The 4-5 piece French wardrobe #2

[ScarlettLover]

^I think that is such a good philosophy to have! I've never sent anything to the cleaners because I always was either too lazy or felt I could do an adequate job at home. But in making a piece last I think it does make a difference.

Recently I found a really nice chanel-esque tweed blazer at my local thrift for extremely cheap and of course the label says dry clean only. I was really tempted to just wash at home because dry cleaning would cost more than the garment itself but I guess if I would like to keep it for any extended period of time I better stop being stingy and take care of it!

 

[ShoestringTravel]

It's quite true that for some garments I spend more on cleaning over the life of the garment than I paid originally. Of course, they don't charge more for a more expensive item (unless it's a coat or something like that, and then it doesn't matter what it cost). I just consider it a necessary cost. And a good dry cleaner definitely extends the life of a garment, which saves me shopping time (and hassle).

So true.

I've just got to bite the bullet and send them to the cleaners. I don't mind doing it for suits and the fancy stuff, but when I've got sweaters and dress shirts, I just feel like I should be able to clean them myself, even if the reality is otherwise.

 

[ATM1985]

How do you determine who is a "green" drycleaners? I've tried googling locally, but I'm still not sure what the difference is. Are there specific questions I should ask?

 

[aldn]

How do you determine who is a "green" drycleaners? I've tried googling locally, but I'm still not sure what the difference is. Are there specific questions I should ask?

It's a selling point in l.a. If they're green out here you know!

 

[aldn]

I just got bamboozled on some H&M boat boots. I make it a point to not buy our shoes... but $20 with 25% off. UGH!!!!! =( The L.L. Beans I want are $120 but I think I need to just do it...

 

[ATM1985]

It's a selling point in l.a. If they're green out here you know!

Unfortunately, I'm in Ohio, so it's not quite the LA scene. I've tried googling, and though some drycleaners listed advertise themselves as "natural" or "Earth friendly," those words really don't mean anything.

Does anyone know what I should specifically be looking for - wet or dry? Certain compounds used?

 

[fashionista-ta]

How do you determine who is a "green" drycleaners? I've tried googling locally, but I'm still not sure what the difference is. Are there specific questions I should ask?

Here's a link to find places ...

http://www.ecovian.com/green-dry-cleaners-wet-cleaning

You can also ask what chemicals any dry cleaner uses. "Perc" is the big bad toxic old-school chemical that you definitely want to avoid. There are newer chemicals that don't produce 'hazardous waste.'

 

[RedandNavy]

My winter coat is in cashmere and it's in his sixth year now. I take it to the dry cleaner at the end of the season and it's still looking great. I realized how important cleaning is to keep your things in a nice state. I still feel like a new coat by now, also because I'm a bit thiner and the coat now is slightly too big.

I have another problem: I bought a beautiful blue and white silk dress some years ago. It's a summer dress and I loved it dearly, but it has sweat stains under my arms that actually kind of destroyed the print How can I avoid something like that in the future? I have the same problem with a silk blouse... I love silk but I cannot completely avoid sweating in the summer - but how do you protect the silk?

 

[ATM1985]

Thanks, fashionista-ta!

 

[ShoestringTravel]

My winter coat is in cashmere and it's in his sixth year now. I take it to the dry cleaner at the end of the season and it's still looking great. I realized how important cleaning is to keep your things in a nice state. I still feel like a new coat by now, also because I'm a bit thiner and the coat now is slightly too big.

I have another problem: I bought a beautiful blue and white silk dress some years ago. It's a summer dress and I loved it dearly, but it has sweat stains under my arms that actually kind of destroyed the print How can I avoid something like that in the future? I have the same problem with a silk blouse... I love silk but I cannot completely avoid sweating in the summer - but how do you protect the silk?

Let's see......with silk, I try a double attack: I try to prevent the sweat stains by wearing a deodorant that closes the pores for about 24 hours (Certain Dri in the U.S.), but doesn't have any sort of residue. Sometimes I wear a very thin undershirt as well. Half of the problem of staining silk is the deodorant residue, combined with the sweat (lovely picture, I know )

The other thing(s) I do for cleaning the stained garment: If it truly is dry-clean only, sometimes a dry cleaner can remove the stains if you point them out to him/her. Treating the stain as quickly as possible improves the chances of removing it.

If you are feeling brave and want to try hand-washing, this link is good with recommendations: http://www.ktcampbell.com/domesticity/hand_wash.html

I've always had my silk shrink when I've hand-washed it, though. Usually by 1-2 sizes.

I've had luck with getting deodorant stains out of wool by using diluted white vinegar to soak the stains for 15 minutes, then soak it in a bucket of water/vinegar mixture (1/2 cup vinegar to 1-2 gallons water) overnight. Silk is more delicate, but according to some of the websites I've read, you can still use it (just dilute it first).

Use a gentle detergent on silk, not the standard stuff. Also, enzymatic cleaners that remove protein stains will ruin silk, as silk is a protein.

 

[elle s'ennuie]

just cleaned out my closet today, and looked at all of the "bargains" I got over the last six months. On the other hand, there are some good things in there, too, that have surprised me how well they lasted. Like two H&M angora/cashmere/synthetic/wool blend $30 sweaters that have yet to begin pilling, and have a flattering cut. I had pretty low expectations for those two, but I can say that they've held up quite well!

I recall reading that the pilling has to do with the length of the strands in the yarn, so the higher quality the yarn used to make the sweater is, the less it pills. I do love cashmere's softness - I bought a pair of cashmere gloves this winter and love them - but I happened across a couple of articles about it recently that made me rethink things a bit, and I think I'm going to try to favour plain wool from now on.

Hidden cost of low-priced cashmere

golden fleece?

 

[ShoestringTravel]

I recall reading that the pilling has to do with the length of the strands in the yarn, so the higher quality the yarn used to make the sweater is, the less it pills. I do love cashmere's softness - I bought a pair of cashmere gloves this winter and love them - but I happened across a couple of articles about it recently that made me rethink things a bit, and I think I'm going to try to favour plain wool from now on.

Hidden cost of low-priced cashmere

golden fleece?

Thanks for the articles! Wow, I read the first one, and it's really scary. No more cheap cashmere for me, please! Thanks for sharing.

 

[lucy92]

How do you determine who is a "green" drycleaners? I've tried googling locally, but I'm still not sure what the difference is. Are there specific questions I should ask?

a dry cleaning business like zoots is "green". they are throughout the US.

 

[fashionista-ta]

barneys

I'm so pleased ... I was able to lay my hands on the shoes I've had my eye on--and at a substantial discount! I never was able to try them on because they were sold out in my size, so hopefully they will fit, but I've seen them in person and I think they look better than in the pictures I've seen. The size available was 9, I typically wear 8.5 but the SA told me they ran small. I did pay a bit of extra shipping in order to get them by Christmas. (My sister initiated an arrangement whereby we buy our own presents from each other, and I must say, my presents have never been better )

 

[RedandNavy]

I'm so pleased ... I was able to lay my hands on the shoes I've had my eye on--and at a substantial discount! I never was able to try them on because they were sold out in my size, so hopefully they will fit, but I've seen them in person and I think they look better than in the pictures I've seen. The size available was 9, I typically wear 8.5 but the SA told me they ran small. I did pay a bit of extra shipping in order to get them by Christmas. (My sister initiated an arrangement whereby we buy our own presents from each other, and I must say, my presents have never been better )

Awwww, these are lovely! Very nice indeed! I hope they will fit!

I'm still eyeing that coat that I want. They still have the last piece, so the big question remains whether it will go to the sales or not. I still think full price is just more than I can pay. If it sells out soon I have my eyes on a lovely and classic bag. But if that doesn't work out I guess I won't be sale shopping and save my money for the lovely spring / summer things that are coming into the stores.

 

[ShoestringTravel]

I'm so pleased ... I was able to lay my hands on the shoes I've had my eye on--and at a substantial discount! I never was able to try them on because they were sold out in my size, so hopefully they will fit, but I've seen them in person and I think they look better than in the pictures I've seen. The size available was 9, I typically wear 8.5 but the SA told me they ran small. I did pay a bit of extra shipping in order to get them by Christmas. (My sister initiated an arrangement whereby we buy our own presents from each other, and I must say, my presents have never been better )

These are really cute!

 

[Mocha_Love]

I love plenty of leather pants, white or grey tee's, grey or black sweaters, fur coats and fur vests, and some ankle boots.

 

[ATM1985]

Is anyone planning for Spring/Summer yet?

I got a new job, and that stuck me back in buy-buy-buy land for a while, since it was a big change from what I was used to (scrubs to suits!) and I've also had a size change in there. I just keep buying more and more and it was depressing me. All that hard work on my closet, gone!

So, I'm not sure if I want anything really for Spring/Summer. I'm set for work, provided I don't need to replace anything, and I still have loads of casual outfits, although my style is still a bit of a hodge podge. I'm of a pack rat or depression-era mentality, as I need to really wear things out to dump them. So, my plan is to wear the crap out of things so I can cull.

I do have on my long-term coveting list a Burberry trench, a Chanel bag, and lovely surprise - a bespoke suit! There is a tailor locally who has very affordable package deals for custom suits and shirts. When I did the math, it wasn't bad. If I don't buy much, it's very doable.

As I'm currently saving for a black Chanel bag, I thought I'd also ask for opinions. I like the 2.55 style, but I'm waffling between the classic and the reissue. I can't quite decide if the interlocking-c clasp is a bit too showy or not. I plan on getting plain black caviar leather, nothing too eyecatching, but I've become less of a label person. My mom thinks the interlocking-c is fine, but she loves bags with LV on them all over, or garish Coach op-art prints, so.... Thoughts? Interlocking-c or no?

 

[ShoestringTravel]

Is anyone planning for Spring/Summer yet?


So, I'm not sure if I want anything really for Spring/Summer. I'm set for work, provided I don't need to replace anything, and I still have loads of casual outfits, although my style is still a bit of a hodge podge. I'm of a pack rat or depression-era mentality, as I need to really wear things out to dump them. So, my plan is to wear the crap out of things so I can cull.

Well, yes, but spring looks an awful lot like fall/winter, and truly warm weather only sticks around for about 2 months here.

So I DID plan for the upcoming 6 months by buying 3 sweaters and 1 more pair of jeans recently, LOL. Not so much the summer-weather stuff you'd expect, but at least climate-appropriate, right?

I agree with you about "depression-era mentality." While I recently got rid of a lot of stuff from my closet, it was stuff that I truly don't wear. I'm hanging on to a few things that I don't love, just to wear them to work and wear them out before I get rid of them. Contrary to others' opinions, I feel like it's a bit wasteful (personally) for me to dump perfectly good, well-fitting, work-appropriate clothes just because my tastes have changed. However, I will be replacing them eventually with something that I totally love, and higher quality, fewer of, etc. once they wear out.

 

[fashionista-ta]

Is anyone planning for Spring/Summer yet?

I got a new job, and that stuck me back in buy-buy-buy land for a while, since it was a big change from what I was used to (scrubs to suits!) and I've also had a size change in there. I just keep buying more and more and it was depressing me. All that hard work on my closet, gone!

So, I'm not sure if I want anything really for Spring/Summer. I'm set for work, provided I don't need to replace anything, and I still have loads of casual outfits, although my style is still a bit of a hodge podge. I'm of a pack rat or depression-era mentality, as I need to really wear things out to dump them. So, my plan is to wear the crap out of things so I can cull.

I do have on my long-term coveting list a Burberry trench, a Chanel bag, and lovely surprise - a bespoke suit! There is a tailor locally who has very affordable package deals for custom suits and shirts. When I did the math, it wasn't bad. If I don't buy much, it's very doable.

As I'm currently saving for a black Chanel bag, I thought I'd also ask for opinions. I like the 2.55 style, but I'm waffling between the classic and the reissue. I can't quite decide if the interlocking-c clasp is a bit too showy or not. I plan on getting plain black caviar leather, nothing too eyecatching, but I've become less of a label person. My mom thinks the interlocking-c is fine, but she loves bags with LV on them all over, or garish Coach op-art prints, so.... Thoughts? Interlocking-c or no?

I like your list.

My own view on the Cs is no, but logo tolerance is very personal I have a Marc Jacobs bag with little plates down low on the sides that have the designer's name ... I'm cool with the Lanvin logo (very pretty in fact) because no one knows what it is here unless you visit the store where you bought it

I definitely wear things that are not perfect (like the black skirt I bought for an interview that I might not have gotten if I'd had a lot more time to shop), but I don't wear things that make me feel bad. That is where things definitely must go, for me. There are enough things in life that have the potential to bring you down, without your fostering them in your very own closet Another time when something must go is when it doesn't work with anything else. If something's comfortable and washable, I may wear it at home and not out anymore.

If you want to wear things out, creating and wearing a capsule wardrobe is a great way to do that.

I saw a pair of shoes that I want to look at in person ... that's as far as I've gotten for spring. And I got my Lanvin shoes today, and they are not gonna cut it--they have to go back. What really ticks me off about this is that it means I'm going to be shopping on Christmas Eve for the first time in many, many years--maybe ever The shoes they were going to replace aren't worth repairing, so I still need black lace-up flats. Hopefully I'll be able to find some this late in the game ... however, I don't have to find those on Saturday--just a present for myself. That should be very doable