HELP: Trousers pilling and wearing through

[tone76]

Originally Posted by ktrp

Note we're talking boxer briefs, NOT boxers. Or briefs. Boxer briefs, i.e. those things that look sort of like spandex cycling shorts.

Makes sense. If those are sticking to the tops of your thighs, they'll more than likely amplify the problem.

I wonder what effect freeballing would have on trouser wear and tear.

 

[yoshii]

Originally Posted by TheWraith

Or get a new tailor.

here we go again

 

[platybank]

Ok, sorry I have taken so long to reply I have been o/s. I sent Patrick an email late last week and he told me to drop them in and he would fix them and put a silk saddle in. Last night I got an email to say that they are ready to be picked up. So when I return on Saturday I will check them out and get back to you. Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to speak with Patrick about the problem, he seems very busy at the moment.

Originally Posted by ktrp

If its of any help, I found that boxer briefs radically increased this type of wear on trousers. If you wear them, switch to something else. Immediately.

You are wearing the suit very hard. 'Two months' sounds fast '45 wearings' less so.

This is interesting. I do wear boxer briefs, so i might try something else.

Originally Posted by Selvaggio

This has happened to me a lot over the years and this is what is what I have come to believe...

A: The main contributor is chunky thighs. I have chunky thighs from cycling, rowing when I was younger and these days just general overall chunkiness. Your thighs are rubbing together and causing pilling on the outside. I believe this to be the main issue because it happens more if I have put on weight and less if I have lost weight. If you are not overweight and just have chunky thighs from playing footy that's a problem you'll need to manage.

B: Second contributor is the fabric - In my experience, softer, better quality wools tend to do this faster, but it is just a matter of time with any fabric. I have had this happen on jeans eventually. I would not necessarily blame the tailor here.

C: Third contributor is frequency of wear. If you are wearing trousers number 1 on Monday and Wednesday, and triusers number 2 on Tuesday and Thursday the wool is not getting enough time to rest (dry) before its next torture test. This will be five times worse in summer and we have had a very hot humid one here in Sydney town...and it will be ten times worse if you do any significant walking as part of your regular work day.

Here's how to manage it. If you have that wear already get PJ or another tailor to strengthen the crotch of your trousers by sewing a peice of hard wearing fabric on the inside and then running back and forth over the patched area with zig-zag stitching in a thread which matches the suit forming little half moons on either side of the centre seam. They can extend from the seam by about 3cm and they will not be seen by anyone. This strengthens the area and creates a more slick surface where the fabric rubs - so less pilling.

Do this immediately - while you still have some fabric to work with. If you get thinning outside the zig-zag, you need to go wider.

Next. Buy more suits. I think your strategic error was buying buying one really nice suit. You should aim to wear a pair of trousers no more than once a week. So go and get some cheapies, get them reinforced before you wear them and replace them with nice stuff over time.

Saddles and boxers will help a bit. Most of the rubbing is on the outside but some is internal and they help with this a little bit. And it may also reduce the general mankiness.

As to the lining are you quite sure he did not say "satin lining". It's very normal for good suits to have viscose lining - in fact silk linings would be a bit rare and not that practical for our climate I would think. Sometimes people use "silk" to mean shiny slick fabric (which may not be actual silk) - like one of the previous posters referred to "silk saddle". Maybe that happened here.

Anyway, good luck.

thank you so much for your advice. This is a very helpful perspective on the issue. And any person that tells me I need to go and buy more suits is good in my book.

I am quite sure that Patrick said silk lining but I may be mistaken. Either way I understand that silk doesn't necessarily mean silk, or is even appropriate for our climate.

I will get back to you all with the results.

 

[TheWraith]

Originally Posted by yoshii

here we go again

Nice to see something constructive from you, fool. Hope it all goes well for you, platybank.

 

[streetminimal]

Good to hear it was fixed. Looking forward to the photos!

 

[rossyl]

I'm sure he can fix it.

One thing to remember is that there are a fair number of "portly" gentlemen who go out and buy nice suits, or get them MTM or bespoke. I doubt that this is a problem that has never been encountered before.

Whilst there will be no method to stop the outside of the trousers rubbing, due to the thighs rubbing, there must be some basic cures to lessen the effect. There has already been one suggestion on the forum.

 

[ethandesu]

As someone with a vested interest, I usually try to avoid commenting here, but as I have a lot of personal experience with this issue I'll put in my two cents.
Wearing through the fork on trousers has been the bane of my trouser experience for years, same goes for many of my clients in the past. Woven cloth, when moist and rubbed together will create friction, pushing the nap of the cloth in the direction of the stress. As you remove the pilling, or it comes away naturally, the cloth becomes threadbare, and weaker. It definately happens more with open weave, fine wools, but with 45 odd wears in a Sydney summer I can go through 14oz denim, let alone wool.
I have a lot more luck these days as I rarely wear any trouser twice in a week. If it were cool weather and I wasnt getting as sweaty (pardon the graphic explanation) twice in a week might be fine, but in the 38 degree, high humidity summer we have just had? At least two days for the cloth to relax and dry out is essential.
Silk linings I have had - I have a chesterfield coat with pure silk lining, and it is incredibly hot. I'd never by choice use it, and certainly not anywhere I am trying to keep cool. A silk saddle is just industry speak for lining a trouser through the fork or saddle, and could be done in silk, bemberg, rayon - whatever is available and durable. I have found it gives some minor relief to the cloth, but if your thighs touch, and you sweat in summer, it's not going to fix the problem altogether.

I'm not trying to defend one side or the other, but I have experience from both sides - as a suit wearing guy at about 100kgs with big legs, and as a garment industry worker that reads allegations of fraud and poor workmanship. I have done this now for 13 years, and have been making garments for 15, and it mystifies me how people can throw such weighty allegations at makers. I'm as passionate about this stuff as the next man, probably more so as I do it every day and am judged on the quality of what I wear by my peers, so I wouldnt be wearing something if I didnt think it was half decent. Im sure The Wraith has far more experience in this than I do, so I wont argue with his points, but I know I wouldnt be recommending my friends a maker I wouldnt wear myself.
I have used Loro Piana cloth at Herringbone, in different weights and weaves, and have found both amazingly good and incredibly mediocre options. I've had trousers in good Huddersfield cloth - Lesser being my favourite - and they still wear. 17oz Kurashiki right hand selvedge denim will show wear if you give it enough abuse. What I have found with Loro Piana compared to an average English cloth is that they are much more suited to our climate. I'm not going to argue with German tailors of high repute, but Germany and Sydney have fairly different climates and needs in my experience.

I rarely post here, as I seldom think it appropriate, but this is a thread that I feel strongly enough about to come online. If the OP feels he's been ripped off, he can come see me, and I'll gladly talk it through with him.

ethan

 

[Jim Barns]

I can't tell if those are 100's or 120 but looking at the way the fabric peels out, I am really curious as to whether they have actually been worn only for that short a time (two months).

No matter how long per day or how long you walk in them that is just not possible and I must even say no matter the material for that matter.

 

[TheWraith]

Originally Posted by ethandesu

As someone with a vested interest, I usually try to avoid commenting here, but as I have a lot of personal experience with this issue I'll put in my two cents. Wearing through the fork on trousers has been the bane of my trouser experience for years, same goes for many of my clients in the past. Woven cloth, when moist and rubbed together will create friction, pushing the nap of the cloth in the direction of the stress. As you remove the pilling, or it comes away naturally, the cloth becomes threadbare, and weaker. It definately happens more with open weave, fine wools, but with 45 odd wears in a Sydney summer I can go through 14oz denim, let alone wool. I have a lot more luck these days as I rarely wear any trouser twice in a week. If it were cool weather and I wasnt getting as sweaty (pardon the graphic explanation) twice in a week might be fine, but in the 38 degree, high humidity summer we have just had? At least two days for the cloth to relax and dry out is essential. Silk linings I have had - I have a chesterfield coat with pure silk lining, and it is incredibly hot. I'd never by choice use it, and certainly not anywhere I am trying to keep cool. A silk saddle is just industry speak for lining a trouser through the fork or saddle, and could be done in silk, bemberg, rayon - whatever is available and durable. I have found it gives some minor relief to the cloth, but if your thighs touch, and you sweat in summer, it's not going to fix the problem altogether. I'm not trying to defend one side or the other, but I have experience from both sides - as a suit wearing guy at about 100kgs with big legs, and as a garment industry worker that reads allegations of fraud and poor workmanship. I have done this now for 13 years, and have been making garments for 15, and it mystifies me how people can throw such weighty allegations at makers. I'm as passionate about this stuff as the next man, probably more so as I do it every day and am judged on the quality of what I wear by my peers, so I wouldnt be wearing something if I didnt think it was half decent. Im sure The Wraith has far more experience in this than I do, so I wont argue with his points, but I know I wouldnt be recommending my friends a maker I wouldnt wear myself. I have used Loro Piana cloth at Herringbone, in different weights and weaves, and have found both amazingly good and incredibly mediocre options. I've had trousers in good Huddersfield cloth - Lesser being my favourite - and they still wear. 17oz Kurashiki right hand selvedge denim will show wear if you give it enough abuse. What I have found with Loro Piana compared to an average English cloth is that they are much more suited to our climate. I'm not going to argue with German tailors of high repute, but Germany and Sydney have fairly different climates and needs in my experience. I rarely post here, as I seldom think it appropriate, but this is a thread that I feel strongly enough about to come online. If the OP feels he's been ripped off, he can come see me, and I'll gladly talk it through with him. ethan
What points, Ethan? I think you have me confused with someone else. I made no real points in this thread nor do I claim super experience in this matter (and I've quoted all my messages from this thread below as examples):

Originally Posted by TheWraith

As far as I know, P Johnson have their suits made in Holland. I'd go back there and let them know how you feel. I'm sure you paid enough for it, after all.

Originally Posted by TheWraith

Or get a new tailor.
The above was written for the OP as an option. If he's truly displeased, then he has the right to go elsewhere. But it's his choice, obviously.

Originally Posted by TheWraith

Nice to see something constructive from you, fool. Hope it all goes well for you, platybank.
First line was in response to yoshii's snark, the second to the OP. That's all I've said in this thread. As you can see, Ethan...I think you have me confused with someone else here.

 

[platybank]

After some considerable input from the members of this forum I believe that the wear on my suit is due to wearing it too often, in what has been a very humid summer. To the credit of P Johnson, and despite the fact that they are probably well aware of my brash comments in this post, they took my trousers almost immediately and repaired them for me in a matter of days. I do plan on buying another suit from P Johnson in the very near future. I feel that, and I am sure there are many other opinions, for the price of P Johnson's suits there is no equivalent in Sydney.

 

[a tailor]

platy: remember to choose hard finished cloth. soft ones will do this again.
ask the tailor for a bit of cloth from the cutting to use for repairs.

 

[a1092115]

Did this thread remind anyone of the time George Costanza bought a suit that rubbed together and made a whooshing noise?

"Did you hear that? Kind of like a ... rustling"
"Could be the leaves"

Glad to hear your tailor fixed the problem for you.

 

[Selvaggio]

Originally Posted by a1092115

Did this thread remind anyone of the time George Costanza bought a suit that rubbed together and made a whooshing noise?

 

[Crat]

Kick.

I have the same problem with trousers as OP due to my chubzy legs.
From what I have noticed the durability of the fabric depends more on the type weave than the weight or S-number.
Birdseye for example seems to go quite quickly which is a shame as I like it.

Could someone with more knowledge of fabrics tell me (and others with this problem) which type of fabrics to avoid? Which suiting would be most suitable for those with our problem? I had a mohair sample in my hand the other day that seemed quite sturdy, would this be an option?

Thanks in advance.