# Wool pilling in crotch?



## hockeyinsider (May 8, 2006)

So the pants from my nice sharkskin TM Lewin suit are all fuzzy - I believe the term is pilling - in the crotch after wearing it for a day last week in Washington. Should I try sending them back for a replacement?


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## Cary Grant (Sep 11, 2008)

Are you heavy-set? Sounds like cheap cloth.


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## hockeyinsider (May 8, 2006)

Cary Grant said:


> Are you heavy-set? Sounds like cheap cloth.


No ... what does weight have to do with it?


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## Mazama (May 21, 2009)

*Never mind*

Based on the OP headline I was going to suggest not getting so intimate with sheep.

But now that I read the entire posting I can see that such a suggestion would be both unnecessary and off topic. Never mind.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

hockeyinsider said:


> No ... what does weight have to do with it?


Wool cloth can pill when it is abraded against itself or against something else. Cheap wool cloth abrades more readily. If you have heavy thighs, they may have more of a tendency to come in contact with one another on a more regular basis and with more force. If such is the case, be careful you don't spark!


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## cesario (Jun 27, 2009)

This shouldn't be happening after one day. If I were you, I should certainly contact the makers for advice and a possible refund. 

A replacement would be likely to do the same, so it might not be the answer.

I have no wish to be indelicate, but have you considered that your underwear might have been the problem? Silk would be less likely to rub than some other fibres - but the makers should be able to advise you about such matters.


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## CuffDaddy (Feb 26, 2009)

As others have said, this is a function of friction between thighs. It's common for me with heavy thighs, but a narrow gait with the feet falling nearly in line with one another can also cause it. If you're prone to this, here are things you can do in the future:

1. Avoid walking in the heat. Heat makes you sweat, and damp fabric is _much_ more vulnerable to damage, especially pilling. Stay cool!

2. Avoid fabrics with a loose weave. Birdseyes seem especially vulnerable. All those little ridges and crevices really catch on one another and will shred one another.

3. Avoid tight fits around the upper legs. A little ease will let the fabric relieve some of the sheer... cloth that is very closely cut to the leg has to move with the leg, with limited capacity to let the leg move inside it. Think of it this way: If you were rubbing two drinks cans with sandpaper coverings against one another, would you create more or less friction if the sandpaper were rigidly attached to the cans or able to move some?

4. Get the crotch of your trousers lined.

5. If the problem is particularly bad (or if you cannot follow #1), get pants made with a reinforced crotch - double layers of fabric. At least that way there's more to wear through.


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## paul winston (Jun 3, 2006)

CuffDaddy said:


> As others have said, this is a function of friction between thighs. It's common for me with heavy thighs, but a narrow gait with the feet falling nearly in line with one another can also cause it. If you're prone to this, here are things you can do in the future:
> 
> 1. Avoid walking in the heat. Heat makes you sweat, and damp fabric is _much_ more vulnerable to damage, especially pilling. Stay cool!
> 
> ...


In addition to the above, when you have your trouser bottoms finished, keep the cloth that is cut off as a future crotch piece. An individual does not have to be large or overweight to have friction when one walks. Some have it more than others. If you have "it" need for a crotch piece is almost inevitable. 
Paul Winston
Winston Tailors
www.chipp2.com
www.chipp2/blog/


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## a tailor (May 16, 2005)

paul is right we all should save the cut off from the trouser bottoms. you never can tell when it will come in handy for repairs. even if you never need them, wool makes good shoe polishing cloths.


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## ChicagoMediaMan-27 (Feb 23, 2008)

+1 to Paul and Alex. I've actually had that extra fabric from the hem come in handy when I had a small rip in the crotch area once.


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

I really feel like I'm oversharing here...

I stopped having this problem when I switched from briefs to boxers.


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## hockeyinsider (May 8, 2006)

I also think there's a temperature factor too - it probably won't happen when it's freezing cold in the winter.


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