It's really the opportunity you have to give a final once over to the beloved clothing that has joined you for the ride over the past few months before you store them away for another year.
So, before you stuff them away (and please don't really 'stuff' any of them away) here are FOUR tips for clothing storage:
Top 2 Toe Tactics:
1. Where's the Wear? Check linings, collars, cuffs, hems, ESK (elbows, seats, knees) of all clothing and outerwear items for soiling, tears/wear, stains, and discolouration. Launder or dry clean all pieces prior to storing for the season. Even if it looks clean, body oil and perspiration are two of the most common stain/wear culprits - and pests, like moths, love them both. Even if you don't think you have pests, if any have laid eggs, they'll be impossible to find until they've eaten their way through your garments.
2. Threadbare? Don't You Dare! Aw! This must have been a favourite piece of yours. We may be able to replace it (in the case of basic sweaters, jackets, jeans) or it might be worthwhile to have a seamstress use it as a pattern to recreate a new piece to love. Either way, it's time to say goodbye to this piece. If it's a lining that's torn, you might consider replacing it! But only if it's a piece you can't live without. Lining repair cost and labour intensive work.
3. Bare Your Sole: Shoe vamps stretched out? Pointed toes turning up like the Wicked Witch of the West? It's time for a new pair. Salt stains, scuffs or worn through heel taps? Take them to a trusted shoe repair and ask them to: 1. Clean and Protect 2. Replace the heel or the heel taps 3. Resole the ball of the foot with a thin rubber tread in a colour that matches the sole of the shoe. You'll get more seasons out of those shoes than you expected and you'll look fresh and well-heeled (pardon the pun!)
4. Protect What You Love: Store your off-season clothing, hung or folded, in closed containers with cedar blocks, in a temperature controlled environment away from direct light to prevent fading. Avoid mothballs! They are not only made of nasty chemical that can harm humans and animals, but they also impart a distinctive and nose-wrinkling odor to your clothes.
Follow these tactics and your favourite clothes will be ready for another season's worth of adventures just when you need them!
