Want to give your summer wardrobe a boost without blowing your budget?  Try these inexpensive accessories that can be worn now, and well into the fall.

• Introduce cool-weather materials.  Belts made of leather or wool look great with a silk dress or tweed pants.
• Choose versatile jewel shades & earth tones.  Closed-toe ballet flats & airy scarves are light enough for the mid-summer heat, but can still take the chill out of a fall night.
• Don’t be afraid to shine.  Jewelry & handbags with sparkle, or made of patent, play well against sun-kissed skin, and cozy knits.

Real Simple – August 2011

Sorry, fellas – this post is for ladies only.  Ladies - a little bra humor to get us started … Bette Midler performing Otto Titsling in Beaches

Did you know 80% of women are wearing the wrong size bra?!  Before starting your bra-venture, go for a professional bra fitting to make sure you’re wearing the correct size .  Then, implement these tips from InStyle to keep the girls looking their best.  Giving yourself a good foundation impacts how your clothing fit.

1. The band:  It should sit snugly around the rib cage.  If it’s too loose, it will ride up.  You shouldn’t be able to pull the band more than an inch away from your body when it’s on the outermost hook.  As the bra stretches out, move the clasp inward.
2. The cups:  Signs of an ill-fitting cup include puckering, gapping, wire that digs, and – of course – the dreaded double boob.
3. The straps:  Even the well-endowed don’t need to put up with shoulder indentations.  Women often wear there straps too tight.  Support should come from the band, not the straps.
4. The style:  Try several shapes, just like you would with jeans.  How do you know you’re not an underwire gal if you haven’t tried one on in years?  Take several styles into the fitting room & give them a try.  Put your top back on & see what the bra looks like underneath - is it invisible?  Does it give you a nice shape or make you look like Madonna?

Check out the iPhone/iPad app from Natori.

Every season, I sort through my clothing.  I try stuff on for my ever patient husband, who gives me the thumbs up or thumbs down.  It never fails – I always try on something & find myself saying, “Why did I buy this?!”  Sometimes I consign my clothing, sometimes I donate them.  When I do donate them, I always choose a Community Aid bin at one of our Classic Drycleaners and Laundromats stores.

The reason – all donations into these bins directly benefit our friends at the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area.  In 2010, Community Aid donated $25,000 to the Humane Society of Harrisbure Area – wow!

We are so honored to be part of this circle of giving, and encourage our customers & community members to visit our Community Aid bins.  Join our circle & help our furry friends at the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area.

While the care label above “Wash this when dirty” is humorous, it is not legal according to FTC guidelines.  The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Care Labeling Rule requires manufacturers & importers to attach care instructions to garments.

Care labels are often a deciding factor when consumers shop for clothing.  While some enjoy the convenience of drycleaning, others prefer the economy of washing.  Some manufacturers try to appeal to both demographics by including more than one method of care on a single label.

Manufacturers are required to:

• provide complete instructions about regular care for the garment, or provide warnings if the garment cannot be cleaned without harm.
• ensure that care labeling instructions, if followed, will cause no substantial harm to the product.
• warn consumers about certain procedures that they may assume to be consistent with the instructions on the label, but that would harm the product.  For example, if a pair of pants is labeled for washing, consumers may assume they can iron them.  If the pants would be harmed by ironing, the label should read, “Do not iron.”
• ensure that care labels remain attached & legible throughout the useful life of the product.

If you followed the care label on your garment & it did not withstand the recommended method of care, return to the place of purchase.  Any reputable retailer should offer you a replacement or refund.

Many of us are not a standard size, fitting perfectly into clothing right off the department store racks.  For those of us, myself included, who need help achieving the perfect fit, consider professional alterations to be the solution.

A minor alteration can make a good fitting garment a great fitting one.  And, for those who love a bargain (me! me!), buying a not-so-perfectly fitting sale item might be a great way to go if alterations will make that garment perfect.

Rule of thumb:  Fit the garment to the largest part of your body.  Waists can be taken in and lengths can be shortened to give the garment a tailored, made-just-for-you, look.  Ill-fitting garments – both those that are too small & those that are too big – not only look sloppy, but actually make you look larger.

Many department stores offer professional alterations.  However, if you’re shopping at your favorite discount store, a tailoring department is probably not available.  Check with a reputable drycleaner in your area – they probably offer alterations at reasonable prices.  A professional, experienced tailor will know the correct fit for your garments & provide guidance during the fitting proces.

As you begin to use professional alteration services, you will become familiar with some of the costs.  This will help you determine the level of investment you may (or may not) want to make when purchasing a garment that requires alterations.  Keep in mind that items requiring more work will raise the price of an alteration – linings, zippers, cuffs and pleats.

Any responsible drycleaner will encourage you to return your plastic drycleaning bags for recycling.  There’s a company – the Trex Company - that collects plastics bags from drycleaners, grocery stores, etc.  They melt the shredded plastic bags with sawdust & ta-dah…composite decking materials are made from recycled materials & distributed throughout the United States.

With the help of a local Giant grocery store, we are proud of our partnership with the Trex Company.

Sorry, Kermit, but with partnerships like these, it is easy being green!

100% Recycled Clothing is here – and gaining popularity!

Will the soda bottle in your fridge become a shirt some day?  Yes, and it’s already happening.  In fact, the jerseys Nike produced for nine of the World Cup soccer teams, including Team USA, were made from recycled bottles.

One company using recycling materials to making clothing is Century Place.  The material they use is produced 100% post-consumer recycled performance polyester.  This means that the shirt was made entirely from recycled plastic bottles.  The bottles you use & drink out of every day are now used to produce your shirts!

It takes approximately six, 2-liter recycled bottles to produce a knit shirt.  Two pounds of recycled fiber conserves energy equivalent to one gallon of gasoline.  Recovering one million pounds conserves enough resources to generate power for 18,000 for a month. 

The appeal of Earth-friendly garments is widespread.  Research indicates that more than 79% of consumers would purchase garments that are eco-friendly.  Would you?

Cold-Water Washing vs. Hot-Water Washing

I’ve found myself having this conversation with a number of different people – laundromat customers, my washing machine repair man.  Is cold-water washing just as effective as hot-water washing?

According to Steve Boorstein, the Clothing Doctor, yes.  With technological advances in washing machines & detergents, cold-water washing is a highly effective option.  In some cases, cold-water washing is actually a better choice than hot-water washing.  Protein stains (blood, sweat) can set in when washed in hot water, and hot water may shrink or wrinkle synthetic fabrics.

That said, some people find that workout clothes still smell bad after a cold cycle.  If this is the case in your household, do a cool-water prerinse within 20 minutes after your workout.  This will help eliminate residual odor during the next cold load.  Cold-water detergent is a good choice for gym wear; regular detergent works fine for other clothing.

Since about 90% of the energy consumed while running a load is used to heat the water, the average household opting for cold can eliminate as much as 350 pounds of carbon emissions annually.  For most homes, this will amount to about $40 in savings a year.

Feb 2011/RealSimple.com

5 things to keep in mind when shopping Sample Sales

1. Prices aren’t always rock-bottom.  Samples sales online & in stores, warehouses & showrooms, are famous for offering steals on top-notch merchandise.  Beware - many designers use the sales to unload extra inventory at far-from-bargain prices.  True samples – prototypes that come from the manufacturer – should cost no more than 50 percent of the suggested retail price.  Before buying, check the sale price against the designer’s own website or a discount site, such as bluefly.com.
2. Don’t trust sizes.  The number printed on the garment may not always be accurate.  Real samples have been fit to a specific model.  If you’re at a sale, be sure to try before you buy.
3. In the store, look for imperfections.  If you find a loose button or sticky zipper, ask the salesperson if they can help you out on the price.
4. On the Web, keep a cool head.  “Flash sales” typically last 24-72 hours, so resist the urge to “buy now!”.   Ask yourself these questions before purchasing:  Why am I getting this?  How will I pay for this?  How will I feel afterward?  If you don’t have good answers, you could be shopping for the adrenaline high alone.
5. Be strategic about timing.  Often you can save an additional 10-20% if you shop during the final hours of an in-store sample sale.  Online you’ll find the best savings at sales labeled “final” or “blowout”, which are held at various times throughout the year and are separate from regular daily sales.

October 2010/Realsimple.com

Operation Beautiful to the rescue!

How often do you hear, “You’re beautiful!”?  I read about Operation Beautiful in an edition of Glamour Magazine, and I’m so glad I did.

Caitlin Boyle, 26, spent years battling her weight & depression.  One day, she had enough.  She gazed into the mirror in a public bathroom & had the impulse to do something positive.  On the mirror, she stuck a note with a simple message to herself & anyone else who might come across it: “You are beautiful.”  She posted a photo of the note on her blog & over the next year, hundreds of women followed her lead, sending in their random acts of kindness.

There’s a book, Operation Beautiful, which chronicles all the creative ways women have spread the good word with notes on diet food at grocery stores, on dressing room mirrors and even at the office.

Let’s face it – girls can be mean.  It seems girls, and even some women, take great pleasure in knocking each other down instead of building each other up.  It was refreshing and inspiring to learn about Operation Beautiful.  Keep it going, ladies!