So, what's with those itchy, scratchy labels that bite you in the neck, prick you at the waist, and rage ravage on your fly?

Gone, for the most part, are days of silky designer labels, gently crossed-stitched into a garment so delicately that you almost shed a tear when one of its tiny threads begins to dishevel.

In its place are labels with sharp, jutting fangs that Nosferatu would envy.

Why did a classic black dress turn into a film noir classic?

Penny pinching!

The apparel industry uses less expensive polyester material for 75% to 80% of all labels found in mass-market stores, reports The Wall Street Journal*.

About five years ago, the WSJ cover story continues, the apparel industry moved to machinery that uses a hot wire to slice the polyester labels off the loom by melting its edges which, when cooled, congeal into an abrasive ridge. The process is akin to torching plastic”ouch! Then, of course, let's not forget the issue with plastic thread.

Let's hope for the return of quality workmanship!

* The Wall Street Journal, December 27, 2001
-January 2, 2002