Pilling

Pilling happens when individual fibers break free of the yarn, tangle with neighboring fibers, and form small fuzzy balls on the fabric surface. It's most visible on knits (sweaters, sweatshirts, tees) and most concentrated where friction is highest — under the arms, at the hem where a bag rubs, on the inside of the thighs.

The contributing factors: short staple length (cheap cotton), loose yarn twist (cheaper to spin), low yarn count (fewer fibers per yarn = more loose ends), and synthetic blends (synthetic fibers don't break down the way natural fibers do, so the pills don't shed away naturally).

What doesn't cause pilling, despite what the internet thinks: washing at high temperature, using harsh detergent, or wearing the same garment too often. Friction is the universal factor.

Quality signals: extra-long staple cotton (Pima, Supima, Sea Island, Egyptian), tightly-twisted yarns, high yarn counts, and natural-fiber-only construction all reduce pilling significantly. A premium sweater or tee should be largely pill-free for the first year. If a brand-new piece pills in the first wash, that's a real signal about the underlying yarn quality.

Care: a fabric shaver (Conair, Gleener) safely removes pills without damaging the underlying fabric. Wool sweaters benefit from a session every 6 months; tees rarely need it.