Butler Luxury's Secret Handbook for Women's Wardrobe Optimization

Introduction 

It’s no secret that women aren’t keeping their clothes for as many years as they once did. According to the World Resources Institute, the average customer bought 60 percent more clothing in 2014 than they did in 2000 – but then kept each item for less than half the time. 

This “fast fashion” may seem appealing because it’s cheap and trendy. However, these items almost always feature substandard materials and assembly, so even if you wanted to keep a fast-fashion garment for several years, it likely wouldn’t last that long. 

Besides, these throw-away clothes have significant environmental consequences. A cotton shirt takes 2,700 liters of water to make – that’s enough water to sustain a person for two years. 

Further, this interest in throw-away clothes also pays a harsh social price. In Bangladesh, where many fast-fashion garment producers live, workers would need to earn 3.5 times the amount they currently make to live comfortably.  

It’s abundantly clear that we need to return to the old ways of buying and caring for clothes. Long-term wardrobe staples will always be in style, so you won’t need to throw them out after a trend is over. Further, though well-made garments cost more, they’ll also last for longer, meaning that you’ll save money and energy over the long run.  

Extending the lives of your delicate garments requires effort, but with this lifestyle change, you’ll contribute not only to your wallet but also to the environment and global society. 

To begin your journey towards a more sustainable, organized, and luxurious wardrobe, let's look at some simple tips and strategies for organizing and extending the lives of your treasured garments.

1. Start with Wardrobe Essentials 

If you’re ready to move away from fast fashion towards a sustainable wardrobe, you’ll want to invest in these cornerstone pieces. You’ll be able to wear these items for many years, and they’ll be appropriate for a variety of situations. Make sure to shop for high-end pieces that will retain their shape, color, and stitching with the proper care. 

Wardrobe Staples: 

• A white button-down that can be dressed up for the office or dressed down for layering. 
• A blazer that can elevate any casual look for upscale occasions. 
• A pair of black pants appropriate for many circumstances, including parties and walking the dog. 
• A thick, knit sweater to dress up or down. 
• A leather shoulder bag to wear with casual or dressed-up outfits. 
• An animal print garment that adds visual interest to any look. 
• Black suede or calf-hair shoes that stay looking polished without a lot of care. 
• A bodysuit for layering without bunching. 
• High-quality undergarments. 

2. Invest in Proper Storage 

Once you’ve designed a wardrobe you love, you want to be able to keep your clothes for years to come. The most significant factor that can damage your fine clothes is improper storage. Here’s how to make sure small storage mistakes don’t destroy your clothes: 

• Throw out your wire and plastic hangers as they will ruin your clothing’s shape. Replace these cheap choices with high-quality wood options. 
• Make sure your closet is dry and cool. Don’t store your clothes – in season or out – in a damp, moist part of your home. A closet shouldn’t be too hot or cold; either; the best temperature for clothing is “cool.” 
• Don’t pack your clothes into your closet. Each item should have room to breathe on the rack instead of sitting jammed together. If your clothes are packed in too tight, you’ll see fading or wrinkling in the fabric. 
• Be careful with your zippers and buttons, and place items with them carefully into your closet, so they don’t snag other fabrics. 

Also, make sure that you’re preventing pests in your closet and drawers by using cedar to repel common household pests, like moths and carpet beetles. You’ll love the smell, but these vermin hate it. 

3. Organize and Care for Accessories 

A classic, functional wardrobe could gain a revamp by adding in compelling accessories. But you may be unsure of how to store these items without cluttering up your closet or damaging your accessories. 

Here’s how to store seven standard accessories: 

• Shoes are probably the most difficult items to store because you likely have multiple pairs. For the shoes that you wear most often in a season, keep them on a shoe rack in your bedroom or hall closet, or if you don’t have those, on a shoe rack by the door. Boots, which serve as a go-to in inclement weather, should be stored in a drying rack by your front door until they’re drained and clean. Then, you can put them onto one of the shoe racks for storage.  
• Store belts on command hooks in your closet. They lay flat and take up little space, 
• Gloves and mittens should be stored in a labeled box or shoe organizer in your hall closet. 
• Store your high-quality hats in a reliable, old-fashioned hatbox. Baseball caps can be stored on a hat organizer, while warm beanies can sit in the box with your mittens. 
• If you have a hall closet, store your shoulder bags on an organizer or hook. If you don’t have an additional closet, try keeping your handbags on a bookshelf in your entryway. You can even stuff them with tissue paper, so they stand up straight and don’t topple when you’re not using them.  
• Hang your scarves on an accessory organizer or a scarf hanger in your closet. You could also hang them on hooks if you don’t have an extensive collection. 
• Store your odds and ends like your watch, sunglasses, and rings in trays placed in two parts of your home. Use one near your entryway for objects that you remove when you come inside. Add another one to your bedside table or the top of your dresser for others you remove before bed. 

4. Storing Your Clothing for the Off-Season 

If you’re packing away your clothing for the season, use these rules of thumbs to ensure your clothing doesn’t suffer damage while in storage. 

First, wash your clothes so that they don’t discolor with remaining body oil. 

Next, ditch cardboard or plastic boxes. If you want to make sure that no rodents can chew through and no moisture can get in, instead choose materials like cotton, canvas, or wood for your storage containers. 

If you have space, too, try not to store your out-of-season clothes in rooms that aren’t temperature controlled, like the attic or basement. Instead, keep them in dry, consistently-heated areas; be creative in your storage, like under your bed or in high closets. 

Lastly, if you’re storing silks, knits, or synthetic clothing, be sure to fold, instead of hanging them. Hangers can stretch them out heavier knits over months of storage. For items that aren’t going to stretch, hang them on wooden hangers with padding and pack them into garment bags for hanging. 

5. Look Amazing on the Go

Garment bags can be the best way to arrive at your destination with clothes that look polished and put together. Garment bags – which protect your clothes from dirt, dust, and wrinkling – are the celebrity secrets for looking fresh right off a plane. 

When choosing a garment bag, keep the following factors in mind: 

• Your bag should be able to fit into a suitcase. 
• Your bag should be made of cotton to protect fine clothing. 
• Your bag should have buttons, not zippers. 
• You should be able to use your garment bag for home storage and travel. 

Butler Luxury’s Museum Quality Suit or Tux Cover will keep your fine clothes safe for travel while being portable enough to be stored in your suitcase. 

When you’re ready to go, make sure you’re following packing advice for your suitcase: 

• Choose a suitcase that’s right for the length of your trip. The idea is that the bigger the suitcase, the more you’ll pack! A hard-shell option will keep you honest about how much you’re actually stuffing in there. 
• Fill your entire suitcase. To do this, you could: 

1. Stuff your shoes with socks before wrapping them in plastic bags to prevent dirt from getting on your other items. 
2. Roll your clothing to fit into every nook and cranny of your bag. 
3. Use packing cubes to compress items so you can fit clothing more efficiently into your case. 

6. Choose Proper Suit, Coat, and Skirt Hangers

If you want to preserve your clothes, you’ll have to do more than hang them on the same wire or plastic hangers you used with your fast fashion. These cheap hangers can tear your clothes or crack and snag fabrics. 

Make sure you’re keeping your clothing safe by investing in high-quality wood hangers. Wooden hangers won’t crack or shift, so your pieces retain their shape. They’re also higher-quality, so they won’t bend or break under the weight of more massive pieces like the sweater and blazer mentioned above. 

But don’t just want to run out to your local discount retailer for the cheapest wood option. The heavier the wood, the sturdier the hanger. So, a high-quality Beechwood is a smart choice for a trustworthy hanger. 

What’s more, make sure that you’ve chosen hangers that come designed for its specific purpose. For instance, if you purchase a skirt hanger, you won’t see a line on your skirt or pants like you would if you folded these items into a dresser. 

Butler Luxury offers three hangers specifically designed for women’s clothing. Each hanger is attractive, too, so you’ll feel like your closet leads you towards the elevated fashion experience you’re seeking:

• Butler Luxury’s Women’s Skirt Hangers come in sets of five. Depending on your style, you can choose your Beechwood in dark matte walnut, deep butterscotch, or a whitewash. 
• Like the skirt hanger, the Woman’s Suit Hanger ensures that your clothing won’t accumulate creases and retain its shape whenever you need to wear it. If you have an incredibly beautiful suit, choose a hanger that matches – the Tailor Made® Rosewood Suit hanger.
• For your highest-quality coats, preserve the tailored fit with a coat hanger that matches the width of your clothing. Butler Luxury’s Women’s Coat Hangers come in two varying widths that maintain your garment’s shape.  

Shop Butler Luxury Collection to Extend the Lives of Your Garments 

Well-chosen and well-cared-for clothing can be a pleasure to see in your closet. Instead of buying as many articles of clothing as you can, build a wardrobe that will effortlessly be chic for years to come. 

But fine clothing also requires expert care you can only find in Butler Luxury’s premium clothing hangers and accessories. From suit covers to skirt hangers, Butler Luxury’s hangers are the upgrade from plastic or wire hangers that your upgraded clothing collection deserves. 

Browse through our collection to find the hangers that will help you keep your wardrobe in its best possible shape for decades of looking fabulous!

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