Even if you can hold your own in the style department, life has a way of throwing those little curve balls every now and then. Practically everyone has had to deal with a last-minute lint emergency. Whether it’s before an important meeting, a visible fabric snag dangling from an otherwise perfect garment at exactly the wrong time, hair that appears lifeless and over-treated, earring posts that fall out and disappear into thin air, deodorant streaks on garments, and similar style challenges. The following nine style saves can pinch hit for most of the above situations, and then some. If you want to learn how to pack less when traveling but still look great on vacation, or if you need a go-to way of making up your mind when shopping for clothes, at least one of the style saves below is for you.
Contents
- Use the Eraser Trick for Missing Earring Posts
- Get a Sulfate-Free Shampoo
- Instantly Get Deodorant Streaks Out of Clothes
- Use Sun Power for Whiter Clothes (Without Bleach)
- Never Worry About Lint Again
- Don’t Buy Clothing Unless It Meets 3 Tests
- Pack for Travel the Smart Way
- Default to Black on Black
- Take a Helper When Shopping
Use the Eraser Trick for Missing Earring Posts
Earring posts never fall out unless you’re on the way to a business meeting or walking from your car to a restaurant entrance. It’s one of those karma, Murphy’s Law things. What’s the answer? Pencil erasers. Ask a restaurant cashier or office friend for a pencil, pull the entire eraser off, and then use it as a temporary earring post. In fact, the little rubbery things serve the purpose so well, that you could probably use them for weeks. This unusual style hack is a good enough reason to always store a few extra pencils in your car, purse, or laptop case.
Get a Sulfate-Free Shampoo
Lifeless hair, especially during winter months, can be a frustrating problem. It’s particularly annoying when you are meticulous about cleaning and keeping your hair looking good for all occasions. Fortunately, you can buy a sulfate-free shampoo and never have to worry about dead looking hair again. Sulfate-free shampoo from buywow.com has the power to totally reset your scalp with its unique clarifying ingredients. Its other advantage is that it works for every hair type, color, and length. Professional salons have been using the stuff forever to give limp, tired hair a fresh start. So, why not cut out the middleman and stock up on a few bottles for home.
Instantly Get Deodorant Streaks Out of Clothes
It happens. You walk to the closet and pull out the ideal piece of clothing for a night out. In a hurry, you put it on but notice one or more unsightly deodorant streaks in blatantly obvious locations. Some people toss the item into the laundry and search for a substitute. That’s not necessary if you own fabric softener sheets, and all you need to remove the ugly streaks is a half-sheet of standard softener. Rub it directly against the streaks and watch them disappear before your eyes. TV news people have been using this clever trick for years, and it works like a charm.
Use Sun Power for Whiter Clothes (Without Bleach)
Do you own whites that don’t look so white, even after you wash them? Some delicate things can’t withstand bleach, so you’re left with dull garments that were once bright white but now appear to be yellowing. The remedy is solar power. All you need to do is remove the dulled whites from the washing machine when the cycle is done, place them on a flat surface or a clothes line in direct sunlight. For this trick to do the trick, the garments must still be wet. As the sunlight dries them, it will amp up the whiteness quotient a click or two. Want them whiter? Repeat after the next washing.
Never Worry About Lint Again
Packing tape is a lint killer with a 100 percent kill ratio. Keep a small roll in your car or purse for those times when you need quick lint removal for an important event. Some people who discover the tape technique never use standard lint rollers again. That’s how perfect the tape works. A tip is to stock up on the widest tape you can find in the office section of the store. That way, even if you have a large blouse, dress, or pair of slacks covered in lint, it’ll only take a few applications of the tape to get banish all the little fuzz balls.
Don’t Buy Clothing Unless It Meets 3 Tests
Do you ever find yourself buying clothes and regretting it? The delayed response of “I should never have gotten this,” is a common feeling after a day of shopping. Sure, you can return the item, but that just means another trip to the store and a major inconvenience. Use the three-step test to avoid regrets. Don’t purchase any garment unless it fits well, you truly love how it looks on you, and you already know, for sure, at least two places where you can wear it. The three-step test will save you a ton of time, lots of headaches, and make shopping more fun. Memorize the criteria and apply them on a regular basis.
Pack for Travel the Smart Way
Say you’re headed to Japan, for example, for a three-week vacation. Follow one simple rule to avoid outfit chaos and lack of choices during the trip. Try packing with one color scheme in mind. Then, when you’re searching for something to wear to the Tokyo Zoo or the Sapporo Ice Festival, you’ll be able to mix and match without worrying about color clashes.
Default to Black on Black
When there’s no time to decide what to wear, use black on black as a default. It’s not always the most attractive option, but its simplicity will do, in a pinch. Meeting an internet date in person for the very first time on short notice? Heading to the office for an impromptu staff meeting? Or did you just realize you’re a half-hour late for the PTA conference? Black on black will solve the fashion problem.
Take a Helper When Shopping
This is not just for guys. Women need help from time to time, and there’s no better way to choose wisely while hunting for good looking garments than to bring a friend. Another pair of eyes, and honest opinions, can get you through dozens of indecisive moments.