Although we’ve had a lovely autumn there’s no denying that winter’s on the way, with darker and chillier mornings, but also with the shops full of new and exciting fashions. But before you hit the shops with your wages summer has to be packed away- and done carefully all those pretty light summer outfits will look as good as new in spring 2017. Here are our top five tips to make a tedious task simple.
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Empty Your Wardrobe!
Sort out items into types, deciding which you love and will wear this winter- any you know you won’t bag up for the charity shop. Check the rest to see if you need to repair them, and vitally that your wardrobe hasn’t become home for moths! If necessary put them to be washed if they smell a bit fusty. Now with an empty wardrobe, you can collect all your summer clothes into a pile and start work.
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Use Your Eyes!
Check for hanging hems, loose buttons and stains and of course holes! Blouses and tunics need to be put on hangers, while cardigans and summer jumpers are best folded and put in shelves or drawers if you have them. Dresses need to be hung, and for wide shouldered styles it’s well worth sewing ribbon loops in the shoulders that you can loop around the hanger- it takes just a few minutes. Hang in order of length. Hang skirts on trouser hangers.
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Dry Cleaning
Luckily most fabrics, especially those used for summer clothes are machine friendly, but not all and at the end of the season there are often three for two offers at the dry cleaners, and will also replace zips. Of course there will be lots of new looks next summer but for the clothes you’ve loved wearing this summer, with care now you’ll love them just as much in 2017.
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Footwear
Summer shoes and sandals often get a real hammering and are too worn and shabby to keep for next year but it’s worth looking after those still in good condition, especially if they were expensive and you loved wearing them. Have rundown heels replaced then clean well, even the soles, and stuff toes with newspaper, if they have covered toes – the newspaper helps them to retain their shape. A shoe rack in your wardrobe’s a real asset- but above all don’t store one pair on top of another. Ensure canvas plimsolls are absolutely dry, or they’ll go mouldy and pack tight with newspaper to retain their shape.
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Last Of All
The best part, with summer packed away, is to plan what you need for winter. Hopefully a lot of last year’s basics can be worn again, enabling you to splurge on a few special new items. Make a list of what you really need then get on-line to discover the latest looks.
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