Black clothing tends to fade after several washes. That said, the best defense against fading black clothes starts at the store. The garments most likely to fade are usually made with a lower quality fabric or dye. When shopping for black clothing, look for care labels that use phrases signaling color bleeding like "Color Rubs Off" or "Wash Before Wear." Regardless of fabric, it's a good idea to wash your black clothing by itself the first time you launder, just to be safe.