7 stylist-approved hacks to your most flawless wardrobe ever

Date July 13, 2015

When it comes to shopping for clothes, it’s safe to assume that most of us have the basics down pat. Caring for said clothes, on the other hand, is a different story. How many times has a perfectly good garment been relegated to the back of your closet because of a mustard stain?

As a seasoned pro in the chaotic world of TV and film costuming, stylist Alison Freer is familiar with many a wardrobe malfunction, which, as she points out, when cameras are rolling at $1,000/min need to be resolved faster than you can say “Action!” Her insider knowledge provided the inspiration for her newly-released book How to Get Dressed, a compendium of life hacks for the stylishly inclined. Written with the biting wit of xoJane, where Freer resides as clothing editor, the book offers clever tricks for achieving flawlessly presented outfits. Here, we’ve rounded up some of her most resourceful tips:

Is there anything more devastating than having the drawstring of your favourite sweats unmercifully pulled out during a particularly hostile laundry cycle? Not to worry, your cinching privileges can be restored with the use of a plain ole safety pin. Just affix the pin to the end of the string and patiently wriggle it through the casing until it comes out the other side.

Go ahead and imbibe your varietal of choice with a sense of purpose: decluttering your shoe racks. Simply take your clean, empty wine bottles and feed them into your knee-high footwear to keep them upright and help maintain their shape. Who says Wine Wednesdays can’t be productive?

Suede shoes are probably some of the most fickle footwear you can own—one scuff and suddenly those pristine puppies are derelict. Or are they? Apply heat to your suede with an iron or steamer and then gently scrub out the dirt with a toothbrush. If you’re in a hurry, a clean eraser can also be used as a dry method to work out grime.

If your stain fighting knowledge is limited, all you need to know is that dish soap can probably get it out. Grease, makeup, beer, wine, ash, coffee, chocolate? Just apply ordinary old dish soap to all, work in, wash out, and you’re pretty much Martha Stewart.

How many times have you been in a frantic rush only to notice that your intended blouse is crumpled at the bottom of the laundry basket? You begin the mad dash to haul out the iron, wrestle with the board, and then spend the entire day wondering if you’ve burned your apartment down. Well, kiss those manic mornings goodbye, because wrinkle releasing is actually as easy as a few spritzes of fabric softener, rubbing alcohol, and water mixed together. See you never, ironing board of death!

One of the stranger uses you’ll find for Crisco includes greasing up feet to avoid blisters. That’s right: lather ‘em up like suckling pigs and they’ll slide into even the most constricting stilettos—sure, a little unconventional, but doesn’t it sound preferable to toe crushing agony? Besides, there’s gotta be some moisturizing properties in cooking oil (just be sure to apply sparingly to avoid slipping out of your shoes or damaging the inside lining).

Who doesn’t absolutely love putting a brand spankin’ new shirt on and being attacked by a scratchy novel of care instructions sewn into the seam? Sure, you can cut them off, but then you’re left with an itchy tag stump that’s almost worse. If this sounds familiar, you’ll be delighted to hear that apparently there’s been a solution all along: moleskin. Available at drugstores, this cushy cotton fabric (that is neither a notebook nor the skin of a mole) has an adhesive on one side to cover anything that rubs you the wrong way—except for maybe people.