Aibu? Most of my branded and sometimes very expensive clothes...

[btfly2]

look deteriorated, bobbly and colours tend to fade very easily! Ive tried it all, even hand wash programme doesn't make a huge difference...Aibu or the quality of good makers, I used to love, is becoming very dissapointing?? but prices are still high and sometimes increasing! How do you "look after" your lovely stuff?

Should have known it was an aberration Teenage!! I get mine sent back from a week away on holiday with their dear dad with two suitcases full of dirty clothes full of sand! Honestly, if I was the stepmum I'd be mortified with embarrassment not to wash them and send them back nice. Really....

I kinda know what you mean about a bit of a residue though but thankfully haven't experienced actual fading myself :-).

I think it's your washing machine, DM and I have a handful of the exact same clothes (e.g. Plain cardigans and vest tops from primark or H&M) but hers look nice and mine look bobbly. I've decided to blame my washing machine.

Also we don't own a tumble dryer and everything is line dried or dried on screens in hte house. We never use fabric conditioner either.

I don't like pure wool next to the skin but have a fab 100% pure wool Hobbs coat. (which was bought brand new with tags from Oxfam). It's dry clean only and tbh although I'm fairly relaxed with washing instructions I don't think I'd risk even handwashing it.

Thanks all for your replies. I think to avoid the fabric conditioner is a very good tip I'm definitely going to try. Dry cleaning is fine but not always possible on every item. My fav makers are not luxurious but for a cardi or a jumper between £89 / 129 you expect, I expect that is going to last at least for a couple of years. Another mistake I make I think is to wash the clothes too much, I mean more than necessary , even when they look clean and because I love a fresh smell, etc.

I have expensive clothes. I never wash anything really except underwear , tights and pyjamas and never iron. Dry clean and lightly steam. They remain almost immaculate but they are good quality to begin with.

We never tumble dry any clothes except cotton pyjamas.

I shop at mainstream High St stores, White Stuff, Oasis, Dorothy Perkins, Sainsburys, M&S, New Look, so not the cheapest, but building up to a mid-range.

My clothes last for years without special attention. I have quite a lot, so its not worn and washed intensively- DH has a smaller selection and washes it to death quickly.

I tend to wash at 30 to 40 degrees, darks/lights. Our condenser dryer seems to be quite gentle. I use non bio and a dribble of softner.

I find branding makes more difference on cut than anything else.

I only ever wash at 40 in the machine even for cashmere and most things are fine (I use a Miele with wool/silk programmes).

However I have noticed recently that Phase Eight knitwear and jersey tops which I used to love and are at the top end of my personal price range, have started to develop holes and runs very quickly, so much so that I have stopped shopping there. It is a shame because I love the cut and the colours of their tops but if I am paying £60+ for a top I expect to get at least a couple of years out of it, not 5-6 wears.

It isn't my machine as it is just that one brand that giving me problems and I have older tops from them that I have had for ages, so I do think that they have dropped their quality.

Blimey OP I've never paid that much for an item of clothing - I'd want at least one whole outfit! Mine all last a couple of years at least, most much longer. That is odd.

The quality of clothes has gone downhill in recent years -cotton is thin (but cheap), paying more doesn't mean you get good -or in some cases even better -quality.
I'm currently wearing my 'scruffs' - clothes I use for cleaning.
The sweat shirt I bought in 1992 (Gap outlet in the US - why I remember) and have worn regularly since - in recent years for DIY/cleaning. Worn and washed about every 2 weeks (I have more than one set!) Standard washing machine wash and tumble dry.

Apart from bleach/paint splashes the colour (navy) is fine - only slightly faded and apart from some fraying at the cuffs the material is still going strong. It is nice and thick cotton. It wouldn't have been expensive. Bar the cuffs (and paint splashes!) you could still wear it as an everyday going about top.
I can't imagine where I could buy something that would last so well now.
I had sheets I bought in John Lewis in 1989 (after my flat burned down -another reason I remember!) that I used for almost 20 yrs. I replaced them because they were marked (pen marks from DPs crosswords etc) and mainly cos I replaced them with sheets that I 'inherited' from my grandparents - they would have been expensive/good quality new (they always bought to last) and they were like new (my GM believed in stocking up -they had lots!) They have already outlasted the sheets on the DCs beds - the quality is worlds apart.
It is all part of our throw away consumer society - our (global) economies need us to keep buying things, so we need to keep making things, so we can keep employing people so they have money to keep buying things...
Branding is just a way of making people spend more...they still can't last as then you wouldn't be buying more...
Not good for the environment ...

look deteriorated, bobbly and colours tend to fade very easily

Branded & designer clothes aren't necessarily well made. What are the fabrics? For example, if you have a jacket dress or coat with a wool-polyester mix it will pill. It's the polyester. If you want good quality, lrarn about fabrics - 100% wool, cotton, linen or silk, or mixes of those (oh and cashmere). The better the quality, the better the fabric feel or "hand" - a lot of designer stuff is pretty rubbish in this respect.

And if a garment isn't lined or interfaced, it won;'t hold it's shape for more than a few wears.

But then I make my own clothes and take the trouble to line & interline (couture techniques) - I have jackets & coats (pure wool, or wool/cashmere) that are still going strong after 10 years. Pure wool tweed is particularly lovely as it gets softer and more beautifully shaped with wear.

Most "branded" clothes are a rip-off.

Use non bio powder as it doesn't contain bleach

Sorry, this advice is completely wrong, Non-Bio powder contains bleach, in fact, it contains more bleach than bio (as bio has enzymes to break down stains, whereas non-bio doesn't contain enzymes).

NO liquid detergent contains bleach (whether bio/non-bio or colour care), and of course, colour care powders don't contain bleach either.

For my best clothes, I follow the rule of lowest temperature, lowest agitation and specific detergent required to get something clean with the least "stress" to the fabric.

Had some clothes 10+ years that still look new. However, in general quality has declined in recent years and cost is no longer indicative of quality. Had stuff from Primark outlast designer.

Any suggestions for particular brands of liquid detergent, I normally use capsules. I am not loyal to any and generally get what is on offer. Always wash clothes at 40 and can notice significant fading especially in the frequently washed school blouses, jumpers etc.

vjg

For the best in cleaning and fabric care; either Ariel or Persil is the best you're going to get - these are the flagship brands from the 2 major detergent manufacturers in the UK. The research and development that goes into them is astounding.

Of course, it's all personal preference down to how the detergent works with your machine, water hardness, dirt level and fabrics (and of course smell).

Will say, whilst liquids are great for coloured clothing as they don't contain bleaching agents; over time, they can be bad for your whites and horrendous for your machine (mildew smell/build up). So I usually use a powder (bio or non-bio) for whites and a liquid (usually but not always a "colour care" version) for colours.

Eg I currently have Bold Powder for whites/towels etc and Ariel colour liquid for colours.

Pollyanna, why do you blame the stepmum instead of the "Dear Dad"?

Good on her to leave it to the dad. If he is not bothered, that is between you and him. Nothing to do with her.

Thanks e1y1,

I always use a Calgon tablet too and never know if that is a waste of money or not.

Honestly, if I was the stepmum I'd be mortified with embarrassment not to wash them and send them back nice. Really....

Can their dad not use a washing machine? Is a washing machine one of those household items that only works when activated by close proximity to a vagina?

With regards to Calgon - the general consensus is that they are a waste of money as a good quality detergent will have water softener built in anyway, there is just one circumstance where they are useful - if "stripping" towels of mineral build up from hard water washing, it's just down to the way hard water minerals bind to Calgon as opposed to other types of softeners (borax/washing soda etc).

Thinkingblonde Non-bio powder does have bleach, it doesn't have enzymes though.

Expensive clothes aren't necessarily well made and cheap clothes aren't necessarily badly made. Shelling out for brands often just buys you the label, not quality. I never pay out for fancy names - I don't understand it. I have a few go-to favourite places, reasonably priced, that reliably last years. Don't be a mug for brand names!

Cardibach: a cashmere cardigan from the white company is easily over £100 and same some cashmere jumpers from boden are at about £90. I agree that the quality in general has dropped a lot I'm afraid. I would love to find a dressmaker...My granny used to buy lovely fabrics, glorious quality and colours and take it to a very talented lady, she was more like a fairy dressmaker... beautiful.

I remember reading a complaint letter in a newspaper, where the writer of the letter had bought a very expensive suit (in the £1000s), and it fell apart after a 2-3 wears. He was asking if he had any way of getting his money back. He had already tried to take it back to the shop, complaining about poor quality, but they just told him that their suits are designed for very rich people who only wear their clothes once, so the clothes are designed to only be worn once!!

Don't wash your clothes too often. If I have favourite and expensive jumper I wear a very thin scooped necked t shirt under it, just wash the t shirt and hardly ever wash the jumper, it will look brand new for years, I just check it passes the sniff test every now and then. This will probably horrify most on here, same of jeans look fantastic if you limit the number of washes. Also biological washing powder has less bleach and lets you wash as lower temps so protects clothes.

I have a cashmere cardigan from The White Company and it is pilling dreadfully.
So much for buying a quality brand.
I am tempted to contact them about it.

Wash them inside out.
Delicates put in a pillow case.
Always use fabric softener.
I steam iron whilst on hanger to avoid the horrible iron lines.

I pretty much never wash cardigans as they only touch my arms!
I also think that sometimes if you can't afford quality and quantity it's better to go for quantity in some things otherwise you're washing a basic jersey top twice a week instead of rotating through a couple of weeks worth.