MovieChat Forums > General Discussion > Old clothes

Old clothes

posted 5 years ago by snepts (11123)
49 replies | jump to latest

I'm trying for dumbest GD topic possible, so ...
Does anyone have difficulty parting with old clothing? I just washed some t-shirts, and three of them are problematic. One has a stain right at the top where my slightly protruding tummy begins. It looks like a food stain and makes me feel like a slob. Won't wash out. It's a nice lightweight and roomy XL from Montana U. I can get rid of it but I hesitate.
The two others are similar, except instead of a stain, they have begun to develop holes in the back of the shoulders. One is a tie dye that I always get complements on, the other is like the Montana shirt, nice and lightweight and roomy, great for a hot summer day. All are way past their prime, but I still want to hang on to them. I have plenty of t-shirts but, well, that's my dilemma.

[–] dmac8 (5050) 5 years ago

if others were blind to it, would you still care?

[–] snepts (11123) 5 years ago

Not sure if your question is relevant but if I lived in a world of poor slobs, I guess it would bother me less.

[–] GlenEllyn (21089) 5 years ago

What have you tried to get rid of the stain?

The holey ones I'd let go of. Or cut them up for rags (sorry).

[–] ShogunofYonkers (71768) 5 years ago

Eventually I cut them all into rags too

[–] GlenEllyn (21089) 5 years ago

Yep, old t-shirts make good cloths for cleaning eyeglasses, among other things. No lint.

[–] snepts (11123) 5 years ago

I've heard it's good to donate old clothes to Goodwill and other non-profits because the textiles can be sold in bulk to other sources. Maybe all these crappy old clothes can be repurposed indefinitely, or at least someone wrings an extra few cents out of them.

[–] snepts (11123) 5 years ago

I noticed the stain and assumed it was fresh. When I put it in the laundry I did the usual thing and put some of the detergent on the stain and rubbed it in. Maybe it had already been through the wash and dry cycle because the shirt was nice and clean but the stain was still there. I imagine it went untreated the first time around and now it's permanent. "Sigh"

[–] GlenEllyn (21089) 5 years ago

I know what you mean - the dryer is a killer when it comes to stains. I get really perturbed when I miss seeing a stain on laundry day.

A trick I learned years ago is using a bar of Ivory soap. Wet the stained area and the bar of soap, and run the soap over the stain several times. You then rub the wet, soaped, stain spot between your fingers for a bit, and then run it through the wash. Not foolproof, but I've saved a few things using this method.

[–] snepts (11123) 5 years ago

I know what you are saying. That's what I tried to do the first time. I don't wash any particular garment very often, and I doubt the third time will be a charm. Mostly I wonder does anyone care if there is a small stain on an obviously casual tee shirt, or don't be too possessive about silly things like a cheap t-shirt. I have at least one friend who is not into material possessions, so I wish I could just let them go, but I like them more than that.

[–] GlenEllyn (21089) 5 years ago

If it's inconspicuous I don't think anyone will notice.

[–] snepts (11123) 5 years ago

It's right in the middle of the frikkin tee shirt. If I could I'd send you a picture of it. It's not huge, it's just a small darker spot on a gray t-shirt. Just happens to coincide with my slight belly.
I'm So Vain. I probably think this thread is about me.
I'm So Vain (So VAIN !)
I'll bet this thread is all About Me, 'Bout Me, 'Bout Me !!

[–] GlenEllyn (21089) 5 years ago

🎵🎶 Dang!

[–] ShogunofYonkers (71768) 5 years ago

LOL!
Clever😃
I love that song

[–] AndyKing1967 (33871) 5 years ago

I wear T-Shirts all the time and they fall into the following categories: -
Ones I wear all the time
Ones I wear under hoodies or jumpers in the Winter
Ones I wear in bed in the Winter
Ones I give to charity
Ones I throw away

In your heart, you'll know which category they belong in.

[–] GlenEllyn (21089) 5 years ago

Good points, especially wearing them to bed. I do that a lot.

[–] AndyKing1967 (33871) 5 years ago

My other golden rule:
If it hasn't been worn in a 12 month period, it's not going to get worn; time to say goodbye.

[–] GlenEllyn (21089) 5 years ago

I have a hard time with just 12 months, but do my best to stick to a 24-month rule.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (71768) 5 years ago

I have a tie dyed Boba Fett tee that's over 20 years old...It's a wreck but I'm having trouble letting go

[–] GlenEllyn (21089) 5 years ago

I used to have a t-shirt with the Rolling Stones - the one with the tongue. I can't remember what happened to it. Probably wore out.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (71768) 5 years ago

You wear the classics 'til they fall off

[–] GlenEllyn (21089) 5 years ago

Yes, you do. I had a bunch when I was younger because I worked for a music distributor back then. The salesmen from the different record labels gave them to us.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (71768) 5 years ago

Believe it or not classic tees in wearable condition can fetch a good price on the vintage clothing market

Oh, the things we threw away!

[–] GlenEllyn (21089) 5 years ago

I know, right? I try not to think about things like that.

[–] snepts (11123) 5 years ago

I bought a Bob Mould tee (Husker Du) from his solo days, I think it was promoting an album called Workbook. I like Husker a lot, and I think the tee died a natural death, but when he later came out as Gay, I recall thinking, aw man, not only did I really like you as a shredding guitarist, now I wonder if people thought I was gay too. I'm no way a homophobe but still, I don't want to be lumped into the gay category.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (71768) 5 years ago

Keep enjoying his music, no need to worry what a handful of angry, probably deeply closeted types have to mutter over...dudes that say 'fag' and beat people up all the time are clearly struggling with some issues

I rocked Queen music on my car stereo as a kid and often wore a Judas Priest Tee...it turns out that Mercury and Halford were the gayest dudes ever LOL...I had no idea which is hilarious in hindsight!!!
I guess I was a dumbass kid:)

I don't care, they ROCK!
That's what counts buddy, to hell with the haters

[–] snepts (11123) 5 years ago

Thanks for saying that. I get a little conflicted over being hetero while accepting some men are gay. I've known a few guys who were gay and they were super. I just don't want people to think I'm gay because I don't wear a wife beater, and groaty goatee and an backwards baseball cap. Wish I had been better looking. I'd be gettin' laid like Brad Pitt or Bob Redford. Ooh La La !!

[–] ShogunofYonkers (71768) 5 years ago

You should join my 'I'm no Pitt/Redford' club...I started it years ago when I realized 'Average dudes need some attention too!'

Membership fees are a pack of menthols and a six pack of Bud mailed to my PO box every month

[–] db20db (16209) 5 years ago

I used to work on a Special Events crew at a major university which involved setting up concerts of big name groups appearing there. A perk was getting a t-shirt commemorating the event. The only one I have left is of a Chicago concert in 1982. It's still in good shape and actually in my dirty laundry hamper right now because I wore it recently.

[–] GlenEllyn (21089) 5 years ago

Nice for you. 👍

[–] snepts (11123) 5 years ago

I wish I still had at least one old Peaches Records baseball style tee shirt from back in the 70s. I worked there and I had at least a few of them. Have a fun story about an Emmy Lou Harris concert and my Peaches shirt but I'll keep that for another time.

[–] snepts (11123) 5 years ago

I have a cool John Lee Hooker tee I still have but it's in a drawer. (Sorry for the redundant "have".)
It's a medium but I'm not so much Medium these days, haha.

[–] GlenEllyn (21089) 5 years ago

I know your pain.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

not such a dumb topic after all. 😊😊

[–] actionkamen (23176) 5 years ago

I keep some t-shirts from college. Very rarely wear them anyway. They are practically memorabilia at this point. Everything else I have no qualms about throwing 'em all away.

My clothing rule: one in, one out.

So when I buy 3 new shirts, I throw away 3 old shirts I no longer like. That way my closet would never be too full. Also deter me from impulse buying unecessary clothing articles.

[–] snepts (11123) 5 years ago

Thanks. This is a very practical, nuts-and-bolts response. I will take it under advisement.

[–] AndyKing1967 (33871) 5 years ago

I do the one in one out rule too, especially for socks & pants.

[–] Otter (24464) 5 years ago

No, am constantly rotating stuff in and out from the local thrift shops.

I buy stuff there, I donate stuff I dont wear any more, repeat. It's like leasing clothes instead of buying them.

[–] snepts (11123) 5 years ago

I rarely buy things from thrift shops, even after working for one for six months.I have over $30 of credit I haven't used.

Normally I wouldn't think I am too possessive over clothing, but some shirts I particularly like and when suddenly I notice they have holes, I guess I'm a little dismayed. I feel like I go pretty lightly on my clothing so it's kind of a bummer.

[–] Otter (24464) 5 years ago

Do you hate shopping? Some people do, and when they see holes in a functional shirt they groan because they have to go out and shop for another one.

Or maybe it's just the feeling of knowing you had something that was juuust right, and you may not be able to replace it. I hate that feeling, everyone does.

[–] snepts (11123) 5 years ago

I only shop when I have free money (don't ask) or when I specifically need certain things. I neither hate nor enjoy shopping. I like having a lady friend who makes observations, but I don't often have that option.

But the tie dye is especially dear to me. A friend had grown out of it, it's purple and has a cool spiral design. One of a kind. It's lying out on a couch right now, and it has a ton of holes, a couple big ones, all in the upper back.
Btw, I had a friend where we got identical shirts at the same time. Some time after, I noticed her shirt had worn around the collar much more than mine had. I figured she either wore and washed hers a lot more than I did mine, or maybe her body chemistry is such that she just wears clothes out faster. Probably a bit of both.

[–] Otter (24464) 5 years ago

Oh, I get it about the tie-dye, a really good tie-dye might be just plain irreplaceable!

I have a few good tie-dye pieces, and I do mean *good*. There's a yearly craft fair in this town and there are always several tie-dye booths, and one is head and shoulders above the others, they choose better garments to dye and have an unusual and elegant way of using color, some of their pieces are genuinely elegant. They don't repeat themselves, so once one of their shirts wears out it can't be replaced at all. So yeah, minor sympathies on losing something that can't be replaced.

[–] snepts (11123) 5 years ago

Another thing I've noticed is once a piece of clothing starts to fray or have a hole, every time I wash it, it gets worse. Jeans aren't so bad, a lot of people like the holes in their blue jeans, but shirts are a little different.

[–] Otter (24464) 5 years ago

All things must pass... even shirts.

[–] snepts (11123) 5 years ago

Even George Harrison. I doubt he expected this when he make the Epic Great Album, but I love me some George.

[–] slimone (7996) 5 years ago

I give old clothes to the Goodwill.