Care Guide for High-Quality Clothing

High-quality and handmade clothing should be treated with kindness. You’re investing in a garment because you believe in its beauty and integrity and those are not things to quickly discard. We’re strong advocates of the slow fashion movement, which means making thoughtful decisions about choosing, wearing and caring for your clothes every single day. This may require extra steps, but the slight delay will be more than worth it in the long run.

To keep your Florencia Dávalos clothing looking beautiful for years to come, we’ve compiled this laundry list of care tips. It’s simple and easy to follow while making an impact on the lifespan of your clothing.

1. Always Follow the Care Label

Before washing your clothes, check the care tag to see what is recommended. As our collections are handmade with delicate materials, we always recommend to hand-wash them in cold water up 30°C/86°F with similar colors and line dry away from direct sunlight. Putting them in the washing machine or dryer could lead to shrinkage, loss of vibrancy, or the destruction of the garment entirely.

2. Wash Your Clothes Less

Even if you are being very gentle and washing your clothes by hand, the process can still have some damaging long-term effects on the health of the garment. It’s best to try to wear your clothes two to three times before washing them. Of course, if your clothes start to look or feel dirty before then, you'll know it's time to wash.

3. Use an Eco-Friendly Detergent

There are many chemicals in traditional laundry detergents that can have a harmful effect on your clothing and the environment. Instead, try a gentle, eco-friendly detergent. Here’s a list of some popular brands.

4. Wash Clothes Inside-Out

We recommend flipping your garments inside out to gently cleanse them. This reduces any color fading that could occur on the front of the garment.

5. Immediately Remove Stains

If you spill something on your clothing, it’s important to treat it immediately so that the stain doesn’t have time to set in. We recommend using a bit of gentle detergent mixed with cool water and gently dabbing at the stain. You can also use a mixture of lemon juice and water or white vinegar and water to blot onto the stain. Be sure to spot-test an out-of-the-way area first to make sure it doesn’t affect the color of the garment.

6. Repair Your Clothes

If your clothing does experience a tear or the loosening of a hem, don’t throw it away! Instead, either mend it or take it to a tailor to repair the issue.

7. Steam, Don't Iron

Never iron your delicate clothing as this can ruin it. Instead, use a steamer to gently remove wrinkles. You can also hang lightweight clothing next to your shower to allow the steam to naturally relax the wrinkles.

8. Use Quality Hangers

Wire hangers are more than an eyesore – they can get caught on your clothing and tear them. Instead, invest in velvet or wood hangers that will securely hold your clothing and keep them in tip-top shape.

9. Fold Knits & Delicates in a Drawer

Delicate knits, like our kimonos, should be stored in a drawer rather than on a hanger. This is because they can stretch and lose their shape or develop holes in the shoulders from the hanger.

10. Consider Your Closet Space

The best way to store your clothes is away from direct sunlight in a closet with a lot of airflow. If your clothes are tightly packed and stored in a wardrobe or behind a closet door, they are susceptible to mold and mildew. Be sure that your clothes have some space to breathe and that you keep the closet door open from time to time.