Those mysterious teeny tiny holes in the front of T shirts…

[imaginethemdragons]

Has anyone EVER worked out how they come about?

No it’s not the washing machine.
No it’s not moths.
No it’s not a belt buckle.

So…where do they come from?

This question pops up with alarming regularity.

In our house it's cotton and jersey tops, mine and DH's, old and new, which is so annoying. DH has it happen to T Shirts he's not worn outside of the house.

I concur with a combination of jeans or trouser buttons rubbing all the time and having square edged granite worktops to compound the problem. The silicone button guards do sound good.

Omg I thought it was just me

@DoubleHelix79

Thought it was just me! One of life's biggest mysteries.

Same here. One of my recently bought tee shirts 👚, only washed a couple of times, has a tiny hole. I feel inclined to return it, this retailer is usually very good, but I feel a bit hesitant, (unusual for me 🤣).

@Berkeys

I just stitch them up and good as new. Some people throw these away, what an awful waste. I cannot believe how few people mend their clothes, it’s pretty dreadful really. Is it a lack of skills?

DEFINITELY!!!! If I were to stitch them they would become terribly visible! How can you do it to make look decent?!!

It can be because t shirts are made of jersey fabric which is knitted so when garments are made up the places where pins were in the fabric will cause tiny holes. It’s the jersey fabric stretching around the pins.

Or as a PP said it’s tiny fabric flaws from the knitting process.

I think it's something to do with jeans. I haven't really worn jeans since the start of lockdown and haven't had any new holes, but they're still appearing in DS1's tshirts who rarely wears anything else.

DS2 who has always been a comfort over style dresser and doesn't own any jeans, never gets holes in his Tshirts.

@ExpressDelivery

I think it's something to do with jeans. I haven't really worn jeans since the start of lockdown and haven't had any new holes, but they're still appearing in DS1's tshirts who rarely wears anything else.

DS2 who has always been a comfort over style dresser and doesn't own any jeans, never gets holes in his Tshirts.

Jeans or the fact that jeans inevitably have a metal embossed button, so more chance of the raised pattern rubbing the fabric more than a flat plastic button? That's what I put it down to.

I've hardly had any since changing my belt to a thinner one with a smaller buckle, hence I would say it's the belt buckle.

@Totallydefeated

For me I’m sure they come from the fabric getting caught between the kitchen worktop and my jeans button/waistband and then being rubbed as I cook, wash up etc

This is my they form in my clothes too, I am fairly confident of this. It happens less since I realised and consciously tried to stop leaning against the worktop as I prepared food. Quartz worktops.

I think the standards in clothing have dropped

This never used to occur

Gosh they irritate me. So many tops ruined by bastard little holes around the tummy button.

I've concluded it's a combo of fat tum and top rubbing against seat belt and kitchen work surface. Many of my trousers don't have a button so I don't think that's an only cause but probably doesn't help.

@imaginethemdragons

A garment technologist! Wow, never knew there was such a job! That does make absolute sense though. Thank you for an answer at last.

Its definitely a real job. DD works for a fashion company. Won't say the name, but similar to ASOS. All clothing companies, from fashion to fancy dress employ a team of garment techs. The test everything from strength of fabrics and fastenings to zips and fire resistance.

Bugger... I forgot to put my apron on when helping DD chop stuff up for a curry, and now I've got the first pinprick hole in a favourite grey marl t-shirt (good quality supima cotton, not a thin cheapie.

Fashion for not tucking tops in.
Thinner cheaper fabrics.
Anything that traps the t shirt fabric and rubs it- car seatbelts, jeans belt/button, sitting at a desk, standing at a worktop.

This was my conclusion anyway, had it in both cotton and viscose jersey tops.

Uneven thread thickness that you can't detect by looking at ti, but in normal wear and tear it gives easily.
It's the result of bad/cheap manufacturing.

If you wash your bras in the washing machine make sure you do them up first or put in a special undies bag/pillowcase. Learnt this from getting holes in Tshirts etc over and over again and as I dont wear trousers/jeans all the time knew it had to be something else.

I have lots of good like that but only the ones I want with jeans. I think I catch the top in the zip a bit sometimes.

if you wash with bras always clip them shut - or wash them in pillow case