Alison Freer's book, How To Get Dressed: A Costume Designer's Secrets for Making Your Clothes Look, Fit, and Feel Amazing, published in 2015, offers a treasure trove of money-saving tricks and DIY hacks for getting the best out of the clothing you own or purchase.
Check it out of the library first; but you may find, as I did, that you want to own it as a reference, there are so many useful tips.
Here is a list of the top five money-saving lessons I learned in this book:
1. Learn effective stain treatments you can make with household products
I've found in my Goodwill shopping that there is generally a "reason" that a particular item of clothing was given away, and a common one is a minor stain. You can now be the beneficiary of someone else's lack of stain-treating skills! I recently purchased some white shorts (shown in this post) that were perfect in every way - except for a tiny stain on one side. With one of the stain treatment options I learned in Freer's book (1 cup of water plus 1/4 teaspoon each of 3% hydrogen peroxide and gentle liquid laundry detergent applied with a paper towel), I was able to greatly reduce the stain to the point where I can barely see it--and certainly no one else can. One of the best things in the whole book, and why I decided to purchase it as a reference, is her glossary on how to treat various types of stains using products you probably already own at home, such as white vinegar, rubbing alcohol and a butter knife.
2. Make sure your clothes fit your body
The most beautiful used clothes in the world won't look beautiful on YOU if they don't fit properly. Freer, a professional costume designer for television, points out that not a single item of clothing is worn by one of her actors without at least one alteration to make it fit the actor better. She also says that actors don't look great because they're beautiful (although that is often the case), but because everything they wear fits them perfectly.
I remember a fellow voice student when I was studying music in graduate school. She was significantly overweight (not a big liability if you're going to be an opera singer), but she made a point of looking put together every day - and that included wearing beautiful dresses that fit her without trying to disguise her outsize figure. I'm sure I wasn't the only one to give her admiring second looks as she walked by. Freer's point is similar - make sure that the clothing you wear today fits the body you have today. I believe that you can learn to make most simple alterations yourself; she recommends you find a good tailor. If you prefer to go that route, you can often find one through a local dry cleaner.
3. Display ALL of your clothing so that you know what you already own
If you can't immediately find that black camisole that you absolutely need in order to wear the great blouse you just found, you'll be tempted to purchase another. Freer recommends that you hang all of your clothing, including lingerie, so that you can see everything that you have at a glance . She recommends those slim non-slip velvet hangers which can also come with clips for cascading several hangers below the top one to save space.
If you're familiar with Marie Kondo from either her book or her Netflix Series, "Tidying Up With Marie Kondo," she emphasizes the importance of folding the clothes that will go into dresser drawers so that they stand up vertically. I prefer this approach, since it doesn't require that I purchase new hangers, but her point is the same - arrange all of your clothing, either hung or folded, so that you can see everything you own at a glance.
T-shirts and tank tops folded using the Kon-Mari method
4. Learn how to wash and dry your clothes like a pro
If you want your clothing to last, learning how to properly clean it is essential. For items you can machine-wash, she recommends five sorts: whites, brights, darks, lingerie/delicates, and household linens. She also recommends that you take care of cleaning the washing machine itself, by running a full cycle with a cup or two of white vinegar every three months, and by leaving the top open (if that is safe in your household) so that mold doesn't develop.
Before drying your clothes, she recommends that you take a moment to snap open any clothing that became rolled up while in the washer, and that you then remove it from the dryer when it is just shy of being completely dry. My dryer has a sensor that buzzes at this point in the cycle, giving me the option of pulling clothes out just a little early.
For items that say "Dry Clean Only", she has a glossary in the back of the book listing the fabrics that can be safely hand-washed at home. Acetate, a fabric commonly used in the lining of blazers, can easily shrink, so this is one she recommends that you dry clean, along with leather, suede, fur, feathers, taffeta and silk velvet. Outside of these exceptions, you can probably hand wash your dry cleanables at home.
5. Maintain your shoes
I rarely purchase used shoes. This means I'm generally paying top dollar for new. She recommends an investment in cedar shoe trees (the kind that keep your shoe stretched out) as a way to both maintain the shape, and reduce the odor, of your shoes (I haven't gone that far myself). She also recommends the extra expense of having a very thin rubber sole added to your shoe if the sole is made of leather - this can be done at your local shoe repair shop (have you ever noticed that these are harder and harder to find?). Naturally, you'll want to get your high heel caps replaced when they fall off or become damaged. This is a VERY inexpensive repair, and will allow you to keep your favorite high heels for longer.
(I've replaced the heel caps at least twice on these favorite shoes)
Bottom line - An investment of some time and effort up front will help you preserve the clothes you love and allow you to take advantage of some great deals on used items that simply need a little help to look great on you. Alison Freer's book will show you how.
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