Wardrobe Wise | Women Lifestyle, Fashion, Health, Beauty and Personality

Wardrobe Wise
Category : Women Lifestyle, Women Fashion, Women Beauty, Women Personality

Picture of Wardrobe Wise Image Just because we’re not up for the catwalk, doesn’t mean we can’t always look our best.
Those fashion spreads in glossy magazines may be lovely to look at, but for every person they inspire there’s another who sinks into gloom Not only are the models improbably slender and depressingly pretty, they’re also so unbelievably well-groomed. For real-world people whose wardrobes consist of a mishmash of mostly chain-store purchases that are usually snowing fair signs of wear (washed-out colours, stretched cuffs and stains in al the wrong places), replicating those high-fashion looks appears an impossible dream.

But while we may never look like fashion models - or own their wardrobes there are plenty of things we ordinary folk do to keep ourselves looking smart. Stylists those invisible magicians who create the glossy spreads, are full of good ideas for keeping clothes in good order.

“Every day I style fashion and I’m put into situations where I have to think or feet and use the resources around me. says Melissa Gadsden, who’s worked as a stylist on everything from corporate campaigns to music clips. “Garments need to be taken care of not just on the body but off the body as well. And there are lots of things you can do at home to keep your clothes at full potential.”

The first thing she suggests is to follow the washing instructions on the label. It sounds simple, but we all know how tempting it is to throw that ‘hand wash only’ into the machine - and rue the consequences. “And don’t dryclean things too often,” Melissa says. “It’s a chemical treatment that eats away at fabric. Try hanging jackets out to air and spot-clean instead. I get all my winter jackets dry-cleaned at the end of each winter, then place them on a wooden hanger enclosed in two suit bags with some cedar balls (a beautiful-smelling alternative to mothballs) and put them in the back of the cupboard until next year.”

Melissa’s a big fan of the wooden hanger for all your clothes: “They let the garment’s fabric hang better and won’t put nasty stretch marks on the shoulders like metal hangers do. Plastic will do just fine, but these days you can find great prices on packets of wooden hangers - it pays to shop around.”

Like the rest of us, she knows one of the real banes of a winter wardrobe is woollens. If things are starting to look a bit pilled and fuzzy, she recommends an ordinary shaving razor. Just go all over the jumper in a downward brushing motion. “It’ll come up looking brand new,” she says.

Wrapping masking tape, sticky side out, around your hand is a great way to get fluff and pet hair off things. And if hand-washed items are starting to lose their shape, Melissa recommends judicious use of a hair dryer. “It’s great for padded bras,” she says. “Grab your hair dryer and, carefully, wave it over each cup. That will bring it back into shape and smooth out any creases.” It’s also a great way to bring woollen cuffs and waistbands back into shape.
Picture of Shoes in Box Image
And finally, she loves an organised wardrobe. “Everything should have its own drawer, shelf or hanger,” she says.
Michelle Cammiade, fashion stylist with The Age newspaper in Melbourne, agrees. “And if space is an issue, it’s a good idea to have a section of your wardrobe with twin rails, one at normal height and one halfway down. This provides a row for trousers and a row for shirts and tops. You can fit twice as much into the same space.” Over summer, Michelle is a big user of vacuum storage bags (you can get them at Kmart and Target) to store her winter woollens. “Another great space-saver,” she adds.

And shoes? Don’t just pile them into the bottom of your wardrobe. Keep them in their boxes, stacked on top of each other, but cut out the side or end panel so you can easily see what’s on offer.
While Michelle laughingly confesses that her own wardrobe is not quite that organised, there are other little things that she really does do every day, both at work and at home.

“I think most people know about using clear nail polish to stop a run in your stocking,” she says. “I also love double-sided tape. It’s a godsend! You can repair a hem, keep a collar in the right position, stick a low-cut top to your boobs. I use it all the time.” Her other must-have is a container of good-quality facial wipes. “They will get any make-up stain out of clothes.”

As someone who loathes ironing, Michelle has made quite a study of how to do it efficiently - and how to avoid it. “At Lincraft or Spotlight, you can buy what I call a sausage,” she says. “It’s a tube of fabric stuffed with hard felting. You stick it into a sleeve and it lets you iron all around without creases.” She’s also a big fan of the steamer - a vacuum-like gadget (readily available at the big appliance chain stores) that shoots steam instead of sucking air. “It’s the only way to iron pleats,” Michelle says. “It’s great for suit jackets. And it’s also a terrific way to freshen up smoky clothes if you’ve been out in a bar or pub.” Linen water in your iron is another way to gently refresh stale clothes.

And finally: “Buy clothes that don’t need ironing!” she says.
Sophie Hexter, a Melbourne freelance stylist, couldn’t agree more. While she spends her days endlessly fiddling with other people’s clothes, when it comes to her home wardrobe, she’s strictly no-fuss.
“I am a big fan of the colour-coded wardrobe,” she says. “I like to have everything stored in colour groups, mainly because it makes it much easier and quicker to dress in the morning!” And although it sounds finicky, she’s also a keep-shoes-in-their-box girl: “It preserves them, but it also makes it so much easier to find them.”

Like Michelle, she’s enthusiastic about noniron clothes. As well as woollens and T-shirts, there are great cotton/elastane blends that will dry wrinkle-free on a hanger (so check the label next time you buy a new shirt). Most importantly, Sophie says we should enjoy our clothes. “Never save your favourite items of clothing for special occasions,” she says. “Wear them as often as you like. If you want to update a look, just buy some accessories - there’s no need to buy a whole new outfit.” And she knows from experience that we look better when we’re feeling good. “So always dress for comfort!”

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