How to remove logos from clothing?

May 27, 2012 9:13 AM

I'm essentially rehashing this question: what's the best way to remove logos from clothing, including embroidered logos? Looking to see if anyone has fresh advice before I decide what to do.

Reason why I'm asking:
There's some shirts and a jacket from Abercrombie & Fitch (ugh) that I like. But the marketing and practices of Abercrombie turn me off. I've looked for alternatives, haven't yet found anything better. The clothes do fit me well and I can get them at a decent price. So I'm wondering what my best bet for removing the logos is.

For the jacket specifically, there is a logo patch on the sleeve. I'm considering that this may be the easiest in terms of removal and/or that a patch could be stitched on top of it.

posted by demagogue to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (6 answers total)

My first thought was the same as pdb's tbh.

I have never had success in removing embroidered logos, because even when I can successfully get out the stitching, an embroidered logo generally ruins the fabric it's been stitched into. So when I acquire clothing with logos I dislike, I do the same thing that I did in high school: put a patch over it. Depending on the product, I might go for a different logo (like a patch with a band logo) or a pretty piece of fabric with my own decorative embroidery.
posted by shamash at 9:47 AM on May 27, 2012 [2 favorites]

I find an Olfa or X-Acto knife works well, or just a plain razor blade. Just go slowly and methodically, cutting or shaving just the embroidery thread from both sides. You might snag a thread or two from the main fabric but if the garment is kind of worn in anyway (as most of the things I tend to wear are) it isn't that noticeable
posted by Flashman at 9:52 AM on May 27, 2012

I've removed embroidery from clothing, with varied results. It depends on how the embroidery was done. Turn item inside out and look carefully. You may see loopy threads secured with stitching, or you may see tight, close tiny stitches. A lot of times, there's also some sort of stabilizing fabric under the stitching. What you need is a seam ripper-a small hook shaped tool that you can pick out the individual stitches with. If the work is the loopy thread kind, just start at an edge, and carefully work the ripper under a stitch. The inner curve of the seam ripper is sharp and as you push it through the stitch, it will cut the thread. Be careful to only cut the embroidery stitches, not the underlying garment fabric. You may get to a point where you can grasp a thread and pull a series of stitches out, or if the embroidery is more like an attached patch, the whole thing will start to lift up and you'll see where you need to cut stitches to get it off. However, if the embroidery is actually applied to the fabric of the jacket, it's going to be harder and more tedious to remove. It can be done, same method as above, but each and every freaking stitch will have to be cut. You may need tweezers to pull them from the fabric. If the item is new, you shouldn't have any color change from fading/washing. You may still be able to see where the patch was by the needle holes left in the fabric. I've had good luck with washing an item that I removed embroidery from, and gently brushing the area (after drying it) with a toothbrush. This fluffs the fabric and, depending on the type of fabric, will blend the repaired area with the original material. Understand that the majority of my clothing comes from thrifts, so if it doesn't work, I'm only out a few bucks. If you've got an investment in the jacket, you may want to cover the offending embroidery with your own unique patch. You can find a patterned piece of material (try for a weight and weave similar to what the jacket is made of) cut out a pleasing part of the pattern sized to cover the embroidery and stitch it on. You can turn under the raw edge, or for a more hippy look, leave it raw and raggedy, so it frays a bit after washing. Easy peasy! (I LOVE doing this stuff!)
posted by LaBellaStella at 9:52 AM on May 27, 2012 [1 favorite]

If it's just a patch, not embroidery, a seam ripper (or an X-Acto and patience) should be all you need.
posted by zsazsa at 11:03 AM on May 27, 2012 [1 favorite]

Nthing a seam ripper. You should be able to buy one for a couple of dollars at a Walmart, craft store or sewing shop
posted by peppermind at 11:29 AM on May 27, 2012 [1 favorite]

I have a similar jacket from banana republic. Found it on eBay for $69, none of that awful trashy advertising. Find the name of the style garments you like, get your measurements and do some eBay hunting. Totally worth your time.
posted by oceanjesse at 9:15 PM on May 28, 2012