Wasabi Nights

How to Care for Your Clothing Series: Wrinkled clothing!

I will do almost anything to prevent or get out of ironing or steaming clothing.  While I recognize the importance of a wrinkle free appearance, I have learned to be crafty over the years in figuring out how to achieve it with the least amount of work.

How to prevent wrinkles:

Don't over pack your closet, your dresser drawers, your suitcase or your dryer. Packing too many things tightly together is the fastest way to ensure a date with your iron every time you get dressed.  Use more drawer space for less clothing.  Load the dryer so there is room for the clothing to move around separately (half full at most).  Make sure you can easily pull items off the closet rod (versus excavating them out).  Lastly, remove clothing such as dress shirts and pants from the dryer promptly and immediately hang them up when possible.

For items that wrinkle easily (linen is a great example), hang them in your closet in a plastic bag.  The plastic helps other clothing slide by and not press into the clothing and cause wrinkles.

Hang your clothing on a hanger carefully.  Think of it as an arrangement so it drapes nicely.

Fold your clothing carefully so you use the least amount of folds.  Additionally, remember that every fold you make is going to create a wrinkle in lighter weight fabrics.  Therefore, fold your clothing carefully, along the seams as much as possible, so wrinkles are kept to a minimum.  What I mean by this is that if you fold your T-shirts in half length wise, you will have a very noticeable wrinkle right down the center of your shirt.  Instead, fold the shirt sleeves back so you are folding along the shoulder seam. 

When I hang my clothes to dry, they often look wrinkled.

To hang dry clothing, you can either drape them over a chair, or hang them on a drying rack or hanger.  However, please be careful when hanging on a hanger to determine if the shoulders are going to hang off the edge.  If so, I recommend you drape it over a chair or rack instead to prevent "shoulder bumps" where the hanger creates annoying little bumps on the shoulders of your shirt that are very noticeable when you wear it.

Lastly, when hanging clothing to dry, make sure you shake each piece out firmly before hanging; to help eliminate wrinkles.  Additionally, you will most likely need to re-shape collars, sleeves and button plackets to help facilitate a smooth appearance when dried. 

Most clothing that is air dried is not perfectly smooth (like the way it comes out of a hot dryer).  You can either touch it up with an iron or steamer, or if the material is just a little textured with no hard wrinkles, then put it on, and wear it for ten minutes.  You may be surprised to discover your body heat and gravity have effortlessly removed the wrinkly texture for you. 

For true wrinkles however, it's worth the time to run an iron over it.  Nothing looks worse than "lazy wrinkled" clothing.  No matter how expensive it is or how well it fits, if it's lazy wrinkled, you look like a slob (or hung over).

Do Wrinkle Releasers Work?

I don't recommend them.  You essentially spray this chemical agent on your clothing and then pull, tug and stretch the wrinkles out.  It only works effectively on very light wrinkles and doesn't do much of anything (except give you a workout) on true wrinkles.  Even worse, it can leave spots and stains on some fabrics and I just don't like the idea of spraying chemicals onto my clothing that I wear next to my body all day.  For all the work and time it takes to spray and stretch and pull, I think it's better to either throw the item in the dryer on wrinkle release (put a lightly damp washcloth in for a steam-iron effect) or just simply iron the darn thing.

Wrinkly Jeans: Denim does best when hung dry.  The fabric is heavy enough to work with gravity to pull all the wrinkles out; especially if you shake it a few times before hanging.  Drying jeans in the dryer usually leaves them slightly wrinkled around the waistband and lower legs.  Ironing jeans is not an easy task (the fabric is thick and doesn't iron well).  Hang your jeans to dry!  They will last longer, look better and take less maintenance.

-Lisa Bruckner, Trunk Club Expert

How to Care for Your Clothing Series: Dry Cleaning Do's and Don'ts

Common questions I regularly hear as a Trunk Club Expert are "how should I wash this?" ..."does this need to be dry cleaned?"..."how can I prevent wrinkles?" and "will this shrink a lot?"  This week, I will offer my best answers to these questions and give you recommendations to help your clothing look it's best.

Dry Cleaning

If you take or send out your clothing to a professional cleaner, keep in mind that not everything needs to be dry cleaned.  Men often assume their dress shirts need to be dry cleaned when in fact, most dress shirts are made of cotton and can be laundered in water instead of chemical solvents that are used in the dry cleaning process.  These solvents are corrosive and for men who take their shirts to the dry cleaners weekly, the dress shirts literally disintegrate in a short time before your eyes. 

Rather than wear lower quality dress shirts that don't look and fit as well (because you have to replace them so often due to the disintegration factor), I recommend you ask the cleaner to simply launder them for you; NOT dry clean.  They will wash them in a regular washing machine and then press them for you so they are perfectly ironed with no effort on your part (except the bill).  If you want to save money and don't mind doing your own laundry; wash your shirts at home and then take them to the dry cleaner to be pressed. Regardless, professional laundering is usually less expensive than dry cleaning.

What do you need to dry clean? 

Anything made of wool (including cashmere), silk or linen (or a blend of these fibers) usually comes with a "Dry Clean Only" label.  All three of these fibers tend to shrink when they come in contact with water or more importantly when agitated or spun in a washer and dryer.  For men, I would recommend that most clothing containing these fibers should be dry cleaned.

Anything highly structured, such as a suit, jacket or sport coat should be dry cleaned.

Any clothing that you love the feel (or hand) of, especially slacks or trousers, you may want to dry clean.  Water may affect the hand of the fiber and you may not have the luxuriously butter-like feeling after it's been washed in water. 

Anything made of leather, suede or animal skin should usually be dry cleaned.

How often do you need to dry clean?

Suits and jackets usually don't need to be dry cleaned until they become soiled (by food, mud, etc.) or if they smell bad (smoke, perspiration, etc.).  For you tidy guys, this may mean you only dry clean your suits and sport coats once or twice a year.

Slacks and trousers should be dry cleaned every four or five wearings or when they become soiled. 

ALWAYS dry clean your suit together, meaning the jacket and suit pants; even if only one of the pieces needs cleaning.  You want the suit to perfectly match so you must dry clean them together so inevitable fading is done in tandem and unnoticeable.

Do home dry cleaning kits work?

Yes, they work to some degree (you use a stain remover on any obvious stains and then essentially steam and deodorize in your dryer).  However, in my opinion, it's more work than it's worth. I don't think they are as clean as they could be and I prefer to send my dry clean-ables out to the professionals because I don't think I save that much money on a home kit when I factor in my time.

As a risk taker, I have thrown pretty much every type of clothing and fabric in the washing machine to see what happens (mostly out of curiosity and laziness).  One thing I have learned...wool of any kind; don't ever mess with it.  It has a mind of it's own and it will literally shrink down to child size and become thick and tough if you don't respect it.  Most animal based fibers prefer to be dry cleaned or at least hand washed if they aren't water sensitive.  Imagine if you put our hair in the washing machine and then dried it in the dryer.  What a tangled, awful mess!  Respect your wool garments all the way to the dry cleaners.

-Lisa Bruckner, Trunk Club Expert

How to Care for Your Clothing Series: How often do I need to wash my clothes?

Common questions I regularly hear as a Trunk Club Expert are "how should I wash this?" ..."does this need to be dry cleaned?"..."how can I prevent wrinkles?" and "will this shrink a lot?"  This week, I will offer my best answers to these questions and recommendations to help your clothing look it's best.

How often do I need to wash my clothing?

Washing, and especially drying in a dryer are probably the most damaging wear and tear your daily clothing receives.  The less you wash and dry them (in a dryer), the longer they last, and the better they will look and feel. 

For clothing you love; for nicer pieces you own, if it says it's machine washable, the best bet is to launder it it in the machine in cold water and then hang it to dry.  If you don't like ironing, you can take it to a professional dry cleaner and ask them to press it for you (or dry clean it for you). 

Regardless, just because you wore it, doesn't mean you have to wash it.  For items you wear close to your skin all day, especially where you perspire, please wash them after each use (namely underwear, undershirts, and socks). 

However, for jeans, shorts, pants, shirts, sweaters, jackets and the like that are worn over an undershirt or underwear; you can prolong the life of these items by hanging them back up in your closet after you wear them.  If you are a sloppy eater, have a muddy dog, or sticky child, this probably isn't going to work well for you.  For the rest of you, go home after work and change out of your nicer clothing (before sticky child attacks).  If it looks and smells fine at the end of the day, hang it back up and wear it again before you wash it.

A special note: premium denim can be worn an average of five times in between washings.  Once it's broken in and knows your shape, it will look great, wear after wear without needing a wash and dry after each use like many lower quality denim jeans do.  However, you must make sure you are buying the right size premium denim to begin with since some brands, like Seven For All Mankind, stretch considerably when you break them in (but won't necessarily shrink back to original size even with a spin in the dryer).

How often do you need to dry clean?

Suits and jackets usually don't need to be dry cleaned until they become soiled (by food, mud, etc.) or if they smell bad (smoke, perspiration, etc.).  For you tidy guys, this may mean you only dry clean your suits and sport coats once or twice a year.

Slacks and trousers should be dry cleaned every four or five wearings or when they become soiled. 

ALWAYS dry clean your suit; jacket and suit pants together; even if only one of the pieces needs cleaning.  You want the suit to perfectly match so you must dry clean them together so inevitable fading is done in tandem and unnoticeable.

Tomorrow I will have advice on what needs to be dry cleaned and what doesn't and ways to save you money at the dry cleaner's.

A few last tips: 

• A napkin is not a mop to clean up messes; it's designed to prevent them.  Use it accordingly.

• Re-train the 8 year old inside you to wipe or dry your hands on a towel or tissue; not your pants.  Achoo!...wipe.  You know who you are.

• Smell the floor of your bedroom and bathroom.  If you don't like the smell, don't leave your clothes on the floor when you take them off.  If they can be worn again, please hang them up yourself like a man and enjoy the fact you can wear them again with minimal to no ironing. 

• The less frequently you wash your clothing, the longer it lasts.  As an added benefit, you will reduce your carbon footprint and help support a greener world.

-Lisa Bruckner, Trunk Club Expert

Re-defining Comfortable to Help You Look Your Best

When it comes to clothing, men are very sensitive about comfort. 

However, you may need to re-define what comfortable means if you want to look your best.  I will never dispute the fact that looser fit, well worn, pajama feeling, clothing is the most comfortable to wear.  However, I hope you will recognize, it's not your best look and definitely not appropriate in the workplace and perhaps even out in public.

Clothing that fits better, looks better.  It's a mantra I repeat often because men commonly wear clothing that doesn't fit well; generally it's too big.  However, they have been wearing clothing in this larger size and fit for so long, they don't know any different.  When they first try on clothing that actually fits, they are often self conscious and unsure.  Some even venture to say it's not "comfortable."  However, when I ask if it hurts and where it's uncomfortable; the answer is usually they just aren't used to wearing clothing that fits.

Men, you aren't alone.  Women have the same issue.  Comfort is 50% physical and 50% mental.  For example: I love wearing high heeled shoes.  I am asked quite often by women (in flats) if my shoes are comfortable.  I answer truthfully: "Yes, they are (I don't buy shoes that hurt because I know I won't wear them)."  Would I run a mile in high heels or go hiking?  No, don't be ridiculous!  However, when I want to look my best and feel confident, I put on a pair of heels and I truly feel comfortable wearing them. 

Do I recommend you buy and wear clothing that physically hurts even if it looks good?  No.  However, I do recommend you wear clothing that fits better.  Re-train your mind and body to feel comfortable in something other than clothing that fits like your pajamas or athletic wear.  For example, dress shirts that fit better are not going to allow you to wind up a fast ball.  However, you shouldn't be wearing a dress shirt on the ball field anyway.  A proper fit should allow you to move freely within reason.  People who say "I can't do the splits in these or I can't circle my arms widely" need to give up on looking their best altogether and sign up at the nearest Gymnastics Center. 

For men wanting to become more fashion forward, modern, up to date and looking their best, they may need to re-define what comfortable is.  Trust me, you will look so much better and feel more confident about yourself when you wear clothing that fits well...you will feel UNcomfortable wearing your baggy clothing outside your house again!

-Lisa Bruckner, Trunk Club Expert

Arbitrage Dress Shirts: A Personal Review

I recently learned about a new clothing line called Arbitrage.  It's based out of New York City and is the brainchild of three fresh upstarts who were tired of baggy, boxy, dress shirts that were also too long to wear un-tucked (i.e. after work).  Arbitrage dress shirts are designed to offer men an off the rack, tailored fit.  Their shirts are made from 100% cotton, but boast a luxurious jacquard look and feel (silky smooth without looking "silky").  Lastly, they are designed to appeal to the modern man's style; he wants something he can wear to work, then un-tuck, roll the sleeves up and go out after work-without having to go home and change first.  They say it's well worth the price of $148 a shirt.

After seeing one of these shirts up close and personal (on my dear husband); I had to agree with their claims.  The shirt was indeed everything they said.  My husband is 6'5" without shoes and has a 32" waist.  Basically, he has alien proportions.  Finding shirts for him that are both long enough in the arms and torso, but fitted enough for his narrow frame is next to impossible.  Even most slim fit options are quite baggy on him.  Did I mention he eats a pint of ice cream a night?  Yes, you may get the voo doo doll ready!

The Arbitrage shirt fit him better than any shirt he owned.  The shirt is long enough for him to tuck in comfortably, but short and straight enough for him to wear un-tucked.  The look and feel are wonderful and the shirt has been quite forgiving with my absent-minded laundry techniques.

What appealed to me as a Trunk Club Expert were the three different fit options, and the unique patterns and details that would fit the bill for many of my TC members.  A common request I hear is for a better fitting dress shirt with an interesting look.

First, let's talk about the fit.  For the slender man, they offer a "Slim Fit" which is very narrow through the torso and arms.  Let me clarify here when I say narrow, I don't mean tight, just narrow so it actually offers a tailored fit for the Slim Jim's out there.

For men with broader shoulders, larger chests and bigger biceps, they offer a "Tailored Fit" which offers a bit more room in these areas but still tapers in at the waist to give them a comfortably tailored fit.

Lastly, they have a "Classic Fit" which is the widest and boxiest fit they offer; but by no means the typical Classic Fit (a.k.a. Monsieur Box).  The Arbitrage Classic Fit offers moderately larger men the option of a tailored fit dress shirt.  It's actually quite slimming and once the men get accustomed to the feel of a tailored fit shirt, they feel great in it (I am sure the compliments help!).

Arbitrage dress shirts come in French Cuff and Barrel Cuff options but I've noticed their barrel cuffs are actually a chic hybrid between the french and barrel.  The cuffs button together, however they do it in the traditional kissing method typically used in french cuffs.  Men love the look of them and I think they are a fabulous detail.  Unlike true french cuffs, its quick and easy to roll the cuffs up for a casual look.

Another detail that men (and women) appreciate is the fabric.  It's luxuriously soft to the touch, and I've had quite a few "complaints" lately from men saying women can't stop touching their shirt.  (Ladies, I don't think they are truly complaining ;).  I say it's a pettable shirt if I dare label it as such. 

Not only is the fabric soft to the touch, but many of their patterns and colors are appealing to the eye and not your average run of the mill solids and vertical stripes. 

My husband, a man of few words when it comes to clothing, recently said out of the blue to me; "My Arbitrage shirt is my favorite shirt."  Choking back shock at his fashion revelation, I said "Hmmm, tell me why?"  His reply was quick and to the point "I like the fit.  It's a good looking shirt."

Recently, a Trunk Club member who gave me his permission to tell his story in this article, told me he's received quite a few compliments and comments about his new Arbitrage shirt.  MC, is a man who works in the financial industry, which by nature is a sea of suits, dress shirts and slacks.  To receive compliments about your dress shirt in this environment is quite a plus!  He sent me a direct tweet yesterday saying "chalk up another compliment for the Arbitrage shirt!"

I think the shirts offer a great option for an off the rack, tailored fit.  Clothing that fits better, looks better. 

Arbitrage also offers ties, cuff links and some funky, hooded dress shirts that I was skeptical about until I saw MC try one on.  He looked awesome in it and I think it's a great option for hip, casual wear.

NOTE: While I am a true fan of the shirts, I am not a huge fan of their website.  I don't think it does their product justice and most of the shirts I have seen on Trunk Club members are not even shown on the website.  Such is the problem with on-line shopping.  You often see items that are out of date and in photos that don't accurately represent the merchandise you are buying.  Arbitrage shirts are sold in a few stores, but in limited runs.  You really need to see, touch and try on these shirts to appreciate them and determine if they are right for you.

If you are interested in trying some Arbitrage shirts on but don't have time or interest in shopping (which shirt?  which fit?  which color/pattern?), I invite you to try out the Trunk Club.  We help men buy clothing the way they always wanted to; easy, efficient and fun!  It's free to join.  Members only pay for the retail price of the clothing they keep.

-Lisa Bruckner Trunk Club Expert