On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I post a photo and just a few words.
When this happens, it’s over.
I’m fairly decent at mending casual clothes, but there is no way I know of to make these pants acceptable for Mr. FG’s workplace. A sneaky underneath patch might work if they were casual khaki shorts, but he wears to work with buttondowns, so that’s a total no-go. And as you can see, the wear is happening all over the pants, not just in that one spot.
He’s worn these multiple times a week for years, and it’s pretty clear that they’ve done their duty.
So, they’re off to the rag bag where they’ll get used by my girls, who have an enjoyable time hacking up unmendable clothes for various crafting projects.
And I’m adding, “Buy new work pants.” to my to-do list.
We buy wrinkle-free khakis from L.L. Bean, and I used to always use Ebates when I shopped at L.L. Bean, but I’ve switched to TopCashBack because they offer 4% back vs. Ebates’ 2%. I find TopCashBack’s rates to be higher than Ebates’ rates across the board so far.
(Psst! Those are affiliate links. If you join a cashback program and make a purchase, I get a small kickback at no extra charge to you. Thanks for supporting The Frugal Girl!)
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Joshua’s 52 Project Post: Beacon
(Did you miss that he switched to a 52 project? He wrote about it right here.)
EcoCatLady
Tuesday 4th of March 2014
I totally agree on this one. There comes a point when it no longer makes sense to try to mend things... like when the fabric itself is starting to disintegrate.
I have the same experience with jeans. Generally the knees go first. I used to try to patch them - which is a good plan if they tear from getting caught on something. But if they just tear because the fabric is wearing out, there is no point in patching them, because generally they tear again after one or two more wears. Just not worth the effort. At that point I make them into cutoffs, which usually last one summer before the rear end starts to have the same problem. After that - to the rag bag they go!
WilliamB
Wednesday 5th of March 2014
I have the knees patched then oversewn with denim patches. (Put patch on inside of knees, sew edges down, then sew around in the patch as well.) The reinforcement gives me up to a year's more use before the fabric arond the patch wears out, and the jeans turn into painting pants.
WilliamB
Tuesday 4th of March 2014
I thought about Mr. FG's pants and your not-leather shoes last night as I was mending a backpack I got in a give-away. Both shoulder straps had pulled away from the shoulder seam. I also saw a lot of loose threads, lining stitching coming undone, and nylon weave wearing out just like Mr. FG's pants. Only five years old, people! I spent half an hour fixing it. Not because it's valuable but because I wanted to keep it out of the landfill.
My Jansport backpack, on the other hand, is in perfect shape after at least 25 years' service that included 5+ years of heavy textbook carrying. I just looked it up online - the Big Student, $45 now. So that backback cost me less than $2/year and no fixing necessary.
Kristen
Tuesday 4th of March 2014
That's me too...fixing stuff just so that I won't have to throw it out!
Katie @ The Surly Housewife
Tuesday 4th of March 2014
The best thing about my husband being super skinny is he can always get pants off the clearance rack. Ya know those 5 paris of $3 30x30s ya see hanging there? That's him lol. I'm not complaining. We have gotten some great deals on 80 dollar pairs of pants. He is lucky he gets to wear jeans to work so I have luck at yard sales also. It's amazing how your simple photos can start such a conversation!
Kristen
Tuesday 4th of March 2014
Mr. FG is fairly thin and so is Joshua, but unfortunately, they're both pretty tall too, so it's really challenging to find pants that are thin enough AND long enough.
That's awesome that you can use 30x30, though!
jenny_o
Tuesday 4th of March 2014
The other way I know my husband's pants are finished is when the hems fray, although if the pants are otherwise okay, you can chop off the legs and make khaki shorts.
When hubby's pants can no longer be worn, I cut the material into smallish pieces (4 inches or less) and stuff them into a tube of sturdy material, to make a draft blocker for in front of the door. The material is heavy enough to keep the draft blocker in place, it's free (would be going in the garbage otherwise) and it doesn't attract pests like rice might.
HeatherS
Tuesday 4th of March 2014
My hubby turns those kinds of pants into work around the house pants so they get used for yard work/painting/house fixing projects etc.