Let’s face it. The majority of y’all don’t read the labels on your garments. You separate by colors, or you don’t separate at all. It’s okay.
Well, it’s not okay, especially if you want your clothing to last. Before I go into how to shop for better clothing, I’m going to tell you how to take care of the clothing you already own.
consider air drying.
I love black. I wear a lot of black. I also invest in taking care of my clothing. I’ve found that air drying my clothing keeps the color vibrant–as vibrant as black can get. Drying clothes in a hot dryer makes them lose their vibrancy over time and adding an iron makes it worse. Instead, try one or the other; either dry them on a lower setting, remove the clothing promptly, and hang/fold it, or air dry and iron on a cooler setting.
don’t hang your knitwear.
Please don’t hang any of your knitted items. Have you ever thought that the reason your favorite sweater wore out in the neck area was because your head was so big? Well, I have, but it was probably because you were throwing it on a hanger. Knit items hug, contour, and conform to whatever it’s placed on. Fold up your scarves, sweaters, and shirts so you can enjoy them longer.
hang clothes from the bottom.
Stop stretching out the neck holes because you’re too lazy to hang your items from the larger hole at the bottom! Stop forcing the hanger into an area where it doesn’t fit! Seriously, quit it.
dry clean clothes that say dry clean!!!!!
I know dry cleaning is expensive and a hassle, but it’s the best way to take care of the items labeled as such. Or, use the techniques in this interesting video at your own risk:
shop responsibly.
I don’t shop for clothes very often. I only buy when I actually need something. I have an idea of what kind of clothes I want to shop for when I’m in the market for new clothes. I keep a mood board on Pinterest to make sure I stick to my style goal and I only shop for items I know I want to keep in my wardrobe for years.
know your measurements.
I rarely shop at brick and mortar locations, but when I do, I shop with a goal. Before shopping, measure yourself so you can accurately determine if your clothing will fit. I always try to rely on a model’s measurements (when provided) and use a brand’s size guide as well.
Relying on the simple small/medium/large sizing is extremely hit or miss, because a lot of brands are wildly inconsistent with their sizing or simply don’t know how to produce clothing that generally correlates to the typical small/medium/large.
shop for clothes you know you’ll wear more than once.
I promise you no one of substance actually cares if you repeat an outfit. Wearing a $100 outfit once in a year means your cost per wear was $100. Wearing a $100 outfit 10 times a year brings your cost per wear to $10 a wear. Doesn’t that sound much better and justify your spending a bit more?