Care instructions | Les Petites Ambitieuses

Here are our pieces of advice on how you can care for your clothes and make them last longer. Because when you like your clothes, you want to wear them all the time and proper care can definitely help you do so.

Washing

How do I wash woolen clothes?

Wool is a beautiful natural fabric. They are highly breathable, ecological and keep you warm. But like all natural materials, they require attention and special care.

FLANNEL DRESSES, PANTS AND SKIRTS

The wool flannel we use contains a little polyester. Therefore, it’s very unlikely that the clothes shrink. However, when washing them, always prefer a gentle wash, at 30 degrees at most.

Avoid using bleaching products as it might cause the color of your clothes to fade.

Hand washing is, by far, preferable. However, if you wash your garment in a machine, we advise you to protect it in a pillowcase or net to extend its lifetime.

Finally, we recommend choosing a liquid detergent and preferably, one that is suitable for wool. Avoid powder detergents that would help felting or pilling wool.

THE 100% WOOL COAT

Our Passion coat is a coat made of 100% French wool. The wool comes from sheeps that were born and raised in France and is completely natural. We do not use chemical dye. The color of this wool is thus obtained through weaving.

We advise you to give your coat to a dry cleaning services at the beginning or the end of the cold season.

Be careful when choosing your dry cleaner: some companies use solvents that can damage your clothes. Prefer dry cleaners that claim to be ecological or those who do the cleaning with water only.

How to wash my polyester clothes?

Polyester is a synthetic fiber that has the advantage of not wrinkling or fading. It is also a material that allows us to create fluid and flexible designs such as the Artemis dress or the Audacia top. You can machine wash your polyester clothes at 30 degrees. Ideally, try protecting them in a net or pillowcase. However, hand washing remains the best method to extend the life of the garment and preserve the beautiful finishes of the pieces. Last precaution to take: do not use bleach if you want to keep the intensity and beauty of the colors.

How can I protect my clothes in my washing machine?

The washing machine is a real time saver, and when you have busy schedules, you can hardly do without.

However, it is essential to know that the washing machine can actually damage your clothes if you select the wrong mode, wash at too high a temperature, or spin too hard.

Also, here are some tips to preserve and make your wardrobe last if you do a machine wash.

Wash clothes of the same colors together

First, try washing clothes of the same material and color together. Indeed, if you clean jeans with a chiffon dress, for example, the denim rubbing on the muslin may spoil the dress. Besides, some materials may also fade during a first wash. Washing clothes of the same color together helps to limit this risk.

Use washing protective nets

Then, if you have clothes that you care about, we recommend that you wash them either in pillowcases or in wash nets. There are all kinds of wash nets these days, of many sizes and with very affordable prices. They will reduce the friction between clothes and preserve them a little longer.

Follow the care instructions written on the labels

Finally, our best tip is to follow the care instructions written on the labels. Brands and manufacturers know better than anyone how their products are going to react after a wash.

If you need help deciphering the labels, do not hesitate to read our guide on the acronyms for clothing.

And if you’d like more tips on how to preserve your clothes when washing in the machine, visit our dedicated article on machine wash.

Drying

Air drying

Drying in the open air is, if you want our opinion, the best method. Here’s how you can proceed.

Dry on hangers

Almost everything can hang from a hanger. We all have hangers in our wardrobes, and it will not warp the clothes. In some cases, it will even save you time. The garments will not take bad wrinkles when drying so you might not feel the need to iron them.

Use Laundry drying racks

Another option is to put your clothes on a laundry drying rack. Try to leave enough space between each garment so that it dries evenly and quickly. When living in an apartment, finding space to put on a clothes rack can be a challenge. However, today there are rather ingenious clothes rack that will allow you to dry your clothes while using a minimum of space. Here are some examples:

Use a clothesline

If you live in a house and have a beautiful garden and there is little pollution around you, you can also use a clothesline or an outdoor clothes rack.

Our grandmothers used it, and it still works today.

Here are some options you can explore:

How to make your clothes last longer?

Ironing

Ironing clothes can remove any bad wrinkles obtained during any washing or drying cycle. Your clothes would like more beautiful, and you will have a more professional and elegant look.

In addition to that, ironing will soften or tighten fibers which will extend the lifetime of your room.

Finally, the heat of the iron helps to eliminate bacteria, parasites, and fungi that may have clung to your clothes.

Use the right clothes hangers

Hangers that are too large can damage and warp your clothes.

The clothes hangers that you can usually find in the market measure on average 40 to 46 cm. But if you are Petite and have narrow shoulders, it is likely that the classic hangers are too big for your sleeve pieces (shirts, blouses, jackets, sweaters or coats).

As a result, your clothes will wear out faster.

If you are Petite, we recommend investing in hangers suitable for Petite clothing, between 35 and 40cm, which will preserve the shape of your clothes.