Can't Take The Heat

Cold water is your wardrobe's friend. Warm or hot water is great for cleaning white clothing made of natural fibers, but outside of that there is no place for it. Colored clothing or garments made from rayon, nylon, or spandex will last longer when washed in cold water. Not only does the cold water keep the dyes from bleeding and transferring in the wash, but heat is what breaks down the delicate fibers in the clothing. Using cold water in the laundry allows the fibers to stay intact longer which will give longevity to your wardrobe.

xoxo,

Ruth

Dapper

Men look so much better slightly over-dressed. Women respond to clothing as a cue to the stability of the man. A man in a suit is more attractive than a guy running around in a tee shirt and jeans. Some women are attracted to the bad boys and are more attracted to the man in ripped jeans, hoodie, and leather jacket, but they are making an unconscious effort to find someone unstable. Men tend to underestimate how important their clothing is. A little bit of ironing and tailoring goes a long way. Subconsciously it indicates a confidence that women read as a sign of stability, and stability is more attractive than looks. When shopping for clothing, men should find items that fit really well on their bodies, but also that can be a little more dressy if necessary. Dark denim will go more places than a pair of distressed jeans. The darker denim will also look a little more clean and classic. Even if a guy wants to wear nothing more than tee shirts and jeans there are ways to make that a bit more dressy. Tee shirts made of fine fabrics (rayon and silk knits, or combed mercerized cotton) which fit very well are leagues ahead of that $2 Hanes tee. Smart graphics and interesting details (not illustrations of bikini clad women) will add interest as well. It may take a little more time to find, but in the end it will ratchet your look into another echelon of style.

xoxo,

Ruth

P.S. To see some of our interesting graphic tees go to www.dept728.com/graphict.html

Fibers

There has been much discussion of fiber content. I was in a very well known retailer last week and ran across a very nice wrap dress with a horrific fiber content. The 80% rayon (which would have been nice) was offset by 20% nylon! The nylon was obviously added in order to reduce the cost per yard of the fabric (nylon is a very inexpensive fiber), but it made the fabric wrinkle very badly. How much did this retailer save when no one wants to buy the dress because of how badly it wrinkles? I am a bit of a fiber snob. I am not the type of person to only wear natural fibers, but I like 'good' fibers. Some polyester can look cheesy, but polyester microfiber is a very smooth fabric and has the ability to wick moisture away from the body (plus it's easy to clean and color-fast). Generally speaking, I am a fan of rayon and cotton. They are both breathable fibers, and they drape well. In terms of stretch, spandex is my favorite. I love spandex! Not that I want to see everyone walking around in clothing shellacked to their bodies, but stretch is a wonderful thing, and helps to allow the body to move freely in the clothing. Anyone who has put on tight denim without spandex knows that moving freely is a tremendously helpful thing. So fiber content can really make a difference in how well a garment works, so next time you go shopping go ahead and look at the tag.

xoxo,

Ruth