[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