“Clothes are expensive. You have to buy them, and to buy them, you have to believe in them.” -Jean Paul Gaultier
Though Jean Paul Gaultier is right in context, there is also a certain truth about clothes being expensive in the literal sense. As it is, clothes come in a wide array of shapes, colors, styles and even price. For some of us, expensive clothes are unnecessary expenditures that do not essentially need personal investment. But for fashionistas and modish individuals, this luxury is a small price to pay to look and feel their best at all times.
However, amidst all of your other innumerable assortment of clothes, these expensive clothes can either get neglected or forgotten only to be discovered the next time you do a closet clean out in a condition no longer fit for wearing. As these are incredibly expensive (not only in price but also quality), this can be quite a letdown and the realization that your big financial (as well as emotional) investment in clothing has gone to waste is nothing short of devastating. Considering this to be the case, it is best to be well aware on the best ways and techniques in preserving the quality of these exorbitant purchases–something that extends beyond the traditional gentle hand washing and storage (Although those are incredibly imperative points as well!). Below are some of the best tips and techniques in preserving your expensive clothing because whether you bought them in a retail store or a wholesale clothing shop, if you have invested quite a large sum for it, it deserves to be properly cared for.
1.) Follow the Laundry Instructions
Those little nondescript tags on your clothes may look like inconsequential appendages but they are there for a very good reason. These are the most basic instructions regarding the best care and in essence, these are the little additions to your clothes that would ensure you would render effective care for it to last longer and ensures it stays in great shape. According to experts, paying attention to the laundering instructions is probably the one of single most important things you can do when trying to maintain your clothes over time. So, instead of finding those little things annoying and cutting them off, take a look at them and follow the instructions written.
2.) Limit the number of times you wear a particular clothing
Yes, it may be one of your most expensive investments and you may have fallen in love with it but this would no way mean that you can wear that particular sartorial piece at least five times a week. You may be thinking that this major investment of yours would need maximum exposure–after all, it cost you an arm and a leg. However, like everything else you own your clothes go through ordinary wear and tear–even the expensive ones and constantly wearing it would only speed it up the process. Your designer piece may look stellar, but with too much usage you run the risk of weakening the fiber of its garments. Have a realistic cycle of how often you should wear your more luxurious pieces and cycle them with your other clothes to keep in pristine condition for longer.
3.) Know Your Iron
If you regularly do self-care for your own clothes, it is important to know and be familiar with your iron and more particularly, its settings. Every iron comes with different heat settings or levels that would vary accordingly for different fabric types and it is your duty to know which heat type is appropriate for a particular clothing. Ironing your clothes causes you to use heat for loosening fabric fibers and pressing them flat but if you are not doing this properly, you may end up burning your clothes or yellowing the fabric. Using too much heat on delicate fabrics tend to damage them or can even completely ruin them so it is imperative to know your iron’s heat settings and the appropriate level of heat for your clothing.
4. Take care of stains right away
Some of us tend to neglect stains and leave them for later but these are emergency calls considering that the passage of time stains would not only get stringent but a lot more difficult to take care of. Inspect your garment piece and see what type of stain it has as oil stains can be easily removed by applying a generous amount of talcum powder while cold water is used to remove organic stains. An awareness of the different types of stains as wells as the measures you can undertake in order to handle it is a great way to keep your expensive clothes in tip top shape should they ever get stained. After all, these expensive clothes should never a permanent mark you would not want on them.
5.) Invest in a steamer
If you already have spent quite a fortune of expensive clothing, chances are you would want them in perfect condition and considering that you already have quite a lot of them, you might as well invest in a steamer if you do self-care for them. This is a better and gentler albeit, more expensive alternative to ironing but consider it as a one-time expense in order to better preserve your more expensive clothes.
6.) Hand wash and air dry your clothes whenever possible
Amidst all the machines we have for washing our clothes, it is only quite natural to opt for a more convenient way such as washing and drying them in bulk in machines. However, this may seem convenient but they can also cause your clothes to break down a lot more easily.
Additionally, hand washing clothes is a better alternative to machine washing them–most especially if you are washing delicate garments or are trying to target stains. Air drying your clothes ensures longevity as your dryer causes wear and tear with each use even with a gentler setting. Air dry your clothes and make sure they are flat when wet so as to preserve their shape.
7.) Take extra precautions when you are flaunting your clothes
There is a certain joy and feeling of pride when it comes to flaunting that one expensive designer piece you have in your closet, but remember to take extra care when doing so. Do not put yourself and your designer piece in a precarious situation where anything can happen (from staining to tearing the delicate piece). Make sure the surfaces you sit on are clean and take extra precautions while you are eating or drinking.
Taking care of your luxurious investments is paramount to ensuring their longevity, so now that you have glossed over the important guidelines in taking better care of your more expensive garments, you would be able to purchase more without feeling overly fussy and particular when it comes to wearing it.
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