Somehow through the last few decades every day appearance has fallen to something that doesn't seem very important to many people. You will see people on the street with ratty pant hems, buttons falling off, dirty overcoats and wrinkly clothes (and these are the adults).
You can't blame teenagers for looking like a mess if that's how their parents look when leaving the house.
You spend good money on clothes so make sure that they continue to look good every time you wear them. Your clothes don't have to cost a million for you to look like a million.
There are things that you should do every day to make sure that your clothes don't fall into disrepair.
Look at them when you take them off. Don't just throw your clothes into the laundry basket or worse (gasp) onto the floor. Give them a quick check that there are not any stains from food or perspiration, or rips in your clothes and that the hems of pants and skirts are in good order. It's better to spot small problems before they ruin your garments. If something needs to be repaired then do it as soon as possible. Either set it aside and do all your repairs once a week or do it immediately before you forget and put it in the laundry. You know your personality best and which of these you will actually do.
Learn how to use a needle and thread. You have to know how to make minor repairs like sewing on a button and mending a hem. Thread and needles are things that you can look for at garage sales and thrift stores but make sure that you are buying modern thread as vintage and antique thread were not very well made. If you are going to buy needles and thread at a fabric shop then buy a mixed package of needles as you will need different types to do different jobs and start by buying black and white thread and add what colours you need latter.
Know when you should wash your clothes and when they just need to be spot cleaned or brushed. There are spot cleaners that you can carry with you for emergencies but if you are finding that you are constantly using them then maybe you should examine why you are so messy. Some clothes like white shirts can only be worn once before they need to be put in the laundry but skirts can be worn a few times before they need cleaning. If you see a small stain after you have worn it try to figure out what it is before you try to clean it. Different cleaner work on oily stains and food stains. Always check for perspiration stains and stains around the collar and use stain treatment.
If your white clothes are looking dingy you might be using too much detergent and it is not rinsing out or you might be mixing the types of fabrics that you are washing and they are transferring to each other. There are detergents that will brighten your whites but read them carefully and follow the washing instructions.
Washing is very hard on your clothes and you absolutely need to make sure that you are using the correct temperature and detergents to wash your clothes. There is a reason that the little tags in your clothes say things like "Wash with similar fabrics" When you mix cottons with synthetics the cottons can get dull and the synthetics can pick up all the fluff from the cotton.
Use the dryer as little as possible. The heat of the dryer is very damaging to fabric. The heat weakens the fiber and elastics and can even melt cheap plastic zippers and closures. If you hang your clothes on solid plastic hangers and put them to dry they will not get damaged by the dryer but also they will dry with less wrinkles and be easier to iron.
Iron your clothes. It will make a huge difference on how they look. But you have to iron them properly. You should almost always put a clean cotton cloth over the clothes that you are ironing. Many clothes will get a shiny look to them if heat is applied directly to them as (once again) the heat can damage them. You want to select the correct setting on your iron for the correct fabric. Ironing will also help you spot any small problems (like weak thread in a seam) before they become big problems when you wear them (like a seam ripping). Never iron dirty clothes as the heat of the iron will set any dirt and stains into the clothes permanently.
You should have a clothes brush in your closet and by your front door so you can use it as you come into the house and as you are leaving the house. Giving your clothes a brushing can brighten them up by removing any hairs, flakes and fluff that you come into contact over the day. You should especially brush your outerwear if it is made of cloth. The brushing will pick up the nap so it will continue to look brand new. If you can try to find a soft bristled clothing brush as they are very good on wool clothes.
If you are buying leather or suede coats and jackets then make sure that you spend the extra money and get the protective spray and use it. These sprays make a huge difference on how your leather and suede will repel water and dirt. There are also specialty cleaners that you can buy for suede and leather to clean up dirt smudges and scuffs. Keep the hanger that these clothes come on since they will keep the shoulders in shape.
You should have all your clothes on the proper type of hangers. Heavy wood hangers were made for heavy coats and will keep the shape of the garment. Wire hangers can leave odd creases in your clothes, so buy plastic hangers with the rounded edge. Your pants should be on proper pant hangers. Good hangers can be expensive to buy but you will see them occasionally at big box stores and you can keep your eyes open for them at garage sale and thrift stores. Remember that these hangers will last for years.
Shoes and boots need to be cleaned after every time that you wear them. This doesn't mean a full polish but wipe them down with a designated cloth. You will spot rips, tears and scuffs before they ruin your footwear and you will have to get them repaired. Many shoes have cheap heels so you might have to get these repaired within the first few months of you wearing them, keep your eye out that the heel does not wear down so much that the shoe gets ruined. It is worth while to buy leather shoes as they are better for your feet and if taken care of very long lasting. Buy a matching polish for you footwear when you buy them and use leather sprays on them. Shoe trees are great for keeping the shape of your shoes so look for them at thrift stores where metal adjustable ones will sell for as little as $1. Let your leather shoes rest every few days so they will dry out from your foot perspiration and regain their shape using a shoe tree.
Finally make sure that you protect your clothes, there was a reason that grandma always wore an apron when she was cooking. It's wasteful to wear and ruin your good clothes when you are doing messy jobs because you can't be bothered to change.
While it might seem to take a lot of extra time to look after your clothes once you get into the habit it becomes second nature and will take no time at all. It's a lot easier and cheaper to take care of the clothes that you have then having to take the time and money to buy new ones.
Photography and Content
Copyright Ingrid Talpak 2009
Morestylethancash
Look at them when you take them off. Don't just throw your clothes into the laundry basket or worse (gasp) onto the floor. Give them a quick check that there are not any stains from food or perspiration, or rips in your clothes and that the hems of pants and skirts are in good order. It's better to spot small problems before they ruin your garments. If something needs to be repaired then do it as soon as possible. Either set it aside and do all your repairs once a week or do it immediately before you forget and put it in the laundry. You know your personality best and which of these you will actually do.
Learn how to use a needle and thread. You have to know how to make minor repairs like sewing on a button and mending a hem. Thread and needles are things that you can look for at garage sales and thrift stores but make sure that you are buying modern thread as vintage and antique thread were not very well made. If you are going to buy needles and thread at a fabric shop then buy a mixed package of needles as you will need different types to do different jobs and start by buying black and white thread and add what colours you need latter.
Know when you should wash your clothes and when they just need to be spot cleaned or brushed. There are spot cleaners that you can carry with you for emergencies but if you are finding that you are constantly using them then maybe you should examine why you are so messy. Some clothes like white shirts can only be worn once before they need to be put in the laundry but skirts can be worn a few times before they need cleaning. If you see a small stain after you have worn it try to figure out what it is before you try to clean it. Different cleaner work on oily stains and food stains. Always check for perspiration stains and stains around the collar and use stain treatment.
If your white clothes are looking dingy you might be using too much detergent and it is not rinsing out or you might be mixing the types of fabrics that you are washing and they are transferring to each other. There are detergents that will brighten your whites but read them carefully and follow the washing instructions.
Washing is very hard on your clothes and you absolutely need to make sure that you are using the correct temperature and detergents to wash your clothes. There is a reason that the little tags in your clothes say things like "Wash with similar fabrics" When you mix cottons with synthetics the cottons can get dull and the synthetics can pick up all the fluff from the cotton.
Use the dryer as little as possible. The heat of the dryer is very damaging to fabric. The heat weakens the fiber and elastics and can even melt cheap plastic zippers and closures. If you hang your clothes on solid plastic hangers and put them to dry they will not get damaged by the dryer but also they will dry with less wrinkles and be easier to iron.
Iron your clothes. It will make a huge difference on how they look. But you have to iron them properly. You should almost always put a clean cotton cloth over the clothes that you are ironing. Many clothes will get a shiny look to them if heat is applied directly to them as (once again) the heat can damage them. You want to select the correct setting on your iron for the correct fabric. Ironing will also help you spot any small problems (like weak thread in a seam) before they become big problems when you wear them (like a seam ripping). Never iron dirty clothes as the heat of the iron will set any dirt and stains into the clothes permanently.
You should have a clothes brush in your closet and by your front door so you can use it as you come into the house and as you are leaving the house. Giving your clothes a brushing can brighten them up by removing any hairs, flakes and fluff that you come into contact over the day. You should especially brush your outerwear if it is made of cloth. The brushing will pick up the nap so it will continue to look brand new. If you can try to find a soft bristled clothing brush as they are very good on wool clothes.
If you are buying leather or suede coats and jackets then make sure that you spend the extra money and get the protective spray and use it. These sprays make a huge difference on how your leather and suede will repel water and dirt. There are also specialty cleaners that you can buy for suede and leather to clean up dirt smudges and scuffs. Keep the hanger that these clothes come on since they will keep the shoulders in shape.
You should have all your clothes on the proper type of hangers. Heavy wood hangers were made for heavy coats and will keep the shape of the garment. Wire hangers can leave odd creases in your clothes, so buy plastic hangers with the rounded edge. Your pants should be on proper pant hangers. Good hangers can be expensive to buy but you will see them occasionally at big box stores and you can keep your eyes open for them at garage sale and thrift stores. Remember that these hangers will last for years.
Shoes and boots need to be cleaned after every time that you wear them. This doesn't mean a full polish but wipe them down with a designated cloth. You will spot rips, tears and scuffs before they ruin your footwear and you will have to get them repaired. Many shoes have cheap heels so you might have to get these repaired within the first few months of you wearing them, keep your eye out that the heel does not wear down so much that the shoe gets ruined. It is worth while to buy leather shoes as they are better for your feet and if taken care of very long lasting. Buy a matching polish for you footwear when you buy them and use leather sprays on them. Shoe trees are great for keeping the shape of your shoes so look for them at thrift stores where metal adjustable ones will sell for as little as $1. Let your leather shoes rest every few days so they will dry out from your foot perspiration and regain their shape using a shoe tree.
Finally make sure that you protect your clothes, there was a reason that grandma always wore an apron when she was cooking. It's wasteful to wear and ruin your good clothes when you are doing messy jobs because you can't be bothered to change.
While it might seem to take a lot of extra time to look after your clothes once you get into the habit it becomes second nature and will take no time at all. It's a lot easier and cheaper to take care of the clothes that you have then having to take the time and money to buy new ones.
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Photography and Content
Copyright Ingrid Talpak 2009
Morestylethancash
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