You’ve invested your hard earned money into buying yourself some sustainably made clothing. When you buy a quality piece of clothing you pay more. You pay the real cost. Now you will want to make that clothing last as long as possible, looking as good as possible, while still being conscious of your impact on the environment.

Our customers often ask us how to take care of their Texture Clothing so I thought a blog post was in order. Life can be busy, so please glean what you can!

Do you love Laundering?

How much spare time do you have and do you want to spend it caring for your clothing? It’s all about systems. If you can get a good rhythm going and have all the tools you need at hand, it will make this less of a chore!

With natural fibers it’s always best to use a gentle detergent that is environmentally friendly. Make your own or buy from a small business like Handmade LaConner.

I like to turn my clothing inside out because I’ve found that there is less friction on the ‘right side’, which can cause fading. Also, if there is a zipper, it keeps it in better condition. Our care labels state to wash in cool and hang to dry, and it really works!

Regarding drying: Dryers kill clothing. As Americans/Canadians we are hooked on using our dryers. If you want to keep your items for longer, and in better condition, consider hanging them. Many of the fabrics we use have just a touch of lycra/spandex. When lycra is heated up, it loses its elasticity. Have you ever put your swimsuit or exercise wear in the dryer to find that it stretched out, never to return to it’s original shape?

• Use an earth-friendly detergent
• Wash in cool water
• Turn clothing inside out
• Hang to dry (tumble on low if necessary)

No one is perfect. Stains happen!

I am a hippie at heart so the armpits of every layer of clothing I wear eventually become ‘fragrant’. After trying many different options, I discovered that adding a cup or two of white vinegar to the wash has amazing results! It’s best if you can let it sit for a couple of hours after agitating, but before letting it go through the full wash cycle. I have also used Eco Friendly Stain Remover or you could peruse some ‘tricks of the trade’ here. There you can see an easy method to remove oil stains using baby powder! If you can’t remove a stain, then ask yourself if altering or mending are in order.

• Use white vinegar or baby powder
• Look at our stain removal page for tips & tricks
• Alter or patch

Do you need to be crafty to alter or mend your clothing?

You don’t need to be born crafty to make your favorite pieces last just a little bit longer. With just a few simple techniques, you will be good.  One of the first handmade pieces of clothing I bought was a long skirt that was perfect for travelling. Many years ago, a Vancouver, BC designer custom made it, specially for me, with 3 hidden pockets. When it got a hole in the middle of the front, it sat in my drawer until a friend helped me go through my “thrift store pile” and suggested that I hem it into a mini skirt. Mind blown! I hadn’t thought of that and I love it even more now! There are so many creative ways to extend the lives of our clothing. Take a look here for altering and mending tips.. Please post your photos on social media and tag us! I would absolutely love to see photos of how you have made your Texture Clothing last!

• Consider hemming
• Look at our mending and altering page for ideas.

Thanks for taking some moments to read this post. I would love it if you would leave a comment and let us all know what your tricks and tips are!

Photo (at top) credit: Thomas Q on Unsplash