If you – like I do – invest in a well-curated wardrobe, you’ll probably choose quality garments that need a bit more care. This is especially true if we buy clothes made from fine, natural yarns like wool, cashmere, or silk. These garments should be in our wardrobe for a very long time. Thus, we have to treat them well. To supplement my other wardrobe maintenance posts, I’ve collected some information and tips specifically on how to take care of these luxury fabrics.
How to Take Care of Specific Luxury Fabrics
Silk
Silk is one of the world’s most ancient and luxurious fabrics. Whenever we buy clothes made from silk, we should have a long-term relationship in mind. And how we take care of such garments will influence their longevity a lot. Always hand wash silk and use a towel to gently squeeze out the water. Flat dry silk garments like you’d do with a cashmere sweater.
Viscose
Viscose is a natural product made from plant cellulose, which is finished through a chemical process. It’s a highly absorbent fiber that gets very heavy during washing. Thus, drying your viscose knitwear flat is crucial. However, it’s possible to spin-dry viscose garments in your washing machine.
Pure Cashmere
Cashmere is particularly delicate wool obtained through combing the fine hair of living cashmere goats. Each goat can produce a maximum of 100 grams per year. This explains the high price of garments made from pure cashmere.
Garments produced from cashmere are very light and soft. They represent luxury articles rather than hard-wearing clothes. Such items need to be treated well. Always follow the care instructions. As a rule, cashmere garments are washable in the washing machine using the wool cycle.
Angora
Angora wool is luxuriously soft and fluffy. This very fine yarn contains a lot of air and thus retains warmth very well. Since angora doesn’t have sufficient stability itself, it’s often mixed with lambswool or man-made fibers.
The typical shedding lessens after the first few washes. In case your angora garment looks ‘tired’ on arrival in its polybag, lots of air will help. Lay it out for 24 hours and let it breathe – but don’t expose it to direct sunlight.
Mohair
This yarn is made from the wool of a long-haired goat species that lives in Asia. One animal can produce 6 kg of wool per year. As with angora, the initial shedding of hair is inevitable. Fluffy mohair items also tend to look ‘tired’ when first taken out of their packaging. Let them breathe, as explained above.
General Tips on How to Take Care of Luxury Fabrics
Washing and Drying
To extend the life of your luxury garments, refer to these recommendations: Wardrobe Maintenance: 7 Tips to Extend the Life of Your Clothes. The article also sums up valuable tips on how to hand wash and dry knitwear and silk.
And don’t forget to cross-check the instructions on the care label: Wardrobe Maintenance: Laundry Symbols Explained
Taking care of garments made from luxurious, natural yarns isn’t as difficult as you think. However, if you still fear ruining your most-loved items, get some practice first. Are there, for instance, some old sweaters you want to discard because you’ve recently decluttered your wardrobe? Keep them for a little longer. They’re great for practicing hand washing and trying out different detergents.
How to Reduce Pilling
The term pilling describes the tiny yarn knots that form through natural abrasion on the surface of knitwear. Unfortunately, the softer and fluffier a piece of clothing is, the more pilling occurs. Those little knots make your knitwear look worn out and aged. Thus, it’s worth it to take some time and remove them. You can do it individually by hand, with a pilling comb or a special electric shaver. But please, always test a new shaver first – believe me, these small moving blades can make surprisingly large holes.
A Word on Sustainable and Ethical Production
Luxurious, natural fabrics are lovely. They are cozy and soft to our skin, and they undoubtedly add quality to our closet. No wonder that there’s high demand. Unfortunately, many people don’t understand that such clothes are an investment – and not fast fashion. If you don’t want fashion factory workers to be underpaid and animals, like the cashmere goat, harmed, opt for brands that commit to sustainable and ethical production processes. And, accept a higher price tag.
More Tips and Inspirations
Have you invested in a quality wardrobe and want your carefully selected clothes to last longer? Check out these tips:
Have you ever ruined your most-loved piece of clothing simply because you misinterpreted the care label? I did. Thus, I’ve prepared an overview of laundry symbols, just in case:
Keeping your clothes and shoes in perfect shape ensures they are available whenever you want to wear them. This is essential, but there are more ways to organize and optimize your wardrobe:
- How to Make the Most of Your Wardrobe (Organization + Styling)
- How to Organize Your Wardrobe in 5 Steps
Like the idea of less, but luxe! …? Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more tips and inspiration. Plus, join my email list to receive regular updates and content exclusively available to my readers!
What are your favorite luxury fabrics? Do you have any specific tips and tricks to take care of them properly? Let us know!
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