Pilling Theory & Contradictions
Being a big fan of cardigans and all, pilling problems aren't too uncommon (yes, I use double negatives). Wanting a cheap way to rid myself of these pills, I decided to invest in a de-pilling comb. I know there are probably a fair share of people who feel that fabric shavers are pretty effective out there - hear me out.
in most recent times, I've observed pilling of two different natures in my sweaters. There's the pilling that is strongly connected to the sweater, type 1 - for simplicity (virtually everywhere) and the pilling that is relatively separate from the sweater type 2 (generally under the arm pit). While the pilling of the type two variety is not of any real bother, the pilling of the type one variety is hellish! It appears that pilling of the type two variety results from over stretching so that fibers can eventually rub and form pills that are still strongly attached to the sweater. Pulling these off (de-pilling comb) only leaves more loose fibers and consequently, pilling occurs faster. Cutting them off (fabric shaver) can wear down the fabric faster and possibly cause holes faster. So there's the dilemma.
I suppose it's time to accept that sweaters have a finite usage life.
Showing posts with label nostalgia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nostalgia. Show all posts
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
The ones that got away (happy ending)
I remember my English teacher back in high school reading us a poem...I think it was by Robert Frost, it was about a man who was in pursuit of a deer. After the deer managed to get away from him many times, he slumped down, depressed. He had given up, and then the deer approached him.
I wasn't too keen on analogies then as I am now. My teacher related that it was a poem about playing hard-to-get.
Speaking of hard to get:
Let me introduce to you the After Dinner T-Straps no longer available at Anthropologie. I have a general policy of not buying shoes that I can't try on unless there is a good return policy. Needless to say, Anthropologie has a return policy which is good enough for me. On the day these were brought to my attention in a meaningful way, I had also seen a sweater vest I was interested in on the website and I decided before anything, I should just go down to the store and try on the vest to see if I'd really be that interested in it. I would not want to spend the extra money on shipping if I didn't have to. I go there and it turns out, they don't have my size in the vest. I lurk around some. ( I bought the Vaego dress - never try on anything just for fun or you might find that you just can't take it off.) Earlier at my apartment, I looked at the vest and I search through the sale section on shoes, just to see if they'd have anything I'd like and when I searched in my size - the After Dinner T-straps showed up. NO FREAKING WAY! There's never a cool pair of shoes in my size, $69.95, down from $138. However, to not incure more shipping charges (expensive, mind you) I decided to go to the store first to see if I was truly interested in that vest. When I got home, the shoes were sold out, and I went frantic.Times like these when practicality turns into "what was I thinking? There was a return policy, I had nothing to lose." After much sulking, I resolved myself - I shouldn't be buying 3" heels anyway, I'm not sure when I'd wear them...and so forth. I was fine, irritated, but fine. About a week later when searching in my size again after a new notice had popped up of more items going on sale at the site, there they were again! "REDEMPTION!" maybe some luck too. I didn't wait, I purchased them fast along with the vest that was in my size that I eventually returned. Life doesn't give me many of these opportunities.
New lesson learned: If you see something you want, and there's a return policy, you really have nothing to lose save $13 to satisfy that burning curiousity
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Mimicry
I haven't been updating as much as I wanted to. Still, I'm not one to have this blog fade to black as soon as I start it, so here I go again. I'll try to work my way up from bimonthly.
A few weeks ago, I reflected upon my mentorship by Lucky Mag. There was a small article on closet organization in the first issue I received (March 2003). I got excited about that because unlike the other style advice, I could act on this one. In my dorm, I was going to have a workable closet - the one I had at home had a broken sliding door and the better half of it consisted of suits that my dad did not wear.
Unfortunately, on a relatively recent bout at my old house, I was unable to find the March 2003 issue of Lucky. I had the intentions of scanning that picture of the organized closet and posting it here. On a brighter note though, maybe it was because of how excited I was about the article, or because I found the advice sound, reasonable, and logical, I've organized my various college-life closets accordingly ever since.
While I'll admit, the colors were more vivid in the article - this replica works fine for explanation. I've also learned creative ways to attach my shoe rack to less door-like closet enclosures. Drawers were not a part of the original Lucky Mag layout, but it would also be an inefficient use of space in my 10 ft X 11 ft room to have the drawer set anywhere else.
-as observed by hanger spacing, I have a higher proportion of long to short clothing. My closet is actually just one large closet. Before the door divide lie all my shorter clothes:
Blazers, blouses, and short skirts. I figured that format allows me to maximize my use of space. By placing my drawers under my shortest clothing, I get the bonus of having a place to put my deconstructed moving boxes.
I fall into the category of people who have to have their clothes divided by shape where color is the secondary factor.
Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine recommend (in What you wear can change your life) to hang clothes in outfits and colors that go together. I don't think it's a bad idea, but sometimes, I feel that clothes can get lost in this mode of organization. It probably makes mornings easier. For a bum like me, I prefer a mode of organization that doesn't require changing up every season. I find it easier to take a visual inventory as well think about each piece individually.
The second part of the closet contains my mid-length and long skirts, pants, and dresses.
The area covered by the divide contains all of my sweaters (save the thicker Wintery sweaters since Winter doesn't seem to be very big in Texas). This is where all my cardigans and thinner sweaters reside.
I don't condone the hanging of sweaters - it takes up more space than folding, but I think it's worse for the sweaters in general. You get pointed shoulders, and it exacerbates a sweater's tendency to stretch. This also goes for the hanging of pants half-wise over a hanger - it creates more bulk, also that annoying knee-mark in trousers. One of the things that I haven't personally experienced, noted by Lucky:
- hanging pants over hangers can cause uneven stretching in one of the pant legs.
A note by the WNTW (What not to wear) duo:
- hanging pants by the hem (or in my case, the waist), saves time from ironing.
Under my makeshift sweater shelf, I've arranged my larger bags, like my backpack and overnight bag. And that is my laundry basket under there. I've attached my shoe rack to the closet door with wire and a tack. The rack was acquired from The Container Store and to date, is the only item I acquired after seeing it in Lucky. The rack helps shoes maintain their shape and allows them to breathe - I think it's a good alternative for those who are not fond of the bulk or keeping shoe boxes. The rack has been discontinued, but there are many good alternatives out there. I also use it to hang scarves and other little knick-knacks, though it's not in the direction of organization, I'm fond of the mildly thrown-together look in vintage stores
The shelving above is what I use for storage. There are some extra shoes above my shirts and above my skirts is my minimal purse collection.
My boyfriend described my closet as freakishly organized and a very effective use of space. Hopefully this will be a closet habit I carry on beyond my college years.
This closet is fairly easy to achieve. If a closet doesn't come with shelving, I purchased my cloth hanging shelf at Ikea ($15) - my rack was $20 at The Container Store, although it retailed for $30 - it was a display, but otherwise free of defect - always check the sale sections. Buying clips for hangers makes better hanging for skirts and pants, and is cheaper than buying the hangers specially made for trousers and skirts. Be wary of the grip of the hangers, if ridged - they can leave a pattern on materials like velvet, or silk - they might even be damaging. In an earlier post, I noted that the hanger clips from The Container Store - sucked. They were just made for Container Store hangers. They slip on hangers bought elsewhere.
The rest is a matter making the most of your closet and putting some time into organization. My freakishly organized closet wasn't conceived until I was done moving in to my room. Hopefully it will stay that way. On a closing note, some harsh words I swear by:
NO WIRE HANGERS!
A few weeks ago, I reflected upon my mentorship by Lucky Mag. There was a small article on closet organization in the first issue I received (March 2003). I got excited about that because unlike the other style advice, I could act on this one. In my dorm, I was going to have a workable closet - the one I had at home had a broken sliding door and the better half of it consisted of suits that my dad did not wear.
Unfortunately, on a relatively recent bout at my old house, I was unable to find the March 2003 issue of Lucky. I had the intentions of scanning that picture of the organized closet and posting it here. On a brighter note though, maybe it was because of how excited I was about the article, or because I found the advice sound, reasonable, and logical, I've organized my various college-life closets accordingly ever since.
While I'll admit, the colors were more vivid in the article - this replica works fine for explanation. I've also learned creative ways to attach my shoe rack to less door-like closet enclosures. Drawers were not a part of the original Lucky Mag layout, but it would also be an inefficient use of space in my 10 ft X 11 ft room to have the drawer set anywhere else.-as observed by hanger spacing, I have a higher proportion of long to short clothing. My closet is actually just one large closet. Before the door divide lie all my shorter clothes:
Blazers, blouses, and short skirts. I figured that format allows me to maximize my use of space. By placing my drawers under my shortest clothing, I get the bonus of having a place to put my deconstructed moving boxes.I fall into the category of people who have to have their clothes divided by shape where color is the secondary factor.
Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine recommend (in What you wear can change your life) to hang clothes in outfits and colors that go together. I don't think it's a bad idea, but sometimes, I feel that clothes can get lost in this mode of organization. It probably makes mornings easier. For a bum like me, I prefer a mode of organization that doesn't require changing up every season. I find it easier to take a visual inventory as well think about each piece individually.
The second part of the closet contains my mid-length and long skirts, pants, and dresses.The area covered by the divide contains all of my sweaters (save the thicker Wintery sweaters since Winter doesn't seem to be very big in Texas). This is where all my cardigans and thinner sweaters reside.
I don't condone the hanging of sweaters - it takes up more space than folding, but I think it's worse for the sweaters in general. You get pointed shoulders, and it exacerbates a sweater's tendency to stretch. This also goes for the hanging of pants half-wise over a hanger - it creates more bulk, also that annoying knee-mark in trousers. One of the things that I haven't personally experienced, noted by Lucky:
- hanging pants over hangers can cause uneven stretching in one of the pant legs.
A note by the WNTW (What not to wear) duo:
- hanging pants by the hem (or in my case, the waist), saves time from ironing.
Under my makeshift sweater shelf, I've arranged my larger bags, like my backpack and overnight bag. And that is my laundry basket under there. I've attached my shoe rack to the closet door with wire and a tack. The rack was acquired from The Container Store and to date, is the only item I acquired after seeing it in Lucky. The rack helps shoes maintain their shape and allows them to breathe - I think it's a good alternative for those who are not fond of the bulk or keeping shoe boxes. The rack has been discontinued, but there are many good alternatives out there. I also use it to hang scarves and other little knick-knacks, though it's not in the direction of organization, I'm fond of the mildly thrown-together look in vintage stores
The shelving above is what I use for storage. There are some extra shoes above my shirts and above my skirts is my minimal purse collection.
My boyfriend described my closet as freakishly organized and a very effective use of space. Hopefully this will be a closet habit I carry on beyond my college years.
This closet is fairly easy to achieve. If a closet doesn't come with shelving, I purchased my cloth hanging shelf at Ikea ($15) - my rack was $20 at The Container Store, although it retailed for $30 - it was a display, but otherwise free of defect - always check the sale sections. Buying clips for hangers makes better hanging for skirts and pants, and is cheaper than buying the hangers specially made for trousers and skirts. Be wary of the grip of the hangers, if ridged - they can leave a pattern on materials like velvet, or silk - they might even be damaging. In an earlier post, I noted that the hanger clips from The Container Store - sucked. They were just made for Container Store hangers. They slip on hangers bought elsewhere.
The rest is a matter making the most of your closet and putting some time into organization. My freakishly organized closet wasn't conceived until I was done moving in to my room. Hopefully it will stay that way. On a closing note, some harsh words I swear by:
NO WIRE HANGERS!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Mentor: Lucky Mag
I remember the summer of my junior year of high school. I was going through a mildly awkward phase that every girl goes through at ages 11, 18-ish, and probably 27. Am I dressing too young for my age? I felt that at 17, it was time to start developing my style, but I didn't know where I stood.
Having two elder sisters always led me to ask their advice. Essentially it would be me asking them to dress me, but at the time, 17, I looked at their styles and assessed that, not only did their styles not suit me, I shouldn't be asking them for dressing advice and then criticizing their style - I asked for it.
I still had the issue of not knowing where to go with style. When I would go shopping, I would barely find anything I liked - however, I did on occasion find things that I did like which was something I could bank on. Armed with the knowledge of what I did like and what silhouettes I liked, I ventured on to try to find a way to dig myself out of my jeans and t-shirt existence. At this time, I had already handicapped myself by swearing off of khaki and white for a while since our school uniform required us to wear khaki and white. I felt more tired of the combination instead of wanting to get creative with it.
While slothing one day on the couch (spring 2003), I saw a TV ad for Lucky Magazine.
I ended up keeping the number. I asked my mom if I could get it and she said, something to the effect of 'sure it'll teach you how to dress.' I had nothing to lose, the subscription also came with a free bag and I knew I'd be able to relate to the clothes better than in a magazine like...Vogue. Soon enough, I got my first issue, March 2003 - it featured their shoe collection and also a very memorable picture of an organized closet (another blog). Being unemployed and 17 didn't leave much for me in terms of buying the clothes. I was able to better assess what styles I liked and what I didn't like. Throughout most of college, I lived a life with many style visions, but not having any money left me a little limited, so I had to work with what money I had and what workable clothes I had. While I must say, my t-shirt and jeans existence transformed into a t-shirt and trousers existence, the constant influx of Lucky gave me stronger ideas of what I wanted.
I know that magazines like Lucky are meant to showcase the trends of the season, but also, a person can't help what they like. Just recently, I was at my old house looking through 5 year old issues of Lucky - there were articles on Summer suits that were still quite relevant today; Summer suits are generally in paler colors and lighter fabrics like cotton and linen - and also pictures of clothes from back then. I noticed this blouse I would've bought on the spot at $48. I got rather depressed that I have the money now, but didn't then. At least I got an idea. It's better than nothing.
So, my first venture into determining my style was venturing into Lucky Mag. It's a matter of picking and choosing, you just have to see what's out there.
Having two elder sisters always led me to ask their advice. Essentially it would be me asking them to dress me, but at the time, 17, I looked at their styles and assessed that, not only did their styles not suit me, I shouldn't be asking them for dressing advice and then criticizing their style - I asked for it.
I still had the issue of not knowing where to go with style. When I would go shopping, I would barely find anything I liked - however, I did on occasion find things that I did like which was something I could bank on. Armed with the knowledge of what I did like and what silhouettes I liked, I ventured on to try to find a way to dig myself out of my jeans and t-shirt existence. At this time, I had already handicapped myself by swearing off of khaki and white for a while since our school uniform required us to wear khaki and white. I felt more tired of the combination instead of wanting to get creative with it.
While slothing one day on the couch (spring 2003), I saw a TV ad for Lucky Magazine.
I ended up keeping the number. I asked my mom if I could get it and she said, something to the effect of 'sure it'll teach you how to dress.' I had nothing to lose, the subscription also came with a free bag and I knew I'd be able to relate to the clothes better than in a magazine like...Vogue. Soon enough, I got my first issue, March 2003 - it featured their shoe collection and also a very memorable picture of an organized closet (another blog). Being unemployed and 17 didn't leave much for me in terms of buying the clothes. I was able to better assess what styles I liked and what I didn't like. Throughout most of college, I lived a life with many style visions, but not having any money left me a little limited, so I had to work with what money I had and what workable clothes I had. While I must say, my t-shirt and jeans existence transformed into a t-shirt and trousers existence, the constant influx of Lucky gave me stronger ideas of what I wanted.I know that magazines like Lucky are meant to showcase the trends of the season, but also, a person can't help what they like. Just recently, I was at my old house looking through 5 year old issues of Lucky - there were articles on Summer suits that were still quite relevant today; Summer suits are generally in paler colors and lighter fabrics like cotton and linen - and also pictures of clothes from back then. I noticed this blouse I would've bought on the spot at $48. I got rather depressed that I have the money now, but didn't then. At least I got an idea. It's better than nothing.
So, my first venture into determining my style was venturing into Lucky Mag. It's a matter of picking and choosing, you just have to see what's out there.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)