Managing your Wardrobe Chapter 27

Choosing Clothing Section 27.1

Styles, Fashions and fads Style: particular design, shape or type of apparel. Determined by the features that create the apparel’s appearance. Example – classic style (remains popular for many years)

High fashion: original clothing designs made by well-known designers in New York, Paris, and other major fashion centers.

Fad: trendy clothing that is very popular for only a short time Fad: trendy clothing that is very popular for only a short time. They tend to be exaggerations of fashion designs.

How Clothing speaks Clothing sends non-verbal messages to others about who a person is through self-awareness and self-concept. Home sewing can allow you to express your creativity and design unique clothing. Basic elements of clothing design – line, texture, and color

Lines of clothing Lines: Silhouette – the outline of your body Structural – silhouette plus the seam lines within the garment Decorative – other lines added through colors, prints, or ornaments Vertical – make a person appear taller and thinner Horizontal – make a person look shorter and wider Curved – give a soft and graceful effect

Texture in Clothing Texture – refers to the way fabrics look and feel on the surface. Range from bulky to smooth, shiny to dull, or stiff to soft.

Color in clothing Warm colors – red, orange and yellow. Give the feeling of excitement and cheerfulness. Cool colors – green, blue, and violet. Give the feeling of quiet and restful feeling. Dark colors – black, navy or dark brown. Give a message of authority and confidence. Light colors – give a felling of coolness and often worn in warm climates. Colors that enhance your natural coloring are most flattering. They help you to appear lively and attractive.

Wardrobe planning Wardrobe – includes all the clothes you have to wear including accessories. Accessories – items you wear with your clothes, such as shoes, handbags, belts, scarves, and neckties. Planning what you are going to wear can save you time and money when getting dressed.

Looking at what you have in your closet Take inventory of what you have – a detailed list of garments and accessories Sort items: Items worn often Items worn occasionally Items not worn in the past year The items not worn in the past year, you might want to consider getting rid of to make room for other clothes.

Meeting clothing needs Basic garments – these are the garments worn most often. These should be classic styles and neutral colors that will have a long-lasting fashion life. Extenders – items you have that expand your wardrobe and may be less expensive (example: jeans, polka dot top, stripes) Plan ahead for future purchases that will enhance what you have in your wardrobe.

Buying Clothes Have a shopping plan – don’t just hang out in the sale racks Get the correct fit Check the clothing labels and hangtags – make sure you can take care of the garment Fiber – long, thin strand that makes up the content of a fabric Country of origin – where the garment was assembled Care instructions – proper care methods Handtags – larger tags attached to clothing which are not required by law

Judging Quality Seams – smooth, flat, pucker-free A garment that is well made will last longer and give you better wear than a poorly constructed one. The following details are signs of good quality clothing: Seams – smooth, flat, pucker-free Hems – should not show on the right side of the garment unless they are decorative Fasteners – buttons should be spaced evenly and zippers should stay closed even when the garment is stretched.

Caring for Clothes Section 27.2

Washing clothes Always check a garment’s care label to see if there are special washing instructions. Tips for washing clothes: Wash white clothing alone Wash dark or bright colored clothing alone Separate clothes by fabric type and garment construction Separate clothes that easily shed lint from those that easily pick it up Separate lightly soiled clothes from heavily soiled Sort clothes by the temperature of the wash water needed

Removing stains Stains on clothing need to be removed as quickly as possible. Once they set into the clothing, it may be difficult to remove them. Liquid detergent and water will remove water-based stains. Pre-wash soil removers may help with oily stains. Never expose a stain to heat because it will cause it to set into the fabric.

Selecting laundry products Soaps – cleansing agent made from natural products. They are biodegradable which means they break down naturally when disposed. Detergents – made with surfactants and generally clean better than soaps. Surfactants are chemicals that allow water to penetrate soiled fabrics more easily. Enzymes are also used in laundry products and are proteins that help speed up chemical reactions.

Selecting laundry products continued…. Bleach – chemical mixture used to whiten and brighten clothes and remove stains. Chlorine bleach is the most widely used and least expensive because it will fade colors and whiten clothes. Non-chlorine bleach releases oxygen in the water and is sometimes called all-fabric bleach. Fabric Softener – were first used to prevent clothes from becoming stiff and scratchy when dried. Available now for use in the wash and dry cycle.

Drying clothes Clothing can either be machine dried or hung up to dry. Be careful not to overload a dryer when placing items in it and to always check the lint collector. To prevent wrinkles from setting hang garments as soon as you take them from the dryer.