[jmadsen]

One thing the article missed but for me personally is an important point: the rise of minimalism

I'm not the type of minimalism you write about, but clothes last for ages now & I just don't want lots of stuff. Especially here in Japan we do laundry every day, so I just don't need very many items. Just some comfortable layers, enough to have a little variety, I'm all set.

(I'm leaving in the morning for 2 weeks in Florida. My wife was laughing at how tiny my suitcase is - really just a carry on.

I informed her it was only half full.)

[utellme]

Oh, I'm feeling just opposite on your phrase "clothes last for ages" if you speaking about its quality. 10 yr old jeans looks ugly but their endurance is much better than modern ones has.

And if you wash your clothes so often, it should last few months before became completely garbage.

[twostoned]

I think drying is harder on textiles than washing. I hang dry my clothes and am baffled by how long they last vs. when I used to use a dryer. This could be personal experience.

[carlmr]

Same experience. Also fabric softeners will extend clothes life IME.

[FranOntanaya]

That'd be survivor bias. My average jeans a decade or two ago would start tearing off at the buttonhole or taint seam after a year or so.

[timkpaine]

"Taint Seam" you put hilarious words to something we all know haha. Especially those of us prone to blowing out the crotch of our jeans.

[utellme]

Are you talking about product of same manufacturer?

[EliRivers]

clothes last for ages now

They can do (as indeed they always could) if you pay for it, although in my experience the majority of clothes bought don't last ages; modern materials (from the sixties onwards, I would say - polyester and related), manufacturing techniques and the easy attitude of consumers in buying clothing that doesn't last have all contributed. Certainly anything you buy in a high-street chain, be it the low end of the market or the more middle offering of Gap and chums, don't last long. It seems odd to me to say that clothes last ages now; they used to last ages, and now (on the whole) don't last nearly as long.

[arkh]

They never lasted ages. People just repaired them because it was economically a better choice. And most of them did not mind using clothes which were not perfect.

[akgerber]

My winter coat is US Navy peacoat, over 50 years old. It weighs about 5 pounds and is very warm and comfortable. It's definitely made better, and will last longer, than any department store peacoat, although you can still buy a new Navy-spec peacoat from Sterlingwear or Schott that'll probably last you a good long time.

You can buy similar coats, although I still prefer the feel of the kersey wool on my old peacoat to the newer melton wool.

[alphonsegaston]

Let me tell you a secret - it’s the drier. Clothes last far longer when you hang dry them.

You’re right that fast fashion has reduced overall quality, but you can still get more wear out if them if you avoid the drier.

[EliRivers]

"Drier", eh? I've seen them. I aspire one day to own such a thing :) A little over 50% of UK households have one, compared to 85% in the US, so they're common but by no means ubiquitous.

[nugi]

Even reducing the heat 1 step on a dryer helps immensely. Between that and washing your stuff inside out, you can double the life of most garmets.

[emiliobumachar]

Could you please elaborate on why washing your stuff inside out helps? I would think what's inside rubs against the other side of the inside, and wears out just the same.

[dragonwriter]

Assuming a heterogenous mix of clothes where some of them have external features that are more damaging to other clothes in a washer, and some have external features more prone to damage, inside-out helps even with front-loaders.

Of course, much of this can be addressed by separating different types of garments, but that can be a lot less resource and time efficient to do really well.

[nvarsj]

Washing inside out doesn't help with front loading machines. Top loaders with agitators will damage the fabric though, and washing inside out will help there.

[jmadsen]

had never thought about that - I've lived in Japan for 14 years where we hang dry, and yes, I have some pretty old stuff that is still in fine condition

[ReaderReader]

We have a clean-out-day once a month, were we throw stuff out or give to Oxfam if possible. We decided some years ago we have too much stuff.