Has Fech lost it?

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by Dakota

Nah... they just fade. I use a very mild detergent, wash in cold water, triple rinse in cold water. They just fade.

Besides, if the dye is all that touchy to ordinary laundry practices, it is their (the manufactuer's) fault.

I say it is the heather gray color - it just does not stand up more than a couple of years to constant exposure to the sun. Most dress slacks don't have such constant exposure to the sun as part of the expected use. Neither do most other uniforms that Fech specializes in (USPS, e.g.). Umpire uniforms are in the sun when being worn for their expected use. Either the manufacturers don't use a sun tolerant dye (too expensive?), or heather gray is a inappropriate color choice for such use.

Whatever, it fades. I was just wondering if the darker gray is more sun tolerant.

Do you have dry cleaning in Minn. ?

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by CecilOne

Do you have dry cleaning in Minn. ?

Depends on how close the rock is to the creek

[Dakota]

Yeah, like I'm going to run to the dry cleaner every time my uniform needs laundering... If heather gray requires dry cleaning to not fade, yet another reason to change color.

[BretMan]

It seems like something "fading" (ie: getting lighter in shade) would be completely different than "changing colors" (ie: going from grey to pink).

I wonder....

How many of you work high school ball, where the required shirt is navy blue with a RED t-shirt? How many times have you thrown all your umpire clothes in the wash together, heather grey pants along with red t-shirts?

Might this explain why some folks report no problem with pink pants? Perhaps they do not routinely mix the colors together.

[Dakota]

None of my umpire unis are red; My Honig's plate pants faded to an almost brownish color, not actually, literally pink. My Fech's are fading to a more graceful light gray, but whatever, they no longer look the best, and in another year or so will likely tend toward the brownish color, too.

The effect of sun (UV?) on dye is not a pure lightening effect, but frequently has a yellowing effect.

[shipwreck]

BretMan, even if your theory had some validity to it, that wouldn't explain why the area where your belt covers stays normal color, unless you wash your pants with your belt still in place. Dave

[Chess Ref]

How long are we expecting these pants to last/ not fade ?

[Skahtboi]

Originally Posted by BretMan

It seems like something "fading" (ie: getting lighter in shade) would be completely different than "changing colors" (ie: going from grey to pink).

I wonder....

How many of you work high school ball, where the required shirt is navy blue with a RED t-shirt? How many times have you thrown all your umpire clothes in the wash together, heather grey pants along with red t-shirts?

Might this explain why some folks report no problem with pink pants? Perhaps they do not routinely mix the colors together.

Why would you wear a red t-shirt with a navy blue uni shirt? (Must be a baseball thing.) Whenever we wear navy blue unis, we are supposed to wear a navy blue undershirt.

I never wash the shirts with the pants when I was my unis. Don't want the micromesh getting picked by the sewn in shirt grabber thingy or the metal that is on the pants.

[BretMan]

Originally Posted by Skahtboi

Why would you wear a red t-shirt with a navy blue uni shirt?

Because it is the required undergarment color of my state high school association. Other than that, I can't think of any good reason!

I realize this will vary from state-to-state, or from one association to the other. But I presented this as possible theory of why a lighter colored fabric might take on a "pinkish" tint.

By the way, you're talking to a guy that just got done sewing all new light blue buttons on two different shirts where the original buttons turned that hideous pink/purple color.

Another experiment I might attempt is to try dying a faded pair of heather grey pants, either to restore the heather color or to match the new darker shade or grey. I definitely will be using an old pair of pants I don't wear anymore as my "guinea pig"!

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by BretMan

...Another experiment I might attempt is to try dying a faded pair of heather grey pants, either to restore the heather color or to match the new darker shade or grey. I definitely will be using an old pair of pants I don't wear anymore as my "guinea pig"!

Let me know if that works to a passable approximation of official heather gray. If you can make this work, I might try it, too. My Fech's still look good, except for the color.

[kcg NC2Ablu]

the fech pants are way better for color and lasting no matter how many times you wash they dont fade nearly as much as other brands. I have worn honigs, dalco, cliff keen, sansabelt, gerry davis, and fecheimer and the color and wear on the fecheimer pants is far superior to these brands. The sizing does blow but other than that ... I love those pants.