According to GQ, bright, bold plaids are hot for guys this fall, neutral tones, browns, navy, reds, and persimmon are the colors you’ll be seeing alot of.  Slacks are slimmer, with cuffs, double breasted jackets are trending, and the window pane pattern on suits is replacing the traditional pen stripe. Also, two must haves are the khaki dress shirt, good with jeans or dress slacks/suits and a denim shirt.   Horizontal stripes are everywhere, cable knit sweaters, turtle necks are back, and layering is where it’s at!

Take a look and see what you think!

Double breasted jackets are back. Image: DKNY

Horizontal stripes on everything from polos to sweaters and sweat jackets. Image: Perry Ellis

Cable knit or patterned sweaters, and neutral tones such as camel are all part of the fall lineup. Image: Perry Ellis

Not your grandpa's plaid - bright and bold is where it's at!

Layers...shirts, vests, jackets, turtlenecks all work together.

Much like Boy/Girl Scouts, the Indian Guides and Princesses program encourages fathers and their children (ages 6 – 12) to spend time together, and to serve each other, their family, tribe and community, and to seek a world pleasing to the eye of the Great Spirit.  We participate in many activities, such as picnics, campouts, hikes, field trips, and work on various projects together.

Indian Guides was founded for fathers and sons, in 1926 by Harold Keltner, a YMCA Director in St. Louis, William H. Kefelfinger, Chief of the first tribe, and Joe Friday, Harold’s fishing and hunting guide.  Joe was an Ojibway Indian, and Harold was inspired through his wisdom, to start the Indian Guides program.  This program was based on strong American Indian family values of life-dignity, patience, endurance, spirituality, felling for the earth, and concern for family.  In 1954, Indian Princesses was established, for fathers and their daughters.

Both Indian Guides and Indian Princesses are sponsored by YMCA’s across the country.  If you have children, I strongly encourage you to check into this program, and enjoy some quality time with your kids!

We all have a great time as a family participating in the activities, and I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things with the beginning of this school year.

What’s hot for girls this Fall:

1. Hot colors this fall are reds, persimmon, bronze, copper, gray to name a few
2. Retro prints from the 60’s and 70’s – bright colors and cool prints.  Remember the big flowers and geometric prints?  They’re back!
3. Animal prints – always popular, and great for accessories, shoes and tops
4. Dots – large or small, on tops, leggings and tights!
5. Plaid – not your grandpa’s plaid, but bold, bright plaids – large or small
6. Layers – Tunic tops with T’s and a belt…great!  Vests, jackets, and scarves are in
7. Skinny jeans and jeggings are in, but give them a twist and select bright colors instead of just denim for the Fall!
8. Wide leg pants with heels – for you teens and older girls
9. Denim skirts – long ones and short ones
10. Jeans are always in…but not dark…go for the faded/distressed look

What’s hot for guys this Fall:

1. Denim shirts – layered over a T
2. Layers are in for guys too – Button downs over a T is an easy option
3. Jeans – go for the faded/distressed look, don’t go for the dark indigo this year
4. Screen print T’s are always cool
5. Plaid – large or small plaids, bright and bold

One area I left out of this article is coats and sweaters….it’s just too hot to think about that right now, but I’ll give you the fashion 411 on that later in the season!

Happy Back To School shopping!

If you are guilty of any of the above, take a quick look at this video from Esquire Magazine and follow these quick and easy tips to keep your shoes looking shiny and new.

I’ve been asked several times how to keep an iron clean, and free from dirt or starch build-up.  Below are a few tips to help you clean that iron and keep it in tip-top shape!

1. If you use a steam iron, NEVER use water from the tap.  ALWAYS use distilled water, as this will eliminate mineral build up on the face of the iron.
2. After each use, let the iron cool down and empty any remaining water in the reservoir tank
3. To clean the iron, mix a paste of 2 tablespoons of baking soda with 1 tablespoon of water.  Using a soft cloth or paper towel, spread the past all over the face of the iron.  Let it sit just a few minutes.
4. Remove the paste with a soft damp cloth
5. To remove dirt and starch build-up from steam holes, dampen a Q-tip with distilled water, and clean each steam hole
6. Fill the water reservoir about 1/2 full, and turn on your iron.  Allow it plenty of time to heat up
7. Iron over a soft dish cloth or hand towel, using steam periodically to clean out the steam holes thoroughly.  Do this for about 5 minutes
8. Allow the iron to cool and empty any remaining water
9. Wipe down the face of the iron after completely cooled, with a soft damp cloth

Taking just a few minutes to clean your iron and care for it properly will help keep it in great operating shape and eliminate any unfortunate staining from dirt or mineral deposits.

When it comes to ironing, people take one of three approaches:

1. Some of you will go ahead and take everything to the dry cleaner because you either don’t have time or don’t know how to iron clothes properly. 
2. Some of you will skip the ironing of clothes completely.  You think that a few wrinkles won’t matter, and you just go for it!  But when you step out of the house, your clothes are screaming “Hey, guess what – I skipped the ironing…wrinkles rock!”
3. Then there are some of you who are the do-it-your-selfers…you jump in there and iron your clothes and save yourself the money it would have cost to take it to the cleaners.  That’s great; however, make sure you know the proper way to iron, so that when you step out of the house, your clothes don’t say “Hey, I ironed this shirt myself!”

For all of you do-it-your-selfers, I’d like to share this entertaining, yet informative video with you so that you can learn how to iron a shirt like a pro.

Enjoy!

Aren’t you glad you don’t have to scrub your clothes on a rock or washboard, or run them through a wringer?  It seems nowadays, the biggest dilemma is what type of washing machine to buy…a top load or front load machine.  They aren’t really that different…they both get the job done, but I’ve listed a few facts you might find helpful when selecting your next washing machine.

Front loading machines:  Front loaders are typically more expensive than top load machines.  However, they are more energy and water efficient, using 24 gallons of water for one large load of clothes.

Some models of front load machines also come with a “steam” cycle.  This is a great cycle to use if you have clothes with tough stains.  Pre-treat the stain, and then wash according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Several of the reviews I have seen say this is a great thing to have with kids around; who are “stain makers”!

The biggest drawback that I have seen regarding front loading machines is the development of mold and mildew.  Click here to view a video that gives great tips on preventing this problem.

Top loading machines:  Top loaders are still great washing machines; they are less expensive than the top load machines; however, they are less water and energy efficient.  That’s not to say that they are NOT energy or water efficient, just less so.  A top loading machine uses 40 gallons of water to wash one large load of clothes.

Top loading machines don’t seem to have near the problem of mold and mildew as the front loading machines.  To clean your top loading machine, you can run the machine full of hot water, and then add 4 cups of distilled white vinegar and ½ cup of baking soda.  Allow the machine to run for about 5 minutes, then turn it off and let the water stand in the machine for about 1 hour.  Then resume the cycle and let it run its normal cycle.  This should remove any dirt or mildew smell.  Once it is finished, you might want to take a damp cloth and wipe down the inside of the machine.

If you want to find out what machines are best, click here and read a consumer report that compares several washing machines and gives their ratings.

Then if you still can’t decide, bring your laundry to Koalaty Cleaners, where we will fluff and fold it for you to your specifications!

By taking just a little bit of time to get your closet cleaned out and organized, you’ll be able to save yourself time and money!  How will this save you money?   Because you’ll be able to find those clothes, shoes, ties or scarves you’re looking for instead of giving up and buying new ones!

Why is your closet cluttered?  Probably because you have clothes in there that are either too large or too small and you’re holding on to them “just in case” you might be able to wear them again someday.  Also, take a look at your shoes…seriously, how many of those shoes do you continue to wear?  Chances are, not all of them!  If you have clothes or shoes that are more than 2 years old and you haven’t worn them, you need to get rid of them…they are already out of style!  And if you don’t get rid of them now, you’ll have to keep them another 18 years until they come back in style.  Who’s got that much closet space?

It’s time to get tough!  Let’s get that closet organized and save yourself time, money and headaches!  Here are a few tips to getting it together!

1. Get several large trash bags or boxes to use for items you are going to donate or throw out
2. Take everything out of the closet and make piles; shoes, clothes, purses, belts, etc.
3. Take a serious look at your shoes.  If you honestly haven’t worn them in 2 years and they are in good shape, put them in the donation box.  A great way to store your shoes is either in a clear shoe box, or on a shoe rack; no more lost shoes!
4. Take a look at each piece of clothing.  Is it in good shape, do you currently wear it.  If you do, place it in the keep pile.  If you run across things you can still wear, but need repairs, put those in a separate pile.
5. Once you have evaluated every item and placed it in its proper pile, clear the deck…take the donation items and place them in the garage.  Take the items you are throwing out, and put them out for the garbage collection.
6. Now, take a good look at the things you are keeping.  Hang like items together in the closet making it easy to find things…jeans together, slacks together, shirts, blouses, skirts, etc.
7. Use good quality hangers designed for specific items of clothing.  The wrong hanger can ruin your clothing. (See previous blog “Just Hanging Around”)
8. A great way to keep up with your accessories is to use a hanger for ties, belts and scarves, or also store those in clear plastic boxes.
9. Purses – The 2 year rule applies there too.  If you’re not carrying those purses, get rid of them.  Protect your purses by storing them in cotton storage bags or clear plastic boxes.
10. Store your off season clothing in another closet, or separate section until needed.

Does your closet look like this?

Wouldn’t it be great if it looked like this? Customize your closet like this one by California Closets.

Once you get your closet organized, the only thing you’ll be looking for is your car keys……

Basic wire hangers have a temporary use, and that is to get your clothes home from the store or dry cleaners.  After that, you don’t want to leave them on those hangers very long as they will cause your garments to “crease” on the shoulders and collars of shirts, and at the knees on slacks.  As soon as you get your clothes home from the dry cleaners, you should remove them from the plastic bag, and hang your clothes on better hangers.

The Container Store is a great source for hangers of all types.  They carry everything from light weight plastic hangers to heavy duty wooden hangers.  Once you’ve made the initial investment, these hangers will last forever and will protect your clothing and keep it looking great!  Below are some of my favorites:

These hardwood hangers are great for blouses, shirts, slacks and skirts. If you are limited on space you can double up items on the second and third hangers, using them for a shirt/blouse AND slacks or skirts.

These “break resistant” plastic hangers are great as well. You can use the notched hanger to hold tank tops or items of clothing with thin straps.

Padded hangers are great for sweaters, shawl collars and jackets.

These heavy duty plastic hangers are great for jeans. You can also hang belts on the hook. Plastic hangers come in various sizes and are great for your kids’ clothing!

Do you ever have a hard time keeping up with your belts? This hanger will help you keep those items in one place.

Keep your scarves tangle and wrinkle free with this terrific hanger.

Cedar hangers are a great way to store your clothing in its “off season”…they keep your clothing in great shape and repel moths!

What do you do with those wire hangers?  Koalaty Cleaners and most dry cleaners will take them back and recycle them.