Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with clothing

How can I mend small holes in my sweater?

katala — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:12:54 -0800

How can I mend small holes in my sweater? My favorite turtleneck sweater has a few small (1cm across) holes in it and my previous attempts at repairing them with black cotton thread have been dismal.

Can anyone please recommend a tried-and-true method of (preferably) seamlessly repairing holes like this in a cotton sweater?

Taking it to a tailor is out of the question, I got quotes today and they want more than the jumper originally cost just to repair the holes 0_0

A huge thank you in advance for any help you can give me :)!

Help me outfit myself for my expedition to the Yukon. Well, not quite... but pretty close.

MadamM — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:00:44 -0800

I'm about to go off to college- in Massachusetts, when I've lived in Texas my entire life. Ideally, I'd like not to freeze all winter, so I'm looking for your clothing/lifestyle advice geared to someone without a clue. Additionally, the only members of my family who've lived anywhere cold are male, while I've fairly recently embraced my dressing-like-a-girl options. Any advice about how women in Our Frozen Territories stay warm without giving up on looking nice is especially appreciated. I've seen this thread, and while helpful, I think I need some more concrete advice (links to specific products, please!). I know layers are good, hats/scarves/gloves are key, etc., but I could use some advice more tailored to my situation.

I'd like to do as much shopping as I reasonably can while at home. Cold weather clothing is scarce in Texas in July, but I currently live within 20 minutes of five malls, while my transportation and shopping options are waay limited in the tiny New England town I'm going to be in. What places carry the kind of stuff I need year-round?

And what kind of stuff do I need, anyway? I know I need a warm jacket, but I don't want to go down there with something huge and warm and find that it's overkill most of the school year. Adjustable options? A coat wardrobe? What do people have up there?

As for other clothes, I want to be warm, but I don't want to entirely sacrifice my newly found girl dressing abilities. I have a decent handle on what looks good on me down here, but tank tops and sundresses are not going to cut it up there. What do people wear in this context (college girl in cold region)? As a teenage girl, fitting in is a concern, as well as not looking like a dork among my new peers who've lived with snow their entire lives.

Another thing: shoes. After being a one pair of shoes kind of girl for years, I've discovered the joys of owning multiple pairs. Mostly, sadly, the cute kind that are not practical in the cold. I suspect I need some kind of waterproof boot sort of thing for snow, but what else? Are their boots appropriate for snow out there that don't look like ugly hiking boots?

I'm pretty much trying to create a new wardrobe for myself, here. Help me, please!

Tell me about symbolism in clothing.

giggleknickers — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:33:50 -0800

I'm interested in symbolic clothing. I'm just curious if there are any other cultures/subcultures than karate which use something like the coloured belt system. It's not the same as medals for certain achievements, or symbols of class (like purple being a colour only royalty may wear). Some symbol that shows how far along you are in an ability you are working on mastering. Something that shows what "level" you are.

I find the concept interesting, so I was just wondering. :)

What are the best non-leather athletic shoes?

mrgrimm — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:28:29 -0800

What are the best non-leather athletic shoes? Athletic shoes are one of the few products for which I've been unable to find non-animal replacements. I did have some nice Adidas hemp Gazelles, but I don't think Adidas makes them anymore, and anyway, those shoes would have only been average for indoor soccer. I would certainly take them now (for a non-extravagant price).

For semi-serious football/soccer shoes (both cleats and flats), are there any good non-leather alternatives? While I'm at it, how about basketball or tennis? (Soccer cleats should double for baseball.) Ice skates?!

I do know about Chuck Taylors, of course, but if I played in any sort of game with largish men, I would want a bit more ankle protection, i.e. a serious athletic shoe. Thanks for any tips.

Where do you find good masculine clothing--for women?

schroedinger — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:49:52 -0800

What does the "futch" woman wear to Vegas? And where does she find her clothing? If I'm not feeling the nine-inch heels, where can I find the clothing that will be appropriate for a night on the town and fit butch-leaning tastes? I've read that if you are a woman trying to get into a club in Vegas, heels and short one-piece clubbing dresses are de facto--without 'em, you don't get in.

But what if you are not inclined to sparkly tube dresses? What is appropriate for the butchier-leaning woman? Would a good pair of jeans and a well-fitted button-up work? And does anyone have good sources of clothing for the masculine-leaning woman?

Great Ascot!

Viola — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:29:33 -0800

Lady mefites, what are your favorite online shopping sites for girly vintage wear? I hate shopping in stores, so I've gotten the trick of eyeballing dresses online down to a science. I click through Ebay, but I find it overwheming and time-consuming.

I love a lot of Etsy's vintage selections, and I'm looking for clothing in that retro vein: secretary dresses, ascots, cinched waists, A-line skirts. I'm not into graphic tees or the like.

My upper range for a dress (I exist almost exclusively in dresses) is $80 for a knee-bucklingly awesome piece, but I generaly stay more in the $10-40 range.

Best New York tailors for alterations?

detune — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 07:26:09 -0800

Best New York tailors for alterations? I've looked through the (many) previous AskMes on tailors in NY, but most of those posts are a bit old or are not specifically asking about a tailor for alterations. What I'd like to do: have two off-the-rack suits tailored to fit me better, and have 3-5 shirts tailored to cut down the sleeve length and, if possible, cut the back so that it doesn't balloon out so much. What are my options? And, just so I can know roughly what to expect, about how much should I expect to pay?

Thanks, all!

Desperately Seeking Scarf

sarahalisonmiller — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:34:43 -0800

Please help me find this scarf. I'm not really looking for this *exact* scarf, but for a decent, thin-weave, biggish scarf that approximates this goldish, mustardy color (but not sparkly). The color is the thing.

It would hurt me to spend more than $30, but sometimes I choose pain over prudent financial decisions. I'm hoping that I might be able to find scarves on sale this time of year.

P.S. Are there small time, crafty people making scarves like this? I've looked on etsy.com. but the scarves there seem chunky (not a bad thing, but not what I'm looking for).

Long sleeve shirts for a small guy

sjl7678 — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:44:30 -0800

Where can I find long sleeve, casual, button-down dress shirts for a small guy? Lot's more information inside. I've been looking for some new clothing recently and it's not going very well. I like how I look in long sleeve dressy-ish shirts. The problem is that I'm a fairly small guy. I'm around 5'6" and weigh between 120 and 130 pounds.

All of the size 'small' dress shirts I try on in stores are definitely too big; the sleeves go to my knuckles and the rest of the shirt falls partway down my thighs. I've resorted to using dress shirts from the boys' section for work. The ones I wear are about a size 18 in boys'. The sleeves are slightly too short but I deal with it. Unfortunately they usually only come in black, white, or some ridiculous striped pattern that's not really my thing. Help!

I'd like to find shirts that fit me, aren't just black or white, and would look good untucked with jeans. I'm not looking for really flashy or gaudy patterns; I like muted colors and more subtle patterns. I know I'll probably have to shop online to find what I need and that's fine with me.

A bit more background: I'm a fairly experienced swing and blues dancer and have started tango recently. That means that I usually roll up my sleeves to around the elbows pretty often. That also means they get sweaty and need to be able to be washed in a regular washer (I can't afford constant dry cleaning). As an aside, if anyone has tips for rolling up sleeves so they 1. stay rolled up and 2. don't look absurd, they'd be appreciated too!

I know you might be thinking "Why bother with long sleeves rolled up? Just get short sleeves!" I have tattoos that sometimes need to be covered (for work) so short sleeve shirts are not really an option.

One thing I've considered is tailoring. There are a bunch of tailoring places in my neighborhood; if I bought shirts that were too big for me and brought them there could they tailor them to fit me, or do most tailoring places only deal with suits and the like? If so, how big should I buy so that they have enough to work with? I'm pretty clueless when it comes to that kind of thing.

As for price range, now that I have a full time job I'm more flexible than I was in college, but keeping it under $40 would be wonderful. Less is even better.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me! If there's anything I left out just ask and I'll reply as soon as I can.

Dressing for success

Bardolph — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:24:04 -0800

Help me learn to dress my husband! Tips/tricks/resources on developing a good eye for men's business attire? Over a few decades as a girl, I've acquired tons of specialized knowledge about how to dress women in general and myself in particular-- I know, for instance, that pencil skirts make me look thick-waisted, that certain prints look elegant while others scream "Wal-mart!", etc., etc. Having recently acquired a male second half (who's begged me to look after his wardrobe), I'm looking for ways to gather the same sort of information about men's clothing, and business attire in particular.

Areas of special concern are:

Body shape/tailoring. Suits all look the same to me-- kind of absurd and stubby-legged-- so I'd love to find out which lines/proportions will make suits look "right", and what specific adjustments to the garment can help make the most of my husband's adorable, but not 100% modelesque, body proportions. I'm looking to go beyond the basics here: something like this , with a discussion of specific waist/shoulder/arm/leg proportions, would be ideal, not just the standard "heavier gentlemen should wear double-breasted suits" or whatever. Hubby is 6'2, 200lbs, broad shoulders, short legs, small pot-belly, if that helps at all.

Colors. I have a decent eye for matching women's clothing, but men's shirt/tie/suit combos seem to follow subtly different norms. Exactly what shirt colors can one wear with navy, for instance? Is the shirt meant to be the accent color, or the tie? Are there any general rules to help one figure this out?

Ties. Once we move past the novelty-Simpsons-tie range, these all seem to be some variation of geometric print/stripe, more or less bright-colored, 100% silk. Whence, then, all the jokes about "that hideous tie"? What exactly distinguishes a cool, expensive-looking tie from a $10 Sears special?

None of the research avenues I've tried so far-- Google, salespeople, menswear catalogues, What Not To Wear, this, this-- has yielded much in the way of specific, comprehensive and ~scientific info on these issues. Would love any combination of direct advice/resource referrals to help me understand what looks good on real men!

H&M LAD from NYC to H-Town

raygan — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:48:32 -0800

Is there any way for me to buy H&M LAD fit jeans in the South? I recently took a trip to New York and took the opportunity to shop at H&M. There are NO H&Ms in Texas, where I live, and the closest one is many hundreds of miles away, so it was a neat thing for me. The jeans there, the LAD fit, fit PERFECTLY. They are the first pair of jeans I have liked that much since a very expensive pair of couture jeans I bought once used at a resale shop, but at half the price.

I've been watching eBay, but there don't seem to be any pairs in my size showing up. H&M also has no catalog or internet sales. Is there some way, aside from making a friend in NYC and sending a check, that I can get more of these pants?

Alternately, does anyone know a pair of jeans that fit JUST LIKE the LAD jeans that I could find in Houston, that would sell in the sub-$40 range?

Getting cheap clothes altered?

hapticactionnetwork — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 06:45:48 -0800

Is it worth it to get (relatively) cheap clothes altered? I recently lost a significant amount of weight, and now none of my clothes fit! The thing is, most of my clothes are from places like Target or the Gap. Is it worth it to get a pair of $30 or $40 pants taken in or should I just buy new pants?

I've never actually been to a tailor, so if anyone can give me an idea of how much I should be paying for decent work, I'd appreciate that too.

Where to buy a suit that's comfortable when it's warm, in Vancouver?

tiamat — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:05:57 -0800

I'm looking for a nice summer suit that I can wear for an August wedding (outdoors). I'm currently in Vancouver, B.C. Similar to this question I'm looking for a decent suit I can wear in hot weather without dropping dead.

Something that travels would be good; I'm either going to have to wear it to fly or pack it, and either way I'm not going to be able to press or dry clean up upon arrival.

Cheaper is better, since I don't often need suits in my day to day life, but it absolutely must come in under $800.

How to dry moldy clothing on humid days

mizrachi — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:52:01 -0800

Will line-drying damp clothing on humid days make our clothing smell mildewy? We live in Tallahassee and usually hang the clothing we'd like not to shrink on a line in our garage. Unfortunately, Tallahassee is almost always quite humid, the garage particularly so, and as a result of this humid, still environment and the mildew that may have been present in our washer, our line dried clothing now smells like mildew. I've cleaned the washer with a Purewasher solution that is supposed to remove the mold from inside the washing machine and I'm soaking the mildewy clothing in the same stuff as well as running a final rinse with white vinegar to completely remove the odor. However, where do I dry the items we normally air dry? Since we have the option of line-drying outside in the sun I'm wondering if this would be our best option. Or will the humidity in the air just reintroduce this problem?

Reselling goods, is this legal?

lungtaworld — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 05:47:30 -0800

Are there any specific illegalities to purchasing clothing (e.g. name brand shorts) from an outlet store and then offering them for sale in a boutique that specializes in selling resort wear?

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.

Please help me find a black floor length formal/evening skirt.

scazza — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 06:39:22 -0800

Please help me find a black floor length formal/evening skirt. I am in a performance where I am required to wear black, and I need a black floor length skirt, preferably a full skirt, size 6 or 8. It needs to be long, even extra long since I'm tall. I haven't been able to find anything that would fit me and looks appropriate for a formal, concert occasion. Really the only things that have at least the same idea are on goth sites or are for ballroom dancing.

I'm in NYC and am female.

Anyone have any ideas for formal wear sites that would have something like this (I've looked at Saks, Barrie Pace, Nordstroms, Macy's)?
Are there any performance related sites that sell clothing like this?

Please help me find what I'm looking for. Thank you!

Will not covering up this tattoo negatively impact me at my upcoming job interview?

Anonymous — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:17:45 -0800

I have a job interview on Wednesday for a very interesting non-profit organization involved with animal research (for good purposes). All of my suits are skirt/jacket combos. I'm very short...too short for pant suits, and no time for alterations. The skirt suits wouldn't be a problem if I didn't have a huge tattoo on my leg. In my former career in creative arts, tattoos were acceptable and even commonplace. I'm not sure if this is a big deal with the new field. Nylons look silly over the work, and tights make me look like a little girl. Plus, it's very hot out. Is showing the tattoo something I should worry about? Do you think it will be viewed negatively? Any suggestions to help make me look more professional? FYI, the work covers my shin/ankle/foot and is water, leaves and flowers. This is in California.

Cult or Not?

jpburns — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:42:59 -0800

I just saw a group of folks at the cafeteria in the DeKalb Farmer's Market in Atlanta, and I'm trying to figure out... are they a cult? A group (maybe 10) of men and women, with children and teens. Mostly white but one black woman. The weird thing that caught my eye was they they were all wearing hempy-natural-fiber looking simple shirts or long dresses over t-shirts and "normal" clothing.

I shoulda walked over and asked, "Pardon me, are you a cult?," but something told me that might be rude.

So... were they?

Thanks in advance.

Can you help me find a certen style of adult sized "Onesie"?

TrueVox — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 19:31:17 -0800

Looking for a green, stripped "union suit" sized for an adult girl? She's about 5'8, maybe?, 130 lbs (I figure she'd prefer it baggy, rather then too tight). Oh, and for what ever reason, it needs a closeable "Butt Flap". I think the ones like Steve from Blues Clues would work. Has anyone seen these that you can buy for a not unreasonable price?

How to translate a painting into clothing?

unmake — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 21:37:22 -0800

How to translate a painting into clothing? I've got some abstract paintings that I think would make smashing halter tops. How would I go about accomplishing this? I'm thinking iron-on transfers are not the way to go - maybe screenprinting?

Where Have All The Palazzo Pants Gone?

rhiannon — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 18:34:23 -0800

I am looking for work pants that are not too casual, not too formal, and fit over my butt without suffocating me. I'm looking for pants that I can wear to work and I have some fairly particular constraints. I am a late-20's woman and I work at a Seattle-area tech company. In order to be taken seriously I have to dress up a bit more than the jeans-and-t-shirt uniform that my peers wear. Wearing a suit is the kiss of death with my software engineer coworkers, though. My wardrobe walks a fine line between not-too-casual and not-too-formal.

Also, I've got enough butt to outfit two skinny girls. I'm around a size 8/10 but a lot of current fashions draw too much attention to assets which don't need to take center stage at work. Sausage-fit tapered leg hipster pants, I'm glaring at you.

I've found a few formulas that work well, such as loose, flowing palazzo pants and slacks with interesting patterns or stripes. However it's been very hard to find these things for the past couple of seasons and all of my good work pants are in tatters now. Express and Urban Outfitters have been the source of occasional finds but these days everything they sell is too short, too tight, or too high-school looking for me to wear it to work. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Ann Taylor and J. Crew slacks are generally too conservative and suit-like.

Where should I be looking? Recommendations for brands, stores or specific items are welcome. Huge karma bonus points if you know of a good source for palazzo pants, which have been hunted nearly to extinction in Seattle.

Help me find a Nationalism Suit.

absalom — Fri, 30 May 2008 15:41:46 -0800

Where is the best place online to find and purchase a Zhongshan suit? The best I've found so far is here, though that's more of a dressy suit and I'm looking for the khaki/workaday variety, not to mention their sizes do not work so well for me.

Need help finding a specific shirt & pants

wfrgms — Tue, 27 May 2008 12:36:59 -0800

Where can I find a shirt like this (except white with blue trim), and pants like these (except black), either online or in the Chicago area between now and July 1st? These are for a wedding in July. The company I was going to order from tells me they can't get the shirt & pants to me before the wedding date.

At this point I'm not concerned about a custom fit I just need something that will help me fit with the other groomsmen.

Thank you for any suggestions!

Skinny ties in Austin

rush — Fri, 23 May 2008 15:16:44 -0800

Where can you get skinny ties in Austin?