Small holes clustered near the bottom hem of a t-shirt look like a fabric flaw, but the actual cause is almost always mechanical friction against something else — most often a belt buckle, jean rivet, backpack clip, or a rough edge on furniture the shirt rubs against repeatedly.
The most common culprit: hardware, not the fabric
Jeans with metal rivets or a belt buckle sit directly against the hem of an untucked shirt all day. Every bit of movement — sitting, walking, reaching — creates small amounts of repeated friction right at that contact point. Over weeks, that friction wears through individual fibers before it wears through the fabric as a whole, which is why the holes tend to be small, and clustered right at hem height.
Other common friction points
Why it’s usually not a print or fabric defect
If holes are showing up at a consistent height near the hem rather than randomly across the shirt, that pattern itself is the clue — a true fabric weakness or manufacturing flaw wouldn’t concentrate in one specific, repeatable location. Friction from an external object is a much more common explanation than the fabric itself failing.
How to reduce it
- Turn shirts inside out for washing (also protects any printed graphic — see Stop the Peel)
- Wash separately from anything with exposed zippers, hooks, or hardware
- If a specific pair of jeans or a specific bag is the repeat offender, that’s worth noticing — sometimes the fix is smaller than a new shirt
Common questions
It’s almost always friction from something rubbing against that exact spot repeatedly — a belt buckle, jean rivets, or a backpack clip are the most common culprits, not a fabric defect.
Not necessarily. A consistent, repeatable location for the damage points to an external friction source rather than a weakness in the fabric itself, which would be more likely to show up randomly.
It can contribute, especially if a shirt is washed in the same load as items with exposed zippers, hooks, or other hardware. Washing separately from hardware-heavy items and turning shirts inside out both help reduce this.
Read more about how we choose fabric in Our Approach, or check the FAQ for care details specific to our tees.