In Readiness to Store: Washing by Hand

Closet Fashion Analysis:

Storing Woollens

A closet in readiness to return for work is the goal over the

Photo: JoyD

next while for my posts. As we transition from winter to spring, our closets need to be re-generated and re-invented. Today I will be sharing helpful hints regarding the chore of washing woollens and storing them over the summer.

Necessary - Washing by Hand

Handwash all your sweaters and tops, no matter the fabric content - well, maybe not t-shirts - especially wool, cashmere, and all natural fibres including silk. Those with dry-clean only labels are there because most people do not know how and so the manufacturer errs on the side of caution and recommends dry-cleaning of your merino wool sweater when in fact it is safe to wash by hand. Other than blazers, I have even washed camel hair pants by hand and ironed them myself.

Having said that, you must remember to:

• Always use cold or cool, never warm or hot water. 

• Use a lanolin based soap or baby shampoo for all woollens from cashmere to mohair to angora to camel hair.  

• Gently manipulate by pressing the suds through the fabric without any scrubbing friction. You can use stronger action on reinforced areas like collars and cuffs but hold off on a lot of friction. 

• Rinse by letting the soapy water drain and refill the sink with more water.

• Rinse at least twice with the same gentle touch you used to wash. 

• Add a tablespoon or two of vinegar to the last rinse. 

• Do not wring out between rinses. 

• When the water no longer appears to have any soapy residue, drain the sink and press as much water as possible out with your hands pushing the fabric against the side of the sink, then . . .

• Roll the item within a thick cotton towel to remove excess moisture. 

• Lay flat, reforming shoulders, sleeves and body into proper position on a clean dry towel. 

• Lay on a flat surface or on top of a clothing drying rack. I usually lay it on the floor to dry. 

• Check in a few hours or a whole day and turn the item over. Replace with a dry towel if the towel if damp.

• When dry you may want to iron out the creases and you can but with great care. Using a barely damp clean white cotton, or other natural fibre cloth such as linen, spread out on top of the article you want to iron. Making sure you have a low temperature setting, lightly pass the iron over the creases. Have patience, it will take some time and it will work, but not too much heat. 

It's a time consuming process but you have time. Space to dry for more than a day can be an issue so only do as many as you can dry properly at any one time. For me that's three maximum.

Necessary for Storage

• Make sure your articles are completely dry before you store them. 

• Roll, so you don't get any fold lines, and tuck in a dryer sheet to give a fresh scent or add a few drops of lavender or peppermint essential oil to an unscented dryer sheet and tuck into the rolled article. The lavender or peppermint will also deter any insects and save you from the anguish of finding a tiny holes in your stored woollens. (I absolutely must do this when in France.) Cedar blocks sold especially for storage purposes are also a good idea. 

• Store rolled in a drawer. Do not hang or else you will end up with "hanger bumps" on the shoulders and a stretched out body. I also shy away from storing in plastic bins.

I know what you're thinking - but really beautiful wool, cashmere and mohair sweaters cost a lot and in order to get your money's worth, you need to do this. If you don't want to, consider buying acrylic next time 😉 but you still need to wash them for storage.

Any helpful hints and your comments are always much appreciated. 

😃Spring 2021 Update: Does dis-order in your life overwhelm you? Changing Spaces by Design has recently published a guided journal with inspiring affirmations, suggested daily strategies to create clutter-free spaces, time management recommendations, and charts to record your project. Shirley B says, "I embarked on the process and am pleased to say that it really does work. I put my stuff in order, found stuff I had forgotten I owned, and got rid of stuff I no longer need (that is somebody else’s stuff now). The result – I know what I have, and where to find it. Amazing!"

You can check out their launch page at 30 Day Journal to Triumph Over Clutter.

My Favourite Clothing to Pack

Here it is the spring and I am packing winter clothing in my one check-in bag for Europe. What's wrong with this picture? Absolutely nothing since my summer closet is adequate in Ste. Foy but I will need more cold weather clothes since I am staying until February. However, I like my husband's attitude. He reminds me every time he sees me pondering over my suitcase,"All you really need to pack is your credit card". 

In fact, it's more a matter of packing some of my favourite things that I keep toting back and forth between Canada and France. 

NICE

My LBD. Photo by JoyD.

1. My LBD: Perhaps it's time to buy one in France and leave this one in Canada but it has been a staple in my closet for years. It fits perfectly. The length is proportional for my height. The lines are classic and adaptable to any season. There's nothing more I can ask of it. It owes me nothing.

2. My skinny jeans: Again it's a matter of fit. My blue and black jeans have served me well over the past year and I want them with me in France. 

3. My black, white and navy v-neck short-sleeve t-shirts. Of course I can buy t-shirts in France but again it's the fit, the length and the quality of cotton that makes me buy and pack these over and over again. Believe it or not, they are the $8.00 Joe Fresh t-shirts that I have written about before.

My Jimmy Choo heels. Photo by JoyD.

4. My dark taupe ballet flats and my beige Jimmy Choo heels. I keep carting these back and forth only because they are the only ballet flats I own. As for the Jimmy Choos, they serve me better than my black heels.

5. My black blazer and my black and white patterned blazer. I usually wear the black blazer on the plane. Like the LBD, the black blazer is a staple that probably needs to soon be replaced but until then I shall take it back and forth.

NEW: Last week, Louise K. gifted me with a woollen snood that she knit. I'll be taking that to France and leaving it there to help take away the January chill.

NEED: In addition, for the purposes of this trip, I have included several wool and cashmere sweaters since I'll be there during the rainy winter. I'm re-thinking the underwear - again I'll take only a few of my favourite pieces since there's no better country in the world to buy lingerie than France. And that's it. Whatever I need can be accommodated with my credit card!

Seasonal Confusion

Irises blooming in November. Photo by JoyD.

It is November and I am accustomed to the snow and minus temperatures beginning about now and lasting well into April when I am in Canada. Being in the South-West of France for the month of November with temperatures in the mid-teens during the day, I am confused. And so are irises in my garden. I found two blooming near the composted soil in the back region of my garden in Port Ste. Foy on November 10th. It is not only the irises. My husband was pruning the lilac today (he was in shorts) and he found a few buds bursting with colour.

Choosing what to wear is a tad difficult since I do not have many transitional clothes here. I see people in boots and fur-trimmed hooded jackets, but to me, it is not nearly cold enough for that. As far as I am concerned, perhaps January or February warrants that type of clothing but at present I am still wearing transitional fall clothing. In fact, generally speaking, so far, the afternoon temperatures are a mild 10 to 15 degrees Celcius - those temperatures do not invite scarves and boots, at least in my mind; therefore I am confused about what to wear and what is considered acceptable winter apparel.

I began wondering what would constitute a transitional winter closet when the weather is coolish but not freezing. These points could also help you pack your suitcase if you are planning a fall/winter trip to Europe.

1. Socks and closed in shoes (no sandals)! Even though Canadians might think the afternoon temperatures here in France are warm enough to wear sandals or flats with no socks, everyone I see is wearing socks and closed in shoes. Boots are very popular!

2. Lightweight merino wool sweaters replace cotton t-shirts. I find cotton too light and fleece too warm.

3. It's time to pack away the linen pants. Think lightweight wool for trousers as well. Heavier weight stretch skinny pants can almost be too hot right now but they would be great as the temperatures get colder.

4. A wool or cashmere cape, jacket or coat or a lined all-weather coat. All-weather coats, with a zip-in lining, may be the answer. I do know that my leather jacket is not warm enough, especially in the coolness of the mornings.

5. Scarves - as many as you can afford! 

And always, think of layering as you plan your winter closet or suitcase.

5 Winter 2014/15 Trends That Could Cost You Nothing

1. Unbalanced Earrings: Now you know what you can do with the single earring you kept after losing the other! The 2014 winter single big earring trend has morphed into two unrelated earrings for spring 2015. I still believe you need something that brings an element of similarity between the two and you can achieve it asymmetrically. As you scroll through the photos on the Harper's Bazaar post, you will see that several designers featured a related-ness albeit in an unbalanced fashion. I too have suggested the asymmetrical look back in a post about jewellery trends for the winter of 2014. In the photo on the previous post I specifically designed the asymmetrical "Keys to My Heart" earrings and in the photo on this post, I recreated one of the vintage clip earrings into a long dangle for a friend in Victoria, B.C. You can easily pull off this look with what you finda in your stash of earrings, doubles or singles. 

Vintage earrings reworked by JoyD

to create an asymmetrical pair. Photo by JoyD.

2. Multiple Ring Trend: A ring on every finger or multiple rings on one finger can be a no cost trend this winter. Collect all that you have and then play at mixing and matching. If you have several rings in the same colour tone, all the better. Even the ones that no longer fit can be worn below the finger joint or on the thumb. I've never worn rings as a fashion accessory so therefore this one would cost me.

Photo Source: Vogue

3. Hair Trends: Clicking through the photos on the UK Glamour site hair appears to be pulled back and off the face, whether parted down the middle or sides or pulled straight back . . . the better to show off your asymmetrical earrings. Of course there are foreheads covered with swooped strands and messy tendrils front, side and back but the most of the looks are flat and slicked back.

4. Alpine/Nordic Sweaters: Sweaters are often "keepers" in our closets. Almost everyone I know in Canada has one of these sweaters packed away somewhere. We can't bear to get rid of them and luckily they can be considered classics or at the very least they come back as focused trends every few winters. Elle tells us that this is one of those winters. If you did donate yours to Goodwill, you just might have to buy another one and stash it (or wear regardless) in the off years.

5. Ponchos, Capes, Blanket Wraps, Shawls: Like the Nordic sweater, somewhere in your closet or closets you probably have something akin in this category. The Vogue "Under Wraps" post  illustrates a range of looks that you probably can mimic with something you already have, if not in your closet, perhaps on your couch.

Oversized Camel Cashmere Shawl.
Photo taken by ShirleyB while
in Bergerac, France.

(It is November 10th and this photo still reflects the weather in France. For my Canadian friends, I will be joining you soon in the snowy minus temperatures.)

The next time you peruse a fashion trend blog, think about . . ."In what ways can I adopt the look so that it costs me nothing?"

Sweaters

Cozy Choices

A Clostet Content Analysis: Bulky Knit Sweaters

NICE         NO THANKS         NOTE-WORTHY

Sweater, n.: garment worn by a child when its mother is feeling chilly.

- Ambrose Bierce

Photo Source: Aran sweater from Blarney Woolen Mills 

I was in Ireland a few years back and although, it was June, I was cold - the humidity got to me. So much so that the sweaters aka jumpers, I know as "fisherman knit", looked very appealing. Trouble was, I was on my way to France and the need for a fisherman knit sweater from June to September was unlikely. In Ireland they were called Aran sweaters. I owned one in high school and although I have often thought about getting another, the opportunity has not been there, other than that cool rainy June week in Ireland. I have friends who are knitters and I have knitted a few simple things however I can't imagine that my skills would even suggest that an aran sweater would be on any of my "to do" lists.

While shopping in Paris at the end of October, there were many choices in many colours. Because of my height I do not care for a very bulky knit stitch and would choose one similar to the photograph of the Aran sweater here.

Bulky knit sweater purchased at Sandro
in the Marais, Paris, October, 2013.
Photo Source: JoyD

It seems ironic, but I just bought a sweater in Paris, mind you it was October. The sweater I finally purchased from a Sandro store in the Marais was not what I had in my mind exactly but after trying several on, I found that this style did not make me look like a "q-tip" - round on the top and narrow on the bottom. I did buy a creamy white one but I was looking for a pale creamy pink. I found one in that pale pink in a knit that was proportional to my frame at Galleries Lafayette but it was too big.

This experience offers the following advice: even if you question the look on the hangar, try it on, it just might work better than the original image you had in your mind's eye.

2021 Update: I shrunk this sweater in 2020 and decided to take it through the felting process. I cut circles to fit my non-stick pans and now this sweater separates them in the kitchen drawer.