MEAGHAN SMITH PERSONAL STYLIST

If you wear knits then you need something to de-pill and de-fluff them so that they continue to look fresh and new, rather than tired and shabby.

Pilling is the fibres breaking and forming little balls on the surface of the knit. It tends to happen mostly where the fabric rubs together (ie under or down the sides of the arms) or where something you’ve worn has brushed against it (a jacket or bag), but can also happen in the wash.

While there are various little tools that you can use (including a razor if you’re very, very careful) to remove the pills – I use these pictured above. From memory, I bought both from discount stores for about $4 each, but you can also find them at supermarkets, haberdasheries, (Spotlight?) and hardware stores.

The idea is – the comb (very gently) lifts the pills from the knit, and then the lint remover brushes them off.

*The lint remover is also essential for removing fluff, dandruff, dust, hair, etc., from your clothes.

TIP  Keep in mind that moths are attracted to dirty clothes, (even the tiniest little speck of food) so it’s always a good idea to remove anything that can get trapped in the fibres as best you can to avoid them having a feast in your wardrobe and destroying your favourite pieces.

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This pea coat was about to be thrown out.

While I love it, in fact, it’s one of my favourite pieces – I knew I couldn’t wear it like this (below) anymore. I had to do something to save it, or it needed to be let go of.

Firstly, I tried using this little comb (testing it on a small area), but it didn’t work. It was pulling and tearing at the fabric – it was too rough.

So when I saw someone mention a little de-pilling device on Instagram, I thought I’d give it a go …and it worked a treat!

It now looks as good as new.

You can watch how I did it here

How you take care of your clothes is very important – both for ensuring they wear well and last as long as they should, but also so that you look well put together. 

You’ll never look stylish if you leave the house with frayed, scuffed, faded, stained, pilled, creased…or like you slept with your dog in their basket – hair all over your clothes. 

Go the extra step and take great care of the pieces you invest in.

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Much of what I know about tailoring and how clothes should fit, I learnt from Jose.

He’s been doing alterations to my clothes for about 15 years – while I’ve been observing and absorbing everything he does and asking him hundreds of (possibly annoying) questions, quizzing him on why he’s doing what he’s doing, what can be done, what can’t be done, where should a shoulder sit, a sleeve finish, etc, etc)

If you need anything made or altered go and see Jose Zarpan and tell him I sent you. He’s on Level 3 in the Nicholas Building, Swanson St, Melbourne.

*This is not a sponsored post, and I don’t receive any “kickbacks”/commission from Jose, I just think he’s very good and am very happy to highly recommend him.

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Even if you were wearing a beautiful dress from Chanel, there’s no way you could look stylish wearing a shoe like the one pictured above.  (Which I must say, is not mine)

I’m a big believer that the shoes are the most important element (apart from the underwear) of the outfit.

So…in preparation for the colder months of autumn and then winter, this is your Weekend Wardrobe Challenge.

Take out all of your autumn/winter shoes and (ruthlessly) go through each of them one by one, to decide..

1. If there are any shoes that need repairing or a good clean (This includes sneakers)
2. If any of them are outdated and need to be retired
3. If any of them are no longer required for your lifestyle
4. If any of them no longer work for your personal style and represent the image you want to portray
5. If any of them are too small, too big, too uncomfortable – and send them on their way
6. If any of them are unflattering.

This week I took these shoes to my local cobbler and (for $18) had new heels put on.  I then gave them a polish with Mr Sheen to shine them up.  I know that I’ll be wearing them through the next couple of months and well into winter so I need them in good shape and ready to go.

Next up…

Make a list of the various areas of your life (For example, work (weekdays), work (casual Fridays), weekend (casual during the day), weekend (going out), etc, etc)  Determine whether your shoes cover the areas you need them to.  Make a list of any gaps you need to fill.

Take a good look at what you have and consider what could be added to your shoe wardrobe to create more outfits with your existing clothes.   (ie a pair of knee high tan boots to wear with some of your dresses or a pair of white sneakers so you can wear some of the dressier pieces in your wardrobe, more casually)

If you are having trouble deciding what’s still current, what’s not, what should stay, what should go, what needs adding or ditching, and would like some help, you can book in for a Wardrobe Overhaul here (or read about it here)

Something to leave you with..

You can read what styling services I offer here

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