How many times could you wear the same dress or top before it smelled?

[MockBatter]

I genuinely can’t wear a dress or top twice in summer no matter how much deodorant I put on. I don’t have terribly BO but anything that touches my armpits all day doesn’t smell fresh.

I have to put a tight top underneath the dress to keep it fresh but that often spoils the look if the dress is at all low cut or has short arms or is tight. Even in winter I do this to wear the dress more than a couple of times.

I’m always frustrated there aren’t more tops for sale cut so that they can be used like this without showing - but maybe there aren’t such tops because others do not have to wear them. Do you?

I'm not that sweaty so probably could wear more than once. However, I usually cook and find cooking smells make my clothes smell horrible, plus I've normally spilt something on them by the end of the day!

2 times 3 at a push.

@MockBatter: try Uniqlo for their heat tech & airism undershirt tops which are v thin, with a scoop neck and short sleeves

I wear these under my work dresses to get a few wears out of them before washing

Is this post sponsored by Persil? What do you think is going to happen if someone rewears a perfectly clean item of clothing?

Once. Even if they don’t smell sweaty they have usually absorbed cooking smells, or I’ve sat on the train in them so wouldn’t want to wear more than once anyway. I could never wear something for a week.
I don’t have anything that’s dry clean only though.

Twice or three times . Rarely wash things after one wear, only if it’s hot and I have been doing something active.

It isn't perfectly clean if you've been in it all day. I smell what happens every day - the person stinks.

Once only.

If it touches pits or bits one day (or feet)

Same. Hang it up to air and it’s good to go.

Nothing more than one day. But I also run around after kids/

If the person stinks then either they need to shower or change their clothes/put them in the wash. But that doesn't mean every item of clothing needs washing after every single wear. Nice try.

Once, menopausal sweatiness.

A couple of times, unless it’s a really hot day. I don’t sweat much.

Most “dry clean only” clothes can be washed with the right care. e.g (depending on fabric and construction) they might need to go in the machine alone, in a laundry bag, on a wool cycle, and then be steamed afterwards.

I do have dry clean only clothes, but I haven’t dry cleaned anything in at least 30 years.

Twice, maybe more if quite loose. But anything that touches my armpits only once. Most of my clothes are quite loose though as cooler and I don’t like feeling constricted.

I mostly wear natural fabrics and am always cold, rarely sweat. I can wear tops and dresses two or three times.

Obviously I will only wear once if it’s very hot and I am aware I have been sweating. I try to preserve the life of my clothes by not over washing them.

The issue is that people who stink are usually oblivious to how they smell. So you go around thinking that your one day worn top is okay for use, other people around you get a whiff of damp mildew any time you are near. You don't recognise the terrible smell until it settles in another day or so. Different standards of hygiene.

In the Summer tops once, but dresses two or three wears. In Winter longer. Clothes are always hung and aired on the chairdrobe. I only wear natural fibres. They get a sniff test every morning! Mostly they just smell of deodorant and perfume.

I didn't think anyone had dry cleaned work clothes any more. I was everything after every wear. I'd try washing your least favourite work dress and see how it comes out.

The problem is, travelling on trains regularly has made me realise that some people must think that they smell perfectly fresh, when they absolutely don’t. Even on the morning commute into work a lot of people smell of stale sweat, so they must think they’ve put on clean clothes.

I’d never wear anything more than once. The only exception is when I’m WFH i might chuck the same clothes on again if I’m not leaving the flat but otter than that, once and in the wash.

If people smell of "damp mildew" then the issue is more likely that the item has been washed but then put out to dry on an airer with too many other items/in a cold room etc and so taken too long to dry. That's a very different smell from someone rewearing yesterday's T-shirt that they ran 2 miles to the bus stop in. I
agree that nose blindness is a thing though - it just doesn't mean that everyone needs to wash every item after every wear.

There is some truth to this, sure. See also: dog owners who think their house/car doesn't smell like Fido (but that's a whole other can of Pedigree Chum worms!).

What do you mean by a week of wear? Are you wearing the same dress every day all week? If so your colleagues will notice and they will think you're gross, sorry. I don't understand why you'd buy dresses that you can't wash? If you're worried about the cost of dry cleaning why are you buying expensive dry clean only clothes?