B00AFU6252 EBOK (24 page)

1. Roll your scarves into neat bundles to keep them smooth and wrinkle free. (Never crush or fold such delicate fabrics!)
   
2. I am a firm believer that you cannot overlabel things. (My family might disagree.)
   
3. Fabric baskets are great for filling that hard-to-use top shelf in your closet. Use them to sort workout clothes, tights, socks, belts, beach stuff, and other items that you don’t use daily but still need handy and are hard to hang or fold.
   

Find a shelf, a windowsill, or the back of your closet door—any surface where you can keep your necklaces, bracelets, and earrings
out
where you can see them, instead of stuffed inside boxes tucked into drawers. For one thing, accessories are pretty! You can have fun with this—paint a couple of old (empty) picture frames, hang them on a wall, then arrange your necklaces on nails inside each frame. Or pin earrings on a pretty fabric-covered corkboard. I keep my bracelets grouped together on a simple stand, and I hang my necklaces on hooks. When you can see what you’ve got to work with, accessorizing becomes
styling
, which is really a kind of art. Bonus points if you can position a floor-length mirror nearby—that makes it easier to quickly try combinations with any given outfit and play around.

Professional stylists swear by their steamers—you’ll see them on every photo shoot. They are much gentler on delicate fabrics and work far more quickly than irons (yet are more effective than the old “hang it up while you shower” trick!). I recommend tucking one into your closet. That way, you can pull it out and let it warm up while you’re doing your hair or finalizing accessory choices, then give everything a quick steam before you pop it on.

If you buy wallet-friendly shoes, shoe trees will help them last longer; if you buy pricey shoes, shoe trees ensure you’ll get your money’s worth. These tools help footwear hold its shape and keeps leather from sagging.

For anything fragile or very expensive—evening gowns, vintage pieces, nice suits—don’t keep them in the plastic bags from the dry cleaners. (In fact, don’t let those plastic bags in your house! See “
Dry-Cleaning Don’ts.
”) Do keep these items protected from humidity, sun, dust, pets, sticky-fingered kids, and so on. Fabric garment bags—even ones fashioned from old cotton sheets—give your special clothes the protection they deserve.

I dry-clean as little as possible; sweaters and jackets can absolutely be worn several times before you send them to the cleaners, and even most cocktail dresses can survive at least two wearings. This is better for your clothes because the chemicals in dry cleaning start wearing them down. It’s also better for your health.

Dry cleaning involves toxic chemicals like PERC that may be linked to cancer and reproductive damage. When you do dry-clean clothes, ask the cleaners to skip the plastic bags (which just seal in fumes), then hang everything outside to air for an hour or so before you put them away. Better yet, look for “green” or “eco” dry cleaners, which are popping up everywhere, thanks to new demand for a healthier alternative.

I
F YOU WANT
to shop and dress more sustainably, vintage is a great place to start. After all, it’s the ultimate form of recycling!

You reclaim and reuse clothes that might otherwise have lived out their days in a Goodwill bin or, worse, a landfill. (It would shock my Depression-era grandma to her core, but people really do throw away clothes—almost 100 pounds of them every year.)

But vintage can be a bit intimidating if you haven’t gone there before. Here’s my advice:

This is the best entry point for anyone new to vintage. It doesn’t smell, there are few size issues, and it’s almost always fabulous. In fact, most new jewelry today is a reinterpretation of older styles—so why not go with the originals? In particular, I tend to buy lots of silver pieces this way—I think they age better than some other types of metals.

Bags, and other accessories like scarves and hats, are another not-so-scary way in to vintage. You don’t have to use vintage every day, but you can find something great for evenings out or for retro flair on your beach trip.

Flea markets and thrift stores can be overwhelming and chaotic. If you have a goal in mind (“beaded cardigans” or “Pucci scarves”), it’s a lot easier to wade through racks and bins and zero in on the good stuff.

There are no awkward in-person haggling sessions or musty dressing rooms to contend with on eBay or Etsy Vintage. The downside is you can’t inspect the goods in person before you buy—so always check a seller’s ratings and feedback to make sure he or she seems legit. Bonus: You’ll avoid the extra price markup of the retail store.

That frees you up to consider purchasing anything a size or two too big—especially if it’s a deal. Having the garment altered will add to the total cost, but you’ll end up with a one-of-a-kind piece.

When you wear vintage, you never have to worry about showing up in the same dress as someone else.

G
ETTING DRESSED WHEN
you’re pregnant is a whole new ballgame. Your old clothes stop fitting fast. And no, you can’t necessarily wear the same looks (especially if you loved, say, a fitted button-down shirt or sky-high stilettos) because they just won’t feel or look good right now. But that’s okay. Your body is growing a person! Give it the respect it deserves and dress so that you and that bump are comfortable—you absolutely can still look like your gorgeous self. It’s a little daunting at first, but it’s also an opportunity to try styles you might not have bothered with before when you couldn’t, oh, fill them out.

I did a lot of fitted jackets over full skirts and dresses; think empire-waist maxidress with a denim jacket or cardigan. (Your pre-baby cardigan will be snugger but luckily it’s just a layering piece so you don’t need to button it.) You can also flip the look and pair a flowy peasant top with leggings or skinny jeans.