GETTING good mileage out of my clothes is one factor I always consider whenever I go shopping.
I always go for quality, function, and classic styles that transcend time and trends. I prefer clothes that I can wear day to night, dressed up or down, desk to drinks, bar to beach, city to sea, that way I know that I am really getting my money’s worth.
Buying clothes also means dropping a good bit of money so it’s only appropriate that you’d want them to last for as long as possible. Here are nine things I do at home to give my wardrobe the love they deserve, and at the same time, make them last longer.
1. Rotate your clothes.
Contrary to popular belief (my husband’s included), I do wear my clothes for more than three times. I just rotate them well enough for people to not notice that I’ve actually worn them before. I try to always make a mental note of when and where I wore a particular item to, and the people who were there when I wore it; that way, I don’t get photographed with the same group wearing the same outfit. Plus, it also gives my wardrobe a breathing spell, and my clothes, an even wear.
2. Invest in good quality hangers. Flimsy wire hangers do not give your clothes the support they need that’s why I invested in slim velvet hangers for shirts and dresses (velvet prevents slips!), wooden hangers for pants and jeans, clip hangers for skirts, and plastic hangers with grooves for Vania and Isabel. It may be a little pricey to invest in these but if they are to keep our clothes from getting out of shape, as well as give our closets a uniformed look, I wouldn’t mind dropping a few pesos if it lets us save in the long run. Note to self: Cost per use.
3. Steam your clothes. I like steaming because it’s a less aggressive approach compared to ironing and the chances of you dealing with scorch marks on clothes is slim to none. You don’t necessarily need to get a vertical steam iron because the portable ones work just as good.
4. Fold your knitwear. Hanging causes them to stretch out of shape over time. So I fold my knitwear and stack them up on the shelves when it’s rainy season, and keep them in linen bins during the warmer months. Aside from the obvious reason of stretching out of shape, I also hate shoulder bumps!
5. Wash denims inside out. We know this all too well. This prevents colors from fading too quickly.
6. Use a laundry bag for your delicates and always use the handwash or gently cycle option. This prevents your linens, chiffon, and other light clothes from getting misshapen.
7. Zip all zippers, always button up. This prevents ugly snags in the drum during actual wash or spin dry.
8. Sort your clothes properly. When washing, always separate heavy fabrics from light ones, heavily soiled items from the cleaner ones, and whites with whites, dark with dark; that way, there will be no color rub off. A no-brainer, really. Wash your bed linens and towels on their own, always.
9) Air-dry whites outside, colors in the shade. What’s good about living in the tropics is having ample sunlight all year round, but this isn’t quite beneficial for our dark colored clothes. So make sure to dry your whites in the sun, while the colored ones in the shade to prevent premature fading.
I still have a few clothes from when I was still pregnant with Vania and they’re all still in tip-top shape because I make sure that when I donate or sell them, they’re all in good, wearable condition.
That being said, I will be selling some of my preloved clothes at “Influencity,” a lifestyle bazaar happening on Aug. 11 and 12 at the Activity Center of Ayala Center Cebu. It is a two-day gathering created to bring together style bloggers, beauty gurus and social media influencers all in one event.
Meet and greet and raid the closets of two of Manila’s top bloggers, David Guison and Vina Guerrero, as well as 19 of our very own Cebu bloggers and influencers.
”Influencity” is organized by Clover Creatives PR & Events.