Skirt orientation, dress straps and garment care

[Guest NikkiGirl]

I thought I would make my first post on this site with a few questions:

Question 1:

I am having a problem in determining the proper orientation skirts in general and this is driving me buggers. With some skirts the garment label go to the 'rear center' but some seem to go on the left or right side. Does it zip up in front, back, left,right or in between - I haven't a clue and it is causing me a lot of anxiety. Oh how I wish there was a website that I could use to help me deal with this most annoying issue. With the different styles of skirts available how is it that women just seem to know the proper orientation? I wish to know what they know about this! In the past, I have asked several women about this and their answer was "Well I just know!" Great! and "I just don't know"! Never mind what to do about skirts that have no label at all! Oh the hours I have spent trying to decide label in back or label to the right / left? Sometimes it is obvious but other times I just can't tell, and the reason is I need good comprehensive knowledge about skirts in general. I don't get out much, especially in girl mode, but if I did, I would have bad dreams about people *snickering* behind my back, not because they see a guy wearing a girlie skirtie, instead, it would be something like: "Look at that Lassie over there! The poor Lass got e'r skirt on backwards she does!". This one of those well kept secrets that are passed down from mother to daughter or something? I just don't get it.

Question 2:

Pertaining to dresses and skirts. Some of my dresses have clothing straps or loops on the left and right sides at the shoulders and some skirts in the waist ( some just one, others two ). For the love of GOD could someone please tell me their purpose and how to properly use them, or know when to use them? Sure they are to make the garment fit ones body correctly, but is their use always necessary? Everytime I try to use them I end of ripping them out of the garment by mistake or get them in a hopelessly tight knot and in the case of a dress it appears these straps tie together at the back shoulders, and how O how does one get those straps in a bow tie behind them. My muscles won't let me reach behind like that and I'm simply a dead duck if anyone found out I was wearing girl clothes because I live in a small redneck town in Texas, so it's not that I can go ask someone to tie it for me. Well I'm sure everyone gets the picture. In fact it is a major major issue to have to reach behind and bow tie anything. Sometimes I feel like Daffy Duck wearing a tutu depicting the swan in the ballet Swan Lake. aybe it's just me or something, but I sometimes could swear I was a female in a previous life and was into chic high fashion etc, and when I passed, they all said "Let's punish her by putting her into a ugly mans body, then make em grow up in Judge Roy Bean Texas lynching country wanting to be a girl, keep em dirt poor - only able to afford the occasional $6.99 Goodwill dress but give em a taste for chic Haute Conture high fashion attire! Yeah. Hehehehe that outta do it!"

Question 3:

What to do when a dress, skirt, blouse etc is missing it's care label? I'm not talking about chic Haute Conture fashions here, just everyday casual wear. I am particularly annoyed because I recently bought this really adorably cute dress from Target, wore it a couple of times, but when I decided to to wash it there was no washing instructions on the label. So now I have this cheap but adorable two piece dress and don't have a clue on how I should wash the thing. I do not know if I should just hand wash the liner and the dress itself and let them drip dry, or maybe lay them flat and let them dry. I would hate to wring them to get the water out, so I am tempted to run them through the delicate cycle in my washer. I've never bought a new garment that did not come with care instructions on it's label until now. It's just so creepy the dress came not with care instructions one!

Thanks for reading.

XOXO,

Nikki

[Guest Elizabeth K]

First WELCOME! Grin - ya sure know how to start out with a great set of questions. I have been full time for a while and taking care of my clothes - let me see if I know any answers here:

I am having a problem in determining the proper orientation skirts in general and this is driving me buggers. With some skirts the garment label go to the 'rear center' but some seem to go on the left or right side. Does it zip up in front, back, left,right or in between - I haven't a clue and it is causing me a lot of anxiety.

Usually the tag is at the back - but - like you say - not always. Assume that it is - put the skirt on, then look at the seams on the sides, and the pleats if there are any. A skirt is almost always worn symmetrical with those seams - both the right and left sides should be mirror images. The zipper can be anywhere but should center exacxtly on the back, on the hip, or in front center (denim skirts do that front thing sometimes)...

Pertaining to dresses and skirts. Some of my dresses have clothing straps or loops on the left and right sides at the shoulders and some skirts in the waist ( some just one, others two ). For the love of GOD could someone please tell me their purpose and how to properly use them, or know when to use them?

If I understand the description - GRIN! Those are for securing the garment on the hangers. It's a secret women know. These straps usually loop over the hanger hook. They are a royal PAIN and you have to make certain they don't show, but they are best kept attached and used for securing expensive clothing so it doesn't slip down and wrinkle, or completely slips off the hanger. If there is only one - the other got lost.

What to do when a dress, skirt, blouse etc is missing it's care label?

Ah - experience. Eventually you learn how a garment will PROBABLY react when washed. A secret or two might help here. If in doubt? Turn it inside out, wash it in cold water.and in the gentle cycle - using a 'sweater grade' soap powder. Do not fully tumble dry, low heat, just enough until it is just damp. Hanger dry right side out on the shower rod above the tub.

I hope this helps.

Lizzy

[Guest BeckyTG]

Hi and Welcome,

Most skirts have a slit, or vent, in the bottom and that generally goes right straight in the back. As Lizzie said, look at the seams and any decoration and it should be uniform on each side.

Those little straps are to keep the garment hanging straight on a hanger and to keep it from slipping off. They are generally found on sleeveless or tops with (larger) straps. Some hangers have little slots on top on either side and that's where the little straps go. Generally, the little straps cross to the opposite side, so the one on the left goes on the right side of the hanger.

Becky