Loving your clothes

Clothes need love too, that is why they have that little piece of fabric with writing at the back, side, etc.  No its not a factory malfunction; is is advise on how to best treat your garment; allowing it to look at its best for longer. Here is a simple list of clothing maintenance for the ones lazy to read the label:

1. You need the right equipment.  These include a washing machine/washing hands; the right soap (auto/hand wash clothes washing powder); a clothing line, pegs, an iron, an ironing board, hangers, closet, and washing basket.  These are simple items most households have; but most people omit some of these. 

2.  You need to know how to use these equipment property; and practise these actions properly.  Some materials shouldn't be in water for too long (e.g dyed cottons); some should not be ironed (printed areas), some should not be tumble dryed (wool), and there are different levels of ironing heats for different types of fabrics. 

3.  You need to have your coats/suits dry cleaned.  Please do not try to wash these yourself in the washing machine/bath tub.  You will destroy the coat; and will struggle to correct this mistake.  Also this should be done regularly; not once a year for winter's sake!

4.  Clothes don't need extreme sun for 12 hours.  If you cannot stand in the sun for 12hours; neither can fabrics.  They only need the right amount of heat; and only until they are dry.  Leaving them on the line will destroy the colour (sun or rain damage); and the shape (pulling of the pegs and strength of gravity).  I also am not a fan of the tumble dryer; go green...hang them outside.

5.  You need to iron/press your clothes.  A function I do not love but very important.  Ironing sets the shape, kills germs, and gives you a 'i know what I'm doing' look.  If the iron has black marks on the bottom...buy a new one.  The iron should have a steaming function; which should be used at most times.

6.  You should probably was your clothes regularly; especially before ironing them(don't forget to dry them before ironing!).  In summer after 1 wear; the dress will start smelling like you after a marathon.  Do not wash them every day/week; just every 2 weeks maybe.  Don't forget to add softener; they feel good afterwards and smell fresh too.

7.  Don't abuse your clothes.  Do not wear heels for a jog; do not dance in the rain in your faux leather pumps, do not borrow your size34 jacket to your size38 friend, etc. You will be arrested for domestic abuse.

8.  Do have your clothes altered, tailored and mended.  A hole in a garment is a sign of negligence.  There is no need to look like you are poor if you are not.  If it is too long; too wide; get them altered to fit; if they are too tight, too short...don't wear it!

9.  Give away.  If you haven't worn it for a year (most extreme); you don't need it.  Give it away.  If you buy more, give something away.  This will keep your wardrobe up to date, not stale looking/smelling, and will put a smile on someone else.

10.  Do not sleep in your clothes.  Never. This includes your bras girls.  All you are doing is stretching them; decreasing their lifespan.  Buy pyjamas if you must; and sleeping bra (if they exist);  or just go commando at night; its cleaner for your sheets too.

Ta,
Brigette

Back to Corporate

As we return to work, some of us are at the risk of receiving a talking to for the state of our attire in our place of work.  I for one have been in this situation on more occasions than I care to remember.  I have fears of moulding into a dream corporate employee, therefore dreading January’s ‘back to work’ theme.  So I am still wearing my sunglasses and have Oskido’s ‘Tsa Mandebele’ blasting out of my car all the way to the office parking lot.

The energy that envelopes us as the 1^st of December hits every year is like a slow drug.   We all settle into a relaxed mood starting from the time we wake up, to the food we consume and to what we wear.  December is famous for heat;  therefore the less fabric we have on our bodies; and the more festive, colourful, and creative we are, the better.  Unfortunately as with most things in life, December ends too. With a bang.  This bang should actually be the announcement of prude January’s arrival; but we take it as the celebration of the previous year; only planning to say goodbye to December in mid January…or May!

In the 6 days that I have been at the office in the lovely new 2013, I have realised I have nothing appropriate to wear to work.  Every morning is a mini fashion show of my spring/summer weekend inspired clothes.  Most of the time they are too short or too tight for the office; and sometimes just do not fit thanks to December.  I tried borrowing some items from my winter stash, but the January weather is having none of that.

The good news is fashion doesn’t die just because December leaves us; and there are ways to survive January at the workplace.  The core items for office work are: Women – formal pants, pencil skirts, shirts, formal jacket, smart dresses and smart shoes; Men – lots of formal pants, lots of shirts.  This list gives me boredom palpitations.   I, of course, do not own any of these; well at least not in the colours/styles defined as corporate.  At this point I kind of envy the men; 2 simple items work for many of life’s events.

The above can be accessorized of course.  The most important fact of fashion right now is colour and print: stripes, polka dots, green, electric blue, the tangerine/coral family seem to be trending high with the ladies lately.  But most important, and the only way to fool your colleagues, is your accessories, shoes and the combinations of your pieces.  It is very possible to wear the same skirt twice in one week without them realizing (unless you work for a core fashion driven house!).  By simply changing the other items like shoes, neckpiece, belt, earrings, headscarf, blouse, etc you could overcome corporate culture.  This is quite handy right now as we know January is not the wealth month at all.

So smile, zip those black pants, strap on the electric blue kitten heels, don the coral earrings and keep the volume on your radio really low as you park next to your boss!

Brigette