Signs of a good shirt

This article was first published on September 7, 2014, and on June 26, 2015, it was significantly expanded and combined with the article “Determining the quality of a shirt by the smallest details.”

Do you think that the signs of a good shirt are smooth and neat seams and the absence of protruding threads? No. More precisely - not only. Everything is much more complicated, and there is a large number of nuances that an uninitiated person usually does not pay attention to. This is what designer brands take advantage of; They save on production, but still sell their shirts at exorbitant prices. Alas, a high price is not always a sign of a high-quality shirt. A shirt for 15 thousand rubles can be identical in quality to a shirt that costs 5 times less.

Let's look at all these mysterious nuances that you should pay attention to if you are looking to buy a top-notch shirt. Yes, the article will be very long and at times boring, but after reading it, you will learn to easily distinguish a shirt high level from an ordinary mass-market shirt.

Textile

It is difficult to give a universal recipe for determining quality. But first, all high-end shirts are made from either cotton or a cotton-linen blend. Occasionally made from pure linen, and very exotic - shirts made from pure natural silk. If the fabric contains polyester, then there is no need to talk about the highest quality. Although even famous Neapolitan brands like Barba now produce shirts made from a cotton-polyester blend, such shirts should be avoided.

Secondly, the fabric should be pleasant to the touch and comfortable to wear. A top-notch shirt is both soft/comfortable and durable. Thirdly, the fabric must be 2-ply (2-fold or double-twisted) - with double twist of threads (one thread consists of two threads tightly twisted together). Sometimes 3-ply is found (for example, in Ermenegildo Zegna), but it’s not that it’s too much - it’s just not necessary.

It’s worth looking at 2-ply (2-fold) in a little more detail. Fabrics of this type come in several varieties: 1x2, 2x1, 2x2. The latter variety is the best; 2x2 fabrics have both warp and weft threads - “double”, that is, each thread and weft and warp is two threads tightly twisted together (you can say “two in one”, two threads in one thread). Alas, manufacturers of ready-made shirts almost never indicate what exactly is hidden behind the 2-ply designation. When making a custom shirt, it is usually possible to obtain this information.

Read more about shirting fabrics, and about 2-ply/3-ply -.

Cut

The cut of the shirt should suit you. Even a high-end shirt can look terrible on one body type or another.

I will not consider all the features of the cut here. I will dwell on only one point: the method of fitting. You can make a shirt fit either by using darts on the back, or by cutting it in a special way. The first option is more common, the second less common. Among the brands that fit shirts without the use of darts are Guglielminotti, Lino Sentiero, Finamore, Isaia and even ZARA. However, these same brands may also have shirts with darts (=darted).

Some people don’t like darts: and indeed, the look is not entirely “clean”. On the other hand, darts are a kind of stock; if you get fat, you can open the darts and let some fabric out of them.

The presence/absence of darts does not indicate the quality of a shirt, although high-quality shirts are often made without darts.

Button material

On high-quality shirts, the buttons are always made of natural mother-of-pearl (read more about it). Plastic buttons, of course, are more common - and you can find them on some designer shirt for 15-20 thousand rubles. Naturally, plastic is much cheaper than mother-of-pearl, but mother-of-pearl looks more noble and, what is important, it is basically impossible to damage it with an iron.

Mother-of-pearl buttons are usually very light, but there are also bright, yellowish-amber tones, and dark ones, as in the photo below. In addition, mother-of-pearl can be painted in almost any color using special light-transmitting paints.

Read more about shirt button materials.

Button thickness and other nuances

Plastic buttons are rarely too thin, but mother-of-pearl ones are fine. Thin ones are cheaper than thick ones, hence the desire to save money, which even such eminent manufacturers as can’t resist. The Neapolitans are the most generous - they usually equip their shirts with thick mother-of-pearl buttons, which give the impression of a very high-quality and durable item. Thick mother-of-pearl buttons (3-5 mm) are stronger and more durable than thin ones.

However, importance should be attached not so much to the thickness of the buttons as to their origin. The best are considered real mother-of-pearl buttons, cut from the shells of pearl oyster mollusks (Pinctada). Cheaper are troca buttons, cut, as a rule, from cheaper conch or Trochus shells. You can distinguish troca from a noble variety of mother-of-pearl by the following characteristics:

• Troca does not shimmer as strongly and richly as real mother of pearl;
• Various brownish and reddish spots are usually visible on the reverse side of troca buttons;
• Troca buttons are usually thin: 1.5-2.5 mm.

It is worth remembering that many thin troca buttons are fragile and can sometimes be damaged when dry cleaning the shirt (dry cleaning/laundry) or even washing. This is not to say that this will certainly happen, but there is a slight risk (this also applies to very thin buttons made of real mother-of-pearl). Read more about troca.

• Some troca button down shirt brands: , Ede & Ravenscroft, (Incotex), Harvie & Hudson, J.Crew (but many shirts with plastic buttons), Thomas Pink (but many shirts with plastic buttons), T.M.Lewin (but almost all shirts with plastic buttons).
  
• Some brands of shirts with real mother of pearl buttons: Alexander Kabbaz, Andrea Campagna, Barba, Brioni, Budd, Canali (at least the Exclusive line), Caruso, Charvet, Crombie (not sure on all of them), Eton (DnA Made in Sweden line), Finamore, G. Inglese, Hilditch&Key, Isaia, Kiton, Lino Sentiero, Luciano Lombardi, Luigi Borrell, Maria Santangelo, Mattabisch, Pino Borriello, Ralph Lauren (not all shirts), Truzzi, Vincenzo di Ruggiero.
• Shirts by Giorgio Armani, Dolce&Gabbana (not sure if all of them), Guglielminotti, (sometimes), New&Lingwood have mother-of-pearl buttons, but I don't know for sure whether they are troca or not.
  

Reduced collar button

On high-end shirts, the topmost button (where you button the collar) is smaller than all the other buttons. This is done on purpose, since a small button on the collar is easier to fasten.

Some brands that offer shirts with reduced top button: Barba, Budd, Cesare Attolini, Glanshirt (Incotex), Guglielminotti, Igor Pronin, Isaia, Kiton, Luigi Borrelli, Pino Borriello, Truzzi, Turnbull&Asser.

Button on sleeve placket (gauntlet button)

Many people are accustomed to the fact that there is an additional small button on the sleeve above the cuff. Again, not all manufacturers provide it; Turnbull & Asser, for example, often saves money. If the slit above the cuff is quite large, and you wear a shirt without a jacket, then this slit may periodically open slightly and expose the skin of your arm, perhaps very hairy.

Buttons with a shank

On high-end shirts, the buttons are sewn on a shank (on a shank; in English - with a shank / shanked; see for more details). Such a leg, firstly, allows the button to hold stronger and more securely; secondly, the button on the leg is easier to fasten; thirdly, when you button up a shirt, light “dents” and wrinkles do not form under the buttons. The leg can be made by sewing on a button by hand (the Neapolitans do this, for example) or using a special machine (Van Laack also do this).

Some brands of shirts with buttons sewn on the legs: Alexander Kabbaz, Barba, Cesare Attolini, Eton, Finamore, Glanshirt (Incotex), Isaia, Kiton, Lino Sentiero, Luciano Lombardi, Luigi Borrelli, Maria Santangelo, Mattabisch, Pino Borriello, Turnbull&Asser, Van Laack, Vincenzo di Ruggiero.

Horizontal bottom button loop

I'm not sure if this is a truly functional detail, but it's rare, and mostly on expensive shirts (although... I've even seen shirts with this loop at O'stin). As I understand it, the logic is as follows: the bottom button should have a greater “degree of freedom” so that the buttoned shirt is less restrictive for the wearer during active movements. However, in my opinion, this is not particularly important.

Stitch density

The more stitches per centimeter, the better the quality of the shirt, and the longer the seams will last. You can go to the store with a small ruler. On a high-end shirt, you will find 20-22 stitches per inch (that is, 8-9 stitches per centimeter). On good quality shirts - 6-7 stitches per centimeter. On shirts in the lower price range - 4-5 stitches. The lower the stitch density, the less time was spent making the shirt. Manufacturers deliberately run sewing machines faster to gain time. The faster the machine passes the seam, the lower the stitch density.

Why is the density high here? Because these narrow stripes (those above the seam) are in reality very faintly visible to the naked eye, that is, the fragment of the collar is given in an enlarged form. Here the stitch density is about 7 stitches per centimeter.

High stitch density is even found on some shirts. In general, more expensive shirts tend to have a higher density. For Eton DnA Made in Sweden shirts it is up to 9 stitches per centimeter. In the case of Barba, Isaia, Cesare Attolini, Turnbull&Asser, Finamore, we can talk about 7-8 stitches per centimeter. However, the stitch density on the collar and cuffs is usually higher than on long seams.

Thick securing stitch on placket above cuff

This is mainly a decorative element, but this fact does not prevent it from being another sign of a quality shirt. In English it is sometimes called a bar tack, and sometimes a joist, and the bar on which it is located is a gauntlet. In Italian this element is called travetto. It is believed that it is intended to strengthen the weak point of the sleeve strap, but in practice I have not had to deal with a tear in this particular place.

This stitch can be embroidered by hand (for example, Barba, Cesare Attolini, Isaia, Maria Santangelo, Kiton, Lino Sentiero, G. Inglese), but sometimes it is done on a special machine (as on some Guglielminotti shirts, for example). On many shirts (including very high-quality ones) this feature is missing altogether. Read more about this detail.

Gusset or mouche

Traditionally considered one of the indicators of a good shirt. This is a triangular, quadrangular or pentagonal “wedge” that is sewn at the very bottom of the long side seams (between the front and back; the fronts are the front parts of the shirt, on one of them there is a row of buttons, and on the other there is a row of button loops). The gusset serves to strengthen the seams. It can be the same color as the main part of the shirt (like Glanshirt or), it can be white, it can be pink (like Thomas Pink), it can be decorated with a brand monogram (like Isaia, Finamore, Barba).

Here we can see crooked seams - although overall this shirt is sewn neatly and evenly. It's little things like this that determine good quality or excellent; for example, on the shirt in the photo below, the gusset is sewn more carefully, and even by hand:

Here are some shirt brands that have a gusset.: Andrea Campagna, Bagutta (not on all), Barba, (Black Fleece line), Budd, Carrel, Caruso, Cesare Attolini, Drake's, Ede&Ravenscroft, Finamore, Guess (not sure on all), Guglielminotti, Hackett, Hilditch&Key, Incotex (Glanshirt), Isaia, Kiton, Lacoste (not sure on all), Lanvin, (not sure on all), Lino Sentiero, Luciano Barbera, Luciano Lombardi, Luigi Borrelli, Maria Santangelo, Marks&Spencer (Autograph line) , Massimo Dutti (not on all), Mattabisch, New & Lingwood, Pino Borriello, Polo Ralph Lauren (not sure on all), Saint Laurent, Thomas Pink, Truzzi, Turnbull & Asser, Vincenzo di Ruggiero and, of course, some other brands.

Read more about the gusset.

Plastic gusset

I only came across such a thing on one shirt - Guglielminotti. It is sewn on by machine, but cleverly, in such a way that it can stretch quite a lot. In theory, this should have a good effect on the overall comfort of the shirt, but in general, of course, these are minor things. By the way, pay attention to the special securing stitch above the gusset in the photo. On some high-quality shirts it can even replace the gusset.

Folds on the sleeve at the cuff

As a rule, even on shirts from relatively inexpensive brands (Marks&Spencer, Henderson, ZARA) this detail is present. There are usually two or three folds, but in some cases there are even six (as on a number of Brooks Brothers shirts, for example). If there are no folds, it will most likely not be very beautiful: excess fabric above the cuff rarely improves the appearance.

On some Neapolitan shirts, the cuffs are sewn on by hand, and there are quite a lot of folds above the cuffs, all of them small.

Collar stays

They are always present in formal shirts, even inexpensive ones. But only in good shirts can they be removed. Typically, collar stays are made of plastic, but on the most expensive shirts (or when purchasing collar stays separately) they may be mother-of-pearl or silver. The insert plates should not be very soft and not too fragile, otherwise they will not perform their role well.

Examples of brands whose shirts have removable collar stays: Bagutta, Barba, Cesare Attolini, Cotton Experts, Etro, Guglielminotti, Incotex (Glanshirt), Isaia, Turnbull&Asser and many others, even ZARA (at least some models). Collar stays made of mother-of-pearl are included with Eton shirts from the DnA Made in Sweden line.

Pattern matching

Relevant only for checkered or striped models. It is found, as a rule, only on expensive shirts, and even then not on all of them. Accurately connecting the ornament at the joints of the shirt parts is not an easy task, and, alas, not all tailors are able to cope with it successfully. Some (for example, Turnbull&Asser) do not consider it necessary to ensure an exact match of the pattern at all, while others (for example, Hilditch&Key) are more sensitive to this issue.

Here are the lines along which the drawing can match:

• Pocket shelf and shelf-front: usually the same even on cheap shirts, because otherwise the shirt looks downright ugly.
• Sleeve-yoke-sleeve: in these places the pattern does not always coincide. Oddly enough, I dug up a striped Davani shirt (800-900 rubles retail price), and the pattern on it was exactly matched in this place. As you can see, there are nice finds even in the low price segment.
• Cuff sleeve.
  
• Shelf yoke: a very rare match. It can be partial, that is, not along the entire line, but only on some part of it.
• Yoke-back and shelf-back-shelf: rare, but there are pleasant surprises when the design allows it. For example, Alexander Kabbaz always combines patterns whenever possible.

Single-needle stitching (“one needle”)

Long side seams can be done in one pass (on cheap shirts) or in two passes (on expensive shirts). In the latter case, there will be only one row of stitches on the front side, and two on the back side (but sometimes vice versa, as, say, with Turnbull & Asser). A single row of stitches looks prettier, some say; In addition, single-needle stitching is stronger and is an additional indicator of the integrity of the manufacturer and the skill of the tailors.

Some brands of shirts with single-needle stitching: Andrea Campagna, Bagutta, Barba, Boglioli, Brioni, Budd, Canali (Exclusive line only), Carrel, Caruso, Cesare Attolini, Corneliani, Cotton Experts, Crombie, Drake's, Ede&Ravenscroft, Eton, Finamore, Giorgio Armani, Guglielminotti, Hilditch&Key, Incotex (Glanshirt), Isaia, Kiton, Lanvin, Lino Sentiero, Luciano Barbera, Luciano Lombardi, Luigi Borrelli, Maria Santangelo, New&Lingwood, Polo Ralph Lauren (not all models), Truzzi, Turnbull&Asser, Vincenzo di Ruggiero.

For the sake of completeness, I’ll add that there are other ways to make long seams on a shirt. In the USSR, a popular method was when the edges of the front and back, taken inside the shirt, were “closed” on the inside with an overlock seam (now this method is used by the Olymp brand, for example). Shirts from the Saint Laurent brand (some models, at least) are stitched in a similar way, but only the edges of the front and back, taken inward, are stitched using a regular sewing machine (American stitch), and the stitch density is good.

Virtuosity Single-needle stitching

This interesting point, which I began to pay attention to only after I saw a fairly large number of shirts stitched in a “single-needle”. What do you need to do to finish the side seams of a shirt with one needle? Run the appropriate machine and create one seam, and then create a second seam parallel to the first - and at the same time as close as possible to the first, for a clean look, as the Americans would say.

So, the most skilled tailors place the second seam at a distance of about 2-2.5 millimeters from the first. Then come those who place the seams at a distance of about 3.5-4 millimeters, and finally those whose shirts have a distance of 4.5-5 millimeters between these seams. Well, even “below” there are shirts sewn with two needles. On them, the machine makes two parallel seams in one go, and the distance between these seams in most cases is 5 millimeters.

Single-needle seam on a Bagutta shirt (enlarged): the distance from the edge with a hidden seam to the second seam is 4.5-5 millimeters.

Single-needle seam on a Barba shirt (enlarged): the distance from the edge with a hidden seam to the second seam is 2 millimeters or a little more.

• First place - Neapolitan brands: Isaia, Barba, Cesare Attolini, Maria Santangelo, Finamore and others. In addition, Turnbull&Asser can be included here, but they generally have a slightly special single-needle stitching technology (see above).
  
• Second place - northern Italians, for example, Glanshirt (Incotex/Slowear), Guglielminotti, Corneliani, Boglioli.
• Third place - Bagutta.
• Fourth place - double(twin)-needle stitching shirts. These are - in addition to the cheaper ones - Canali (main line, not Exclusive), Pal Zileri (except perhaps Sartoriale, and I’m not sure), Etro, Richard James and many others.

Read more about single-needle stitching in.

Sleeve attachment method

If the sleeve is sewn on at the very end, then this is another indicator of the skill of the tailors and the quality of the shirt. As a rule, the sleeves are sewn on at the end of the production cycle by Neapolitans; this is quite difficult to do. Neapolitans like to make small gatherings when sewing on sleeves (by hand, by the way). This design provides greater comfort and, some say, beauty, although it does not affect the durability of the shirt.

It is very simple to determine when the sleeve was sewn: if at the end, then the long seam on it will not “transition” into the long side seam at the armpit - see photo below. Otherwise, the long side seam of the shirt and the long seam of the sleeve visually form a continuous line.

Some brands of shirts with sleeves sewn at the end: Andrea Campagna, Barba, Brioni, Caruso, Cesare Attolini, Guglielminotti, Isaia, Kiton, Van Laack (Meisterwerk line only).

Number of pockets

There is not a single pocket on a high-end shirt. A simpler (or informal) shirt may have one pocket. On budget casual or very informal shirts there are also two pockets. Let me make a reservation that we are talking about ready-made shirts: when sewing a custom-made shirt, you can ask for a pocket, even if we are talking about a very high-quality shirt.

Collar design

Some people believe that a high-quality shirt can only be stitched (non-fused; the lining is sewn in). But the proponents of “stitching” are the British, and the Italians usually use fused collars (the lining is glued in). There is nothing wrong with this if the adhesive component is good and durable - and in our time, adhesive materials have improved markedly compared to the 1980s. However, some people think that non-fused collars are simply more convenient. There is actually a difference in sensations, but not everyone attaches importance to it. On informal shirts you may find soft collars with no padding at all.

You can find out more about fused and non-fused designs as well.

Split yoke

If you are sewing a custom-made shirt, then such a yoke has a practical meaning: when it is there, it is easier to adjust the shirt to asymmetrical shoulders - and, by the way, shoulders are almost never completely symmetrical. In a finished shirt, such a yoke has no practical meaning, except perhaps decorative (+ it serves as an indicator that more labor than usual was put into the production of the shirt). Naturally, a stitched yoke is more expensive and more difficult to make, also because the pattern at the junction between the two parts must match perfectly, otherwise the look of the shirt from the back will be simply terrible.

Very few manufacturers make two-piece yoke shirts. Alexander Kabbaz, Bagutta (not all models), Budd, Cotton Experts, Crombie (not all models, I think), Ede&Ravenscroft (not all models), Hilditch&Key, Turnbull&Asser and probably some other brands have such shirts.

If you are interested in learning more about why a two-piece yoke is needed, then I refer you to this article, although at English language.

Handmade

Fans of Neapolitan clothing adore shirts that are partially handmade; but many people are indifferent to them. Handcrafting does not contribute to the longevity of shirts; Alexander Kabbaz spoke quite skeptically about handmade Luigi Borrelli - not in the sense that it is bad, but in the sense that good stitching on a first-class machine is more durable. However, hand-sewn sleeves, collar and yoke provide greater comfort, and hand-sewn buttons in the Neapolitan chicken foot method simply look nicer (as do hand-sewn buttonholes). However, the lifespan hand stitches definitely less than machine seams.

Naturally, the sleeve is connected to the main part of the shirt with two seams, all stitches are visible only on the inside, which is shown in the photo; the seam closest to the main part of the shirt is made by hand; The edge seam is machine-made. Again, everything is filmed in an enlarged view, in reality the stitches are small, and the fabric seems almost monochromatic.

I wrote more about handmade things in this one. I’ll just list it here Some brands that produce partially hand-sewn shirts: Anna Matuozzo, Barba, Cesare Attolini, Finamore, G.Inglese, Isaia, Kiton, Lino Sentiero, Luciano Lombardi, Luigi Borrelli, Maria Santangelo, Mattabisch, Pino Borriello, Vincenzo di Ruggiero.

Hand-sewn buttonholes

This detail significantly increases the cost of the shirt, but its role is purely decorative. Probably only Neapolitans sew buttonholes by hand, but not all of them. Examples of brands that offer shirts with hand-stitched buttonholes are Anna Matuozzo, Cesare Attolini, Isaia, Kiton, Lino Sentiero, Luigi Borrelli and Maria Santangelo.

Other types of loops

“Machine” hinges can be made in two main ways. First - first the loop is overcast, then cut:

Second - first the loop is cut, then overcast:

The second method is considered the best, so a buttonhole first cut and then overcast is a sign of a quality shirt. I wrote more about the types of buttonholes on shirts in a separate article.

“As if handmade” seams

Shirts with such seams are rarely found on sale, but are usually of high quality. As an example, we can cite some Guglielminotti models. Such seams are made on a special cunning machine (the first two photos, “as if by hand”). Hand-made seams (for example, G.Inglese, Cesare Attolini, Maria Santangelo) look different (third photo).

Labels and tags are an integral part modern clothes, a kind of identification mark by which the buyer can distinguish the manufacturer of a particular product. In addition, tags on clothing can carry other information, including data on the care of the product, the country of origin, and the characteristics of the clothing collection and material. Labels are sewn onto almost all elements of the wardrobe, including underwear and outerwear, as well as hats. Some manufacturers, in addition to paper labels, which are torn off before direct use of the product, also sew tags (“labels”) onto socks, gloves, mittens, wristbands and other small clothing.

What are tags made of and what material is most often used for this? Depending on the main material of the product, be it cotton, linen, knitwear, synthetics, wool, leather or silk, the factory needs to select a tag material that would best match the properties of the main raw materials for the final product. Therefore, clothing labels are made from completely different materials.

Jacquard and PVC

Flag labels, which are sewn into the seam of a garment on the outside, are usually made of jacquard fabric or dyed polyvinyl chloride. Usually the company logo or name is placed on such a label. In addition, jacquard labels are used on the neck or front side of the garment and are called logo labels. They constantly remind the owner of the company every time he looks in the mirror. Labels-hangers can also be made from jacquard. Most often PVC and jacquard used in the manufacture of zippers and chevrons sewn onto any part of clothing (usually a sleeve or chest). All of the above labels are in most cases sewn onto shirts, dresses, knitwear, outerwear, sportswear and children's clothing.

Satin

The satin weave of threads consisting of cotton and sometimes synthetic fibers has a silky surface. That is why this material is often used in the manufacture of tags, since it does not rub or irritate the skin. Many hanger labels are made from printed satin. They are sturdy and can be used in place of a standard clothes hanger.

Nylon

Labels with care symbols and information about the clothing manufacturer are most often made of nylon. Sewn-in tags also contain an indication of the size range, article number, and height. Text and images are transferred to nylon using thermal transfer printing or flexo printing. Nylon is soft to the touch and therefore does not cause discomfort when constantly wearing clothes. A more expensive material used to make labels with symbols is the already mentioned satin (“satin”).

Cotton

Cotton tags are well-deservedly popular. Most often, this material is used in the manufacture of labels with care symbols. Typically, a tag made from natural material accompanies clothing that is also free of synthetic impurities and completely safe for health.

PE and PP

Polyethylene and polypropylene labels are used in the production of symbolic labels for skirts, underwear, knitwear, workwear and other products.

Paper

When making labels that are attached to the edge of clothing with a seal or plastic connector, paper of various densities is used. It allows you to create cardboard labels of any shape and apply a large amount of text and graphic information to them. Self-adhesive labels are also made from paper using flexo printing equipment.

One reader asked a question about sew-in tags and labels:

What to do with them? Cutting down? Will clothes without them look like they came from a second-hand store? So how do you look at the washing and ironing notes? What about panties and bras?

Julia

Good question. Tags sticking out from clothes is a fairly common occurrence. In the cold season we notice this less, because... the clothes themselves are warmer and tighter, you just can’t see it through them. Plus jackets, cardigans and outerwear cover a lot of things. Although there is one option that is typical specifically for the cold season. These are tags on scarves and handkerchiefs, treacherously sticking out and spoiling the impression of your image with just their appearance. We cut them off. Definitely. If you have the idea that you can tie a scarf so that it is not visible, then it is in vain. In 90% of cases it will be visible.

The same applies to light clothing: If the fabric is thin enough, if it glows, if there is so much information about your item that you had to make the tag/label very voluminous, then we cut everything off.

These are the little things that are important, that attract attention to themselves, distracting it from you. I don't think you'll forget how to care for your favorite dress. It is enough to look once to remember, because the rules are often standard. And if you are worried, then cut it and store it separately.

The same applies to knitted T-shirts and T-shirts. A tag sewn into the very seam often turns the edge of the item outward or simply comes out on its own. Let's get rid of it!

Linen. The same story. Why do you need a tag that will get in the way and peek out. And she will do this, given the small area of ​​​​the linen itself.

Tags, labels on outerwear sometimes made from coarse fabric, sewing them around the entire perimeter or gluing them. They can cling to the clothes that are located below, pellets and hooks appear that cannot always be removed.

And one moment. You need to trim correctly: right to the very edge. It is necessary not to damage the product itself, but also not to leave excess, so that later the remaining edge does not scratch the skin.

I can’t say that there are strict rules regarding the fact that tags need to be cut everywhere. But I definitely recommend doing this where they are visible, where they get in the way. In other cases, they can be left.

Let your beautiful and stylish look nothing will be a hindrance!

Is labeling good or not at all? On people it’s not worth it, but on clothes it’s absolutely necessary. What icons do textile manufacturers use for their “secret messages” and why? What is the difference between the designations manual and machine washable? Knowing the meaning of these mysterious symbols on the tag will help you keep your items for a long time.

Marking: “cut cannot be saved”

How often, when we see clothes in a store window, we buy them without thinking. However, after just a few washes, the item begins to fade, stretch, and become covered in pellets. Is this a familiar picture? All you had to do was pay attention to the symbols on the tag. It’s even better to do this before purchasing the product.

If there is a dry cleaning symbol (circle) on the label, think about whether you are ready to constantly spend money on professional cleaning? Things with this designation, of course, can be cleaned and washed yourself, but at your own peril and risk.

The label on clothing is an important element. As a rule, 2 tags are sewn inside the finished item. One contains information about the composition of the fabric, the other contains instructions for caring for the product. Sometimes all the information may be on one label.

Proper care of things consists of 5 stages - washing, drying, ironing, cleaning (if necessary), storage.

The symbols on clothing labels are international. They are established by the ISO 3758:2012 standard. Textile products. Care labeling using symbols." Throughout Russia, its analogue is in force - “GOST ISO 3758-2014. Textile products. Labeling with care symbols." The location of the marking containing information on care, fabric composition and manufacturer is regulated by GOST 10581-91 “Sewing products. Labeling, packaging, transportation and storage.” The standard has been in force since 1993, its requirements are still mandatory for garment factories in our country.

Symbols on tags

The symbols on the labels can be divided into groups - washing, drying, bleaching, ironing, professional care. They are located in the same sequence on the product tag.

The general rule for any item is to shake the item and check the pockets before washing. T-shirts with slogans and shirts should be turned inside out before washing - this will help them last longer.

The generally accepted symbol for washing is a basin with liquid, inside of which recommendations on the temperature regime are depicted. This is the first picture in a series of symbols on the label.

How to decipher the bleaching and dry cleaning icon

Few housewives know what the designations of a circle and a triangle can mean. In order not to spoil your favorite item, it is important to remember which items are allowed or prohibited from dry cleaning, bleaching or cleaning using chemicals.

If suddenly the label bothers you, it is better to carefully cut it off and save it. When you take a complex item to be cleaned, the specialists will be very grateful to you for this reminder.

In addition to dry professional cleaning, there is aqua-cleaning - professional wet cleaning. With this method, water is present as a solvent, and the cleaning itself takes place in a special washing machine. This treatment allows you to completely remove stains that could not be removed by dry cleaning.

Dry cleaning (professional dry cleaning) consists of two steps - pre-treatment and direct machine dry cleaning. At the first stage, a stain remover is used, at the second - a solvent. The cycles are repeated until the spots disappear. Then the item is put into rinse and dry mode.

What does the spin and dry label mean?

The drying symbol - a square with a wide variety of patterns - will tell you how not to spoil the item in the last stages of care.

Meaning of the Ironing symbol

This icon looks like an iron. Everything here is as simple as possible - first, determine whether the laundry can be ironed. Then set the settings on your home iron in accordance with the designation.

The label on the clothes is instructions for caring for things

If you want to comply with the manufacturer’s recommendations completely, pay attention to the information about the composition of the material. For example, clothes made from natural fabrics should be treated with caution, and items made from synthetics should be ironed at a certain temperature.

You need to choose a washing mode based on the composition of the fabric - the higher the percentage of synthetics, the easier it is to care for the item

Markings on tags are present on both domestic products and foreign-made clothing. Typically, a foreign manufacturer indicates the composition of the fabric in two Latin letters or whole words. The main thing here is to have a decoding table at hand.

Decoding of symbols on foreign-made clothing - table

Title of the material in English	Letter designation on the label	Title of the material in Russian
Cotton	CO	Cotton
Linen	LI	Linen
Union Linen	H.L.	Flax with impurities
Silk	S.E.	Silk
Cashemire	W.S.	Cashmere
Wool	WO	Wool
Viscose	VI	Viscose
Modal	M.D.	Modal
Acrylic	AR	Acrylic
Elastane	EL	Elastane
Polyester	P.E.	Polyester
Laycra	LY	Lycra
Polyacrylic	PC	Polyacrylic
Acetate	A.C.	Acetate fiber
Polyamide (Nylon)	PA	Polyamide (Nylon)
Metal	M.E.	Metallized thread

What does textile piece mean?

When purchasing an item, there is often a bag attached to the inside seam, inside of which there is a spare button and a small piece of fabric. This is an irreplaceable thing - with its help you can determine how the item will behave when washed, whether its color will change and whether a stain remover can be used with it. It will help you find out the properties of the fabric from which the clothes you bought are made, without risking the item itself. You can also use this piece of material to check whether the fabric will shrink after washing. To do this, you need to attach the flap to the cardboard and outline the borders. Then wash, dry and re-attach to the cardboard. If the boundaries do not match, it means the product is prone to shrinkage.

This piece of fabric is your indispensable assistant in choosing clothing care

Material	Recommendations
Wool	Wool items should be washed with soft detergents for wool. When drying, to avoid deformation, woolen items should not be hung. After washing, wool items are laid out on a flat surface.
Cotton	Cotton items often shrink, although they can also be dried in a dryer. Iron cotton fabrics You need an iron with a steam function.
Linen	Linen items, like cotton items, shrink after washing. Linen items must be ironed. Keep in mind that linen wrinkles a lot.
Silk	Wet silk is dried in the shade and away from radiators. Silk items should be ironed from the inside out with a warm iron.

Material	Recommendations
Knitwear	Knitwear should be handled with care, for example, wrung out without twisting. It is recommended to dry knitwear on a horizontal surface, having first straightened it.
Viscose and modal (modernized viscose)	These fabrics require careful handling: Squeeze without twisting. Iron according to label directions. The temperature depends on the composition of the fabric.
Sintepon	Like any synthetic material, synthetic winterizer does not lose its shape when washed and dries quickly.
Elastane	Care depends on the base material of the item, so carefully study the symbols on the label.

Wash, bleach, dry clean - international designations on labels

In addition to symbols, labels may contain warning or prohibitory inscriptions. They should be brief (according to GOST) and contain a maximum of information with a minimum of letters.

The most common instructions for washing things are, for example, “Wash with similar colors.” This means that the item should only be washed with clothes of similar colors. Also under the symbols on the tag you can see the inscription “Keep away from fire” - this means that the product does not need to be brought to an open fire. For example, fur or synthetics.

Table of phrases in English for product care

Wash
Wash separately	wash separately from other fabrics
Wash like (similar) colors	wash together with fabrics of the same color
Wash before use	wash before first use
Wash with velcros closed	washable with Velcro fastening
Rinsing
Do not add fabric conditioner	Do not use fabric softeners
Do not use softeners	do not use mouthwash
Fabrics softener recommended	It is recommended to use a mouthwash
Rinse immediately in cold water	rinse immediately in cold water
Rinse thoroughly	rinse thoroughly
Dry cleaning
Don't dryclean	Dry cleaning prohibited
Dry cleaning recommended	Dry cleaning recommended
Whitening
Avoid bleaching and optical white (perborate)	do not use bleaching products
Don't bleach	Do not bleach
Do not use chlorine bleach	do not use chlorine bleach
No optical brighteners	do not use bleach
Use only detergents without optical bleaches	powder wash without bleaches
Drying
Don't tumble dry	cannot be dried in a dryer
Don't wring or twist	cannot be squeezed or twisted
Drip dry	vertical drying without spinning
Dry flat	dry flat on a horizontal surface
Dry in shade	dry in the shade
Hang dry, when wet	let the water drain, vertical drying without spinning
Line dry, do not tumble dry	vertical drying, do not tumble dry
May be tumble-dried shortly on low	short spin in a centrifuge at low speeds
Remove promptly (immediately)	take it out of the car immediately
Short spin	short spin in a centrifuge
Dry away from (direct) heat	do not dry with (directed) heat
Drip or tumble dry low	vertical drying or spinning in a centrifuge at low speeds
Ironing
Cool iron	iron at low temperature
Don't iron	Do not iron
Do not iron print (decoration)	do not iron the finish
Do not steam iron	iron without steaming
Iron damp	iron wet
Iron at middle temp	iron at medium temperature
Iron on reverse (wrong) side only	iron only inside out
Please iron in side out	iron from the wrong side
Steam iron recommended	steaming recommended
Steam only	just steam
Use press cloth	iron through fabric
Warm iron	iron at high temperature

Table with other phrases in English

Bleeding (stamming) color	sheds
Down	down feather, down (suggests eco-friendly detergent)
Do not allow wet garment to dry bundled	do not dry wrinkled clothes
Easy care (non iron)	easy care, no ironing required
Exposure to sunlight and chlorinated water may be detrimental to shade and elastane content	Sunlight and chlorine washing can affect the color and elasticity of elastane-containing products.
Feather	feather (suggests natural cleanser)
Flame retarded	treated with fire retardant
Keep away from fire	keep away from open fire
May be faded	may shed
Non-felt finishes	doesn't fall off
Professional leather clean only	Only professional skin cleaning
Renew water proofing alter washing	after washing, renew impregnation
Reshape and dry flat	shape and dry flat
Reshape in wet condition	shape when wet
Reshape while damp	shape when wet
Shrinkage about…..%	shrinks by …%
Shrinkproof	does not shrink
Stretch inti shape after washing	after washing, stretch and give the desired shape
Stretch to original shape while in damp	when wet, stretch and give the desired shape
Waterproof	waterproof

Decoding instructions in English - video

How to care for fur, knitwear and down jackets

You need to take into account not only the type of fabric, but also the type of clothing.

Fur products

Fur products require careful care; this will increase their service life and maintain good quality. appearance. It is better to entrust their cleaning to professionals. How can you determine when it’s time to take your fur coat to the dry cleaner? Carefully inspect the fur. If it's not as smooth as it used to be, it's dull, or it feels greasy to the touch, then it's time to visit the dry cleaner.

Down jackets

Outerwear filled with down requires some care. Down jackets should only be stored flat. Do not leave jackets in a damp state under any circumstances; down tends to rot, and quite quickly.

Also, such clothes have one more interesting property- having absorbed sweat and sebum, it stops heating. In this regard, it is recommended to take down products to the dry cleaner every year.

Featherbeds, pillows, blankets with feathers and down are no different in care from down jackets, but they still need to be dry cleaned periodically for proper care and disinfection.

A sense of humor is a necessary component of cozy things A well-groomed appearance will help you feel confident on dates. In addition to the generally accepted symbols, the manufacturer added a funny recommendation

To make things look great, you need to follow the recommendations for caring for them. When cleaning clothes, you need to know all the signs, then you will maintain their excellent appearance for a long time. Special attention should be given to the symbol crossed out by two lines. This means that this operation is prohibited. By unconditionally following the advice of manufacturers, you will prevent premature damage and wear of your items.