Why Do T-Shirts Get Holes Near the Hem and Belly?

October 22, 2026 C.B. Shaw

Why do T-shirts get little holes near the hem and belly? Friction. The front of your shirt rubs against belt buckles, jean buttons and hard edges like counters, over and over, until the fibers give up. Carolyn Forte, then director of textiles at the Good Housekeeping Institute, told The Outline (2019) that “anything that abrades against the fabric” can wear it through, especially thin fabric. She added that cotton knits are more prone than tightly woven fabrics, that lower-quality fibers make weaker yarn, and that washing and drying can create weak spots. It isn't mysterious, and moths are not the usual suspect. Think of it as a slow, patient sandpaper job, done by your own belt.

Here's what the sources say, what's still just rumor, how to fix a hole, and a lovely bit of history about mending from Japan.

What the sources say causes the holes

Belts and waistbands. Bayard Winthrop, CEO of American Giant, told TODAY (2016) that repeated friction against belts deteriorates the fabric. He also blames cheaper materials and construction and recommends long-fiber cotton. That's an apparel maker's opinion, not a lab test, but it matches what everyone else says.
Hardware and hard edges. The Wardrobe Oxygen blog lists jeans buttons, rivets, zippers, counters, standing desks, heavy bags and seatbelts, plus thin, trendy knits. No studies behind it, but the logic holds up: anything hard that your shirt meets a thousand times a month is a suspect.
Thin or low-quality jersey. All three sources agree thin fabric goes first. Nobody has put a number on how heavy is heavy enough. For the weight side of this, see what GSM means and whether heavier T-shirts last longer.

What's rumor

Claim	Verdict
Moths cause belly holes	Unproven, and probably false for the classic belly-line pattern. The Outline called these “non-moth holes.”
The washing machine causes them	Unproven as the main cause. Forte says washing and drying can weaken spots, but friction is the driver.
Body heat speeds the damage	One blogger's theory.
“Short cotton fibers from multiple harvests”	From a Facebook page owner. The Outline said it was hard to fact-check, so we'll leave it where we found it.
“Only cheap shirts get them”	Partly true. Thin, lower-quality jersey fails sooner, but even decent shirts wear where hardware hits.

How to prevent them

All of this is from one blog (Wardrobe Oxygen), so it's practical advice, not tested science: tuck the shirt in, even a half tuck. Use a belt with a smooth buckle, or no metal at all. Use button covers. Pull-on pants with no hardware also help. For general tips on choosing shirts that last, see how to tell if a T-shirt is good quality.

How to mend a hole

Stop washing it first, because washing can make the hole bigger. Wardrobe Oxygen describes two approaches: an iron-on fusible web with a lightweight knit stabilizer, pressed with a damp cloth (not great for sheer knits), or hand darning with a thin needle and matching, non-shiny thread. That's blog-level advice, since we couldn't find an extension or museum guide for it, but both methods are old and honest.

A history lesson: boro

Here's the part we like. Boro means “rags” in Japanese. PieceWork magazine, describing the International Quilt Museum exhibit curated by Dr. Yoshiko I. Wada, says boro dates to Edo-period rural Japan, when cotton was costly. Worn garments were repaired with simple running stitches in layers and handed down, tied to the idea of mottainai, regret over waste. Most exhibited pieces date from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A hole in your tee is the same problem people were solving generations ago, and visible repair has a long, respectable history. Patch it like you meant it.

Hem hole myths, graded

“Moths did it.” Unproven, probably false.
“Friction from belts and counters.” Supported by multiple sources, though none are lab studies.
“The washer eats the shirt.” Unproven as the main cause.
“Only cheap shirts.” Partly true.