If you’re a woman there are items of apparel that you simply must have to look your best. They can be casual, sporty, for business or going out on the town. But if you want them to last, they need to be cared for in the right way. Here are seven ideas for seven items of apparel:
1. The Sweater
Sweaters, whether inexpensive or ridiculously pricey, need to be stored folded. This is especially true of wool sweaters. Only lightweight sweaters should be hung in a closet and never on wire hangers! The hangers should be made of wood or padded. If the sweater is in the drawer, cedar balls and lavender sachets will keep away the pests.
2. The Leather Handbag
Your favorite leather handbag should be stored on a closet shelf with others. If it’s not going to be used for a while, it should be stuffed with acid free tissue paper to keep its shape.
3. Shoes
To make the shoes last, put them on a shoe rack in the closet. A good selection of shoes will include sneakers, flats, black pumps, a couple of pairs of casual sandals, open toed pumps, ankle boots, all weather boots and shoes with high silver or gold heels. If the shoes aren’t used often, put them back in their box and tape a picture of them on the end.
4. Lingerie
Slips, bras and panties should have their own drawers. They also need to be folded properly to prevent them from tangling up and being stretched out of shape. Bras should be folded in half and one cup placed in another with the straps tucked inside. Other underwear should be folded into neat squares.
5. Jewelry
Jewelry needs to be kept in their own compartment in the jewelry box. The compartment should be lined with felt or other soft material to prevent scratching. Pieces of jewelry can also be kept in soft velvet or felt bags. Some clever jewelry boxes have ring holders and hooks to hold necklaces and bracelets.
6. Skirts, Dresses and Pants
These include dressy pants for evening and jeans for working in the yard. They should be hung unfolded in the closet on sturdy hangers with clips. So should skirts. Dresses should be hung on padded hangers.
7. Out of Season Clothing
Ideally, only one season’s worth of clothes should be in a closet at any one time. If your home does not have a lot of storage places for your out of season clothing, consider packing the clothing in bins and storing the bins in a storage unit. Storage units offer a great, dry place to store clothing placed in bins.
