This is why I can't have nice things

February 12, 2016 7:15 PM

I wear things out fast. Things like coats, backpacks, shoes. How do I prolong the lives of my belongings? Also-- is it possible to get a coat with underarm holes mended?

I like things that are of good quality and style and made with natural material. I like to have fewer but better items and use them daily. I think because I tend to wear the same nice wool peacoat, and the same nice leather boots, and wear the same nice canvas backpack--they last at most a year before things starts to look worn...like, fraying and having holes worn. Not nice anymore.

I've been told the solution is to either have a bunch of everything and rotate (but I like the simplicity of having my one coat and one bag), or to get synthetic material (ewww). I feel like there must be a glaringly obvious solution-- aren't these things supposed to last longer?
What's the secret?

p.s. I condition my leather and re-wax my canvas. I don't know how to fix wool though.

posted by redwaterman to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (10 answers total)

You can darn wool, and my partner basically never stops buttering our leather shoes in winter.
posted by aniola at 7:29 PM on February 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

Are you getting the wool peacoat cleaned at all during the winter?
posted by heathrowga at 7:55 PM on February 12, 2016

If you like the simplicity of one coat and one bag, why not buy exact multiples and rotate them?
posted by serelliya at 7:59 PM on February 12, 2016 [4 favorites]

If your coats often get underarm holes, the fit of the shoulder is off and is causing you to move your arms in a way that strains the fabric underneath too much. Try a different brand with more shoulder room, or a size up!
posted by rmless at 10:45 PM on February 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: The wear you describe - fraying and holes sound like friction / abrasion. If you really want to just have 1 of everything you may need to be more careful and baby your possessions so they last longer. A year of heavy wear may not be bad depending on how you use them. As far as your backpack - Is it heavy? Do you carry it stuffed full? Do you carry it with both straps? are the seams coming undone or is the canvas wearing through at certain places? If you carry heavy rigid things like a computer or books and the bag gets a lot of rubbing you could wear the fabric in spots. You could look for backpacks with a leather base if the bottom or corners is where they are giving out. The waxing will help keep it water resistant but probably won't affect the kind of wear you're describing.
posted by oneear at 12:40 AM on February 13, 2016

Anecdotally, backpacks are hell on your garments, especially heavy packs. I used to wear out a sweater a year before I switched from backpack to briefcase.
posted by edlinfan at 1:48 AM on February 13, 2016 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks for all the comments. Yeah...I do tend to carry heavy things and walk a lot, etc. The underarm holes I get are not directly under my arms...more like where the backpack straps hit the coat...probably friction/abrasion holes
posted by redwaterman at 6:27 AM on February 13, 2016

Best answer: In which case a year of very frequent, heavy use is probably quite good. If it helps think of these things as tools of your trade as opposed to very nice things you treasure. You get what you need and replace as required.
posted by koahiatamadl at 7:44 AM on February 13, 2016 [1 favorite]

With shoes it is much better to own at least two pairs. One pair airs out and dries completely while you wear the second pair. I do this with my work shoes that get 6-8 miles of wear every day. One pair will last 6 months while two pairs worn in rotation will last 18 months or more. If they are leather shoes using shoe trees will also extend their life.
posted by Requiax at 11:29 AM on February 13, 2016 [1 favorite]

A year actually sounds pretty normal to me? I have very few items (really just my Muck boots and Coach bag, come to think of it) that have lasted substantially longer than a year of daily wear/use and those items cost an order of magnitude more than most of my other stuff.
posted by Jacqueline at 6:24 AM on February 14, 2016