Food for Thought: Care and Feeding of Your Wardrobe

Most of us put a lot of thought into what we wear and how an overall look "flows." (One of my coworkers aims for a look that flows as opposed to one that's coordinated. Coordination seems as if you're trying too hard. A look that flows comes across as more organic, more natural.) So, when you finally get your perfect wardrobe assembled, you want your pieces to last, right? I know I do.

With that goal in mind, I share advice - food for thought - from fashion designer Anne Fogarty.

Tips for keeping your wardrobe in tip top shape:

1. Air out clothes you've recently worn before returning to the closet. Hang on a shower rod in the bathroom for moisture from the bath to revive fabric and take out wrinkles. If inconvenient, hang on closet door overnight.
2. Don't put away a dirty sweater, thinking you'll get around to it in time. The longer dirt has a chance to settle in, the harder it is to get out.
3. Perk up angora and other fluffy knits with an overnight stay in the refrigerator. Put the item in a plastic bag before placing in the refrigerator.
4. Brush skirts after each wearing and check hooks, eyes, snaps, and buttons for prompt replacement. When they come off, the stress of your body movement on the fabric can distort its shape and make for shabbiness.
5. Hang skirts on a clamp-style skirt hanger, only one per hanger. Be sure the clamping mechanism is well covered so that it doesn't dig into the fabric.
6. Never store dresses on wire hangers from the dry cleaner. Use heavier hangers to support your clothes and hold their shape.
7. Keep pastel wools and silks in zippered garment bags to avoid fading from the sun.
8. Hang bare top dresses with the bodice folded inside out over the skirt. Clamp the waistband on a skirt hanger and sling loops around the hanger neck for additional support.

I know I've got some work to do - the dry cleaning from a couple of weeks ago is still hanging on wire hangers. How about you?

Got any tips for keeping your clothes looking new longer?

Ciao Bella!

Eden

 

Credits: Tips paraphrased from Chapter 5: The Care and Feeding of Your Wardrobe of Wife-Dressing by Anne Fogarty, c.1959. Illustration by Renee Forsyth, photographed by Eden Hensley Silverstein for A Timeless Affair.