Solo Mother

Do you have a professional wardrobe, oh single working mom?

by christina on January 16th, 2007

6AM, the alarm goes off. I pry one eye open and groan. Five hours’ sleep is never enough, but there’s never enough time to get everything done! I grumble. I kvetch. I might even curse — but I get up. It’s showtime, and this one hour is all mine.

Coffee is the first order of the day, followed closely by something that smells good and makes me feel even better (think Lush, Body Shop, L’Occitane). That combo usually gets my eyes open, finally. I stand in front of my closet and that’s where the morning begins to fall apart. What is all this stuff, and why don’t I have anything to wear?

I’ve begun to shop (I use that word euphemistically, because my shopping consists of picking up clothes other wonderful women have given to me, and sorting through what fits and what looks good, then passing on the rest to someone else who needs clothes, too) the way I used to travel: simple. My closet is gravitating back to black and white, with a smattering of colors to keep things interesting. My fall and winter color this year was brown, and in the summertime I move to orange and purple. Just not at the same time. But for the most part, I’ve got beautiful, well-tailored white blouses and simple black trousers and skirts. Or the reverse in the summertime. Hey, it works. Better still, it makes doing laundry simple, and makes getting dressed in the morning a no-brainer.

When you’ve got lunch to pack, kids to bathe, dinner on the stove, the newspapers piling up, tomorrow’s report half-finished on your laptop, and munchkins clamoring for storytime, who really has the time to thoughtfully ponder tomorrow’s ensemble.

Keep a basic sewing kit handy and go over your clothes once a month ago. Loose buttons, hooks, snaps can be easily repaired before they fall off and are lost for good, though I do cannibalize old, ratty shirts for their buttons and keep a supply of replacements on hand. Put all the extra buttons that come with new clothes in a single place (sewing kit would be the ideal spot) so you don’t have to scramble. Keep an eye out for fraying cuffs and collars — did you know, you can turn your cuffs and collars and have a whole new shirt? Turning is just what it sounds like. If ever I find my old Simplicity sewing guide from the 70’s that my grandmother gave me, I’ll post a tutorial, but most dry cleaners that do alterations can turn the cuffs and collars. Alternatively, you can use the old cuffs and collar to pattern new ones from a contrasting fabric. It’s certainly worth saving a favorite shirt for a few more years of wear.

Many garments that are labled ‘Dry Clean’ can be hand washed, if there is no lining inside. ‘Dry Clean Only’ usually means what it says. Washing sweaters by hand is easier than it might seem, if you have a pile of towels. Wool sweaters benefit from a lanolin soap that keeps them soft and protects the fibre’s natural warmth and water-wicking properties. Always wash sweaters in cold water, and by hand. Unless you have a top of the line, European machine, even the gentlest of settings will do damage to a sweater. Do not wring, but gently squeeze the water out. Lay the sweater flat on a towel and roll it up like a sleeping bag, then stomp on it gently to press more water out. If you have a flat drying rack, you can easily lay out the sweater — never hang a sweater! If not, lay a few towels out in an out-of-the-way place and lay the sweater flat. You can use pins to stretch the sweater out a bit, and pin it down to the drying rack.

Hang up your clothes at the end of the day. It’s one less thing to do, keeps your rooms neat, and saves wear and tear on your outfits. I’ve never been satisfied with those dry clean in a box kits, and will spend the extra money to go to the cleaner’s.

When you’re shopping, avoid the impulse buy. Just because something’s on sale doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily wear it. If you are looking for business attire, wear hose and heels to try clothes on. Wear some of the clothes you’re trying to match, especially blacks. You’ll have a lovely wardrobe in no time!

What are your dress for success secrets?

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