Clothing Tips and Tricks – Little Fixes to Make Your Clothing Wearable

Have you ever had a wardrobe malfunction? For some, like me, it can be a frequent occurrence. I’m going to detail a bunch of clothing tips and tricks that will save the day when you have clothing issues. These are great tips to help you save money and maybe keep a garment in your plus size capsule wardrobe, instead of chucking it to the Give-Away pile.

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The Skirt or Shirt Extender

If you’ve been reading my articles, you will know that short shirts really bug me. Up until recently you could not buy a plus size shirt or blouse that wasn’t too short. Or, if you put your clothing in the dryer (I don’t, not shirts anyway) you shrink the length right out of it. Do you have a dress or a shirt that’s too short?

Here’s your fix. You can either get an extra long tank top that has lace detail at the neckline and the hem, or you can get a shirt extender that looks more like a skirt, and wear it under the short t-shirt.

Oh, and you’re going to laugh at this one: Under the short shirt, I wear a half slip, similar to how you wear a tube top. This gives you a little cleavage privacy for the office, and lengthens your shirt to cover up your tummy and butt.

Clothing Tips and Tricks

This is a short t-shirt that I can’t bear to give away. You can see my big belly sticking out, with even a little skin showing.

Clothing Tips and Tricks

The same short shirt with a cream colored half slip, worn like a tube top, under the shirt. Now the lace covers my belly and butt.

Blouse Button

Do you have a top that has the buttons in all the wrong places? This is the blouse that, if you button up too high, you look too stuffy and conservative. If you leave that button undone you show too much cleavage and even your bra. (I’m a modest person, however, I pass no judgment, so If you want things to show, that’s your business. We are going for whatever is comfortable for YOU, correct?) I find, also, that there are times with wrap dresses and tops, where the layers at the v-neck won’t stay put, and by the end of the day, even after you’ve adjusted in the lady’s room 6 or 8 times, that your v-neck shows everything south of the border.

Clothing Tips and Tricks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My first bit of advice is to put on a cami under the blouse, then unbutton past the gap-osis area, and let your cami-clad boobs show your curves. However, in certain circumstances, you can’t do that, like when it’s too hot to wear two shirts.

Enter the blouse button. These are stylish pins that you can use to fasten that v-neck in precisely the place you want, without having it move AT ALL all day. If you don’t have a stylish blouse button, try a men’s tie tack, or a magnetic ear ring.

Maggie Snaps Magnetic Fasteners

Another answer to the v-neck gap-osis, is the Maggie Snaps Magnetic Fastener. You can fasten any type of cloth, such as scarves, ties, blouses, jackets, sweaters, even curtains and tablecloths! They consist of a metal ring and ball bearing, that fasten together magnetically, and hold the cloth without poking a hole in the material.

Fabric Tape

Fabric tape is available in double-sided or single sided adhesive. This is also great for blouse gap-osis. Carry the fabric tape with you in your purse, so you can use it when you have wardrobe malfunctions during the day. It’s great for if you step your shoe heel through your pants hem, and need to fix it.

If you don’t have fabric tape, you can temporarily fix the torn out hem with regular scotch tape, or you can put a couple staples in the hem with your office stapler. That will get you by until you can get home and fix it properly with a needle and thread.

Pants Button Extender

Are your pants too tight at the waist? Probably the best solution to this problem is to get new pants that fit. However, if you are like me, you don’t have money for clothes all the time, and have to wait to get anything new.

So, get a pants extending button. These can vary in construction, but most are a piece of denim with a heavy-duty riveted pants button at one end, and one or more button holes at the other end. You can buy one, or make your own.

You can also make a pants extender with a ponytail holder. Just square knot the holder through the button hole, and use the remaining loop to hook to the existing button.  This is really nice if you want some flexiblity in a pair of pants that normally bind up on you.

Wrinkle Removal

When I wash my shirts and blouses, I hang them up to dry, no exceptions (dryers are for jeans and towels, not blouses!) Even my old around-the-house t-shirts get hung up, because I have to make them last as long as possible too. Even though this is better for the material than using the dryer, my clothing comes out pretty wrinkly. There’s a couple things you can do to fix this, short of ironing (and who even irons anything anymore?)

Hang the clothing item in your bathroom while you shower. The minor wrinkles will be steamed right out.

Put the completely dry item in the dryer ( I know, I said no dryer, but this little amount won’t hurt) with a damp washcloth for about 5 minutes on high heat. ONLY 5 MINUTES. Then your garment should be ready to wear, wrinkle free. I’ve heard this method called “Red-Neck Ironing”. (My apologies to any red-necks I’ve offended, but hey, I’m praising red-necks for their ingenuity and creativity for coming up with a simple solution to a complicated problem, so please take this as a compliment!)

Or, use a spray bottle full of water and your hair dryer. Put the garment on, lightly spray it down with the water, then while holding the garment down straight, blow it on high heat for just a few minutes. Takes the wrinkle right out.

Wear Your Shirt Backwards

It was my first day of the college semester. I drove 36 miles to get to school, so I always poured myself a giant cup of coffee and darted out the door at work, arriving without a moment to spare at my class.  Well, on this day, I dropped the entire cup of coffee down the front of my shirt. I was wearing a pink pastel t-shirt, so there was no hiding the giant brown stain down my front.

My solution: I went into the ladies room and took my shirt off, turned it around backwards, and put it back on. I took out my key chain jack knife, which I never go anywhere without, and cut the tag off the shirt so it would not show at my neckline. Then I put my completer piece blazer on over the shirt. Wah-Lah! I had a clean shirt front showing through the open V of my jacket, and no one was the wiser that I was wearing my entire cup of coffee, now down my back, under the blazer, instead of down my front. And most importantly, I showed up to class looking good and put-together, instead of like a lazy, shabby, no-account bum with a stained shirt.

Lots of stains have been fixed with a strategically placed scarf or pin. Be creative in finding something to cover up that lunch accident.

Share Your Tricks

The moral of the story is, when you have a clothing emergency, don’t panic. Look around your car or your office for something that will help you get by until you can get home and change. Don’t be afraid to McGyver a solution to your wardrobe malfunctions.

Want more?  Click here.

I’ve given you just a few tricks and hacks that can extend your wardrobe or save the day when your outfit falls apart. Do you have a fun trick that you use to fix your clothing? Share it below!

And as always thank you for reading!

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10 Comments

  1. LABULO FUNMILAYO

    I will never forget the day I had wardrobe malfunction. I traveled to another city for a professional exam ,when I noticed my shirt was bad already, it was a bad experience and shameful because I hardly put on a CAMI under. Henceforth I will go with some of the tricks you have mentioned ,at least this will safe me from any future embarrassment. Thanks so much for the beautiful write up,is really educative.

    • admin

      Thank you so much for writing.  So sorry you had a terrible wardrobe malfunction!  Lets us all know we are not alone when our clothing decides not to cooperate.  Ya, get some fabric tape for your purse or glove box, so you can be prepared for the next one, as it is inevitable!  Thank you for you comments and compliments!  RhondaLeigh

  2. Jesus

    The clothing tips and tricks are amazing I never knew that women had all these problems with clothing. I will be passing on this information to my wife because she is always having issues with her clothing. I really did enjoy all the little tricks that can be done to existing articles of clothing to make it work. I mean as much as is spent on clothing you would think that the manufacturer would have fixed these problems. Again, this was a great article and the information will be used.

    Awesome!

    JesusB

    • admin

      Thanks Jesus for the response.  Ya, the clothing industry tries to tell us WE are the problem with clothing fit, not the other way around.  I am happy to say that some manufacturers are finally getting the message that we want longer shirts, darn it!  So ya, there’s always going to be some imperfection that we need to fix.  Yes, please share with your wife!  I hope she likes the fixes!  Thanks for reading!  RhondaLeigh

  3. James

    Hi RhodaLeigh, I liked your tricks for extending the life of clothes. I was thinking what you did with your coffee stained shirt was very McGyver like. That was some clever thinking. I can’t think of any tricks myself but my local dry cleaners is very useful for patching up my pockets on my suit trousers. I think I stuff too many things in them. But at least I extend the life of them for maybe another year. That’s a good saving!

    • admin

      James, good for you that you can save your pants by having the pockets fixed.  Fixing clothing is definitely less expensive than buying new.  As a girl on a budget, I like to fix things too, thus the post.  Your tip to go to the dry cleaner to have things sewn is an excellent idea.  Thanks for commenting!  RhondaLeigh

  4. Precious

    I have learnt a lot in these tips to make clothes wearable. The Maggie magnetic is a trick or tip I will love to learn properly and even teach others how to do so. There are so many others here which you did justice to and are well explained. My sister is such an awesome designer and would even love to learn more of these tricks .

    • admin

      Thank you Precious for the comment.  Those maggie magnetic things are really cool, and fun to mess around with, so I recommend you get a set.  And please pass my website on to your sister.  I hope she likes what I’ve done here.  Thank you again for reading and responding.  RhondaLeigh

  5. Rgpratap

    Hello Rhonda,

    It is very helpful and creative tricks you have suggested in this article. I used to face many troubles for a dress when I go outside. Sometimes I manage with safety pins. And for the stain, I covered it with my big scarf which I used to have always with. I also used to carry instant glue for an emergency case. One day my shoe stitches tore out. It happens exactly when I was out of town. The instant glue save that moment. Today from this article you have added much more tricks and tips to manage the unavoidable circumstances for a while. Thanks a lot for sharing this variable and awesome post.

    Warm regards,
    Ranao

    • admin

      Ranao, thank you so much for your comments.    Great Idea with the instant glue!  Also a great idea to bring a scarf with you.  While I was watching “What not to Wear”, I saw them suggest that you tie a scarf to you purse.  It looks really cool, and you can use it for just such an emergency.  I might have to do another post about what to carry in your purse!  Thank you again for your comment and watch this space! RhondaLeigh   

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