Breathing Life into Clothes
photo via sidebraids
This weekend, I finally tackled the heap of hand-washing I've been putting off for weeks. Exciting, I know. As is often the case with chores, it's really quite enjoyable once you get started.
Sun poured through the windows, Santal 33 permeated the air in my apartment, Amy Poehler told me I'd be OK. Once I got to ironing and saw the first wave of wrinkles disappear, I remembered this conversation I had with a friend...
We were talking about clothes and the relationship we have with them. We both agreed about the notion of quality over quantity. But with quality comes... dry cleaning! He (this is not a typo. this was a guy talking!) said he actually enjoys ironing. "It's like breathing life back into your clothes", he said.
What a great way to approach laundry. This probably sounds silly, but I feel much more connected to my clothes when I take the time to hand-wash and iron. I appreciate the shape of the collar, that hidden front placket, how the fabric feels. Much better than just tearing the plastic dry cleaning bag, don't you think?
P.S. I can see you rolling your eyes, Vova. :)
Btw - that must also be a cultural thing. My mom was always so meticulous about keeping every item in our wardrobes in tip-top shape (hand washed and ironed) and I never felt sloppy even though my clothes were not the fanciest. I haven't really taken the time to iron most of my clothes properly since I moved out from my parents place - but I've recently started to think about doing it again.
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