This is a guest post from Surf Excel India on some tips regarding the perfect wear for monsoons
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 Washed
There’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 Easily
We’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 Indoors
It’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!
