Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with clothing and clothes

Happy medium or nurturing the beast?

bitteroldman — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:28:32 -0800

I can't seem to find sweatshop-free or second-hand clothes in the style that I like. How about this alternative? So I really wanted to make a push to purchase sweatshop-free clothing and started to do some research into what was available. Read a lot of discussion with a lot of valid points being made on all sides of the argument.

Not to mention, the style of clothing that I am looking for is more dressy and I can't seem to find any stores or Websites that sell dressy, sweatshop-free clothing.

So then I thought to myself, what if I bought my clothes regularly, but for each article of clothing I buy, I make a donation to a charity in the country where the clothes were made (we're talking about 30-50% of the price I pay for the clothes)?

My rationale is that when I make the donation, I have a pretty good idea where it's going; but if I buy a dress shirt that says "Made in Wherever", I have no idea what the conditions of the factory are like.

So on the surface, it seems like an interesting idea, but is it a good idea or is it the equivalent of whipping a child and then feeding him/her?

I want to do what's right, but damn it I'm still wearing the clothes I bought when I first met my better half, and that was 11 years ago!

Good Winter Clothes for Toddlers

puritycontrol — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:15:10 -0800

Please recommend good winter clothing for 1-year-olds, especially super warm coats. We're talking months and months of ice and snow here. It's our first midwest winter and we'd love recommendations on coats and clothes to get our 1-year-old boys (well, they turn 1 in a couple of weeks). Online or stores in the Aurora, IL area. Thanks in advance!

How?!: Perfume Smell OUT of Laundry.

Shane — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:12:42 -0800

Is it possible to get cologne smell out of clothing? I kind of "inherited" a half-dozen nice sweaters that reek of perfume, and I'm allergic as well. I've tried mucho baking soda and soaking in the wash machine; haven't tried vinegar yet; past (somewhat related) threads suggest Ozium and Synthrapol, but they're really not for this purpose.

Shrinkage as a Positive

judomadonna — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:57:22 -0800

After three washes-and-dryings I want some new 100% cotton t-shirts and boxer shorts to keep shrinking but I get the feeling they're not gonna. Am I right? I'm between an XL and XXL when it comes to t-shirts and boxer shorts -- XL is a little too snug and XXL is a little too roomy. I buy XXL in both in the hopes of shrinking them. I wash in hot and blast 'em in the dryer and, yes, there's been shrinkage, but not enough for my liking. After doing laundry last night I tried on one of the t-shirts and pairs of boxers and didn't see/feel a difference. Clothes get to a point where they'll stop shrinking no matter what you do, right? Any suggestions?

How can I keep my clothes from fading?

Four-Eyed Girl — Sun, 31 May 2009 16:25:02 -0800

How can I keep my clothes from fading after washing them? Most of my clothes end up fading over time after they have been washed several times. It is most noticeable with my black clothes, but it also happens with my bright colored clothes. I recently bought some clothes, and I don't want this to happen to them. What can I do to help fight the fading process and keep my clothes looking somewhat new?

Read, Writing, Hood - A Hoodie with a notebook pocket?

zamboni — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 10:42:58 -0800

Where can I get a light zippered hoodie with a vertical pocket that'd fit a notebook and pen? I need a new hoodie for spring, and I'd like it to have a pocket that'd fit a small notebook (3"x5") and pen. The closest I've found so far is from Carhartt, but it's a bit heavy, while the one from ScottEVest has way too many pockets.

It'd be nice if it was available in the US somewhere I could try it on before purchase, but that's not a deal breaker.

tldr:

Men's hoodie, front zipper.
Lightweight: cotton/polyester or the like.
Vertical pocket, interior or exterior

Where do I find a somewhat cheap and well-made black sport coat (in the Washington DC area)?

decrescendo — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 18:14:50 -0800

Where do I find a somewhat cheap and well-made black sport coat (in the Washington DC area)? I'm looking for a black sport coat that I would wear out to the bars for happy hour or on the weekends. I own a few suits but I'd rather not use their suit jackets for this purpose in case something gets spilled on them.

How cheap can I go without buying a piece of garbage? And where should I buy it? I don't want to buy something that is cheaply made but still $100. I want quality for my money but at the same time not buying a jacket from Nordstrom for $500 or something.

I live in the DC area but I could very well end up buying something from a chain store anyway.

Any help would be fantastic. Thanks!

Dress the 28-year-old grad student.

zeek321 — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 07:25:27 -0800

Where should I be shopping for clothes? 28-year-old straight guy. Long, thin torso; long arms; wide shoulders; ~5'11''; ~165 lbs; USA; East coast/access to NY; athletic and muscled but borderline thin; and a graduate student budget. Clothing has been the bane of my existence for a very long time. I'll spare you the back story. In any case, I spend most of my time slouched in front of a computer, and I can get away with being an unshaven, sweat-shirted mess. That's both because of the culture here and because I'm relatively good looking.

But, for work, campus, and nightlife, I'd like to look a little bit nicer, even a lot nicer (because I think I could pull it off if I tried), but without looking too stiff, and without looking like I'm trying too hard. I feel like it would make me more comfortable and the people around me more comfortable. I think everything hangs funny on me because of my body shape, but that's probably my problem. (Many people have commented that I look like a sculpture when I'm naked, and that it's totally unapparent with my clothing on. See top again for body description.) Also, most of the people around me are a few years younger, and I don't want to dress too old in order to keep up the rapport. (That being said, I try to date people my age or a little older.)

I hate hipsters, cynicism, sarcasm, angst, and drinking the kool-aid. But irony, post-postmodern [sic] and "meta" anything is welcome in small doses. I want to project a friendly, approachable, effortless, laid-back competence, with a bit of an edgy edge, and I really, really don't want to look like I'm trying too hard or trying to be stylish.

I shave once or twice a week, and I'm hoping I can put stuff together that can handle that look. Can any of the above work a little bit rumpled? When I don't shave, I look edgy or gross, depending on unknown factors. When I do shave I look super-clean-cut and even baby-faced, though with a strong jaw.

(I tend to shop at express men's and banana republic, just to give a sense of where I'm going right now. I pretty much own only t-shirts, sweatshirts, and jeans. I'm on a budget, but I'm willing to spend good money on durable clothing that won't go out of style.)

What should I wear? Where should I look for ideas? (What are some good first steps because, clearly, I'm trying too hard and I have an unapproachable ideal in my head--and that's why I default to t-shirts and jeans.)

Casual (but stylish) clothing blogs for aging hipsters?

MeatLightning — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:20:05 -0800

Casual (but stylish) clothing blogs for aging hipsters? I'm looking for some blogs that feature cool clothes that you can actually buy. Like HYA meets Etsy but for stuff beyond Ts and hoodies. Whatup green!?

I give up... I can't find any clothes I like. I've been digging for ages now. Occasionally I'll find a shirt or two from the usual suspects (Urban, AA, H&M, etc) every now and again... but my success rate is low. Like 75% of the crap I end up with doesn't fit right or is boring or both.

I'm looking for some blogs that I can frequent to find cool clothes. Like HYA but for stuff beyond Ts and hoodies.

For style background, I'm basically looking for stuff built from solid fabrics (I love seeing the weave - like linen or canvas) in earth tones with some kind of flair (like cool buttons or epaulets or interesting cuts.... nothing crazy). Sort of one part military, one part Marxist, one part haute couture... Does that even make sense?! Fsssh... no sense at all... maybe that's the problem. Ugh!

Anyway, help!

Please?

How would a 23 year-old male become more fashionable?

decrescendo — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:57:57 -0800

How would a 23 year-old male become more fashionable? The only time I feel dressed well is when I wear a suit. How can I fix this? It's difficult for me to find clothes that I feel fit me well because of my 6'3" 185 lb frame. I'm 6'3" and slim. The only time I really feel comfortable with what I'm wearing is at work: I wear a suit. With suits, I believe that I look better because I know that I have a complete outfit that fits me fairly well (it's tailored after all). I know what suits are supposed to look like and I'm able to pull it off. I have a few different colors of suits, shirts, and ties.

However, after work hours, i feel that I do not dress well enough for my age. I'm 23 and I live in one of the nicer areas of DC. The only thing I seem to be good at is putting on one of my 3 sweaters, 6 t-shirts, or 3 dress shirts with blue jeans. There are 8 million more ways to dress well out there and it seems that I just can't cook them up in my head. The only way I seem to be able to figure something out is to look at a mannequin or look on the Express website or something.

Even then, I feel that nothing fits me well because of my body type. Clothes aren't made for guys who are 6'3" and 185 lbs. Everything is too baggy or too short. It's very frustrating and I think that realizing how difficult it is to find clothes that fit me well has turned me off to fashion. I tend to find a few simple things every now and again that fit me fairly well and I wear them all the time. I need to expand my wardrobe. I have enough money to do it, but it's so hard for me to do.

How can I change this? Should I be reading men's magazines, fashion magazines, or fashion blogs/websites?

Anyone have any ideas? I feel that I'm a classy guy but my wardrobe does not reflect that, I'm afraid. Feeling that I'm dressed well is a big confidence booster that I desperately need sometimes.

How to find out about clothing sales?

Durin's Bane — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 14:07:29 -0800

How do I find out about sales at clothing stores? How do you find about about clothing sales if you rarely go to the mall? I need to buy (inexpensive) casual clothes but I don't have the time or patience to go to the mall every few weeks and look for sales. Except for major events like Labor Day, they don't seem to publicize sales. Is there somewhere I should be looking (preferably online) that will tell me what kind of deals I can get and when?

As an alternative, what stores carry cheap men's clothing similar in price/style to Old Navy?

help me locate this belt

raphael19 — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:28:44 -0800

Can you help me find online a belt (for jeans) i saw on a magazine cover? Hi,

I supply an uploaded photo. On the buckle, the script reads as either "tough" or "rough". (If you know something similar it is all right too...)

Thanks in advance...

http://img258.imageshack.us/my.php?image=27122008669aw1.jpg

Help me find my abused clothing a new home

gc — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 01:47:02 -0800

What to do with my scrap clothing in Seattle? I have a bunch of clothes -- jeans, shirts, pants -- that are in some way or another useless to me, but I feel it would be rude to leave them with Goodwill. Most of them have holes in them, or are beyond repair, but still have what appears to me to be large, usable pieces of fabric left. Some are bleach-stained. I just don't want to throw them away. Is there a place in Seattle that would take my scrap clothing?

Nice robes with bold designs in London

ninebelow — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 05:51:23 -0800

Nice robes with bold designs in London I am after a nice women's robe, probably cotton or silk, with a modern, bold design like a large repeating print. I don't really know where to look though, most of shops I've been into have had thick plain dressing gowns but nothing nicer. The closest I've seen to what I'm after is this but there is a slight air of granny to it.

Bonus points if it is widely available because it would be nice to get hold of something before Christmas.

Shirt / antiperspirant détente!

Captain Rayford Steele, Tribulation Force — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 10:36:43 -0800

Quotidian-question-filter: I seek a high-quality antiperspirant that won't stain clothing. Right now I use Gillette gel, which works fine as a deodorant/antiperspirant but also performs all too well as an under-arm shirt bleach. Needless to say, permanent white staining in and around the armpit region is both unattractive and unsettling.

There must exist an antiperspirant (preferably gel, but I'll consider all options) carefully engineered to coexist peacefully with clothing. Know of one? I'm male, if it matters.

Dear Fashion Diary

mathlete — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 17:25:54 -0800

Is there a site out there that can help me keep track of what I wear? I'd like to look at my clothes-wearing habits, such as how often I wear something or when the last time I wore something was, and I thought there might be some software or a web site that could help with this out there already.

I haven't found anything remotely close to what I'm looking for with Google. I saw this previous question, but the discussion there is more about whether an outfit is good or bad; I'm looking for a different kind of analysis.

Help me not wear clothing that will burst into flames.

mismatched — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 10:45:51 -0800

I'm going to be taking a few weeks of glassblowing lessons soon, and need to wear mostly or entirely cotton clothing while I'm there (no artificial fibers). However, I have some clothing made with modal, and I have no idea if that's ok to wear or not. Help? I did look up modal on wikipedia, but that just confused the issue more -- it's not natural, it's a kind of rayon...but it's not an artificial fiber. If this turns out to be inconclusive, I'll just leave the clothes at home, but I'm plenty curious now.

I live in NYC, and I want to hire a personal shopper. What should I know going into the situation?

Sloop John B — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:40:07 -0800

I live in NYC, and I want to hire a personal shopper. What should I know going into the situation? All my live, I have feared and loathed shopping - even more so than your average straight white guy. I know nothing about style, fashion, or trends. I always feel uncomfortable and out-of-place in clothing stores. However, I'm finally at a point where I'm ready to invest some money in my wardrobe. I've heard that you can hire people to go shopping with you, but I don't know how to go about it.

Here are some questions in my mind :

1) How do you find a personal shopper?
2) How much do they usually charge?
3) How much should I be willing to spend in order to make the whole venture worthwhile?
4) How can I get a feel for a personal shopper's style? How do I know if I'm going to like the same stuff that they like?

Please let me know if you can help with these questions, or if you have any other advice on the subject.

And yes, I have considered asking a friend to go shopping with me. I'm too embarrassed to do this, so I'm not going to go that route. Also, I'd like to find somebody who specializes in fashion and shopping - it's something that I'm willing to pay an expert for.

SpringCleanFilter: Help me get rid of old clothes when Goodwill won't take 'em

potsmokinghippieoverlord — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:26:29 -0800

I have loads of old clothes I want to discard responsibly, but my local charities are quite picky about what they will accept. I'd rather not add to the landfill. Hope me! Now that I have married Mr. Psho, I need to get rid of loads of old clothes I have that either no longer fit, look silly, or just need to go to Clothes Heaven.

Now, here's the issue: when I wear clothes, I wear them unto death. I have t-shirts that are older than most of you, and are frayed and stained from, well, wear. My local charities seem only interested in clothing that have some resale value -- I don't have many clothes in that category. I also have old undies, socks that have broken elastic and holes -- no one wants those, surely? (I live in Oakland, CA.) I was excited a few years ago when I discovered those green GAIA bins, but I did some research and I really don't want to support something quite so... controversial.

So -- what can I do with my misfit clothes?

You know what they say about people with big feet....

msbrauer — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:43:42 -0800

Where can I buy large men's sneakers (size 13/48) in China? I'm living in China and am about to run out of shoes. There are shoe stores everywhere, but I cannot find a pair of shoes big enough for me. My usual drill is to walk into any shoe store and ask what the biggest size is; they usually say 45; I say I need 48. Seller's eyes get really big and then I'm usually followed out of the store with a bunch of clerks staring at my monstrous sneakers. None of the shoe sellers seem to know where I could find a pair in size 48, either. I've also asked plenty of foreigners where they get their shoes, and the answer is always that they fill their suitcases with shoes when they return from a trip back to their home country.

I'm in Nanjing and have exhausted the possibilities here; I've also tried looking in every city I've visited, which include some that are frequented by hordes of foreigners. Are there any stores in Beijing or Shanghai with large size sneakers? Do any of the Chinese internet mailorder places have sizes large enough for me? I met one shoemaker (though she was on an extended leave of absence from her factory) who suggested having shoes made; has anybody had shoes made to order in China?

Is there any way to get around hand washing clothes?

invisible ink — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:17:36 -0800

I recently bought a beautiful burgundy sweater coat. Unfortunately, I failed to notice the wash & care instructions, which state "Hand wash cold/separately." How exactly does one go about hand washing a large piece of clothing? The tag says "93% acrylic, 5% polyester, 2% wool." Is there any other way I can get this garment cleaned? Would Woolite be an option? Dry cleaning?

Where should I shop?

epersonae — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 11:49:48 -0800

Going to Austin (from WA state) next month, have little or no warm weather clothing. Should I buy clothes here or there? I'm going to SXSWi (yay!) but since last spring I've lost 50 pounds and several clothing sizes. I really only own a couple of outfits at all, and they're pretty clearly for office wear in Washington in winter.

I'd like to have a few outfits to wear in 70+ degree weather. Should I do some shopping now, or take my first afternoon after I get there?

Now: more leisurely shopping, less jet lag, I know where I'd go.
Later: probably easier to find weather-appropriate wear, less to carry on the plane, could be fun.

Sales tax is about the same either way. I have no idea if I'll find things cheaper there or here (Olympia/Tacoma).

What else should I take into consideration? Also, general opinions welcome!

If I shop Austin, suggestions for places to go? (Mid-30s woman, tallish but not super-tall, dress size in the 10-12 range, somewhat fashion-impaired.)

I'm going to be renting a bike, so I'll be looking for relatively sporty clothes that also look good inside. (I'm thinking skorts/capris.) Also, that means that driving anywhere in Austin is out.

I want to have tailored shirts

reenum — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 08:21:52 -0800

I want tailored shirts. Where can I find a good tailor? I currently live in Kansas, but would be willing to make a trip out to one of the coasts if needed. I have a few questions:

1. How much can I expect to pay?
2. How long do the shirts last?
3. Is it worth it to have a local seamstress make them for me?

I saw this thread about tailored clothes, but that one didn't have enough shirt specific info

How can a skinny guy find a slim-cut suit?

ZaphodB — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 01:09:16 -0800

How can I find a small, very slim-cut suit, either online or in Nova Scotia? I'm in dire need of a suit or two - ideally, a very slim-cut, two-button, single-breasted suit. But there are two problems. First, I'm pretty thin - 5'9" and 125 pounds. 16" shoulders, 28" waist, and a very thin waist. From trying out suits in stores over Christmas, this would probably mean a 34R, but my overall shape means that the traditional boxy suit just drapes over me. A Hugo Boss 34R was no-go, but a Dior Homme 34R was absolutely ideal (and, alas, about 2000 dollars more than I had). So I need a European-cut suit.

The second problem is, I'm a university student in rural Nova Scotia, and thus don't really have the opportunity to walk into a suit shop. I can travel into Halifax if need be, but I've had no luck in the past finding off-the-rack suits, so I'm reluctant to make the trip unless someone can name a specific place that might help. I have no problems buying online, but I honestly don't know where to start looking.

Does anyone have any recommendations? I'd like to not be too spendy - 750 dollars would probably be my outside limit. Thanks for any help.

Seeking women's clothing online

kmel — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 09:21:38 -0800

Seeking women's clothing online. Please help me get out of my Target / Old Navy rut. My stats - new mom (meaning I don't have time to thrift, go on leisurely mall trips, or read fashion magazines), in my 30s, size 12.

I wish H&M sold online in the U.S. I guess that's the kind of style I'm looking for. More colorful/interesting than your Gap diaspora, but not too much more expensive. Excellent return policy a plus.

I know of: Tulle (but their sizes run way small and I had a terrible customer service experience with them), Max Studio, the Skirt Spot.