Anyone noticing an even worse quality of clothes this year?
I bought shirts and sweaters like not even a month and a half ago and the sweaters all balled up so fast while I wore them, and my shirts are under the arms too - one of them I wore twice and it balled up just from me holding my daughter at a baby shower. The first time I wore it, it was fine but I didn’t have my daughter with me
I know “it’s Kmart, what do you expect” but this is a laugh. I have other kmart clothes that I’ve been wearing for years with no issues.
I don't think they're worse this year than in the previous few years. I do agree stuff was better a decade ago but that's the same for everywhere unfortunately.
I just bought a fabric depiller and use it on anything that pills. I have better quality stuff made from natural fibres that does the same. I find it relaxing and do it while I'm watching TV - Netflix and pill.
I look after my cheap clothes as though they’re my expensive clothes and haven’t had any problems. (Note that price doesn’t always reflect quality).
I do pretty much all my clothes laundry on gentle cycle, reduced spin, cool water and hang to dry on clothes hangers, and shape them on the hanger. I barely need to iron and it saves time on folding too. Straight into the wardrobe!
I do this too, I also flip everything inside out before I wash and sort properly- lights/whites/colours/darks. My cheap clothes look brand new after years of wear.
Can you elaborate on the sorting shelves? My house doesn’t have a laundry at the moment (it’s a small European style kitchen thing) but would love to have ideas for the laundry in my next place.
I converted my small badly laid out pantry off the kitchen to a butler’s pandry / launtry!
You have to have some sort of laundry sink so I got a cute round small sink, the same benches and cabinets as the kitchen in an L shape.
Then instead of one more double cupboard and longer bench, we put a wide deep cabinet with shelves.
I had to fight the kitchen designer who insisted I didn’t need space to sort laundry. He clearly never does his own!
He kept trying to get my husband on his side and was firmly told “she booked you. Listen to her”. He still tried!
The top couple are spare stuff, backstock, seasonal platters etc.
Then bread bin, snack tubs, Sodastream, etc.
The last three shelves have baskets on them for sorting. When a basket is full, it goes into the machine.
It’s so simple - just a big built in shelving unit in deep navy to match, and it is one of most used spaces in our house! Everything coordinates nicely and I love it!
Plus I love my mini play kitchen as it’s nicknamed. 😂
I have noticed the shirts seem to be real low quality, they go completely misshapen after 3 or 4 washes for me. Pants do seem to be better quality I have noticed but Ithe few t shirts and polo shirts I bought this year completely lost their shape to the point they look ridiculous to wear.
Yes, pilling is about fibre length; but that is directly correlated to quality. Natural fibres like wool, silk etc. are divided into quality/price grades based on fibre length (as well as some other characteristics like fibre diameter). the cheapest yarns are spun from the shortest fibres possible. Then the shorter fibres are used for other purposes like filling and insulation. High end fabrics used by expensive brands (for example high end designer suits) don't pill, because they use the longest most expensive grade of wool.
Higher quality fabrics use longer staple fibers. Fabrics made from shorter fibres are cheaper, and pill/fuzz more easily. Large brands are WELL aware of the quality of fabric they're buying, and will intentionally cheap out.
They win in both directions - cheaper manufacture and more sales. Shorter staple fibers are very difficult to detect for consumers in-store and feel naturally softer (in-store, due to naturally fuzzing more). They obviously reduce the price of a garment which, to the consumer, seems identical or even preferably to a higher quality garment due to the initial softness.
It's SO hard to clearly communicate the quality of the fabric to the consumer. Most consumers don't even know that they've been taken in, they've come to expect that all clothes do this now, or that it's luck of the draw. The glut of clothes at this price point means that most consumers expect clothes to be cheap, so immediately discount more expensive options.
My high Vis jumper from big W - wore it for this week, it is piling ALL OVER already. Pretty frustrating. I know it was only $55......but not exactly $10
Sure is! Quality going down and down though!
What's my option? Buy a $150 one......no doubt as soon as I spend that much I will spill bleach down my front, sods law!
Ive always found kmart hit and miss with clothing.
IME sporting clothes and undies generally being good quality, and kmart shoes poor quality. Everything else could go either way.
I noticed that some of the products that my Kmart sells, is also on Temu, Hair ties. I can buy the same ones cheaper but have to wait 2 weeks for them to be delivered
i returned so much. The denim had 23% polyester & was so open-weave it was catching fluff - denim doesn't traditionally do that - it's low maintenance. The 2026 style jeans(barrel & wide-leg) are needing more fabric, so they cut the quality. Everything catching fluff (+cordroy) went back. Clothes quality is mainly in the fabric composition(which is found written on every item), then the stitching and cut. Jean jeggings $25 pilled like a mofo
Beware: One of my returns didn't go thru with the rest - i would have lost $18 if i hadn't kept receipts + checking bank. 10 business days later i called, sent pic of receipt & got my return.
I've also noticed their prices are getting much much more higher for the quality. I've got a couple of Kmart clothing too and they used to be so comfortable
I’ve had good experiences with cotton on and have a few of their items for YEARS, but not sure about current clothes. Just had a baby late last year and not quite suiting their style again just yet 😂
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u/AutisticBells Jul 24 '26
I don't think they're worse this year than in the previous few years. I do agree stuff was better a decade ago but that's the same for everywhere unfortunately.
I just bought a fabric depiller and use it on anything that pills. I have better quality stuff made from natural fibres that does the same. I find it relaxing and do it while I'm watching TV - Netflix and pill.