How Often Should You Replace Your Underwear and Vests?

Innerwear works harder than anything else in your wardrobe: worn all day, washed constantly. Here is when to let it go.

The signs

• The waistband has lost its grip or rolls over.
• The neckline of your vest curls or has stretched open.
• Thin patches, holes or pilling appear.
• Whites stay grey or yellow after washing.
• It no longer feels comfortable.

How long it lasts

With a fair rotation — seven to ten pieces worn in turn — good cotton innerwear usually looks and feels right for six months to a year. Buying in packs keeps the rotation even, so pieces wear out together and you replace them together.

Make it last longer

1. Wash cold or warm, never hot.
2. Skip bleach; it weakens cotton fibres.
3. Dry in shade — strong sun yellows whites and hardens elastic.
4. Do not iron elastic waistbands.

A simple rule

New year, new drawer — and again mid-year, before summer. A pack of six vests and six underwear covers the whole cycle.

See The Gentleman's Reserve