Fashion

When the weather is cold, you know exactly what you want to reach for when getting dressed in the morning — not your silky camisole, not your trendy blazer, and not your fancy work top. No, when the weather is freezing, you want to reach for a trusted, comfy, so-cozy-you-never-want-to-take-it-off sweater. From early fall to the end of winter, a sweater is undoubtedly your best friend. And like any other best friend, sweaters require love and care. While they’re extremely delicate, they can last through many wears and many seasons if you treat them the right way. Here’s how to properly take care of your sweaters so they can last as long as you want them to:
Remove pills the right way.
Is there anything as annoying as pilling on a favorite sweater!? A perfectly fine and pretty wool cardigan can start to look like an ungroomed dog after a while. Unfortunately, all sweaters pill — it’s caused by rubbing during wear and is more apparent around the elbows, under armpits, and on sleeves, but can occur anywhere on the sweater.
To remove pills easily, hold the sweater flat with one hand and slice the the pills off (one at a time) with a razor. You can also buy a pill remover. Do not pull at them, or else the pilling will become worse.

Turn any noticeable snags inside out.
Snags (aka when the stitch comes out of the sweater) are the worst because they seem unfixable, and you risk the sweater unraveling with any little possibility that the snag gets caught on something. Snags are not completely fixable, but luckily, they can be placed on the inside, so they’re no longer an issue on the outside. Simply turn the sweater inside out, insert a crochet hook into the same stitch as the snag, and carefully pull the snag through.

Source: Kiki & Bow

Remove dandruff, hair, and lint, regularly.
A child’s soft hairbrush or a soft toothbrush will help you quickly brush off anything on the sweater (looking at you, dog hair!). Just make sure not to brush too harshly on the sweater or it will loosen the fabric and create pills.

Know how to wash, and when.
Washing a sweater is never easy or fun (though is any laundry “fun?”). Most of the time, you should always hand wash your sweaters to make them last longer and keep the fabric in tact.
To hand wash, fill a bucket or sink with cool water, add a few squirts of gentle laundry detergent, submerge the sweater, and let it soak for about 30 minutes. Then rinse it under cool water. To dry, gently squeeze water out of the sweater (never wring it out) and roll it up in a towel (like a sleeping bag or sushi roll) to suck up all the excess water. Finally, lay it flat on a drying rack or clean towel to dry.
Cotton, silk, or cashmere typically needs to be washed after two to three wears, while wool or polyester can withstand more like five wears. But make sure to follow the directions on the label, and don’t wash any more often unless the sweater has a stain (like sweat or a spill).
And if it says dry clean only (as it does with most wool), then you know the drill: dry clean only.

Source: @daniellemoss_

To extend washes, wear a t-shirt underneath.
Since washing is not ideal for sweaters, there are ways to extend the amount of time you need to wash them. Wearing a t-shirt acts as a barrier between the sweater and skin, limiting the amount of outside forces and smells the fabric interacts with. Since things like sweat, body odor, oils on the skin, and deodorant can cause the sweater to lose its shape, the sweater stays in tact longer when you wear a t-shirt that acts as a barrier.

You can save an itchy sweater.
Is there anything worse than a sweater so itchy, it loses all its coziness!? In order to bring itchy back to soft and cozy, add liquid fabric softener to the cold water when you’re washing your sweater. Allow the sweater to thoroughly swirl around the water and let it sit. You can also try adding half a cup of hair conditioner instead of fabric softener, for extra softness. Just make sure you avoid 2-in-1 conditioner/shampoo combinations and heavy hair masks. Also stick to hydrating or standard conditioner, rather than other formulas meant for volumizing or thickening.

Always store sweaters properly in your closet.
Repeat after me: Never. Hang. Sweaters. Hanging will cause sweaters to stretch out and cause peaks in the shoulders. Keep sweaters folded or rolled in drawers or on shelves. Properly fold them by laying them front-down on a flat surface and fold each arm (from the sleeve seam diagonally across the sweater’s back). Then, either fold it horizontally in half, or roll from the bottom hem up to the collar. If you must hang them, fold the sweater over the hanger, on top of a piece of tissue paper to prevent crease.

Take the time to correctly pack up your sweaters after winter.
Yes, all good things must come to an end, so it’s important to know how to properly pack up your sweaters when you’re storing them for spring and summer. Properly clean them, fold them, and put them in clothing storage bags (that are breathable) or boxes (as long as they’re made out of cotton or canvas). Add in a small satchel filled with lavender to prevent bugs (and keep them smelling fresh!). Do not put sweaters in vacuum-sealed storage bags — it might seem like it’s saving space, but locking in moisture can cause yellowing or mildew. More

When new trends start becoming popular, it can be hard to gauge whether or not it’s worth hopping on the bandwagon. Will it be something that sticks around, or will it be old news by the time our online order arrives on our doorstep? Give us a crystal ball and call us your wardrobe fortune tellers because after lots of research and with a little bit of gut instinct, we’ve mapped out exactly that: which trendy pieces you should invest in this year versus which ones you can save a little bit of your hard-earned cash on. Not every trendy piece requires making an investment-level purchase on, but when it’s something that’s going to be around for years to come, it’s a different story. 
These are the trends worth adding to your closet this season, and which are going to be around a lot longer than just that:

Invest: Chelsea Boots

Last year, chunky combat boots were all the rage, and this year we’re seeing a slight variation on the trend with chunkier chelsea boots being the shoe of the year. If you play your cards right, the version of these could be an edgy staple in your wardrobe for years to come.

Save: A Sweater Vest

Of all the surprises 2020 has brought, one of the top is that we’re actually excited to wear sweater vests. This is a trend that’s probably going to come and go with the year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it while it’s here; get yourself an affordable one and layer it over a white button-up for a preppy twist on your classic cardigan look.

Invest: A Shearling Coat

Shearling is the fall piece that’s almost more of a closet staple than a temporary trend, and as the years come and go, we see them come back again and again. If you’re buying yourself one piece of outerwear, it should be a cozy, shearling coat that’s going to last you for years to come.

Save: Something Collared

Big, bold collars are the twist on tops that are conquering this fall, and whether you want yours to be ruffled or adorned with pearls, this is one that you can save on this year with a more affordable option.

Invest: Knee-High Boots

While knee-high boots are trendy this year, there really isn’t a year that you can’t wear them; they’re a closet staple in and of themselves. You’ll never regret having an amazing pair in your wardrobe, and this is something you should be getting wear out of far beyond 2020.

Save: A Shoulder Bag

Tiny shoulder bags have completely stolen this year’s bag spotlight, and while you probably will be wearing yours for months to come, you just don’t need to spend a ton of cash on one for it to be well-made and versatile. These affordable options will give you everything you need from them and more.

Invest: A Plaid Blazer

In the same vein as shearling coats, plaid blazers are the trend we just can’t get rid of. This should be a piece you reach for year after year, and having one that you love is key to wanting to do that.

Save: A Shacket

The shirt-jacket hybrid that we’ve been living in this year is a fun, more masculine piece to add to your wardrobe, but the majority of them don’t cost an arm and a leg. With just about every color, texture, and pattern under the sun, you’re sure to find one that you’ll get a ton of use out of that doesn’t break the bank.

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While we’re suckers for new, shiny trends, there’s really nothing like those pieces in your closet that are familiar and dependable; the ones that you reach for year after year and that never do you wrong.One of the pieces at the top of that list? Our plaid blazers. There’s really nothing they can’t do, and when the six cooler months of the year are in town, you can bet that we’re wearing ours multiple times a week, everywhere from the office to drinks with friends to date night. It makes up the bones of our fall capsule wardrobes—and we’ve never, ever regretted having one in our closet.
Since we’re leaning into our capsule wardrobes a little heavier this year, we’re finding new and improved ways to style our plaid blazers this year, and while we aren’t ones to toot our own horns, we think they’re better than any year past.

1. With a sweater, jeans, and boots

blazer / jeans / sweater / boots / bag

2. With a sweater dress and knee-high boots

blazer / dress / bag / boots

3. With a graphic tee and leather leggings

graphic tee / leather leggings / blazer / white sneakers / bag

4. With all white

jeans / sweater / necklace / boots / blazer

5. With a graphic sweatshirt and chelsea boots

sweatshirt / beret / jeans / chelsea boots / blazer

6. With a sleeveless sweater and corduroy pants

sweater (perfect for under jackets!) / corduroy pants / loafers / bag

Our favorite plaid blazers

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