20 Tips to Make Your Wardrobe Last

Snags, Bras, Handbags, and Buttons

13. Zip up to avert snags. Your clothing goes into the wash perfectly intact. Later you notice a mysterious pull. “The teeth of zippers (especially those made of metal, as on jeans) or any kind of hook closure is typically the culprit,” says Boorstein. Next time close all zippers and clasps before tossing clothes into the washing machine (or, better yet, the hamper).
 

14. Alternate bras. “Allow a bra to rest for a day in between wearings so the elasticity has a chance to bounce back,” says Susan Nethero, chief fit strategist for Intimacy lingerie boutiques. If you don’t, your bras will wear out faster from being stretched for 14 to 16 hours a day.
 

15. Store handbags on shelves. It may sound counterintuitive, but “hanging a bag by the handles lessens the life span of the bag,” says Chris Moore, owner of Artbag, a New York City handbag boutique and repair shop. Hanging puts stress on the strap seams, and “it can leave unsightly marks on the handles,” says Moore.
 

16. Protect delicate buttons and beading. Ask your dry cleaner to wrap foil or baste fabric over these delicate areas. “Covering embellishments prevents them from falling off or becoming damaged,” says Jerry Pozniak, managing director of Cameo Cleaners of Gramercy Park, in New York City, which cleans the costumes of the Metropolitan Opera. Not all professionals do this automatically, so ask about it up front.