My clothing pet peeves, by category – please join in, maybe someone will hear

The sales are about over, and I've had my share of frustrations while
shopping this season. Here are my clothing pet peeves:
(Note: I'm 5'4", 118 lbs, and I take a size small in most clothes.)
Blouses:
Too short to tuck in
Sleeves too short
Too tight to button properly across the chest
Cheap stretch fabric
Solids
Tops:
Too short to cover top of my jeans
Sleeves too short
Sleeves cut too wide all over
Tight in chest area, too loose just below
Shrink upon washing
Fabric pills on chest area and inside of sleeves
Fabric snags (can we stop with the silk knits already please?)
Too much synthetic in fabric composition
Turtlenecks with neck that droops by the end of the day
Turtlenecks with insufficiently high neck
Sweaters in a cheap rough knit
Non–mercerised cotton
Non–merino wool
Pants:
Rise too high
Waist not wide enough
Narrower leg bottom than is flattering
Too wide at the hips
Too short
Too wide in knee area
Unlined
Non–wool
Fabric that pills on inside thigh area
Jackets:
Too wide at the shoulders
Sleeves too wide all around
Armhole too low
Too wide in torso area
Too short to cover top of my pants or skirt
Non–wool or non–leather
Underwear:
Rise too high
Bras that look good on their own but give an unnatural shape when worn
under other clothes
Cheap construction, threads unsnipped
Shoes:
Non–leather sole and insole
Cheap chunky heel
Narrow square toe
If pointy toe: sole that unglues at the tip
Boots:
Cheap chunky heel
Too wide at the calf
Too wide at the ankle
Too short when they're meant to be high

Great idea for a thread. Maybe some designer, somewhere, is out there
reading and will come to the rescue...
Skirts: fabric is too see–through, often even when there is a "lining."
I really don't like having to wear slips all the time.
~ellabella

Shoes:
Non–leather sole and insole
I can't seem to find shoes with leather sole or insole at least not in
my price category.
The last time I had leather soles was while in U.S. Army for my combat
boots and that was years ago.

<bluebe...@mchsi.com> wrote in message
news:1106943704.512687.246...@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
Not a huge range of options, but dance shoes––ballroom, jazz, etc.––have
leather soles. They're a far cry from combat boots, of course.
cofarb

I like silk knits myself, although one does have to be watchful about
snags.
When you say that you object to "non–wool" and "non–leather" jackets,
do you mean that you don't want cotton, linen, or silk jackets, or that
you hate fake–wool and fake–leather jackets?
And some of these things are obviously going to be personal issues that
vary for individual to individual––I, for example, wish that jackets'
shoulders were wider, not less wide, because I am 5'9" with broad
shoulders.
I do agree wholeheartedly, though, about the a) flimsy, poor–quality
fabrics, b) horrendous workmanship (I don't want to buy a $200 blouse
with dangling threads, etc.), and c) uninteresting design that is the
hallmark of most of what I'm seeing in stores right now.
As for shoes, I find that Caressa is a pretty good midprice shoe with
decent quality; other than that, I try to buy Ferragamo, Bally, etc.,
on sale. Since I've been working at home, my dress shoes get to rest
most of the time, and I wear Clarks or Softspots clogs (or, these days,
snow boots).
T.

Actually lots of companies make leather–sole shoes: J. Crew, Banana
Republic, Ann Taylor, BCBG... You can get loads of great fashionable
styles right now at Ann Taylor for just $29.99. Banana Republic also
discounts very heavily at this time in the season. I certainly never
shop full price anyway...
bluebe...@mchsi.com wrote:
in
combat

<bluebe...@mchsi.com> wrote in message
not in
combat
I get at least one outdoor pair of shoes resoled with leather soles
as I'm nervous about slipping on rubber soles in wet weather. So I
suppose this is one of my pet peeves as well.
Moira, the Faerie Godmother

I shop at Banana Republic, J. Crew, BCBG, Ann Taylor, Hennes & Mauritz,
and Ebay and Filene's Basement for European designer stuff. I also
like Saks, Neiman's and Bally at sale time.
I don't buy petites because everything's just too short for me. I
never find anything I like at Old Navy or the Gap. Banana Republic
pants in size 0 fit my hips but are too tight in the waist. In size 2
they fit at the waist but the hips and bottom are too roomy.
Pull–on boots are usually not made of leather so I don't really go for
that. I've been thinking of potentially buying some I like and having
them re–fitted for my leg.
I am definitely open–minded about sizes, and do try on different ones,
but I like my clothes to fit properly.
Oh, and I don't have a particularly long and graceful neck I think, nor
am I especially slim and lanky.
I think you've probably put your finger on it though: I'm in between
petite and regular with something of a boyish figure compared to most
girls so pants are always a problem.

Re. 'non–wool' and 'non–leather' jackets: I find that most other
fabrics simply aren't suited for jackets, they crease too much, or just
plain look cheap (synthetics mixes).

Lady Penelope Creighton–Ward wrote:
Are you trying on petite smalls, or regular smalls? If petite, it
sounds to me like you need regular. If regular, then try going up one
size. At 5'4", you are right on the line for petites, so I imagine you
must get frustrated, but it probably would pay for you to try on
various sizes to get just the right fit.
At only 5 feet, I am very glad that the fashion lately has been tops
and blouses that stop at high hip. I still need a petite top – if I try
on a regular that's supposed to hit at high hip, it comes down way too
low and the sleeves are ridiculously long. The petite small's and
xsmall's hit just right.
To accomodate the chest, I usually have to compare the xsmall with the
small. Usually both will hit just right on the hip, but the xsmall
might be too tight across the chest, whereas the small will fit just
right.
My advice is to try on different sizes. If all you're trying on is
petite small and the sleeves are too short, it's too tight across the
chest, and you can't tuck it in........ and it's supposed to be tucked
in........ well, then, I'm guessing you need either a regular small, or
a petite medium. :–)
Where are you shopping? Just curious.
My pet peeve is T–necks with necks that are *too* high. You must have a
graceful, envious, long neck. :–)
Are you shopping at Old Navy and the Gap?
These are also my biggest pet peeves!!!!!!!!
Have you tried BR? Their waists are generous and comfortable. Try the
Harrison style. At Ann Taylor, I also like the Gramercy fit.
Yep. Have to have lined pants here in the East. Couldn't live without
them.
Where are you shopping?
Yep, I hate that too. Try pull–ons (the kind without zippers).
jen

Various posters here e.g. <bluebe...@mchsi.com> lament thusly:
The OP, Lady PC–W:Shoes
:Non–leather sole and insole
Maybe your price category has been cheating on you.
I saw a display in Aerosole, where the shoes had "hard"
synthetic one–piece soles exactly like those Parade of Shoes and
Payless. Didn't look too closely. The heels didn't always match
the shoe (too tapered when sometimes when a broader shape would
be better, little pointy heels on moccasin styles)
The "soft" synthetics have a place (wet steps and muddy sidewalks)
but render a shoe more disposable. These hard ones are slippery,
will break soon I'm sure, and cannot be repaired.
The OP also wondered about finding a dressmaker or tailor. Just
now in news:alt.sewing, someone related how they fashioned
shoes for Ren Faire using:
: for a *recent* book on the subject look for 'Crafting Handmade
: Shoes, great looking shoes, sandals, slippers & boots' by Sharon
: Raymond published by Lark Books, 2002. it appears to be out of
: print, but try a library or bookstore.
Somehow I don't think I'll be doing this. But I'll add it to
my list of cool alt–tech books, along with Rodale's Pedal Power
and brain.com's Cheap Thrills in the Toolroom.