When Fair Go asked the public about small, unexplained holes appearing in the front of their t-shirts the theories came flooding in.
Some suggestions were very specific, from welding sparks, to bottlecaps, to drops of acid. Others implicated our furry friends.
A cat scratch or bite could certainly be the culprit, but what about holes popping up for people without any pets?
Fair Go contacted the experts to find out more.
Wendy Do of Auckland tailoring business Wendy and Tom Workshop said she sees 20-30 t-shirts a week coming in with small holes in the front.
She suspects that jean buttons, belts and bench tops are the main culprits.
What those have in common - along with other popular suggestions like seatbelts, lanyards, and handbags - is friction.
As you move your t-shirt rubs against whatever it comes into contact with. If an item is rough, that contact can have an abrasive effect on the fabric of your shirt.
If you tuck your t-shirt into jeans it remains closely in contact with the metal back of your button all day, and rubs as you move.
Likewise, if you often come into contact with a granite or concrete benchtop while cooking the rough stone can abrade your shirt in that region.
Anything that repeatedly rubs on the same area of your t-shirt could be a contributing factor to it developing a hole.
Textile conservator Tracey Wedge also has a theory, and it comes down to the material your shirt is made from.
Most t-shirts are made from a cotton knit. That cotton comes from a plant, and because the fibres are natural they can be of varying length.
The length of the fibres (staple) contributes to the quality of the yarn which makes up a shirt – Wedge said “the shorter the staple the cheaper the yarn”.
Cotton made from a cheaper, short-staple yarn can be less resilient to wear and tear. That means those garments may not hold up as well to abrasion from a belt buckle, benchtop or bag.
If you want to purchase a t-shirt made from a higher quality cotton then long-staple or pima cotton are phrases to look out for.
Wedge said that holes appearing in wool or cashmere may mean that you have a different problem on your hands.
Clothes moths and carpet beetles are both common in New Zealand, and a favourite food of their larvae is keratin.
Keratin is a protein that is found in clothes made from animal fibres – your hair and nails are made from it too.
Holes in cotton or synthetic garments are unlikely to be caused by insects, but Wedge says that they are known to chew through those to get to wool on the other side.
If you are noticing holes pop up in your merino, or anything blended with an animal fibre, it might be worth looking into insect treatment options.
Rather than buying a new shirt, or relegating your favourite to the pyjama pile when it develops a tiny hole or two, you may want to look into fixing it.
A small hole should be easy to mend inconspicuously with a needle and some thread that matches the colour of your t-shirt.
Alternately, Wedge suggests visible mending as an option. Holes can be covered with patches, contrasting fabrics, or embroidered details to turn a flaw into a unique detail.
If you want to go down the professional route, Do puts the cost of fixing a small hole between $15 to $50, depending on the size of the hole and fabric of the garment.
With an estimated 180,000 tonnes of clothing and textile waste dumped in New Zealand each year, mending what you already own instead of buying something new may bring cost savings not just for you, but for the planet.
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