It’s cold. It’s dark. It’s winter. And if you had a choice, you’d definitely live 24/7 in fleece pyjamas, getting warm in bed by the glow of your laptop. But if you absolutely must venture outside, the last thing you want is a wardrobe malfunction involving snow-soaked feet or ripped tights that let the chill in – so we’ve come up with a few ways to save yourself from a winter-induced sartorial nightmare.
My boots are soaked from rain and/or snow
Stuff them full of crumpled newspaper as soon as you've taken them off. This will help absorb any wetness and maintain its shape. If the outsides are soaking wet, you can wrap layers of newspaper around the shoe and secure them with some rubber bands (like this). You might have to replace the newspaper a few times. Avoid drying shoes too near the radiator because the direct heat will warp the material.
**I’ve got super-flat hat hair **
Stash a travel size bottle of dry shampoo in your handbag. Flip your hair upside down and spray it in your roots to lift your squashed hat hair before spraying it all over and combing out. Bonus: this also means you get to be lazy and wash your hair less.
My jumpers are pilly
Ugh, the dreaded knitwear fuzz. Pills form when yarn fibres break away and create pesky fuzz balls on the surface of your jumper. Grab a spare disposable razor, lie your garment on a flat surface, then pull it taut and gently shave the pilling off.
If you don’t have a spare razor, you can also substitute with the finer side of a nail file. Basically, you’re looking for some kind mild abrasive action to remove the fluff. If you have an extra fiver, this pilling comb from The White Company also works great. And resist the urge to yank out the pills by hand – you might just make things worse.
I tuck my jeans into my boots but they keep bunching up
If you’ve succumbed to the knee-high boot trend, you’ll be familiar with the dreaded problem of jean creep. You know, when you constantly need to readjust the baggy jeans fabric around your knees. You could wear knee-high socks over your skinnies, but where’s the fun in that?
Mitten clips (like this pair) are used to attach gloves to coat sleeves so kids don’t lose them. Clip them to the jeans cuffs like this and you have an instant fix to bunched-up knees.
My tights keep ripping
The last thing you want is a rip when you’ve spent major ££ on a luxe pair of winter tights. Sounds crazy, but you can ladder-proof your hosiery by putting them in the fridge. Just wet them gently, squeeze out the excess water and then freeze them in a plastic bag overnight. Defrost them the next morning (and wait until they’re totally dried out before wearing, duh). I have no idea why it works, but it does.
What are these weird white stains on my boots?
You might find white stain lines on your shoes after clomping through snow – this is from the salt used to treat pavements in icy weather. Mix one part white vinegar with one part water and gently apply it to the stain with a soft cloth. Repeat until the stain is gone, and then dab the damp patch dry.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.