They look quite promising in the shop; and not entirely without hope when I get them back into my wardrobe. But then, when I put them on they tend to deteriorate with a very strange rapidity and one feels so sorry for them.

Summary

This quote implies that the speaker often has high expectations for clothes they see in shops. When they buy the items and return them to their wardrobe, there is some hope. However, disappointment comes when they actually try on the clothes as they quickly deteriorate or lose their appeal. The speaker feels empathy for the clothes as they fail to live up to their initial promise, suggesting a sense of sympathy for unfulfilled potential or unrealized expectations.