4 ms·

I used to think if you looked hard enough and researched things, maybe paid more sometimes, you could get around it. I still think that is necessary, but not su

I used to think if you looked hard enough and researched things, maybe paid more sometimes, you could get around it. I still think that is necessary, but not sufficient. It won't save you; you also need a bit of luck. My biggest bugaboo in this area is with clothes. At some point I started being more careful, but found the published specs won't help because they don't actually tell you everything you need to know, or the company selling them is being defrauded themselves by manufacturers making things out of spec. In many cases too I'm convinced people have lost communal knowledge of what good items look like because theyve never seen them. So, say, they're happy with a sweater that is made out of very poor yarn that obviously won't last because it's warm and has a good zipper. We're at 2/3 now I guess. However, even places like Consumer Reports will say they don't recommend an entire class of appliance, but then proceed to provide ratings, that are ostensibly good. How are those supposed to be interpreted? "None of these are worth buying but they are 95/100 in quality if you take that into account"? No wonder people are confused. I've bought clothes from reputable vendors, with fabric from named mills to specs that should be quality, and found instead the cut was off spec and wouldn't fit. Or something about the fabric just didn't last anyway. It seems like it's always something, like I'm constantly being tricked in some new way once I figure out some other problem. It's such an enormous waste of money, time, and resources.

datr 4y ago
I've run into this issue with jeans. They develop holes around the crotch six months after buying a new pair. A decade ago I'd buy jeans and they'd last years. Unfortunately my waist line has since increased and none of those survivors now fit me. I started with Levi 511s and -- when they started failing -- moved to Nudie Jeans (2x price) as they offer free repairs. When I tried to get them repaired though I was told there was a six week waiting time which seemed excessive. Next I went with a local atelier (3x price) figuring if I spent more that would solve the problem but it happened again.
- robert_foss 4y ago
  I've got several 5-10year old Nudie pairs. Enough of a buffer to get me through 6-12weeks waiting times easily.
- yourapostasy 4y ago
  Have you tried selvedge denim jeans? Try a pair of Uniqlo brand ones for an entry level good value before getting into the more rarefied brands that are even more durable but more expensive.
  - onemoresoop 4y ago
    > selvedge denim jeans I got these from uniqlo and like them quite a bit but, beware, they're unwashed and will shrink some when first washed so keep that in mind when buying.
- philwelch 4y ago
  I switched from jeans to cargo pants for this exact reason a few years ago.
  - jjtheblunt 4y ago
    upvote as in "ditto: same solution here, worked great".
- haradion 4y ago
  In my experience, this often indicates a poorly-fitting cut. If your belt naturally sits below your hips, you'll probably want jeans specifically designed for that.
- myself248 4y ago
  In my experience this means they're fitting wrong and there's undue stress in the place that they're failing. For crotch area specifically, look into Duluth Trading's "Ballroom" pants. Alternately, the moment you buy new pants, add some iron-on patch reinforcement across the area. A two-dollar giant patch can spread the force out quite a bit and probably double the lifetime of the unreinforced fabric. But really, a tailor should be able to tell you what's wrong with the fit and how to fix it.
  - ziml77 4y ago
    As someone who has also had these issues with the crotch of pants wearing out, I would also suggest trying these options. It's a combination of stretching and friction. Jeans have it especially bad because they have prominent seams right where the thighs touch, causing an extra large amount of friction. A gusseted crotch (which I believe the Ballroom jeans have) both helps with the stretching and moves the seams around.
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
- jemmyw 4y ago
  I've tried various expensive jean brands and really expensive with custom fitting and none of them lasted longer than the cheap local brand I buy from now. Not only can I get 3 pairs or more for the same money, they do repairs for free if it's their fault or really cheaply if it's my fault.
- runnerup 4y ago
  Bonobos brand jeans have served me well. I highly recommend them. I too notice the decline in jeans quality. The cheap jeans I had as a kid in the 90’s were nearly indestructible. Sometimes I’d skin my knee but my jeans wouldn’t get a hole…
drewm1980 4y ago
Agree. Even if you make a hobby out of researching purchases and pay top dollar, you still need a great deal of luck. Our 5000 euro door, made by local craftsmen with high quality materials, had an installation mistake that ruins ergonomics and compromises the airtightness. I even went for a non-sliding door in the expectation that it would be more reliable. Maybe the sliding door would have been entirely non-functional by now. My ~400 euro yamaha reface mini-synth has internal speakers that buzz. It's a known problem affecting every one ever made AFAIK. I'd guess only maybe 1/3 of the top dollar expensive stuff I have bought has been free of glaring defects, despite researching before buying.
AJ007 4y ago
Sizing is all over the place, even the same brand, same year. If the clothes are garment dyed, it's even worse. My biggest recommendation is buy 100% cotton and avoid synthetic blends at all costs. Some of that crap looks old after a single wash.

datr 4y ago

I've run into this issue with jeans. They develop holes around the crotch six months after buying a new pair. A decade ago I'd buy jeans and they'd last years. Unfortunately my waist line has since increased and none of those survivors now fit me. I started with Levi 511s and -- when they started failing -- moved to Nudie Jeans (2x price) as they offer free repairs. When I tried to get them repaired though I was told there was a six week waiting time which seemed excessive. Next I went with a local atelier (3x price) figuring if I spent more that would solve the problem but it happened again.

robert_foss 4y ago
I've got several 5-10year old Nudie pairs. Enough of a buffer to get me through 6-12weeks waiting times easily.
yourapostasy 4y ago
Have you tried selvedge denim jeans? Try a pair of Uniqlo brand ones for an entry level good value before getting into the more rarefied brands that are even more durable but more expensive.
- onemoresoop 4y ago
  > selvedge denim jeans I got these from uniqlo and like them quite a bit but, beware, they're unwashed and will shrink some when first washed so keep that in mind when buying.
philwelch 4y ago
I switched from jeans to cargo pants for this exact reason a few years ago.
- jjtheblunt 4y ago
  upvote as in "ditto: same solution here, worked great".
haradion 4y ago
In my experience, this often indicates a poorly-fitting cut. If your belt naturally sits below your hips, you'll probably want jeans specifically designed for that.
myself248 4y ago
In my experience this means they're fitting wrong and there's undue stress in the place that they're failing. For crotch area specifically, look into Duluth Trading's "Ballroom" pants. Alternately, the moment you buy new pants, add some iron-on patch reinforcement across the area. A two-dollar giant patch can spread the force out quite a bit and probably double the lifetime of the unreinforced fabric. But really, a tailor should be able to tell you what's wrong with the fit and how to fix it.
- ziml77 4y ago
  As someone who has also had these issues with the crotch of pants wearing out, I would also suggest trying these options. It's a combination of stretching and friction. Jeans have it especially bad because they have prominent seams right where the thighs touch, causing an extra large amount of friction. A gusseted crotch (which I believe the Ballroom jeans have) both helps with the stretching and moves the seams around.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
jemmyw 4y ago
I've tried various expensive jean brands and really expensive with custom fitting and none of them lasted longer than the cheap local brand I buy from now. Not only can I get 3 pairs or more for the same money, they do repairs for free if it's their fault or really cheaply if it's my fault.
runnerup 4y ago
Bonobos brand jeans have served me well. I highly recommend them. I too notice the decline in jeans quality. The cheap jeans I had as a kid in the 90’s were nearly indestructible. Sometimes I’d skin my knee but my jeans wouldn’t get a hole…

drewm1980 4y ago

Agree. Even if you make a hobby out of researching purchases and pay top dollar, you still need a great deal of luck. Our 5000 euro door, made by local craftsmen with high quality materials, had an installation mistake that ruins ergonomics and compromises the airtightness. I even went for a non-sliding door in the expectation that it would be more reliable. Maybe the sliding door would have been entirely non-functional by now. My ~400 euro yamaha reface mini-synth has internal speakers that buzz. It's a known problem affecting every one ever made AFAIK. I'd guess only maybe 1/3 of the top dollar expensive stuff I have bought has been free of glaring defects, despite researching before buying.

AJ007 4y ago

Sizing is all over the place, even the same brand, same year. If the clothes are garment dyed, it's even worse. My biggest recommendation is buy 100% cotton and avoid synthetic blends at all costs. Some of that crap looks old after a single wash.