April 2007 Issue
In this months Issue:
What to Wear: A Simple System
More Tips for Pregnant Moms
STAIN FAQs
Home Laundry Tip
Do you find yourself buying clothes that rarely get worn? Tired of looking into your closet and not seeing anything you want to wear? Feeling like fashion has passed you by? Pressed4Time is here to help!
When evaluating your clothes collection, it's important to first determine your own personal "look." Plan a trip to the stores with a trusted friend, leave your checkbook or credit cards at home, and simply try on lots of different clothes. Don't be afraid to try styles you've never worn before...remember, you're experimenting! Find the styles and designs that work for you and stick to them. Play up your strengths by choosing clothes that show up your positive points and bring less attention to your negative figure points. Ask salespeople and other shoppers what they think...sometimes people getso set in their ways that they can't be objective.
Now go home and try on everything. Yes, we mean everything. Discard anything that you haven't worn for a year (or more!), any thing that doesn't fit, items that have gone out of style, garments that are ripped, torn or simply hopeless, and anything that you bought that simply doesn't work for you anymore (Admit it, we've all made fashion errors!). Donate these items and you'll feel better about the whole process.
Finally, you're ready to buy. When choosing items, always think quality over quantity. We promise, it's better to invest in a few classic garments that look great and make you feel fantastic every time you wear them, rather than a whole closet full of "they're just okay" clothes that you don't love. Be sure to think about your lifestyle: spend the most money on garments you'll wear most often.
One caveat: don't get caught up in trends unless the garment looks great on you! Fads come and go, so new styles will soon appear that might be a better match for your body type and style. While you wait out the fad, invest in accessories like shoes, belts, jewelry or scarves. If you're a man, ties are a wonderful opportunity to personalize your look with color and flair.
Back at home, be sure to organize your closet and your drawers so you can easily mix and match items. If an item needs to be hemmed, has broken buttons or needs some kind of alterations, please bring it to us right away so you can start looking great immediately!
More Tips for Pregnant Moms
* In last month's issue, we provided some tips for dressing for success when you're expecting. Here are some additional tips for success for moms-to-be: * The best fabrics to consider are cotton, knits and anything that has some stretch to it like Lycra!
* Stay away from patterns and bright colors for shirts, pants and blazers, but don't be afraid of color. Just use it in the accessories, like scarves or jewelry.
* Consider borrowing from friends or checking out online resources like ebay, Craigslist, and a myriad of specialty pregnancy websites, and consignment shops.
* Invest in a basic black dress. (A knee-length black skirt is a great investment, too!)
* Stay away from very high-heeled shoes. Since your feet might swell or expand, you want to be as comfortable as possible. Stick with heels that are no higher than an inch and a half. Plus, as your stomach expands, your balance might be off a bit, so lower shoes will help.
STAIN FAQs
Q. I've got a really stained shirt. To get the stain out, is it a good idea to use more stain-removal product?
A. In this case, more is not necessarily better. Using more stain remover than is recommended won't always result in better stain removal. If you're hoping for more effective stain removal, your best bet is the PPPS system: Promptly Pretreat, Prewash and Soak. If a stain is old or set in, you might need to repeat this system more than once!
Home Laundry Tip
April is often the month associated with eggs....they're an important component of the Easter celebration and the Passover holiday, too. If you get the proverbial "egg on your face" all you have to do is humbly wipe it off, but what do you do if egg gets on clothing?
The first thing to do is to scrape off any of the solid remains from the garment. Next, you can try one of two methods. You can soak the item in a glass or plastic container overnight in cold water (it's a protein stain, so if you use hot water it will actually "cook" the stain and make it worse) with a non-bleach, enzyme solution for at least five or six hours. Or you can try attacking the stain with unseasoned meat tenderizer. Keep checking and make sure the area stays moist for a few hours.
Once you've tried either method, if the stain is still evident, take some powdered detergent and work it in, then rinse. Wash the item (still staying away from hot water) and check it when you take it out of the machine. Don't put it in the dryer until you're sure all of the stain is gone: applying heat will permanently set the stain.