Five Tips to Make Your Occasional Wear Last

A beautiful occasional dress like this one is an investment piece for your wardrobe.
Post-party, hang it up as soon as you undress, to prevent added marks and creases.

With formal and occasional wear being investment pieces for your wardrobe, you want to make sure you do everything to make them last, giving you the opportunity to wear them again and again.

So, to ensure you get a good return on your wardrobe investment, here are five tips to help you extend the life of your occasional wear.

1. Address any stains immediately
There is nothing more frustrating than getting a stain on your new or favourite dress. To ensure it isn’t permanent, rinse the stain immediately in cold water.

When you get home treat the spot with a solution of bleach-free stain remover mixed with cold water and hand wash gently until the stain comes out. Then rinse with cold water and hang it up to dry.

2. Hang up your occasional wear as soon as you undress
Before you step into the shower to wash off your make up or remove the hairspray from your hair, take a moment to hang up your outfit.

While you can be tired after a big day or night, resisting the urge to leave your dress on the floor will prevent added dirt marks, stains and creases.

3. Don’t wash too frequently
Now obviously we don’t recommend you go out in a dirty, smelly outfit! But it is good to keep in mind that every time your outfit is washed it causes additional wear and tear.

Depending on where you wear it, the temperature, time of day and how long you wear it for, you may be able to get a couple of wears out of your outfit before you need to wash or dry clean it.

Always follow the care instructions! A beautiful, delicate, pure silk dress like this one needs to be cleaned with care.

4. Follow the washing directions
When it comes to prolonging the life of your occasional wear it is vitally important you follow the washing directions.

While it can be tempting to take shortcuts to save time, it can damage and drastically reduce the lifespan of your outfit. To ensure you get the enjoyment from wearing your dress again and again, hand wash or dry clean as instructed – and never, ever use the dryer.

5. Be mindful of where you store it
Unfortunately, we can’t get dressed up all the time. In fact quite a lot of time can pass before you need your occasional wear again, so how you store it is of the utmost importance.

If you know it will be going away for a while, have it cleaned first. Also make sure it is stored in a dry, dark place, away from the reach of children or pets. If this isn’t possible, as your wardrobe is the go-to hide-and-seek place, we suggest you use the added protection of a garment bag.

It is also wise to have mothballs in your wardrobe – or for a nicer, more natural alternative, lavender – to keep moths away.

Do you have any tips or questions for taking care of formal wear?

Time to replace your worn down occasional wear? Check out our collection for inspiration.

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