How To Take Care Of Your Clothes, To Make Them Last Longer
Twice a year I do a seasonal closet detox, I believe that keeping excess stuff can really affect your mood and your energy. It’s like holding on to old emotional baggage. I kid you not that whenever I detox my closet or home, I receive a ton of new opportunities that probably would have never come if I held on to “stuff”. If you want the complete spill on how I detox my wardrobe refer back to this post “here”
Today I wanted to talk to you about caring for the items you have in your wardrobe! This post is going to be so helpful for you if you find that you are always too busy to shop. Caring for your clothes really allows you to get the most out of your money, but saves time when it comes to frequent unnecessary shopping trips.
When you do a closet cleanse you may find that there are some items that you would love to keep but you aren’t sure how to revive them or you aren’t sure why a ton of your clothes never la
Count The Cost
I’m gonna first advise you to invest in quality pieces! The price of quality pieces varies based on your budget. When you shop for quality pieces be sure to invest in the items that you know you wear frequently! This is where most mess up. Investing in trendy items may not always be a good idea because you’re probably only going to wear them a few times. But something that you know that you will wear multiple times such as your coat or jacket is a great investment. You can also shop at consignment shops and thrift stores for quality pieces as well. Some of my favorites can’t live without quality items are from the thrift store.
When shopping I recommend using the cost-per-wear method. Cost per wear is simply taking the price of the item and dividing it by the number of times you will be able to or will wear it. Spending $100 on a top that is low quality and you will be only wearing it twice may not be a good idea. Imagine buying a top priced at $100 and being able to wear it over 50 times! This goes for lower-priced items as well, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wasted $5 on a pair of leggings only to have to replace them every three months. I’ve purchased good high-quality Nike leggings and they are still in good standing I’ve worn them more than once.
Alter Your Clothes
Many of you know that I got my career started when I majored in Fashion Design! Surprisingly, this degree helps me extremely well when it comes to styling my clients. Knowing what type of alterations to get is important. The items that you love the most are your favorite because they fit you properly. Imagine that dress hanging in your closet finally being able to fit you properly? With the right alterations, this will help you “count the cost” but also will allow you to really create a wardrobe that you love. If you recently lost weight, but still want to hold onto your once favorite jeans, take them to a seamstress and get them altered. If you’re into DIY then log onto Youtube and learn the basic alterations that you would need to tailor your clothing.
Proper Laundry
When I was in middle school one of our requirements was taking a homed class. In this class, we learned the basic skills for maintaining a home whether that was learning how to read a recipe, tailor your clothes or properly doing laundry. Honestly, I’m not sure if that class still exists. But to be honest, with the way the clothing industry is now most, items are not created to last but simply to tossed away every few months. If you want to make the most out of your washes here are some simple ways you can properly sort your clothes.
Should I Use Gentle Or Cold?
Anything that you consider delicate such as your sexy and fancy lingerie underwear, bras, and slips should be placed in a gentle or cold cycle. If you have any of those lacy bralettes it’s best to toss them into a Gentle and cold wash as well, so they won't get tangled in the mix with your jeans and other heavy-duty pieces. Coldwater puts less stress on the fibers which helps these items to not pill or fray while still implementing the count the cost .
Darks
Your darks are gonna be for your heavy-duty stuff! Like your oversized hoodies, maybe some of your workout gear, jeans or anything with heavy dye! Washing your jeans with your whites or delicates is a no-go. Especially if your jeans are brand new! To be honest, I don’t was my new jeans. It's really a personal decision. But if you must be aware that when you do wash them depending on how dark the wash is that some of the dye will definitely transfer and you don’t have all of your clothes the same color.
How To Wash Bright-Colored Clothes
I do not own anything that is super bright! But if you do such as yellow read etc. Be sure to not mix up your whites with these. Simply because the dye will definitely transfer. I like to think that you can wash your bright primary colors together if they are colorfast. I recommend using this product (here) to catch any excess color.
How To Wash White Clothes
Of course, this should be the easiest one to wash! Always separate your whites, your white underwear, your white t-shirts, tops, etc. You can simply wash your whites in warm water to ensure that all of the dirt is coming out! Now if your whites are delicate, consider combining them together and placing them on a delicate cycle as well.
