Advice about making clothes last and looking more professional

[KeepingGoingOneDayAtATime]

Hi,

I wondered if I could ask for some advice about making my clothes last and looking smarter?

I wear very practical things because I am a carer for a SEND child and SAHM, and really the most important thing is that I can get everything done fast enough, and that my clothes are easy to wash. I have sensory sensitivities and only wear navy blue or black and only skin-tight clothes.

I'm, brunette, tall and slim, and nearly 50 years old (5'10" and size 14 in Next). Feminine things make me look like a man. I've started wearing men's clothes because the contrast of the masculine cut makes me look definitely feminine.

I have been wearing these polo shirts from M&S and they look lovely new, but they don't last. The collars go funny and don't sit right, and ironing them doesn't really help that much.

https://tinyurl.com/2tesrxpw

I just wondered if you might know what to do to make them last better, or if there is some other similar thing that I could wear? I need something that is navy blue and simple and doesn't flap about. It needs to machine wash at 40C with bio persil, about a million times in its lifetime. It also must tumble dry.

Along with these tops, I also wear black demin stretch leggings from next (14 tall), and under the t-shirt I wear a long sleeved grey thermal top, either a scoop neck or a polo neck. I thought it might look stylish, but I think it probably just looks like I have a thermal top on with the arms showing.

I think I look a bit too much like I was designed to be boil washed and to be disposable, and would like to look a bit sharper.

I don't have much scope for looking much nicer because I have to work really hard to care for a SEND child, but my child now has an EHCP and is home schooled, so I would like to look a bit less like a damp rag for when I meet professionals who work with us.

I wondered if you might have any ideas? I could happily shift up to looking like the human version of a black panther or the milktray man, or James Bond, if that was an option.

I tried the navy blue rugby top which is the long sleeved version of the polo shirt, but it is too hot.

I have a navy blue acrylic polo neck jumper for winter, which looks nice. I also have an amazing long coat like this one, but in black, which turns heads in the street, but maybe a bit too much.

https://tinyurl.com/yt35srru

When I go out in winter I wear hiking overtrousers, which look fine, and often a regatta navy blue jacket, which is also nice.

Any advice would be very gratefully received.

Thanks!

I know you have a child with SEND so that is a factor but I wonder could you quick wash your clothes in a cool wash (or some of them)
that is what I tend to do with Woolite for darks

Thanks for replying. How cool and how short would you suggest? I do 40C for 1:10 at the moment. It's the short version of the easy care wash.

My other options are the wool wash which is 30 minutes and the 20 minute short wash.

I think it might be the tumble dryer that is the problem too though. I can't get round that.

Tumble drying can make clothes, especially coloured ones, wear out faster. You could try turning the clothes inside out and maybe doing up any buttons before you wash and dry them. Even being able to get them almost dry on a clothes horse then just finishing them off on a low heat tumble would be better but understand that might not be an option.

If you have a delay start on your washing machine you could set it to do a longer cold wash (20 degrees) and the clothes take less of a pounding, it
costs less too. You could set it so the cycle is finished when you get up.

For collars you could try some spray starch then iron.

Style wise, a blazer type jacket could add a bit of style to your leggings.

@PortiaWithNoBreaks Where would I find a blazer like that? It sounds nice.

I do the overnight wash already so I will try doing it cooler. The tukble dryer thing - I just don't have time. I'm home schooling 8 GCSEs and dealing with multiple food intolerance and severe anxiety in my DC and I also have complex food intolerance. It's like running a restaurant and school and a laundry at the same time. It's bonkers. I barely have time to sleep.

I wonder a bit if there is a poly/cotton version of the polo neck that would be a bit more bomb-proof.

Also I think my thermal top looks a bit naff, but I'm not sure what to do about that, as I'd freee without it.

Maybe have a look at Next or M & S? Or a browse on Vinted. If you have a kind of ‘uniform’ that you wear, what about making sure you have more than one of each? Like 3 of each or something, by having more you’ll extend the life.

Uniqlo have a good range of long sleeved cotton t shirts. If you like close fitting, they also do a range called Heattech, it has a variety of styles of tops that are really fine. They last well and are well made. You could use these under other garments and you wouldn’t have to wash the outer garments so frequently.

You'd look smarter immediately if you ditched the polo and just wore the black denim leggings and a black long sleeve roll/scoop neck top (thermal or not, M&S do nice thermal ones).

I find Persil Bio hard on clothes, especially dark colours.

Persil Non-Bio or Woolite is more gentle.

Dr Beckmann do a product that darkens black clothes. Haven't tried it but their products tend to do as promised.

Dr Beckman Stain Remover, bottle with brush, is excellent and gentle.

Agree re starch. Spray on inside of T-shirts etc, gives a nice finish.

Use any colour specific laundry detergent.

Could you just hang up your tops and tumble dry the rest? I tumble dry everything but not my tops. You could get a few of the over radiator racks just for the few items.

Heat pump tumble dryer is kinder if you are currently using a condenser
waitrose do a liquid for denim and darks that’s quite good

I'd look at a different brand of polo shirts TBH.

This may sound weird but have you tried workwear shops? Work polos are often made to be fairly robustly handled/industrially washed and can withstand a lot.

Thanks so much for your help.

Is there a roll neck long sleeved t shirt that I could wear over the thermal one instead of my polo shirt? That might be good. It would need to be a men's one to be long enough. Women's tops don't reach the waist band of my trousers.

Do you think this is nice? This man seems to be wearing a twin set from the 1950s, but also being a bloke, which is basically where I sit in the spectrum of human life.

https://www.marksandspencer.com/pure-supima-cotton-long-sleeve-t-shirt/p/clp60701304?color=STONE

I definitely seem to be tarket market for the androgenous men section of M&S. It's quite strange. :-)

I really am not sure that will wash/tumble well - I mean it’ll be fine but won’t stay looking sharp for long.

I recommended workwear because DP has work polo shirts that stay in really good nick despite being absolutely hammered on a daily basis. They do keep their colour and collar shape well. Not cotton though - but 100% cotton is always going to fade and look worn when repeatedly washed and tumble dried IME.

I’ve pretty much stopped using the tumble dryer for clothes with the exception of OHs and the DCs underwear, socks, plain t shirts and PJs. I find everything else get ruined. Other than that it only gets used for towels and bedding.

Polo shirts especially turn up at the collars.

I don’t think it’s anything you are doing with these polo shirts. My DH bought three and they were rags after a couple of washes. Faded, stretched out in the wrong places, collars wrecked. And I really baby our clothes so they were washed inside out, gentle washed at 30, low spin and hung to dry.

@AtomicBlondeRose do you have any particular places that you recommend for workwear?

The black version of this seems to match your “uniform”. It is good to layer over thermals but being cotton would probably fade after repeated washings/tumble dryings, though it won’t bobble. It is more practical than smart however.

https://rapanuiclothing.com/products/mens-waffle-knit-jumper?variant=46147691872470

Would this be nice? It's for women but maybe they make longer lengths?

https://workuniformcompany.co.uk/collections/womens-shirts/products/parma-womens-shirt

I hadn't thought about it, but you're right, I do basically wear a unform. I've always liked uniformed roles, now I think about it. I never liked non-uniform days at school because I liked my school uniform. I also always enjoyed my Brownie and Guide uniforms. Maybe I need to stop thinking about women's fashion and Men's fashion, and think more about the different kinds of uniforms that exist in the world. :-) I would enjoy that.

I once saw a fantastic ladies suit made entirely from black corduroy and it looked lovely. I think it was German. I would really enjoy wearing something like that. I could never never wash it though. LOL.

This is what I look like in my washing machine-free universe: www.sumissura.com/en-uk/women/suits/645640-green-corduroy-ankle-pantsuit

This is lovely too, I think, but also probably not washable.

https://www.alanpaine.co.uk/products/surrey-ladies-tweed-blazer-in-bramble-regular-fit

I don’t have any specific recs because DP went to the local embroidery shop and got logos put on t-shirts, but they will only be the standard ones I suppose.

Honestly when I read your post I thought what you really need are scrubs! Don’t k ow if there’s any that pass for “real” clothes but certainly would fit all your other criteria.