Some children's pants have double layers of fabric on the knee

Tag : Reinforcement Fabric
Not all hand-me-downs are created equal. Clothes of a higherquality and timeless style will likely fare better than trendyfast-fashion items.
Michele Casper, spokeswoman for Lands' End, offers tips forchoosing new clothes that have potential to be worn by many wearersfor many years:
-Look for durable construction, especially on the knees, elbows andshoulders. Some children's pants - especially boys' pants - havedouble layers of fabric on the knee.
Double-stitched seams should mean fewer rips or pulls, and somegarments are "bar tacked," meaning a reinforcement ofstitching on pressure points, especially on shoulder seams wherethe sleeve connects to the rest of the body.
-Adjustable waistbands allow for more flexibility in sizing.
-Outerwear is a popular hand-me-down, Casper reports. Waterprooffabrics and especially those with dry-off finishes tend to have alonger life because water, which can break down fabric over time,doesn't sit on the garment.
-Garment-washed knits are washed during the manufacturing process,which should cut down on shrinkage.
-Blue is one of the safest color choices because both boys andgirls like it, and stripes are a gender-neutral detail, Caspersays.
-Don't hand down shoes because each shoe conforms to the foot shapeof the original wearer.