Fashion blogs I love
Once in awhile, I’ll be featuring some fashion blogs that I love to read. Here’s where I get my daily inspiration. Where do you get yours from? Share with me!
Style Bubble
This really cute fashion blog is written by Susie Bubble. Yes, Bubble isn’t her last name, but a nickname, but it is so telling of how much fun you’ll have when reading her blog. She’s got such a great sense of style (you can see her wearing a lot of different outfits too) and she finds the most interesting fashion pieces I’ve seen in a while. Check out this blog for something different and unique.
Fashion Toast
I love, love this next blog as well. Rumi, the blogger is so trendy. She wears so many of the things she finds and is a daily inspiration for me to look in my closet and change my looks. Her clothes are trendy, made for the runway and the street, and just look fantastic on her. If you’re trying to develop your own sense of style, check out this blog for inspiration.
One Sweet Day
This blog is for those looking for daily fashion inspirations. You’ll see so many great clothes and learn how to put them together. I’m constantly surprised by how she mixes and matches clothes to make such unique outfits. It’s great fun and I’m a big fan.
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How to store cashmere
After months of wearing your cashmere cardigan, you will finally put it away when the warm spring and summer months arrive. Since cashmere is so delicate, you will want to be careful with storing them. Additionally, you will want to make sure that you keep them away from moths, silver fish, carpet beetles and other insects that will destroy your clothes. Moths are especially keen to material like cashmere so make sure you read through the tips for keeping them away. Here is a cashmere storage guide to help you store your cashmere through the long spring and summer.
Cashmere storage
-Don’t store the cardigans by hanging them up. Instead, carefully fold them up when storing. Hanging them for long periods of time will cause them to sag and lose their shape.
-Make sure you’ve cleaned the cashmere before storing it. Moths like to go after anything that hints of food so don’t give them a reason to go after your cardigans. If you are unable to wash the item before storing it, put it in a plastic bag and then put the cashmere cardigan in the freezer overnight. This will kill almost all insects, including moth larvae which might have already been hiding somewhere in the cardigan.
Moth balls to protect your cashmere
-Buy items that will keep the moths away like moth cakes or moth balls in your closet and leave in your chest of drawers. If you are sensitive to chemicals and the smell of moth cakes, use herbal sachets or cedar blocks. All of these items are cheap and will keep moths away from your expensive cashmere. Also, don’t forget to replace them each month. Moth cakes only work well when fresh. Finally, when taking out the cashmere from the closet, air it out for a few days so that the smell of the moth repellent will leave.
-If you are storing the cardigans in between seasons for a few months, then one way to keep the bugs away is to store the clothes in cotton breathable garment bags since cashmere needs to be able to breathe. If you don’t have those, oftentimes, sealable plastic bags work for short storage periods. The larger freezer bags work well in this case and allow you to put your cardigans inside without wrinkling them. They will also keep them fresh since less air will get into them. Another way is to store them in sealed boxes. The clear sealed storage boxes from Target or Walmart are excellent containers for storing multiple items and knowing what’s inside.
Storage containers
-If you are storing the clothes for a year or longer, then it is better to store them in acid free containers. This will keep them from aging and yellowing. Acid free tissue and boxes can be bought online or sometimes in stores like Target or Walmart.
-Don’t store the clothes in a damp or hot area or jam them in the closet. Try to give them room to breathe and put them in a cool place that doesn’t have a lot of sunlight.
Careful cashmere storage is important to ensuring that your cashmere cardigan lasts for a long time. Following the steps above will help you wear keep your cashmere looking new for a long time.
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How to care for cashmere
Cashmere care
You’ve just spent a lot of money on your cashmere cardigan. It is beautiful and you’ve started to wear it a number of times. So, how do you care for cashmere? What is the best way to clean it to ensure that it will last a long time? Below are a few tips to help in your cashmere cardigan care.
Cashmere cardigans should be washed after every 6-7 times that you wear them. Do not wash it too often as this can cause damage to the cashmere fibers. Cashmere can be hand washed, machine washed or dry-cleaned although it really depends on the garment. Before deciding which process to use, check the garment label to make sure that you can do so. Sometimes, the garment will say hand wash only or dry clean only. Whichever way you choose, follow the steps below when doing so to ensure that you do not ruin your cardigan.
Machine washing cashmere
Button up the cardigan and then make sure you turn it inside out before putting it in the machine. Then, make sure that your liquid detergent is a delicate detergent or a special cashmere detergent suitable for cashmere. Usually, the label on the back or the front will indicate what material the detergent can be used with. Use the handwash or delicate cycle on your machine. See the next area for drying instructions.
Drying cashmere
Unless the label specifically states that you can put the cardigan in the dryer, do not dry the cardigan in a machine. Instead smooth it out and put it back into its original shape. Put it on a flat towel and let it dry naturally. Do not put it directly under the sun or use direct heat (like a blow dryer). Let it naturally dry. Also, do not hang the cardigan while it is still wet. Hanging it up will cause it to stretch out of shape. Dry it immediately so that it will retain its shape. Finally, when your cashmere cardigan is dry, you can press it lightly with a cool iron over a damp cloth if there are still any wrinkles.
Hand washing cashmere
This process can almost always be followed, especially if you just have a small stain. Hand washing also keeps the garment soft and helps it to retain its color. Be sure to wash your garment in lukewarm water. When hand washing, use the same type of special detergent that would be used in for the machine and only use one whose label indicates that it works for cashmere. Do not rub, twist or stretch the fabric, it is very delicate and this will stretch the threads and change the shape. Try to gently squeeze the cardigan and work the detergent gently through the fabric. Afterwards, carefully rinse it out in the lukewarm water. Sometimes, you may need to rinse it more than once to make sure the detergent has been completely removed. Afterwards, follow the instructions above to dry the garment.
Dry cleaning cashmere
If the label on the garment says that it is dry clean only, take it to a reputable dry cleaner. At the dry cleaners, let them know that the garment is cashmere and has to be handled delicately. Make sure the dry cleaner uses good cleaning products to dry clean the garment. Note that the better option sometimes is to hand wash the item since the chemicals from dry cleaning can cause damage to the fibers in the cashmere and make the sweater hard rather than soft.
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What color to buy?
Cashmere cardigans come in countless colors since they are such a great staple of every person’s wardrobe. Any color that you choose to buy will be fantastic, however, every color adds a different benefit to the wardrobe. Below is a guide to choosing the right color cardigan based on what you are trying to wear the cardigan with and how versatile you want it to be.
Black cashmere cardigan
Neutrals
Colors: Black, grey, white
Versatility: High
If you are looking for a cardigan that you can wear everywhere and wear over anything, then go with a neutral color. Black, grey and white will match everything. Out of the 3, black is probably the most versatile, although some would argue that white is just as easy to wear over everything. I say black since it is more understated and also won’t get dirty as easily as a white cardigan. The white cardigan is great over any summer or spring dresses or any bright color or patterned shirts, but it is also very bright. Wearing the white cardigan makes you stand out a bit more. Also, the white cardigan doesn’t work as well over a white t-shirt or the crisp white office shirt, so a black cashmere cardigan ends up being more versatile. All 3 colors will easily match almost every outfit in your wardrobe since they are so neutral. Buy one of these colors if you don’t have many cardigans and are looking for something to wear with everything.
Red cashmere cardigan from Burberry
Bold colors
Colors: Red, Blue, Purple, Green
Versatility: Medium
The bold color cardigans such as a green or red cashmere cardigan are fantastic for adding a splash of color to your wardrobe. If you are a person that tends to wear a lot of neutral colors, adding one bold cardigan to your wardrobe is the perfect way to brighten it up without making it too colorful. These cardigans work best over neutral colors and allow you to stand out a little from the crowd. If you are trying to get noticed, wear a bold color cardigan such as a cute green cashmere cardigan and you will definitely catch someone’s eye. The bold colors are great because they are not too splashy or trendy so you can wear this color to the office and out at night. The drawback to the bold color cardigan is that it can’t be worn everyday or over everything. The bright color leaves a statement in people’s minds and because of this, you probably can’t wear it to the office more than once a week.
Fuschia cardigan from Vince
Bright colors
Colors: Fuschia, Orange, Yellow
Versatility: Medium to Low
If you love to stand out in a crowd, consider a really bright color such as a fuschia cashmere cardigan or a bright yellow cashmere cardigan. Bright colors are fantastic for people who want to get noticed and continue to get noticed. The bright colors are harder to match with everything and you have to wear them carefully, but they too work over any neutral colors. Use these colors to enhance an already colorful wardrobe or to enhance a neutral colored wardrobe. One splash of this brightens the room and will really get you noticed. Bright colors tend to be trendier than the bold colors so they tend not to last through many seasons, although you can still wear them if you are confident. Unlike bold colors that are longer lasting, bright colors are a bit more obnoxious and people will either love that orange cardigan you have or completely hate it.
Pink cashmere cardigan
Pastels
Colors: Pink, Baby Blue, Lavender, Mint Green
Versatility: Medium to High
Pastels are an excellent Spring color to wear. The pink cashmere cardigan is very feminine and actually matches with a lot of different items, especially if you choose a very light pink that is closer to white. Other pastel colors such as baby blue or lavender or great over the neutral colors and will also work with some bold colors. Pastels are much closer to neutral than the bold colors, although they also make a very different statement from the neutral colors. Pastels signify much more femininity. Pastels are a much more subtle and understated color so it is less likely that you will get noticed right away, as opposed to a bold color, but the color is so pretty, you will definitely get noticed.
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What style to buy
There are many different styles of cashmere cardigans. Choosing the right one depends on your own personal style, your body type, and what you want to wear the cardigan with. The 2 main ones are a long cashmere cardigan and a short cashmere cardigan. The other styles fall into either more trendy cardigans or more conservative cardigans. Read on for more details:
Short cardigan
Nordstrom green cashmere cardigan
Made famous in the 60’s with women wearing them over poodle skirts and tight jeans, the short cardigan is one of the longest lasting clothing items in history since it has outlasted countless trends. It matches almost everything you wear, whether it is a short skirt or trousers. You can dress it up or dress it down. The key to a short cardigan is to make sure it falls at the right place on your body. Ideally, you want it to fall right at the top of your waist. These days, since many pants and jeans are more low waisted, you should make sure that the short cardigan is still long enough to hit at the top of those low waisted pants. You definitely do not want it falling higher than the waist. Nor, do you want it to hit below the waist, hiding your waist line. No matter if you are short or tall, skinny or slightly chubbier, the short cardigan will work for you. Choose a short cardigan in a bright color like red or green to compliment your wardrobe. Or, buy one in a conservative color like black or grey to blend in.
Long cardigan
Vince cashmere cardigan
The longer trend has resurfaced in the past few years and is here to stay. From Gap to Neiman Marcus, you see the long cashmere cardigan being sold all over the place. The key to the long cardigan is to style it with the right clothes. Wear these over tight jeans or just tights. Wear them over a short dress, but make sure they fall straight and are not too short compared to the dress. The key to a long cardigan is where it hits on your body and how it falls. If you are buying a tighter style, you want that cardigan to fall a little tighter down to the middle of your thighs. Basically, the entire fit will be more narrow and body hugging. On the reverse, if it is a more looser style, then it will be fitted on top, but fall out and swing around your body.
Trendy vs. conservative
Sutton Studio cardigan, Bloomingdale's
The final decision for a cashmere cardigan is whether you want a more trendy or conservative one. A conservative one is very long lasting and you can wear it again and again in every season. The look is very classic with nice buttons and a regular shape. It won’t hug your body as much, but it will still flatter everyone. A trendy cardigan changes with the fashions. The latest fashions have more cardigans that drape, have less buttons, and are more voluminous. You won’t wear the trendier cardigan for as long as you will the conservative one but it will definitely be more fun to wear. With the trendier cashmere cardigan, you will feel like it is a great part of your outfit. That season, you will probably wear it again and again. However, be careful, it may not last you more than one or two seasons before the shape or the style disappears.
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