabric either. Arms aren’t long enough, pockets aren’t deep enough, waistbands have no interfacing. For better quality, you have pay to buy better stuff, but even then, clothing has changed.
I remember 1970s polyester gabardine. The stuff snags and pulls like crazy.
I wish for better quality of clothing as well. It isn’t just fabric either. Arms aren’t long enough, pockets aren’t deep enough, waistbands have no interfacing. For better quality, you have pay to buy better stuff, but even then, clothing has changed.
I had gabardine slacks in decades past that lasted me for years. The fabric was smooth, tightly woven, wore well, washed well, draped well and didn't wrinkle all that badly. But that was at least 30 years ago and I don't know if they were polyester or a cotton blend fabric. Clothing with those qualities have long since left the marketplace. I might find something in a high end clothing store in a big city but such is a long way from where I live.
Five years ago I was in an LL Bean store and bought some t shirts. I had a choice between high cut neckline with really short sleeves or lower cut neckline with longer sleeves--both were same price (and not "Walmart cheap" either). I'm guessing the same amount of fabric went into each shirt and that's why they were the same price. They had no t shirts with both high cut neckline and longer sleeves--I had to take one or the other.
I am certainly with you on sleeve length, pocket depth plus necklines, hem depths and the countless other ways manufacturers have found to cut costs by cutting the content of raw material that goes into the finished product.
The quality of clothes has definitely declined. Almost every t-shirt I have purchased in the last 2 years gets little pinholes in them and buttons fall off after a few wearings. The t-shirts from The Gap and New York & Company were the worst offenders. Surprisingly the things I have purchased from Old Navy have been much better quality than I expected. Since I only work 2 days a week in a small office where even the boss wears shorts & sandals I quit buying expensive clothes.
Buttons fall off your tee shirts? What kind of tees are you buying?
You know if you wear tee shirts every day, why not buy better shirts? Once you find the shirt you like, and that lasts well, stock up, because next season they could be entirely different.
Even a quality tee is less expensive than a good dress shirt.
Buying yourself nice clothing is a way to show self respect.
No I don't have buttons on t-shirts. :-) I wear tees when I come home from work to hang around the house, walk the dog, work in the yard. I rarely wear them out of the house and since I work in a casual office I have no need for expensive clothes anymore. That doesn't mean I don't dress nice even though the other two people in my office wear shorts & flip flops or work-out clothes. :-(
Today for example I wore a cute pair of slacks from Old Navy that are black with white polka dots, a sleeveless white tank from Dillards & a white button down from Chicos with a black belt to cinch in my waist. Black ballet flats completed my ensemble. I was told I looked chic when I went out to lunch. My entire outfit probably cost $125. I show self respect by not wearing yoga pants or gym clothes except when I'm going to the gym, not wearing pajamas, ripped or stained clothing out of the house and not wearing wrinkled clothing even at home.
No I don't have buttons on t-shirts. :-) I wear tees when I come home from work to hang around the house, walk the dog, work in the yard. I rarely wear them out of the house and since I work in a casual office I have no need for expensive clothes anymore. That doesn't mean I don't dress nice even though the other two people in my office wear shorts & flip flops or work-out clothes. :-(
Today for example I wore a cute pair of slacks from Old Navy that are black with white polka dots, a sleeveless white tank from Dillards & a white button down from Chicos with a black belt to cinch in my waist. Black ballet flats completed my ensemble. I was told I looked chic when I went out to lunch. My entire outfit probably cost $125. I show self respect by not wearing yoga pants or gym clothes except when I'm going to the gym, not wearing pajamas, ripped or stained clothing out of the house and not wearing wrinkled clothing even at home.
Well, good for you. Your work mates sound like slobs, actually. Your outfit sounds cute to me.
They still make gabardine like you're thinking of. My husband's uniform pants are gabardine. They definitely wouldn't fit your style requirements though.
Most jeans hardly have any cotton in them it seems. All these lightweight yet tight fitting pants just show every bump. It's a shame, but by washing everything on delicate cycle and only putting certain items in the dryer, I can prolong the life of my clothing.
i think some of my older clothes definitely have better material and they have yet to develop any pin hole or loose buttons . I absoloutly hate buying a new t shirt and it develop pinholes . I will toss them despite the cost and never buy from that brand again . However i find some of the older t shirts i have are really well made and of good quality . Funny how my winter coat that belonged to my late father has held together like a champ and is still good . I don't care if it is out of style it keeps me warm and who is really looking at what year the coat was made ?
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I've had cheap, cafe kitchen curtains made with a better quality fabric than this. I sent them back. 
