Blog - Martinizing Musings

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
The problem arises when fabric puckering or damage appears in local areas of a garment caused by yarn slippage or seam separation.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
Sometimes relatively new silk garments show holes or tears from unknown circumstances. In many cases, this damage is caused by local contact with a liquid that contains chemicals which deteriorate silk.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
The damage appears as local loss of fibers or tears on the fabric. In some instances, a visible discoloration in the weakened area can be seen.
WHAT CAUSED IT?

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
Sometimes after dry cleaning, garments show localized, mysterious dark spots (usually on the collar and shoulders).
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
These spots are usually small and splatter-like. They can appear as raindrops or splatters and be gray, black, tan, brown, or other dark shades.
WHAT CAUSED IT?

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
Black or bluish discolorations that cannot be removed mysteriously appear on red or fuchsia shaded pink garments.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
These dark discolorations look like ink or dye stains, but stain removal agents have no effect. They most often occur as streaks or random splotches with no apparent explanation. Sometimes these spots don’t become noticeable until the heat of a cleaning process accelerates the color change.
WHAT CAUSED IT?

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
Sometimes, seemingly out of nowhere, mysterious small holes or loss of surface fibers appear on a fabric.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
Normally this damage looks like small holes in the fabric. In some instances, however, mainly on soft fabrics with a nap, the fiber damage appears as irregular “trails” or veins across the surface. This damage can appear in just one area or could be in several areas of a garment at random.
WHAT CAUSED IT?

Keeping your whites looking healthy is more of a challenge today than ever. Unlike the old days consumers cannot simply add a little bleach to the wash. Instead of making them whiter, adding bleach might actually turn them yellow. Or maybe your whites are actually light grey. No matter how often you wash them, the dingy-look won’t come out.

What can affect the whiteness of fabrics?

The story of women wearing denim begins with the earliest pair of Levi’s®. First created in 1873 by Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis, these original blue jeans were made to handle rugged ranch life, and it wasn't long before the women of the West started wearing them.

How to measure your denim:

Waist: Tilt to the side and find the bend of your natural waist. Keep your tape measure snug (try placing a finger between your skin and the tape) and measure around. This is your standard denim size.

Leg opening: Measure the circumference of your ankle. This determines the jean’s cut. Unless a denim fabric has stretch, the stated leg-opening measurement must be larger than your circumference measurement.

Avoid the wash: It’s best to keep your denim away from the wash, but if you have to, only wash when it gets stained or begins to lose shape. Use cold water and turn each pair inside out. If it’s your first time washing them, try vinegar instead of detergent – the acid will help set the hue.

Double duty: When you go to shower, hang your jeans in the bathroom for a good steam clean. Or wear them while you take a bath.

Spot-check: If your denim is clean aside from an isolated stain, go ahead and spot-treat with stain remover and a damp cloth.

Denim fabric dyeing has two categories: indigo dyeing and sulfur dyeing. Indigo dyeing produces the traditional blue color and similar blue shades. Sulfur dyeing is used for more uncommon colors, like black, grey, red, purple, yellow, and green.