Wearing torn dress shirts beats the purpose of wearing dress shirts at all.
September 9, 2010 11:17 AM Subscribe
My husband keeps tearing his shirts at the elbow. Help!
My husband wears button-down dress shirts to work every day. Usually like these ones. One day I noticed a one inch tear right at the elbow. Then another day on another shirt, an so on. Now at least 6 of his shirts are torn and I'm extremely annoyed (to say the least), because those shirts are expensive!
I told my husband to search in his office or wherever he is during the day for any spot that may be rubbing or damaging the shirt, and he swears he can find nothing of the sort.
Any ideas on how this might be happening? Because of other issues, we need to buy more shirts, so, how to avoid this from happening again? How to fix the shirts? There's a thing here called "zurcido invisible" or like an invisible suture thing, which costs so much, it's cheaper to get new shirts, so that's not an option. What to do?
My husband wears button-down dress shirts to work every day. Usually like these ones. One day I noticed a one inch tear right at the elbow. Then another day on another shirt, an so on. Now at least 6 of his shirts are torn and I'm extremely annoyed (to say the least), because those shirts are expensive!
I told my husband to search in his office or wherever he is during the day for any spot that may be rubbing or damaging the shirt, and he swears he can find nothing of the sort.
Any ideas on how this might be happening? Because of other issues, we need to buy more shirts, so, how to avoid this from happening again? How to fix the shirts? There's a thing here called "zurcido invisible" or like an invisible suture thing, which costs so much, it's cheaper to get new shirts, so that's not an option. What to do?
A mystery! Can you post photos of the torn sleeves? That might provide a clue.
posted by Faint of Butt at 11:20 AM on September 9, 2010
posted by Faint of Butt at 11:20 AM on September 9, 2010
Seconding the sleeve rolling idea. I've ripped a couple of shirts at the elbow after rolling up the cuffs too tightly.
posted by otolith at 11:23 AM on September 9, 2010
posted by otolith at 11:23 AM on September 9, 2010
I have noticed that when I lean my arms on my desk at work, there is stress on the elbows of my long sleeves, when I wear long sleeves. My own strategy, which I adopted about 30 years ago and have used consistently since then, is to wear only short sleeved shirts, even in cold weather. This has worked very well.
posted by grizzled at 11:25 AM on September 9, 2010
posted by grizzled at 11:25 AM on September 9, 2010
Weird!! This happens to me too but just my sweaters. Does he lean on his elbows, like with his chin in his palm? Is he skinny and bony? I am and my bf says that my elbows are sharp. He must be stressing the fabric in that area somehow. I also pull the sleeves of my sweaters down, to cover my hands which would also stress the fabric. Maybe he does that too. Find out and let us know!
posted by mokeydraws at 11:27 AM on September 9, 2010
posted by mokeydraws at 11:27 AM on September 9, 2010
This happens to me all the time. Always the left one. I have literally lost over a dozen shirts to this.
I believe it's from the desk. I work at a computer all day, and it's probably from me resting my left elbow on the desk as I type/work.
posted by eas98 at 11:32 AM on September 9, 2010
I believe it's from the desk. I work at a computer all day, and it's probably from me resting my left elbow on the desk as I type/work.
posted by eas98 at 11:32 AM on September 9, 2010
Sitting at a computer all day has resulted in me destroying an elbow (always the left somehow...) in several of my shirts. I think that is the likely source of the tear. Not sure what can be done to prevent it other than just being aware of the source and avoid sitting with that elbow on the desk.
posted by cirrostratus at 11:38 AM on September 9, 2010
posted by cirrostratus at 11:38 AM on September 9, 2010
This happens to me. My guess is it's because I tend to put my bony elbows on my desk, or on the arm of my chair, despite my best efforts not to (he said, hastily sitting up straight in his chair and stretching out his arm).
Pro-tip: when my wife notices that I am still wearing a shirt with ridiculous huge holes in the elbows, she has a habit of sneaking up on me and ripping said shirt apart, starting from the elbow holes. I view this as a win-win (she gets me to stop wearing a shirt that makes me look like an orphan, I get my clothes ripped off). So you might try that.
posted by chalkbored at 11:38 AM on September 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
Pro-tip: when my wife notices that I am still wearing a shirt with ridiculous huge holes in the elbows, she has a habit of sneaking up on me and ripping said shirt apart, starting from the elbow holes. I view this as a win-win (she gets me to stop wearing a shirt that makes me look like an orphan, I get my clothes ripped off). So you might try that.
posted by chalkbored at 11:38 AM on September 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Ok, I just took some pics. Here's one and one more.
posted by CrazyLemonade at 11:49 AM on September 9, 2010
posted by CrazyLemonade at 11:49 AM on September 9, 2010
All my dress shirts eventually rip at the elbows. It's simple, if you work on a computer, or rest your elbows on your desk, they will wear thin over time then rip from the simplest movement.
Honestly, unless you get him to switch to short-sleeved shirts, or roll up his sleeves, this will always happen.
Alternative solutions: elbow patches. cheaper shirts. Get him a job where he doesn't sit at a desk, or doesn't have a chair with arm rests.
posted by blue_beetle at 11:58 AM on September 9, 2010
Honestly, unless you get him to switch to short-sleeved shirts, or roll up his sleeves, this will always happen.
Alternative solutions: elbow patches. cheaper shirts. Get him a job where he doesn't sit at a desk, or doesn't have a chair with arm rests.
posted by blue_beetle at 11:58 AM on September 9, 2010
I had a tiny, tiny staple or nail sticking up in the arm of my office chair, invisibly under the upholstery. I noticed it because it just barely touched my skin and I'm kind of OCD that way; I bet if I wore long sleeves they would have snagged on it and torn long before I noticed the whatever sticking up. If anything like that is sticking up on the arm of his chair, it may take intense searching to find it.
Even if that's not it, some kind of extra upholstery padding on his chair might be beneficial.
posted by galadriel at 12:13 PM on September 9, 2010
Even if that's not it, some kind of extra upholstery padding on his chair might be beneficial.
posted by galadriel at 12:13 PM on September 9, 2010
I've noticed that when my shirts are heavily starched the elbows tend to rip sooner. Maybe it's just me, but if his shirts get heavy starch back off a bit.
posted by te1contar at 12:25 PM on September 9, 2010
posted by te1contar at 12:25 PM on September 9, 2010
I've noticed that when my shirts are heavily starched the elbows tend to rip sooner. Maybe it's just me, but if his shirts get heavy starch back off a bit.
Seconding that. Go with no starch. (Endorsement: no-iron pinpoints from Land's End, wash 'em yourself.) Those shirts are going to wear out somewhere first, and with starch it will happen faster. Mine would wear at the edge of color, but I had a boss who was legendary for wearing nothing but shirts that had worn through at the elbow. If it's happening after 50 washes it's probably normal, starch or no starch.
posted by beagle at 12:46 PM on September 9, 2010
Seconding that. Go with no starch. (Endorsement: no-iron pinpoints from Land's End, wash 'em yourself.) Those shirts are going to wear out somewhere first, and with starch it will happen faster. Mine would wear at the edge of color, but I had a boss who was legendary for wearing nothing but shirts that had worn through at the elbow. If it's happening after 50 washes it's probably normal, starch or no starch.
posted by beagle at 12:46 PM on September 9, 2010
He's got sharp elbows, ma'am.
I can sympathize-this happens with my husband's shirts too. He's a really big tall guy and the sleeves could probably stand to be a wee bit longer....anyway, that's where they typically wear out.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 12:53 PM on September 9, 2010
I can sympathize-this happens with my husband's shirts too. He's a really big tall guy and the sleeves could probably stand to be a wee bit longer....anyway, that's where they typically wear out.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 12:53 PM on September 9, 2010
Response by poster: I never use starch. Just a regular steam iron.
Also, the shirts are not overly worn out from washing, as he wears then two or three times between washes (sounds gross but it's not, he's at an air-conditioned office all day and never sweats/smells).
Also, it's always the left sleeve, as eas98 said.
posted by CrazyLemonade at 12:57 PM on September 9, 2010
Also, the shirts are not overly worn out from washing, as he wears then two or three times between washes (sounds gross but it's not, he's at an air-conditioned office all day and never sweats/smells).
Also, it's always the left sleeve, as eas98 said.
posted by CrazyLemonade at 12:57 PM on September 9, 2010
Have him trim his elbow nails.
posted by felix betachat at 1:02 PM on September 9, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by felix betachat at 1:02 PM on September 9, 2010 [3 favorites]
This doesn't make sense.
I wear dress shirts all the time, in an office, and walking all over New York City and I've never torn my elbows.
How do the shirts fit him? Are they tight? What is his build?
I could imagine, for example, a barrel-chested man moving his left arm across his body, and if the shirt is not sufficiently roomy in the back, the material would pull and eventually rip.
If he has an unusual build have him go to a good tailor with his non-torn shirts and have the tailor give him advice.
posted by dfriedman at 1:17 PM on September 9, 2010
I wear dress shirts all the time, in an office, and walking all over New York City and I've never torn my elbows.
How do the shirts fit him? Are they tight? What is his build?
I could imagine, for example, a barrel-chested man moving his left arm across his body, and if the shirt is not sufficiently roomy in the back, the material would pull and eventually rip.
If he has an unusual build have him go to a good tailor with his non-torn shirts and have the tailor give him advice.
posted by dfriedman at 1:17 PM on September 9, 2010
I get this same thing, where the fabric just becomes thin after a while. I've always attributed it to resting my elbows on my desk, because where mine wear out isn't actually right where the elbow is, but slightly above it, which is the exact spot that rubs against the desk when I prop my chin in my hand while reading a document.
It should be noted that I also roll up my sleeves, but the roll never goes that high, so in my case, the wear can only realistically come from elbow-resting.
The fix I found, after noticing a tear in a much loved shirt, was to get in the habit of pushing my rolled up sleeve up past my elbow just before I rest it on the desk. This means that my skin hits the desk not the shirt. I only now just realized that I've turned this into such an automatic gesture, that I don't even realize I do it anymore.
Solved my problem though.
posted by quin at 1:18 PM on September 9, 2010
It should be noted that I also roll up my sleeves, but the roll never goes that high, so in my case, the wear can only realistically come from elbow-resting.
The fix I found, after noticing a tear in a much loved shirt, was to get in the habit of pushing my rolled up sleeve up past my elbow just before I rest it on the desk. This means that my skin hits the desk not the shirt. I only now just realized that I've turned this into such an automatic gesture, that I don't even realize I do it anymore.
Solved my problem though.
posted by quin at 1:18 PM on September 9, 2010
This eventually happens to all of my dress shirts. From the pictures you posted, it's the same spot, same type of rip in the worn-through fabric. The causes are all mentioned in previous answers: He sits with his left elbow on his desk while he uses his mouse, the sleeves are probably a little too short, sharp/rough elbows, number of washes.
As for a solution, I basically just scaled back my expectations. I used to wear my shirts heavily. I owned 5, sometimes 6, very nice dress shirts, and cycled through them each week. Funnily enough, they wore out after about a year (52 washes). I've both increased the number of shirts I own to give me a larger number to cycle through, and decreased the price of the shirts I do buy, knowing that they'll only last me a year. I used to only buy Brooks Brothers or Dillard's Gold Label, but have found suitable substitutes with lesser brands, or only bought those shirts at a deep discount during sales or at outlet stores.
I've tried modifying my behavior - not sitting with my elbow propped up, but I still find myself sitting like that when I don't pay attention. I bumped up the sleeve length I was buying by an inch. I've tried moisturizing my sandpaper-like elbows (much to my wife's delight. Nobody likes cuddling with a pointy belt sander). I've tried to scale back the number of times I actually wash the shirts, wearing them twice between washes.
With all that, while the shirts tend to last longer in calendar time, none of that seems to make much of a difference in actual achieved utility. My shirts are good for about 50-60 washes. That does seem to jive with the manufacturers' published claims of supporting 50 washes. After that, I just keep checking my elbow in the hopes I notice the rip before one of my clients embarrassingly points it out to me.
posted by dblslash at 1:22 PM on September 9, 2010
As for a solution, I basically just scaled back my expectations. I used to wear my shirts heavily. I owned 5, sometimes 6, very nice dress shirts, and cycled through them each week. Funnily enough, they wore out after about a year (52 washes). I've both increased the number of shirts I own to give me a larger number to cycle through, and decreased the price of the shirts I do buy, knowing that they'll only last me a year. I used to only buy Brooks Brothers or Dillard's Gold Label, but have found suitable substitutes with lesser brands, or only bought those shirts at a deep discount during sales or at outlet stores.
I've tried modifying my behavior - not sitting with my elbow propped up, but I still find myself sitting like that when I don't pay attention. I bumped up the sleeve length I was buying by an inch. I've tried moisturizing my sandpaper-like elbows (much to my wife's delight. Nobody likes cuddling with a pointy belt sander). I've tried to scale back the number of times I actually wash the shirts, wearing them twice between washes.
With all that, while the shirts tend to last longer in calendar time, none of that seems to make much of a difference in actual achieved utility. My shirts are good for about 50-60 washes. That does seem to jive with the manufacturers' published claims of supporting 50 washes. After that, I just keep checking my elbow in the hopes I notice the rip before one of my clients embarrassingly points it out to me.
posted by dblslash at 1:22 PM on September 9, 2010
Always the left? Interesting. Does he drive a car? Is there something on the door/ elbow rest that the fabric might be catching on?
posted by platinum at 2:06 PM on September 9, 2010
posted by platinum at 2:06 PM on September 9, 2010
This used to happen to me. There is something on his desk that is wearing his shirt over time. I could never identify the culprit, but it would go away or change elbows as I changed offices for various reasons. I had the non-iron BB shirts too. It would happen to old shirts and new shirts.
My "solution" was to have the tailor patch my elbows once I got a hole. The patch (well, really just thread sewed over the hole a ton of times) usually blended into the pattern/color of the shirt and people don't look at your elbows much anyway. Plus, the patched elbows then become indestructible.
posted by mullacc at 3:03 PM on September 9, 2010
My "solution" was to have the tailor patch my elbows once I got a hole. The patch (well, really just thread sewed over the hole a ton of times) usually blended into the pattern/color of the shirt and people don't look at your elbows much anyway. Plus, the patched elbows then become indestructible.
posted by mullacc at 3:03 PM on September 9, 2010
I read through this whole thing thinking "What about the car? Nobody's mentioned the car." and platinum beat me to it. I'll also suggest if he uses public transit that he may be putting his elbow up on the window sill there too.
posted by CathyG at 7:42 PM on September 9, 2010
posted by CathyG at 7:42 PM on September 9, 2010
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posted by El_Marto at 11:20 AM on September 9, 2010