# Frack-a-Sackin @#$% Dress Shirt Labels!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frack-a-sackin-dress-shirt-labels/165860
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [April 2, 2003, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frack-a-sackin-dress-shirt-labels/165860 "2003-04-02T02:13:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frack-a-sackin-dress-shirt-labels/165860/1 "2003-04-02T02:13:55Z")
Why is it that they have to make the label out of some synthetic material whose cut edges resemble nothing more than a miniature hacksaw blade? I have even seen some that are stiched in with FISHING LINE! I just sat through a one hour meeting with a shirt label torturing my flesh the entire time.
Same thing goes for T-shirts as well. Most of them have scratchy labels too. Don’t the people who manufacture these consarned things ever WEAR THEM THEMSELVES? They should be forced to don one for an entire working day before EVER being allowed to market them.
I’ve even seen advertisements for Haynes T-shirts that specifically DO NOT have scratchy labels. Doesn’t this send out a Great Big Old Warning[sup]©[/sup] to all the manufacturers? Who are these clothing designers and why can’t I pummel them into unconsciousness with an overstarched sock?
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### Author:  [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frack-a-sackin-dress-shirt-labels/165860/2 "2003-04-02T02:21:58Z")
I know EXACTLY what you mean, and I agree completely! Every shirt I own has a small horizontal tear at the neck that was the end result of a three-to-five hour itchy dance. Someone who loves me finally bought me a seam ripper.
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### Author:  [@SouthernSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SouthernSky)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frack-a-sackin-dress-shirt-labels/165860/3 "2003-04-02T03:34:33Z")
You think men’s dress shirts are bad??? Try being a woman. Panty manufacturers put a label with razor edges in the back elastic. You’re walking down the street, life is good, then “EEEEPPPP!!!” it stabs you in the crack. Some clothing manufacturers play hide and seek with the labels. If it isn’t making hamburger of your neck, it’s hidden on a side seam and takes a swipe at you when you least expect it. The labels in a bra will often reach up and tickle your armpit.
I hate them with a passion.
When I’m crowned “queen of the world”, all clothing labels will be eliminated, and all drivers will be issued paintball guns (but that’s for another thread).
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### Author:  [@Lwaxana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lwaxana)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frack-a-sackin-dress-shirt-labels/165860/4 "2003-04-02T04:18:50Z")
> [@](#):
>
> When I’m crowned “queen of the world”, all clothing labels will be eliminated, and all drivers will be issued paintball guns (but that’s for another thread).
Can I have lead paint?
On top of the itch, they are forever hanging out over the shirt (on tee’s that is) Nothing bothers me more than seeing a tag sticking out of a shirt (except for the dolts that put sweatshirts on inside out so the design dosen’t show:rolleyes: )
I am always going up to strangers and tucking the tag in, I just tell them that their “price” was showing
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### Author:  [@trupa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trupa)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frack-a-sackin-dress-shirt-labels/165860/5 "2003-04-02T04:37:37Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by SouthernSky \*
> \*\*You think men’s dress shirts are bad??? Try being a woman. Panty manufacturers put a label with razor edges in the back elastic. You’re walking down the street, life is good, then “EEEEPPPP!!!” it stabs you in the crack. Some clothing manufacturers play hide and seek with the labels. If it isn’t making hamburger of your neck, it’s hidden on a side seam and takes a swipe at you when you least expect it. The labels in a bra will often reach up and tickle your armpit.
>
> I hate them with a passion.
>
> \*\*
[possible hijack]
Oh my, that was funny! I do sympathise with you **SouthernSky** ; although I’m a guy, I can’t believe how uncomfortable a lot of the women’s clothes I see seem whan I tag along shopping with Mrs Tupa. How can you gals put up some of these itching powder / sandpaper fabrics?? These piano wire straps?
Not to mention the complete lack of pockets…
Thank God I can wear men’s clothes.
[/possible hijack]
oh and **Zenster** , the seam ripper is definitely the way to go… Much better than the small blade on my swiss army knife, which had cut a few collars in its day.:o They’re also great for removing all those ^$#^!((# tags that the stores seem to hot rivet onto everything nowadays…
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### Author:  [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frack-a-sackin-dress-shirt-labels/165860/6 "2003-04-02T06:16:23Z")
“Frack-a-Sackin”! That’s pretty funny.
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### Author:  [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frack-a-sackin-dress-shirt-labels/165860/7 "2003-04-02T13:45:05Z")
I’m with you folks all the way here. When I buy new T-shirts, I cut out the tags immediately. (Makes it hard to figure out which brands turn out to be more comfortable and hold up better over time, though, which is a nuisance.) Since I always wear T-shirts under dress shirts, the dress shirt tags aren’t a problem.
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### Author:  [@little\_bit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/little_bit)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frack-a-sackin-dress-shirt-labels/165860/8 "2003-04-02T15:01:56Z")
I remove every tag that makes it into my house. T-shirts, sweaters, undies, pants, pillows, matresses. I keep a Sharpie Permanent Marker on hand to mark the seam on shirts so I don’t have to do that “hold it up by the shoulder seams to find the front” deal.
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### Author:  [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frack-a-sackin-dress-shirt-labels/165860/9 "2003-04-02T15:28:19Z")
One of the T-Shirt manufacturers (I know which one, but if I’m going to shill, I want to get paid for it!) is now marketing T-shirts with a label printed on, rather than a tag.
Not a bad idea, although I always find it amusing when companies tout minor enhancements as the Second Coming.
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### Author:  [@birdgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/birdgirl)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frack-a-sackin-dress-shirt-labels/165860/10 "2003-04-02T22:30:40Z")
I, too, cut out all shirt labels as soon as I get the shirt home. It’s almost an obsession–I will not wear a shirt unless the label is cut out. I have a fine-point seam ripper and a pair of very sharp embroidery scissors that do the job well. I will snip the threads that hold the label on, then pick out the remaining threads with tweezers. Unless of course the label is sewen into the seam, in which case I just cut very close to the seam with the embroidery scissors.
What I really HATE is when I see women wearing sheer fabrics, or white blouses, where you can see the label showing through the fabric. For example, a black sheer top or lace or crocheted top, with the white label showing through the fabric. Hello?!?! That looks sooooo bad!
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### Author:  [@birdgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/birdgirl)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frack-a-sackin-dress-shirt-labels/165860/11 "2003-04-02T22:35:42Z")
That reminds me of another obesession I have, that maybe could be it’s own thread. Not only do I cut out labels before I will wear a garment, I MUST wash a garment first before wearing it. This is for several reasons: First, in the store it was probaby tried on by many other people who got their body grime/funk over the garment. Second, I find that you have to wash a garment to get rid of that store/factory smell and the “crispness” or rigidity of the fabric, to soften it up. Thirdly, when a garment has been hanging on a hanger in the store for a long time, the shoulders of a shirt will get “puckers,” or areas when the fabric gets stretched out of shape by the hanger. Washing gets rid of these.
This sometimes causes headaches because if I go to the store and get a cute outfit and want to wear it that evening, I can’t unless I have time to wash and dry it. Anyone else do this?
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### Author:  [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frack-a-sackin-dress-shirt-labels/165860/12 "2003-04-02T22:41:43Z")
> [@](#):
>
> _Originally posted by little_bit \*
> I remove every tag that makes it into my house. T-shirts, sweaters, undies, pants, pillows, **matresses** …
[sup]EMPHASIS ADDED[/sup]
You realize, of course, that the matress police are heading to your house even as I type this?
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### Author:  [@jlsmith57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jlsmith57)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frack-a-sackin-dress-shirt-labels/165860/13 "2003-04-02T23:42:58Z")
This is one of my pet peeves too. I especially hate when they are sewn into the seam and you can’t use the seam ripper to get them out. You would think the manufacturers would get a clue!
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### Author:  [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2003, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frack-a-sackin-dress-shirt-labels/165860/14 "2003-04-03T00:28:35Z")
You’ll pardon my ignorance, but what’s a seam ripper?
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### Author:  [@BelZarak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BelZarak)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2003, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frack-a-sackin-dress-shirt-labels/165860/15 "2003-04-03T02:41:59Z")
[Seam rippers](http://www.sewfunseweasy.com/s_ripper.htm) are used to remove the threads from a sewn seam. They are especially useful for splitting seams that have been surged rather than normally sewn.
My wife sews costumes, thus I’ve picked up a bit of random information.
-Belz