The Occasional Woman — Out Damned Spot!
Hellooo, Poppets! And I hope we are all eagerly awaiting the fizzy rush of dinners, holiday parties and other opportunities to Get Fabulous! Putting on that zingy red dress, or a beautiful gold gown, or hey—maybe the Dreaded Black Dress, but accessorized with lots of flash.
Be prepared if this happens to you.
But while you are at these blingy events, You may find yourself adorned. . ..with food and/or beverage spills! Don’t panic—there is help. I have done some investigating and have come up with ways to deal with this, both preventative and after the fact.
1. Don’t get seriously drunk, especially in velvet or silk; a little zippy or mildly rosy isn’t bad, but unless you have an endless money stream or a closet filled with fabulous clothes, and the means to replace wrecked duds with other raiment, stay away from getting seriously sloshed. Not only is it HELL for your complexion, reputation and driving record, it can ruin a great outfit.
2. If you are the one throwing the shindig, keep an emergency little kit of stain-fighters—club soda, white vinegar, dishwashing liquid, baking soda, salt, and tears. and a clean cloth, such as a wash cloth or cute dish towel. Paper towels, too.
Herein follows a short primer on stain removal!
Velvet: if you get anything spilled on velvet, use ONLY a clean cloth or paper towel to wet with water and blot the stain, after you have knocked the crud off of the surface of the garment. Don’t RUB the affected area, just gently blot it, to neutralize the proteins and tannins on the fabric. Next morning—RUSH it to your favorite dry-cleaners, as they will know what to do to save the outfit. Much the same goes for silk—just try to prep it with gentle blotting, and a small amount of water or club soda.
Red wine spills require rinsing with club soda, blotting and remorse.
If you spill a Bloody Mary, some Italian meatballs or barbecue on your clothes, unless silk or velvet, after blotting with water, you can use a wee spot of dish soap on a towel to begin diluting the offense—but, why would you be chowing down on pasta sauce while you’re wearing velvet?
Mustard, coffee and tea spills can be attacked with the blotting of water, and then the application of some diluted white vinegar.
I hope we ALL have a great time during the upcoming festivities, and hope none of us wind up with stained clothes, remorse or waking up in the back of an unfamiliar car, with our pantyhose on our heads.
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Category: Transgender How To
About the Author (Author Profile)
I am a native Californian who has been based in the Philadelphia area since 1984. My first CD fashion creation was a gold lamé dress for the now esteemed editor of this publication. Since then I have made tons of fabulous frocks and other fashion apparel for the crossdressing and transgender community. Contact me for custom clothing or alterations via email: [email protected] Visit my Facebook page, @alterationsbylorraineSubscribe
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