Where to Donate

Image Credit: Huffingtonpost.com


I really hope that you are not fighting crowds and spending money on faux bargains on this Black Friday. Instead, I suggest you take some time to clean out your closet and donate your gently used items to one of the many wonderful non-profits in Santa Barbara. Here are a few:


Transition House

Unity Shoppe

Assistance League

Santa Barbara Rescue Mission

Casa Esperanza

More from Chef Lebovitz

 Image credit: wssdv.org

I have a feeling pastry chef David Lebovitz would be surprised and amused to learn that I quote him in my Wardrobe Wisdom blog since he makes no claims to be a fashion writer. However, he is living in Paris and has a keen, observant eye for how people dress there and why.

His partner used the phrase, "Les francais ne jettent rien" (The French throw away nothing), and David says he fits in well since he also cannot "bear to throw away things either." I love this description he gives to illustrate his point:

"Those perfectly good designer pants that were such a bargain at 60 percent off, even though they felt just a bit snug at the time. In the years since I bought them, sometimes when I'm getting ready to go out, I'll try them on. Yet neither I, nor the waistband, seem to want to change. I reason to myself that parachute pants with more pleats than a Broadway theater curtain will eventually come back in style, even though space is lacking in my French closet."

Now is a good time to look at clothing you have that you try on and immediately take right off. No matter what, you will never feel fabulous in such garments, and they are just taking up physical and mental space. So go do some editing!

Clothing, Image, and a Poor Shirt Choice

Photo credit: Associated Press

I appreciate how New York Times' journalist Vanessa Friedman covered the recent story of scientist Matt Taylor and his questionable sense of style. The themes she highlighted in this column are timeless and important. 

In short,  British physicist Dr.  Taylor "appeared on 'BBC Breakfast' and a European Space Agency live stream to update everyone on the mission [of landing on a comet] while wearing a bowling shirt emblazoned with a print of numerous bodacious women in various cleavage-baring poses wearing skintight outfits and toting guns — and bearing an astonishing resemblance to the girls of the just-released Pirelli calendar." Unfortunately, his shirt became the focus of his televised appearances, overshadowing the exciting news he had to impart.

Friedman states: "I think the real moral of this particular story exists beyond personal politics and is fairly straightforward and universal: What you wear in public matters. Whomever you are, and whatever you do." She continues to make several good and relevant points about the way our clothing sends a message to the world, ending her article with these wise words:

"Clothing is part of any message delivered personally. This is not a new idea — public figures have considered the semiology of their appearance since Cleopatra — but it is ever more important in the social media age. It is part of communication, and communication is a skill that involves practice and planning. It is fully accepted that people should consider their remarks. Why should they not also consider the shape in which they are, literally, framed?"

Tory Burch

 Photo credit: thestyleceleb.com

This interview on American Public Media's Marketplace program caught my ear this week. Kai Ryssdal spoke with fashion designer Tory Burch about her business and her philosophy behind the Tory Burch brand. I liked hearing about her foundation and how she seems focused on growing her business sensibly.

Black Jeans

Photo credit: AGjeans.com

For years and years I avoided black jeans. I just couldn't stand how quickly they seemed to fade to a dull, dirty-looking color. Then again, black jeans are such a nice departure from blue denim and they are so versatile. So I finally got myself a pair.

Today's black jeans are not as prone to fading since most of them contain lycra or another synthetic,  stretchy material besides cotton which will hold the dye better. I always wash them in cold water, inside out, and hang them to dry. Now I wear them all the time and wonder how I went without them for so long!

Job Hunting

Image credit: buzzkenya.com


My daughter is about to turn 16 and cannot wait to work. When she mentioned asking for applications at a couple of stores downtown today, I realized that I had some advice for her that can benefit others as well. Now is a good time to look for part or full-time work in Santa Barbara's retail world as I have seen a lot of signs in store windows, advertising job openings.

More than once I have been in a local store and overheard young men and women requesting a job application. 99% of the time they have been wearing completely inappropriate clothing for such an occasion (shorts and a tank top, flip flops, bathing suit and skimpy cover up, etc.). Even if you are not planning to be interviewed that day for a position, dress well for your job search. Chances are you will be remembered in a positive way if you were the one asking for a job application wearing a nice dress or a skirt and pressed blouse, or a nicely tailored pair of pants and simple sweater or blouse. If possible, ask for a couple of applications and let the person know you would like to take your time with them and will bring them back after working on them at home. Again, this shows that you are serious and memorable.

If you dress well at each stage of the job seeking process, and are a motivated, hard-working and valuable employee during your holiday stint, you stand a good chance of being hired to work after the holidays and beyond.

Dressing for the Holidays

Go to page 21 in Coastal View News out of Carpinteria to read this month's Wardrobe Wisdom column. I share my ideas on how to spruce up and plan your outfits for the holidays. My daughter's drawings which accompany the article are especially charming this month.

Kind of a Great Idea

 Photo credit: Kickstarter.com

When we were teens, our moms used to shamelessly try on pants and skirts under what they were already wearing, right in the middle of department stores. These brazen acts made us blush and swear we would never do something so outrageous and embarrassing. Now, more than once over the decades-long years of our friendship, Stacy and I have changed clothes in public. Oh, we tell ourselves and each other that these quick changes are not at all like the ones our moms used to do. We are much more subtle and discreet. It's never really okay though, right?

Enter the "Undress." Some clever, thoughtful designers have come up with a completely presentable halter dress that will allow a woman to get out of one outfit and into another without exposing herself! Go here to see the video and learn all about this rather miraculous dress. (I am not asking you to give to the company's Kickstarter campaign; this link is simply the most informative one about the Undress.)

Halloween

Now that Halloween has passed, I can release a huge sigh of relief. I've told you before about my aversion to costumes. This year I decided to be Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's. I had most of the costume already in my wardrobe so it was a no-brainer. Then I realized that very few (if any) of the students at the junior high school where I work would recognize who I was. So instead of Audrey, I dressed up as a cat. This worked just fine for me. I wore a black turtleneck, skirt, and ballet flats. My daughter's cute sequined kitty ears headband and tail from when she was a cat for Halloween worked splendidly. Unlike me, my boss goes all out for Halloween and wore a magnificent Maleficent costume. While my getup could not hold a candle next to hers, I felt comfortable. And I re-learned something: wear an outfit that speaks to you and you will feel good (I love cats so wearing a cat costume made me happy). It's not much different from the advice I give for dressing everyday.

Be Kind to Your Clothes

Below are some useful tips from the Huffington Post about caring for your sweaters. I agree with their advice about not dry cleaning your sweaters.

Each winter, there always seems to be one sweater that's sacrificed to the fashion gods. It's been shrunk to doll-size proportions because you swore you could wash it yourself, or it ends up warped and faded in the back of your closet.

It can be downright maddening -- especially when you saved up forever for that amazing Marc Jacobs sweater you had to have, like, yesterday. (Can you tell I'm just a little bitter?)

Here at KnowMore, we're working hard to minimize sweater-catastrophes, so we chatted with Mary Marlowe Leverette of About.com's Guide to Laundry for tips on keeping your garments in fighting shape.

IT'S A CASHMIRACLE:

Contrary to popular belief, cashmere sweaters don't always need to be dry-cleaned. Save some dough by learning when to drop them off and when to drop them in the washing machine.

If cashmere is used to make a structured sweater or coat, the garment should be dry-cleaned.

For soft, unstructured, cashmere sweaters, hand wash in cool water using a mild detergent. Cashmere is, after all, the hair of a goat and is used to being wet!

When hand washing, rinse well and never wring.

Dry your sweater flat and reshape during drying.

Got wrinkles? Iron the garment inside out and while its still damp.

Be sure to place a press cloth between the iron and the cashmere. What's a press cloth, you ask? Basically, it serves as a protective barrier between the iron and the sweater. You can buy one, but clean, household items work just as well. Think cotton towels or dish cloths.

Almost all fabrics can be washed gently, but sometimes it's the inner linings and construction that can't get wet. So if the care label says "dry clean only," believe it!

CLEAN MACHINE:

We know, we know. While it would be amazing to have a sweater stash that's purely cashmere, most of us don't have the luxury. When debating how to wash the other fabrics in your wardrobe, ask yourself these questions:

Are there spots or stains that you don't know how to treat?

Is the garment made from acetate or rayon? Both can shrink or become misshapen in water.

Is there a special finish on the garment? Stiff fabrics have a stabilizing finish to help them hold their shape that water can ruin.

Is the garment difficult to iron? Structured garments, such as suits, can be difficult to iron and often lose their shape when washed.

Is the garment leather or suede?

Is the garment made of a fiber that you're not familiar with and have never successfully washed at home?

Is the garment special to you?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, take your prized fashion possession to a professional dry cleaner.

STAIN SOLUTIONS:

Always remember to treat a stain as quickly as possible after it happens.

Begin by removing any solid matter (like that leftover onion dip -- yuck!) using the dull edge of a kitchen knife.

Never rub the stain because you will push it deeper into the fabric.

Blot the area with clear water and a clean white cloth.

PAGING DR. PILL:

Sometimes it seems like you practically need to be a surgeon to remove pills without leaving a gaping hole in your sweater. Here's how to do it right (sans scalpel, I might add):

Weigh the value of the garment before you attempt to slice. Is it really worth it? Will anyone really notice the pills, or are they simply bothering you?

If they're an eye sore, pull the fabric taught on a curved surface and carefully cut or shave the pill from the fabric.

For a more hi-tech solution, try D-Fuzz-It. It costs about $3.00 and won't harm the fabric.

STORAGE SECRETS:

Always fold sweaters and knits. Placing them on any type of hanger will eventually allow their weight to warp and stretch them.