Preparing My Pre-Fall Wardrobe
Taking Care of Your Clothes So They Take Care of You
With minor edits, I am republishing an article I wrote several years ago to share how I take care of my clothes so they can last my lifetime (and hopefully at least one more!) The majority of my clothes were inherited from my mother, my grandmother, and my grandmother’s best friend. They are special pieces that have lasted decades because they’ve been taken care of. I love to wear the clothes that once belonged to the women who most inspire me: it’s so special to continue to add to their histories. If you have any tips I’ve missed, please share in the comments section!
I wrote a column in 2023 that mentioned two sweaters I inherited, which were originally purchased in the 1960s. I routinely wear 30+ year-old shoes. My “thing,” for lack of a better phrase, is “fewer and better.” I don’t have fifty pairs of shoes, I don’t have sweaters I wear once a year: my wardrobe is a carefully-selected edit of pieces I love and, more importantly, wear.
The most important thing, to me, is to invest in the highest-quality pieces at the outset. Take the time to learn about clothing—what materials should be used, how seams should be finished, how clothing should be cut, and so on. Invest in pieces only made of natural fibers or materials. Understand how to protect your clothes and how to care for them. The last part is where I come in! I’m sharing all my tips, passed down to me by the women who left me their beautiful wardrobes, today.
How to Care for Shoes
Shoes are easy to care for: once you learn how to do it, you’ll wonder why you never took care of them properly before!
Suede and velvet Stubbs & Wootton slippers, purchased by my grandmother in Palm Beach in the early 1990s
Regularly resole your shoes. If you have a great cobbler, that’s wonderful--if not, you can mail your shoes to Leather Spa and let them know what you need. They’ve fixed everything for me (except one pair that was too far gone, but that was my fault, not theirs!) I highly recommend them. Their prices can get a bit steep, but it’s still far less than purchasing a new pair of shoes, and their workmanship is excellent.
Invest in shoe trees. Keep your shoes in good working condition by inserting shoe trees after each use. Cedar shoe trees absorb moisture, naturally deodorize your shoes, and helps to repel insects. They also keep your shoes in the correct shape and help mitigate creasing. Clarks and Woodlore make great cedar shoe trees for women. If you don’t have shoe trees, stuff unused shoes with acid-free tissue paper.
Take preventative measures. Spray suede and velvet shoes with Scotchguard or Saphir’s shoe spray and treat leather shoes with mink oil.
Regularly polish your shoes. Sid Mashburn carries an extensive selection of the best products to keep your shoes looking their best. Find them all here.
How to Care for Wool Clothing
Sweaters are my particular favorite piece of clothing, and I’m so lucky to have so many vintage ones. Moth holes and carpet beetle holes are the worst things to happen, and unfortunately I’ve dealt with that before. Thankfully, it’s not the end of the world. Reweaving is a way to repair your damaged wool clothing. There aren’t many reweavers nowadays, but there is a fantastic one in midtown Manhattan who also accepts repairs by mail. He is pricey but his work is pristine. Find his contact information here.
A Fair Isle sweater purchased at Trimingham’s in Bermuda in the 1960s by my godmother’s mother. A favorite piece to cherish!
To avoid repairs, here’s how I take care of my sweaters.
Clean your sweaters! I rarely dry-clean my sweaters and instead prefer to handwash them or wash in the machine on delicate (for hardier woolens). I exclusively use the Laundress’s wool & cashmere shampoo. Don’t forget to dry your sweaters appropriately—block them, then lay on a flat surface to dry.
Store your sweaters properly. Sweaters should never be hung and should always be folded. In the off-season, I store my (clean) sweaters in airtight containers with a number of lavender and cedar sachets. Lavender and cedar help prevent insects from damaging clothes. You can find a number of sachets available; I love the ones from D. Porthault (a nice hostess gift!) and Mrs. Meyers.
Refresh your sweaters between wears. I used to use the Laundress’s wool & cashmere spray (it has been discontinued and I hope they bring it back!) to refresh my sweaters between wears. I’ve since switched to this spray, which works well to deodorize sweaters and protect from insect damage. You can save 15% with FEWERANDBETTER15.
Use a sweater comb or a sweater shaver. I use this sweater comb to keep my sweater as pill-free as possible. Be extremely gentle! There’s no need to yank. For less delicate knits, Nori makes my absolute favorite sweater shaver—it’s a dream to use!
Wear an underlayer. I always wear a tee beneath my sweaters—it helps prolong the life of the sweater by keeping it fresher than it would be if I just wore the sweater against my skin.
How to Care for Silk
I generally take my silk clothes to the dry cleaner, but a reader (thanks, KH!) has shared her tips with me, which I’ve reproduced below.
I actually hand wash my silk items in delicate wash from the Laundress, then iron on very low setting. I even launder my Hermès scarves this way. Much cheaper and more environmentally friendly!
How to Care for Linen
A simple shift dress, handmade in Jamaica in the 1960s, courtesy of a dear friend
I try to wear a lot of linen in the summer, as I find it an easy way to stay cool and comfortable. Here’s how I take care of my linen clothes.
Pretreat any stains. I use the Laundress’s stain remover (a miracle worker!) and the stain remover brush to gently remove any stains prior to washing.
Wash on a delicate cycle. I wash my linens on delicate to ensure no shrinking and that the shape of the garment remains the same.
Hang to dry. I never toss wet linen into the dryer and always hang to dry. This can cause wrinkles, which you can remove with a steamer, an iron (on a very light heat or your linen setting—the Nori makes it so easy!), or with Downy Wrinkle Release spray.
How to Store Your Clothes
Storing your clothes properly in the off-season ensures that you don’t open your favorite box of sweaters to find they’ve been destroyed. Here’s what I do before I store my clothes.
Taking a favorite cardigan out of storage. Note the pink tissue paper folded inside the sweater, which was also wrapped in tissue paper. This sweater dates from the 1960s and I inherited it from my godmother’s mother.
Make sure everything is clean before you pack your clothes. Stains, even small ones, can attract carpet beetles or moths.
Tissue paper is a protective layer will help prevent your clothing from wrinkling while stored. Use tissue paper for everything: wrapping your clothes, lining your storage bins, and stuffing your shoes. Make sure the tissue paper is acid-free (available from archival preservation sites or at places like Joann Fabrics).
Avoiding cardboard boxes is a good rule of thumb for any sort of preservation. For storage, I love Rubbermaid Roughneck containers. These prevent anything from getting in–from water to insects to sunlight. Not only are they sturdier than cardboard boxes, storage containers also stack well and their contents can be accessed without cutting through layers of tape.
Lavender and cedar help prevent insects from damaging clothes. Store your clothes with sachets (my favorites linked above) to keep any stray insects away.
The Care of Specialty Items
I have a number of items that don’t fall into the above categories, yet require special care. I’ve shared them, and how I care for them, below.
Waxed cotton jackets. I have several waxed Barbours, and their care is a regular part of preparing for cooler weather. You can have your jacket rewaxed at the Barbour factory, but it’s easy to do at home. I’ve written a detailed guide on how to rewax your Barbour here, and my in-depth analysis of field jackets here.
Satin shoes. I love my satin evening slippers, but they require extra-special care. Be sure to store them in shoe bags or in shoe boxes, with acid-free tissue paper in the toes in between use. It’s important not to put any weight or pressure on top of them when stored or when they are in transit–the fabric is very delicate. Use a slightly damp cloth to wipe away any spills, if you feel comfortable doing so; if you don’t, take them to your cobbler.
Swimwear. Swimwear is an absolute summer essential, and if you invest in a high-quality piece, you should take care of it! I always rinse the swimsuit out in cold water, adding a little bit of white vinegar if the suit smells like chlorine. To wash, I turn the swimwear inside out and put in a mesh bag before washing on delicate with a gentle detergent, like the Laundress’s delicate wash. Always hang to dry!
When the Worst Happens: How to Fix It
Sometimes, despite our care and attention, precious pieces are damaged. Here’s what to do to fix them.
Moth holes in woollens. If a moth infestation wreaks havoc on your favorite sweaters, all is not lost! Sweaters and other wool clothing can be repaired by a skilled reweaver. If you are in the New York metro area, I highly recommend French-American Reweaving. They have done beautiful work on some of our most sentimental pieces; you can’t even see the repairs. Their contact information is here. A note: the process is expensive but well worth it for special pieces. The proprietor is truly gifted and–a rarity in the modern age–honest.
Musty smells. There are many articles that suggest adding vinegar to your washing machine cycle will fix musty smells, but white vinegar can actually damage your washing machine. Try sprinkling your dry clothes with baking soda instead, leaving it overnight to absorb any odors. If this doesn’t work, wash your clothes normally, then air-dry outside.
Stubborn wrinkles. I am not a fan of ironing and far prefer steaming clothes (this is the steamer I use and it’s great–I have one at home and one for my office). I find steaming, in conjunction with Laundry Sauce spray, gets rid of pretty stubborn wrinkles.
I hope these tips help you in keeping your wardrobe in tip-top shape! Please let me know if you have any questions and I’ll do my best to answer.
As someone who butchers everything their touch via the washing machine I greatly appreciate this.