Best Clothing Hacks You Must Know

Clothes are much more
than just clothes. They can be a style statement, artistic expression and an
extension of your personality. Fashion changes every day. But what matters the
most if that you stay comfortable in whatever you choose to wear. Of course, anyone
who has ever worn any article of clothing will know that can be difficult
sometimes. So, here I am to tell you about some clothing hacks that will change
your life.

1. Zipper does not stay up

Sometimes the zipper on the fly of jeans just does not want to stay up! I have a simple fix for that. Take a rubber band and pass it through the zipper and wound it around the button of your jeans. Once you button up your jeans the rubber band will be invisible.

2. Take care your leathers

Patent leather is difficult to maintain. An easy solution is to use window cleaner to eliminate any stains or dirt. Make sure to rub the cleaning liquid gently and avoid seams.

3. Ripped up jeans

Distressed jeans are the ultimate rebel clothing. There are times when rebellion is not a viable option. For those instances, or aesthetic upgrades, bring out your hot glue gun and paste a patch of lace on the underside of the rips on your jeans. What you’ll end up with is pretty lace cloth peeking out of the rips. Talk about contrast!

4. Strapless tee issues

There are days which are perfect for strapless tops but you simply cannot find a strapless bra to go with it. There’s nothing to worry about. Dig up some safety pins and attach your bra straps to the sleeves of the top. This way, the strap will stay hidden right under your top.

5. New heels have no grip?

I hate living in constant fear of slipping on the floor in new high heels. Time to repurpose your steel scrubber! Scrub away at the bottom of the heels until you get the desirable level of friction. An alternative method is to make small lines with a hot glue gun. Choose whichever method you like.

6. When jeans get a tear

There has been that embarrassing moment in all our lives when our tight pants get a tear in places we cannot hide easily with our top. A temporary fix is to use a stapler and staple the tear shut. Keep in mind, this is just until you reach your home and can either sew it for good or just get rid of it.

7. Loose button on your shirt

Buttons on a shirt can be fickle. They can come loose at the worst of times. If you don’t have the time to sew it back properly, colourless nail paint can come handy. Paint the varnish right on top of the button to hold it in place. It will keep the button from falling off for a while. Then, when you are ready to repair it, use a bit of nail polish remover or thinner to wipe it off.

8. Gum on your clothing

Oftentimes, irresponsibly placed chewed up gum can spell disaster. But not anymore! All you need to do is place an ice-pack directly on it for half an hour. Then, pack the article of clothing in plastic and place it in your freezer for about 24 hours. After this, the gum will come right off with no difficulties and no damage.

9. Hide a camel-toe

Camel-toes are unavoidable in very tight clothing. You can however, hide it with minimal efforts. Take a panty liner and instead of sticking it vertically on the crotch of your underwear, wrap it horizontally. Now, you can wear any tight pants without feeling self-conscious and just enjoy yourself.

10.  De-pill your garments

Pilling is the worst. It destroys the soft, smooth texture of the cloth. Thankfully, it is easy to get rid of. Take a razor and glide it all over the fabric wherever there is pilling. Wrap a length of tape around a finger with the adhesive side facing outwards and collect any stray pill balls that might be left.

11. Fix your stuck zipper

An old remedy to fix unyielding zips is to rub a bit of candle on the teeth of the problem areas. You can also try pencil, wax or oil. All these materials lubricate the zipper and allow it to open and close smoothly.

12. Fix your underwire

Underwire bras have great support. But sometimes the wire can poke through the seams and that is one painful experience. Tape a Band-Aid over it to control this.

13.  Sweaters shed too

Dogs aren’t the only ones that can shed. Sometimes sweaters do too. When you notice this, just pack your sweater in plastic and leave it in the fridge for 3-6 hours. When you pull it out, it will not shed anymore.

14.  Never lose your PJ strings

Pyjamas are great. They are comfy, soft and perfect for a good night’s rest or a day of chilling. When the drawstring goes into the seams however, it leads to the manual labour of trying to coax it out of hiding. Avoid this situation by tying the ends of the string together.

15.  Make sweat stains go away

Indian summer is harsh, unforgiving and long lasting. All this heat causing sweating that no amount of deodorant can stop. Armpits of tops and dresses are the worst victims of this. This often results in pit stains that will not go away no matter how hard you scrub and agitate. Lemon to the rescue! Put some lemon juice in a spray bottle and spray it on the offending pits of your clothes. Then wash as usual. The stains will be no more.

16. Deodorant stains

Deodorants are useful. They control sweat and leave a pleasant fragrance. Unfortunately, sometimes they also leave white stains in their wake. You can remove these stains easily by rubbing on them with wet wipes.

17. Cans for clothes

Next time you open up a can of soft drink or preserved food, save the finger tab. Why, you might ask? Some outfits can only be worn with one another. It could be a two-piece or co-ords or just the outfit you have sorted out for the next day. It is a pain to search for two specific pieces when you are short on time. For efficiency and an overall simpler life, put one hole of the can tab through the curved part of one hanger and let it stay at the bottom. Now attach a second hanger on the other hole of the tab. This way, your outfit will stay together and you will have no problems finding it.

18. Sweaty sole problems

More heat, more problems. Humans have pores everywhere to secrete sweat and help us stay cool. Contradictory, isn’t it? Actually, when sweat dries off it leaves the skin cooler. This sweat can also ruin various items; shoes in particular suffer from this a lot. To avoid damage to shoes, try putting thin hygiene pads or panty liners on the soles to absorb the sweat.

19. Reduce jean shopping time

Jeans are the most essential of all essentials. Shopping for jeans can be very time consuming. There are a multitude of options for style, colour and silhouettes. The only way to know whether or not a pair will truly fit is to try it on. One trick that can reduce the time is to wrap the waistband around your neck. If it fits around your neck, it will most likely sit on your waist perfectly.

20. Straighten out your collars

Shirts and collared dresses are ideal for a vast variety of events and occasions. What are not ideal are curled collars. To straighten it, set your flat iron to the lowest setting and glide it through the curl. It will do for your collar what it does for your hair, straighten it and remove any wrinkles. You can also do this for any clothing with small wrinkles on it. It’s quick, easy and you can do it while doing your hair.

21. Turn your skirt into a new top

Have you outgrown a beloved skirt? Or maybe your dryer did the job for you? No worries, there is no need to say goodbye to it as yet. Cut out one triangular shape on either side of your skirt a few inches below the waistband. There, done. Now just pull the skirt over your head with the waistband upwards. Put your arms though the freshly cut triangles and voila! You have a new tube top!

22. Show off your ankle boots

Ankle boots are cute and need to be flaunted. Do not bring down your jeans on top of them. Instead fold them up until the top of the boots are visible.

23. Expand your shoes

A lot of us ladies have broad feet, especially those of taller stature. The length of the shoe might fit perfectly but the toes could be a tight, uncomfortable fit. Ice will help. And not just with foot pain. Fill a zip lock bag with a bit of water and put it into your shoe. It will take the shape of the shoe. Now put the shoes in the freezer and let the water turn to ice. The water will expand as it freezes and will stretch out your shoes as well.

24. New tees are too crisp

New t-shirts have that…new t-shirt feel to them. It doesn’t do when all you want is comfort and softness. For that vintage tee feeling, make some brine water. Mix half a cup of salt in about a litre of water. Soak the tee in this solution for 2-3 days. Then wash as usual.

25. Suede shoes issues

Suede
shoes look high maintenance but it can be really easy. Use an eraser to rub
away any dirt that would have accumulated. It might take some elbow grease by
it really is the best way to take care of suede.

26. Camisole to smooth things

A
classic combination is a shirt/button-up and a sweater. It pairs well with
jeans and is suitable for all kinds of events. It does present with a common
problem when dealing with two layers; the illusions of more layers than you are
actually wearing. This can look frumpy and careless. Here’s a simple hack.
After putting on the shirt, pull on a camisole or tank top. This will smooth
out the fabric of your shirt and compress it all a bit. Then put on the
sweater. Your silhouette will be that much smoother.

27. Leathers need hydration

Now,
by hydration I don’t mean wear your leather jacket into the rain. Leather
shoes, jackets and handbags can look brand new for years if you take care of
them well. Rub some moisturizer on your leathers from time to time. Doing this
will keep them shiny and also do away any slight scratches.

These
are just some hacks to make your wardrobe a better place. You will find many
lists like this that will tell you what to and what not to do. Keep in mind
that you don’t need to stay updated on all the latest trends and styles to be
fashionable.

If
you feel that what all the others are wearing is not the best for you, then do
not get bothered by it. Fashion is to please us, not the other way around. As long
as you are happy and feel comfortable and confident, it does not matter.

Do
let me know if these work for you and also if you have something to add this
list.