slid
What the shoe does to the sock's toe
Short answer: The inside of the shoe rubs against the toe with every step. If there is a seam, an edge or a hard rein...
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Why socks should be replaced before the hole appears
Short answer: Because a worn-thin sock has already lost its function. It cushions less, slips more and can cause sore...
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What the table edge does to a garment
Short answer: The table edge works like emery paper. The fabric is squeezed between a hard edge and the body, and eve...
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Why holes appear at the stomach on T-shirts
Short answer: Because the fabric there rubs against the table edge, the belt buckle and the zip on the trousers. Thre...
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How a hole starts
Short answer: It starts as a single stitch that gives way. Once one stitch is gone, its neighbours have nothing to ho...
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Why a fabric goes thin before it breaks
Short answer: Because wear removes material a little at a time. Fibres break and disappear, the yarn gets thinner, an...
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What happens to a fibre that breaks
Short answer: A fibre that breaks loses its ability to carry load, and the strain moves to the neighbouring fibres. T...
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Where pilling appears first on a garment
Short answer: Pills form first where fabric rubs against fabric or against something else. That is typically under th...
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Why pills stay attached instead of falling off
Short answer: Pills stay put because loose fibre ends roll into a ball while a single fibre still holds on in the fab...
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Martindale and what the figure covers
Short answer: Martindale is an abrasion test where the fabric is rubbed against a standard fabric in a set motion. Th...
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Why elastic gets tired
Short answer: Each time elastic is stretched, some of the bonds that pull it back break. Most form again, but a small...
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Why light colours show wear before dark ones
Short answer: On light fabric, dirt, stains and grey deposits show clearly, while on dark fabric you see fading and p...
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