Wardrobe Maintenance Day

[Craig Robertson]

Every year, once the weather drops below 70 (and stays there) I dig through my closets and take a hard look at what I will be wearing for Fall and Winter. This usually leads to despair and weeping, but after that's over I pull out everything that has buttons missing, tears, rips or anything that I can fix myself without a trip to the tailor.

Wardrobe Maintenance Day. I'm not the fastest needle-n-thread in the East, but I can manage to right simple problems with shirts, trousers, suitcoats, overcoats and hats. Then the rest of the day is spent ironing. If you wear mostly vintage, this is a necessity.

I know most of the women on this Board take this in stride...but they are not like most of the women I know (or have lived with). It is wonderful to read posts in the "Hats" section where men are complaining or marveling over the difficulties of stitching in a new sweatband. Maybe it's not as macho as bringing down a turkey for Thanksgiving, but it is probably more useful in today's world.

I'm not tooting my own horn here, far from it, most of my needlework is just above "frankenstein"; but I'm getting better every time and it's very satisfying to wear something you have repaired yourself.

 

[Miss Crisplock]

Oh, hooray for Wardrobe Maintainance Day.

I think I should make it an official part of my year/ month. Along with Shoe Day.

As to the ironing; I sometimes wonder if this has gone the way of the Dodo. I see a lot of things that would be so improved with decent pressing. Goodness knows that I have become lazy, but I've seen some stunners. Note to self - buy pressing board.

Feels good to fix things, doesn't it?

 

[jamespowers]

Note to self, take that suit and jacket to the tailor for tailoring before I am 50.

 

[Otium]

Adjusting Clothing

My problem isn't so much damaged clothing as fluctuations in how the clothing fits. Shocking how the pants can shrink or expand no matter how consistent my waist size is!

 

[Rachael]

I need to do this more, especially since I tore the hem on my favorite dress at my neice's wedding last month.

Back in July I did spend a day completing garments for myself and my family; buttons, buckles, hems and the like. Does that count? It did stop the kids from making cracks about shoemakers and their children. I say going barefoot in the summer is healthy but apparently that's not the point.

 

[Spats McGee]

I just can't believe that nobody's made a WMD reference yet.

 

[Craig Robertson]

I just can't believe that nobody's made a WMD reference yet.

I'm not sure I know what you mean, Spats....???

 

[Spats McGee]

I was just struck by Wardrobe Maintenance Day having the same "initials" as a Weapon of Mass Destruction. Perhaps a poor joke . . .

 

[Craig Robertson]

I was just struck by Wardrobe Maintenance Day having the same "initials" as a Weapon of Mass Destruction. Perhaps a poor joke . . .

Ah, now I get it! This is why I seldom use acronyms.

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

Ha ha! WMD is a lot less sinister in this context, no?

My WMD happens several times a season, when I decide my closet is too stuffed. The BIG one happens at the end of the season--that's the time when I'm best able to evaluate what should stay and go based largely on the amount of times I've actually worn something. It's hard to justify hanging on to something when the answer to the question "how many times did you wear this during the summer" is "zero."

 

[Sunny]

Mine recently consisted of taking winter coats, skirts, and dresses to the drycleaners. One of the coats needs a button replaced. I could do that in two minutes, except... I put the button in a very, very safe place when it came off last spring. It's so safe that it's been safe from being sewn back on for months now. :eusa_doh:

I've got a large-ish pile of stuff in my mending basket, too.