HOW TO ASSESS THE QUALITY
For the start of the new school year, the National Retail Federation said its 2025 back-to-school survey showed K-12 families planned to spend an average of $418.49 for clothes, shoes and accessories. Budgeting about $5 less than last year. To stretch those dollars, we wanted to know how consumers can make kids’ clothes last.
“You need to start from good quality clothing,” said Dr. Jiyoung Kim, associate dean and professor in the University of North Texas’ Department of Merchandising and Digital Retailing.
Generally, Dr. Kim said consumers may have noticed the quality of new clothing has changed over the years, as brands compete with fast fashion and supply chains grow more complex.
“We’re not really going to one country for all the fastening, sewing, embellishments,” said Dr. Kim. “Or, for fabric. It is being sourced out to other countries from that main outsourcing country. It’s hard to keep track of where our products are coming from, thus the quality of the clothing can get lower.”
When shopping, Dr. Kim recommends inspecting clothes. Dr. Kim said she looks for double stitching along seams and no loose threads.
“I look for this area to make sure that stitches are done right,” said Dr. Kim. “And that the seam has enough room so it’s not too thin.”
Consumers may also look for pants with reinforced knees.
“You can look for the tag that says reinforced knees, durable knees and you’ll be able to actually visibly see or touch and feel that the knee area is a little bit thicker,” said Dr. Kim.
She also recommends testing the clothes. Do zippers glide easily? Do buttons and fasteners feel solidly attached to the fabric? Hold an article of clothing up to the light.
“See how tight the knitting is. Sometimes you see irregularly, sometimes it’s not tight enough, sometimes it kind of flimsy,” Dr. Kim said.
Dr. Kim recommends washing kids’ clothes in cold water and air drying when possible. For shirts with collars, Dr. Kim said you can use your fingers to shape collars while the fabric is still wet. Then, air dry the shirt to help the collar keep its shape wear after wear.
UNIFORM DONATIONS
At the White Rock Center of Hope in east Dallas, clients can make an appointment to shop the clothing closet.
“We’re starting to get ready for back to school,” said volunteer Maritza Guerrero. “The fun part is it doesn’t have a price tag.”
Clients can shop the closet, set up like a retail store, for back-to-school essentials and school uniforms.
“We’re grateful most of the things that come in are in very good condition. Some are actually brand new,” said White Rock Center of Hope CEO Greg Smith.
Smith said volunteers stock the closet throughout each day.
“As soon as we get it, it doesn’t do us any good in storage,” Smith said. “We want to make sure it does good in the world and it’s not just sitting in a back room somewhere. Everything we get is processed by our volunteer team and put out for shopping here in our clothing closet.”
White Rock Center of Hope also has a thrift store that the public can shop. Smith said kids clothes and school uniforms are typically not stocked in the thrift store. Those donations go directly to the clothing closet to meet the client demand, though the thrift store stocks new and used adult clothes and shoes.
White Rock Center of Hope said people who need assistance can reach out here to learn about eligibility and schedule an appointment. The organization serves five zip codes in east Dallas: 75214, 75218, 75223, 75228, and 75238.
Donations of clothes, non-perishable food and many household items can be dropped off from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Financial donations can be made online here.
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Great Job Diana Zoga and Robin Carter & the Team @ NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth Source link for sharing this story.
