“Simplicity, good taste and grooming are the three fundamentals of good dressing and these do not cost money”. – Christian Dior
Grooming and taking care of your clothes is one of the essentials of good style. The most beautiful cashmere sweater can look cheap when it’s not well look after, covered in pilling knots all over.
Wool and cashmere can last for years if cared for properly. Here are my tips on how to look after your favourite winter pieces:
- Washing: Wool is a natural fibre that can shrink and mat if you wash it at high temperature and spin. Therefore, always make sure to follow the washing instructions. Some woolen jumpers can be washed in the washing machine’s wool programme with the lowest spin. I wash my favourite cashmere jumpers by hand, gently squeezing them to get rid of excess water, followed by rolling it in a towel, and drying it lying flat.
- Ironing: Because wool and cashmere are natural fibres you should hang them onto a padded hanger after wearing, to allow the fibre to spring back into place. Only lightly steam them with a water filled steam iron on the lowest “wool” setting.
- Fight the pilling: Fluff shaver (mine is from Remington and I swear on it) gets rid of unsightly pilling and can be used on jumpers, coats or even socks, making them look as good as new!
- Storage: Keep closets, drawers and trunks clean, use scented drawer liners to keep moth at bay. After winter, clean your woolen clothing and put it into an airtight sealed plastic storage bag. This is the only way to protect jumpers from months. I tried everything: cedar rings, moth balls, moth paper, scented gel pads – nothing kept the moth from eating into the clothes apart from storing them clean in storage plastic bags.
