Popped a button? Ripped out a hem? Shoes too tight? You can bet there’s an “As –Seen-On-TV” gadget claiming to come to the rescue of just about any wardrobe malfunction that could come your way. We decided to order a bunch of these products and take them to our textile experts to put them to the test. What an eye-opener! We found that only one of the gadgets worked—StyleSnaps.
The other four—the Buttoneer, the Stretch Genie, the Easy Fit Buttons & Hooks, and Zip Tips—were major disappointments. To see which ones passed our tests, check out “Fast Clothing Fixes” in the October issue of ShopSmart.
You may also want to stock up on some of these cheap-o low-tech items that can help you out when you’re in a clothing jam. After talking to styling pros who dress models and TV stars for a living, these are the things that really work that they keep in their bag of fix-it tricks.
Wig tape
That’s right—the stuff that holds on toupees and wigs!
Pro trick: It is a super-duper double-sided tape that you can use to tack up a fallen hem, make a a wayward lapel lie flat, and keep belts with excess fabric stay neatly in place.
Hem tape
Pro trick: Ripped hem? For a more permanent fix without using a needle and thread, use this stuff. It’s great for covering more surface area, as when you pull out your whole hem.
Safety pins
Pro trick: You can use them to pin up a hem, close a blouse gap, and even hold a button in place until you can sew it on. The tricky part with safety pins is concealing them. Keep a few sizes on hand so you can match the pin to the job.
Needle and thread
Pro trick: Put two pieces of thread through the needle at once, and you’ll sew on a button twice as fast.
Lint sheets
Pro trick: These work like lint rollers, but they’re easier to keep in your purse.
This article appeared in the October 2013 issue of ShopSmart magazine.
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