Refresh Between Washes
An item of clothing doesn't always need to be washed every time you wear it. Instead, air out your clothes between wears or use a garment steamer to remove bacteria. Washing less frequently is better for clothes and the environment.
Washing
We recommend hand washing delicate clothing using a light eco-friendly detergent and air drying outside. Repeated machine washing damages the fibre composition, reducing the life of your clothes. If you do need to machine wash make sure it’s on a delicate setting at 30 degrees or lower.
Dry Cleaning
Pre-loved clothing can be dry cleaned however it’s best to do this as infrequently as possible due to the harsh nature of the chemicals used and the damage they do the environment. Get in touch here if you would like us to recommend an eco-friendly dry cleaner in your area.
Stain Removal
The sooner stains can be treated the more likely they are to come out. For stains caused by liquid such as coffee or red wine immediately run the garment under running cold water until the stain starts to disappear, then hand wash as usual. For stains caused by make up such as lipstick or foundation sellotape can be used to pull out the stain before hand washing. Eco friendly stain removal pens are also a good choice but be mindful to test first as sometimes they cause colours to run.
Pressing
Always iron on a low temperature first and build up if necessary. Turn clothing inside out to reduce the chance of getting hard-to-remove shiny scorch marks. Investing in a garment steamer will not only save you time, It’s kinder to your clothes and will also remove bacteria between washed.
Storage
Keep your clothing in a dry, dust-free place away from direct sunlight where they can breathe. Hang clothes on good quality hangers, we recommend using wooden or velvet covered hangers as these cause the least damage to clothes. Always fold knitwear as hanging it can create stretch marks that are hard to remove.
We want your clothes to last as long as possible so if you have any questions about caring for specific items of clothing please get in touch here and we’ll do our best to help!
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Take everything out of your wardrobe and lay each piece on the bed or hang them up around your room, making sure everything is visible. Do a quick scan and pull out the pieces you wear regularly and feel good in. This is your ‘Keep’ section so put them to one side for later. Next take a look at each piece that is left and carefully consider the following things:
If you answer yes to any of the above questions then add the pieces to the keep section. If you answer no then it’s time to part ways, any pieces that sit unworn with the tags still on have to go along with anything white that is no longer white. If It’s still in wearable condition consider listing it on re-sale sites such as depop and ebay. Designer items can be listed on consignment sites such as Vestiaire Collective or The Real Real. If it can’t be re-sold then take it to a local Textile Recycling point. If you love a piece that looks like it’s seen better days consider if repairing or altering it would be an option. Designer shoes and accessories in need of some love can be taken to The Restory for restoration, fabric shavers are great for removing bobbles and simple repairs like sewing on a button can be easily done at home. Once you’re done you should have 3 sections: Keep, Sell, Recycle. Place Sell and Recycle in separate bags ready to be taken out.
Styling
Start by trying on some pieces you decided to keep and challenge yourself to find at least three ways to wear each piece. It’s good to start with a base and then build from there, base pieces are wardrobe staples that you can wear as the foundation of almost any look. These include basics such as t-shirts, vests, bodysuits and roll neck jumpers in white black or neutral colours followed by jeans and classic trousers. The more you experiment the more you’ll get a feel for what works for you.
To get you started we challenge you to create three looks based around jeans and a white t-shirt. For example dress up with minimal heels and a luxe tuxedo jacket, dress down with white trainers and a trench coat or create a work look with a longline blazer and loafers. You can use the same logic of dressed up, dressed down and work to experiment with styling different pieces. Blazers make a look feel instantly put together, Suits can be worn in the daytime with trainers and don’t rule out dressing down occasion wear for the day.
Clean + Prep
Now that you’ve emptied your wardrobe, It’s the perfect opportunity to clean the inside as fabric can create a lot of dust. Spritz with a multi-purpose cleaner and wipe down every surface including the top of the rail and inside any draws. We find that matching hangers create a sense of balance that puts us in a better frame of mind to build an outfit, while white wooden hangers look great in our showroom they tend to take up a lot of space in a wardrobe so we prefer to use velvet coated non-slip hangers. Moth balls are essential if you have a lot of knitwear so be sure to place a few around for protection.
Re-Hang
As a general rule t-shirts, knitwear and jeans can be folded and everything else can be hung on the rail. When hanging, group similar pieces together (e.g all trousers, all blazers) then arrange by colour from dark to light. Keep occasion wear and workwear seperate if you can and organise them as outlined above. Stuffing shoes with tissue and keeping them in their boxes helps them to keep their shape for longer. As you return pieces to your wardrobe it’s a good opportunity to spot if there are any key pieces missing, perhaps a classic white shirt or a versatile blazer.
Future
Consider any new purchases carefully ensuring they go with at least three pieces from your newly curated wardrobe. If you do need to add to your wardrobe buying vintage is a more sustainable way to shop as it utilises what already exists and minimises environmental impact. At The Modern Style every piece in our curated vintage collections is in impeccable condition and of the highest quality.
Post image by Kaitlyn Hamm @kaity_modern via Pinterest
All fabrics eventually biodegrade however the length of time it takes varies greatly from one month to up to 600 years. How biodegradable a material is depends on many different factors from whether it’s natural or synthetic to the dyes and chemicals that are used in the production process. Natural fabrics such as wool, organic cotton and linen are the quickest to biodegrade whilst synthetic fabrics such as nylon, polyester and acrylics that contain plastics often take the longest, plus man-made fabrics are full of chemicals, using up natural resources and burning fossil-fules.
Although we passionately believe in caring for our clothes so they last as long as possible, like all things, eventually they could end up in landfill, so here are three biodegradable fabrics to consider when shopping for vintage clothing.Wool
Wool has a relatively low environmental impact compared to other fabrics. It comes from the fleece of a sheep’s winter coat, which is naturally shed in warmer months and collected for fibres. Natural Wool takes just 3-4 months to completely biodegrade making it one of the most sustainable fabric choices.
Organic Cotton
Cotton is a natural fibre that comes from the ball of a cotton plant. It is one of the world’s most widely used materials. Organic cotton is made without the use of chemicals, dyes and harmful pesticides making it a more sustainable choice than non-organic cotton. It takes around 5 months for organic cotton to biodegrade and longer if dyes have been used.
Linen
Linen is a natural fabric, spun from the fibres of the flax plant. It’s temperature regulating qualities make it a popular choice during warmer months. Due to it’s lightweight nature Linen can biodegrade in as little as two weeks.
Silk
Silk is created naturally from the fibres used by silk worms when they spin themselves cocoons to become moths. Despite It’s delicate appearance, silk is surprisingly strong and durable. It completely bio degrades within 4 years.
Synthetic fabrics such as Lycra, Nylon and Polyester can take upto 200 years to completely biodegrade which is why at The Modern Style we endeavour where possible to choose vintage pieces that are made of the highest quality biodegradable material. Shop the latest collection here.
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