Synthetic blends and burn test results
Oh yes the dumbed down temperatures, it's something to consider so I'm probably going to experiment with some new inexpensive screen printed tees first.
After reading so many complaints about clothing deteriorating in the wash no matter the brand, it seems mass produced clothing really has gone to the dogs in recent years, and it happens to coincide with the mainstream getting used to HE washers, so the washers are getting blamed. Case in point, I remembered a hoodie I bought last year from a UK brand called Misguided. It was a cotton poly blend, and literally started pilling within two wears. I contacted the company and they brushed me off. It was about a $40 hoodie, but never having seen a washer, that was inexcusable. I had never had that happen with anything before. And you think about all these vintage cotton poly garments on the market with years of use behind them but are still kicking it. I learned that the tendency towards pilling can start at many points during the actual manufacturing process, usually because machines are not calibrated properly and the weave is not tight enough. So it's not materials alone.
I had read the modal article but again I think it must vary with the weave and quality. In the unscientific poll below, it was not rated highly for durability and many comments indicated anecdotal evidence supporting those results. The Ann Taylor shirt that was the only item in my roommates load that was pilling like my (allegedly cotton) tshirts, and was a modal cotton blend. I cut a swatch of that material and one of my tees, and performing the burn test, noted very similar reactions. Both appeared to pull away from the flame, turned black and had a melted effect as seen with synthetic blends. They both smelled like burning paper, had an afterglow and produced grey smoke and a fine ash as cotton is supposed to. Based on a YouTube video showing a cotton swatch, my tee should have quickly ignited on contact-- unless the weave makes much difference. So I do believe my tees are mixed with modal (another cellulose fiber) bc polyester would have had a black plume, chemical smell and hard bead-like ashes.
I found a true cotton tee from another UK company called Amplified that makes rock tees. This shirt has seen a ton of wear and there was no pilling. I believe that the nicer cottons are silky to the touch like this one, so I'm going to be more selective when shopping. As for the red tee, the designer assures me that the screen print looks the same and she has already road tested the fabric with little signs of wear after 100's of washes. Admittedly I've been a little paranoid so I'm going to try to put my perfectionist tendencies to rest now and enjoy the top. I have a lot more confidence in handmade sellers on Etsy than retail designers, who stand by their quality, have pride in what they do and wear the clothes themselves. I plan on getting my socks on there, it seems like Eastern Europe is still producing socks as they used to be made. I had bought some socks in France by a brand called Achile, and they lasted for 15+ years. I know European consumers are a lot more savvy and demanding, I just wish Americans would follow suit otherwise we will continue to be a throw-away society and most people aren't aware of the need to recycle all this surplus. I have considered starting a blog in the past since there is no consciousness about quality and clearly no accountability with the labels or manufacturers. As an example, I bought a sweatshirt from an indie eco-label and realized that the thread tension had caused it to buckle at the seams and created holes. The sweatshirt had been given glowing 5 star reviews (one reviewer even said she bought three) even though it looked terribly frumpy and saggy on the model bc of this glaring defect (I chalked it up to posture initially). When I contacted the designer for a return, she was completely ignorant of the issue even though she had sold many in different colors. She didn't even seem to fully grasp the seriousness of the issue until after a few email exchanges. This is basic sewing 101, and she's had her online boutique, Beklina, for over ten years. Anyway, something has to give and in America we need to raise our standards for a lot of different reasons...
Thanks for listening and all the tips. Feel a lot better about the washer but still have some kinks to get out and a lot of clothes to replace but that's the fun part
Christi
http://https//youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/unscientific-analysis-of-knit-fabric-durability
