Ever been derailed by a fashion emergency or wardrobe malfunction at the most inopportune time?
I have and it’s a cringe-worthy experience. It even happened to me again this week when someone pointed out that the hanger strap of my top was peeping out of my neckline.
Perfect I thought! Inspiration from above to create a Style Clinic feature about fashion emergencies and what you need to tackle them head-on when they happen. I’m creating two this weekend, one for my car and another for the office.
I’ve covered the most common wardrobe malfunctions which can be managed if we have the right tools handy. An emergency fashion kit would make a great gift for the person who has everything.
If you know of any I’ve left our please add them in the comments below.
Snagged
You’ve worn your beautiful fine wool sweater or linen pants for the first time and snagged it against a rough wall or caught it on something sharp. The result is an ugly thread hanging unceremoniously for all to see.
This is a quick and easy fix for this emergency if you have a Snag needle handy. I’ve had one of these in my bathroom draw for years and it’s going straight into my kit.
Creeping Hems and Clingy Clothes
This is one of my all-time irritations. You leave the house looking great and by the time you arrive to the destination your outfit is full of static and creeping up and clinging to you like ivy. There are two solutions for this one; either use Statique Spray or hand cream.
Statique spray can be sprayed up under your dress or you can rub some hand cream over your hands and then rub it into your legs and or bare stomach. Both work a treat. Oh, and the most convenient hand cream will be a travel size sample you get from airlines or hotels.
Caught Underfoot
You’ve checked your outfit in the full-length mirror before you left home and given it the ‘A’ OK, in fact you think your pant outfit is pretty darn good and your new slingback sandals are cute as hell. The day ahead looks bright until, something feels a little weird underfoot and you discover the hem of your pant is stuck under your foot. You pull it out, but it just keeps reoccurring. The day ahead is ruined with you forever being distracted by how you look and pulling your pant hem out of your show.
Google this issue and you’ll find thousands of people chatting about it but few good solutions. I also couldn’t find any good explanation to why it happens just lots of conjecture. I did however, find Slingbackers and they look promising. They come in black and clear. I’m ordering a pair today.
Loopy Lou
Your big presentation is just about to start. You’re standing behind your host while he introduces in you. Your clients and colleagues are sitting there looking at you expectantly. Some are smiling, and others are looking a little weird, is that a smirk or maybe amusement? Is something wrong? You try to check yourself without looking to obvious – no, nothing you can see so you carry on.
Later the problem is revealed and worse still it’s in all the photos. Your hanger strap was hanging out of your dress armhole for all the world to see.
This one is easy to solve. You can cut if off but that may cause a problem when you hang the outfit if it has an usual neckline. The best strategy is to pin the loop down, inside your dress with a tiny gold safety pin.
Peek-a-Boo
If you’ve been blessed with ample breasts I’m sure they’re admired by many. But your girls may sometimes have an uncanny ability to make themselves seen at inopportune times, such as when bending over, peaking out between blouse button holes or escaping when you’re braless in a knock’em dead dress,
These issues all have a quick fix-it.
To cover your cleavage, you can use items like mock camisoles available from amazon and eBay in many colors and styles. For blouses which gape you can use Hollywood tape or breast buttons. And Hollywood tape can also be used to prevent nipple escapes when going braless in low cut necklines.
Twist and Shout
Some straight skirts have an uncanny ability to twist around your body as you walk and if you’ve had the experienced it can definitely make you want to shout in frustration. Searching Google, I can’t find a clear answer for why this happens, but most believe it’s either carrying a bag at your side and/or a poor fitting waistband.
If you find this happening grab a medium sized safety pin or two and pin your skirt waistband on the inside to your knickers. It works like a dream.
Tatts be Gone
You’re out and suddenly must meet someone who won’t approve of your visible tattoo. No problem, Wundercover will hide your tattoo in seconds. Emergency avoided!
Whoops a Daisy
That darn bra strap keeps falling down your upper arm; it’s annoying and unsightly. There can be a few causes: your straps are too long and need shortening, the elasticity has gone, and you need to replace the bra, or your shoulders are very slopped.
In the first case simple stop by the ladies’ powder room and shorten the strap. For the other two again stop by the powder room and swap the straps so they lay diagonal over your back. This will instantly stop the problem – no tools required.
Earring Droop and Lost Lugs
Our face is the central focus of our daily communication and as such our messages should come in clear and free from distraction. A missing earring or one that is hanging limply from your ear and looking as though it may fall out can have people concentrating more on what’s going on with your earring that what you’re saying.
Heavy earrings with tiny backs can cause earrings to drop on the ear rather than sit up in the correct position. Replacing a small clip with one with a large back will instantly improve your look and have the focus firmly back on your message.
Dribble Draws
There’s a reason why royalty won’t eat certain foods in public and most of us will have been recipients of the results of food stains on our clothes. Not only is it an embarrassment at the time; we also risky a permanent stain the longer we leave it untreated. For this reason, an emergency kit should have a small pack of baby wipes. You can go the more expensive stain removal pads, but baby wipes are usually just as good and cheaper, I always carry a pack in my handbag.
You Pointing at Me?
It was warm when you left, and you have a light bra on, but the weather turned chilly and now your chest is the center of attention. Or, maybe like Miranda you though nothing could happen to expose your breasts? Consider yourself forewarned.
Nipple shields to the rescue, pop these little treasures on and your head lights will be turn off and any embarrassment from mishaps will be minimized.
Dam that Desk
The underside of desks and cane chairs are among the worst offenders but there are many treacherous hazards in your day waiting to tear or ladder your hosiery. With a goal to get you at the worst possible time it’s best you’re ready with a spare pair of hose if the damage is visible and some clear nail polish to stop a ladder that’s above your hemline.
Blistering Hell
No kit is complete without sticking plaster for when the rub starts and blister pads for when a blister appears. Wearing new heels for the first time? Pop one in your bag – just in case. I always have these on hand when I go on vacation. My husband and I love to find trails and walk for hours on end and blisters can appear when you least expect them.
My Aching Feet
Last on my list is a pair of foldable flat slip-ons. There’s probably not a woman alive who has not hobbled home on feet screaming in agony. I’ve even resorted once to walking bare feet when I’d parked my car ten blocks away after entering the wrong inner-city carpark. Thankfully it was very late and those who spotted me were too drunk on alcohol or love to care.
Foldable footwear can be purchased online through many retailers.
The Complete Kit
The kit contains the following:
- Snag needle - $5
- Statique spray or travel size tube of hand cream – $11
- Slingbackers - $10
- Safety pins (supermarket) -.20
- Hollywood tape - $8
- Mock camisoles - $4
- Blouse button pins - $17
- Wundercover shields - $26
- Large earring backs - $2.50
- Baby wipes (supermarket) – $2.50
- Nipple covers - $6
- Spare hosiery (Department store) – Approx $15
- Clear nail varnish (supermarket) – Approx $5
- Blister pads – $9
- Foldable flats - $15
Well, that’s about it.
I’m certain you’ll not want every item on the list and there’ll be other items you’ll think of and I’m looking forward to hearing about them. Oh and, please include a link as well for us.
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Thank you.
Ann Reinten AICI CIP
Author
Thank you Anne loved your meticulous research and thoughts. Especially the fold up flats!!
Great article. I keep handy a roll of masking tape to secure a hem that has come down. Clear packing tape is also good but more difficult to handle. Either are less obvious than a safety pin.
Great idea – thanks Catherine.
We learned about Compeed on one of our walking trips to the UK. Since then, my husband has become its unofficial ambassador in Canada, telling everyone who’ll listen that it saved his feet. It’s not available here so we stock up when we’re in the UK.