It’s that time of year once more, when we can’t step foot outside of our homes without getting caught in the heavy rains; and while most of us are concerned with weather-proofing our homes, battening down the hatches, and memorising the bus timetable so we don’t have to walk to work, we’re forgetting one very important thing: to plan our outfits for the wet weather.
What should we be wearing during the monsoon? Well, the obvious answer is something waterproof – keep your leather jackets and your suede shoes in the cupboards for now! However, we should also be basing our fashion choices on how easy they are to wash. After all, we often find ourselves doing double the amount of washing during monsoon season, as our clothes get saturated in muddy water, dirt, and grime. While we can rely on the washing care and detergent labels to help us deal with muddy clothing – with plenty of laundry tips and clothing repair advice available online to interpret them – we can reduce the workload with a bit of monsoon-wise dressing. So, fortunately, doing the monsoon laundry today isn’t quite the nightmarish chore it once was!
Here are some things to consider when dressing on a damp and drizzly morning:
● Wear Clothes That Can Be Machine WashedThere’s nothing quite like a heavy downpour to drain our energy and make us even less inclined than usual to spend hours scrubbing clothes over the tub, so it’s worth choosing clothes that you can easily pop into the washing machine without much of a second thought. Believe it or not, this won’t limit your fashion choices as much as you might think. Today’s newer washing machines often have “Hand wash” settings, which can wash everything from lacy delicates right through to fleecy woollens without damaging or shrinking the fabric. Check the care labels on your clothing to check if they can be machine washed, and at what temperatures.
● Wear Clothes That Won’t Stain EasilyWe’ve all been there – that dreaded moment when a car drives past and splashes you with muddy water, right from head to toe. Luckily, a good detergent will remove mud in a jiffy – so if we’re on our way home there’s no issue. If, however, we’re on our way to work, those muddy stains could prove problematic. During the rainy season, consider keeping dark garments handy: they’ll hide any mud stains until you have the chance to do the laundry, and no one will ever know. Besides, we can always do with yet another excuse to buy a new little black dress!
● Wear Clothes That Can Be Dried IndoorsIt’s not surprising that some of us opt not to use tumble dryers to get our clothes dry after a wash. While today’s dryers are much more environmentally friendly than they used to be, they still use more energy than drying outdoors naturally. However, outdoor drying really isn’t an option at this time of year, so try to wear clothes that can be tumble dried – materials that won’t shrink or become damaged by high heats. The care labels on your clothing will tell you if something can be tumble dried or not. Tumble-drying is actually very convenient, and you can typically get two full loads dry within just one hour! If you don’t have a dryer, however, opt for wearing layers of thin clothing rather than thick fabrics. These will hang-dry indoors much more quickly, and will drip less.
Be Prepared!
We’re often told to be prepared for the monsoon – to watch the weather forecasts, to stock up on bottled water, and to keep a first aid kit handy – but we’re never told to prepare our wardrobes. While having the right sort of clothes to hand may not be a matter of life and death, if we’ve absolutely got to head out in dark, dreary weather, we may as well look good!
