Three years with the same garment
Short answer: After three years and about a hundred and fifty washes, most basics are finished. The fabric is thin, the elastic is spent and the colour is matte. That is normal and not a sign that you bought the wrong thing.
What three years means
Three years of weekly use is about a hundred and fifty washes and as many days of wear. That is more than most fabrics are made for. A garment that still looks good after three years has often been worn less than average or washed very gently all along.
What three years does to the fabric
The fabric is thin because fibres have come off with every wash. The surface is more matte, and the places that rub most have turned paler or gone into holes. It happens slowly, so you rarely notice until you compare with a new garment of the same kind.
The three signs that it is over
You can see skin through the fabric somewhere. The waistband does not spring back. The colour is so matte that the garment no longer goes with anything new. If a garment shows more than one of these signs, it is time to replace it. See offers if you want to find a replacement.
Skin through the fabric
Hold the garment up to the light. If you can see a hole, or fabric so thin it is nearly see-through, it is finished, whatever the rest looks like. A hole grows, and even a repaired seam seldom holds in fabric that thin, which has lost most of its strength.
The waistband does not spring back
Pull the waistband to double its width and let go. If it stays slack, the rubber is spent, and the garment can no longer stay in place. It is one of the most common reasons basics are set aside, and it can rarely be fixed without sewing in new elastic.
The colour is too matte
When the colour has become so muted that the garment no longer goes with anything else in the drawer, it is hard to use. That is a sensible sign that the garment has been used up, even if the fabric may still be whole. It can then become something else.
What to do with it
If the fabric is whole, the garment can be passed on or turned into rags. If it has holes, it belongs in textile collection and not in the bin. Find a new pair of bamboo inner shorts or bamboo shorts for women, so you are not left without when the old one is set aside.
How to get more from the next one
Wash cooler, skip the tumble dryer, rotate several garments and turn them inside out in the machine. With those habits the next garment can last longer than the last. Write down the date you start using a new one, so you know how long it really lasted.
How to choose the next one
Notice what went first on the old garment, and choose the next one accordingly. If it was the elastic, look for a wide waistband. If it was the fabric, choose a denser knit. And buy more of what worked, while the model is still available.
Frequently asked questions
Can a garment last longer than three years
Yes, if it is worn less often or washed cooler than average. If you rotate several garments, it is not unusual for each one to last considerably longer than three years.
Why do some garments last twice as long
Denser knit, heavier fabric and fewer trips through the tumble dryer. On top of that, a garment in rotation is washed less often, and every wash wears the fibres down a little.
Is three years good or bad
It is normal for basics worn once a week. If a garment lasts three years, it has done well, and you should base your next purchase on what went first.
You can find the full range at Bamboo-Clothing.com.
