Before you declare war on some unknown mystery insect that likes cotton take a minute to read this. This may save you a lot of money and aggravation pursuing a mystery bug that may not exist.
From time to time we see small pinholes or broken yarn areas with the yarn frayed outward as if it was pushed from the backside to the front. This can show up in random areas around the garment. In blue oxford, it may appear as white spots where the thin blue yarns are missing and the thicker white yarns remain.
Oxford cloth is woven with two very thin warp yarn over one much thicker filler yarn. This is a very popular fabric, but the unbalance of the weave construction causes a lot of strain on the thin warp yarns. Normal stress and abrasion in wear can weaken these yarns. As the garment ages the mechanical action involved in any type of cleaning can cause the already weakened thin yarns to fray or break.
The unfortunate thing is that the owner of the shirt or the person laundering the shirt cannot prevent this type of damage. The unbalanced weave is a natural characteristic of oxford cloth. However, some manufacturers can use heavier or higher twist-warp yarns that may prolong the life of the garment.
In relatively new garments, the manufacturer must be held responsible, since the damage is due to the weave and strength of the cloth.
Unfortunately, in this instance there is no happy ending, however, a once of knowledge can save you a whole lot of aggravation.
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