Dress For Success: The Payoff

Does the way you dress affect the way you perform at work? It actually plays a bigger role than you might think.

Everyone has that “lucky shirt” to wear to an interview that makes you stand taller, appear confident and (hopefully) get the job. Why not apply that feeling to everyday life? Wearing nice clothes in a work environment affects how confident you feel, how others can perceive you and your ability to think abstractly.

If those attributes don’t peak your attention, maybe money will. A 2014 study at Yale put men in sweatpants and plastic sandals, neutral business casual attire, and suits, and asked them to buy and sell in mock negotiations. Those dressed poorly earned the least of the theoretical profit and those dressed in suits earned the most. While you wouldn’t wear sweatpants to work, unless you’re a personal trainer, the extra money you spend in nicer clothes for work could come back ten-fold.

There’s a psychological effect to what you choose to wear every day. Just like putting on sneakers puts your mind in a mood to exercise, putting on a suit and tie will thrust you into work mode and give you the push to perform your best. You’re able to think more creatively and see the big picture and be less likely to “sweat the small stuff.”

Even the meaning or brand behind the clothes you wear can impact how you hold yourself. Northwestern did a study on the power of a lab coat. Not only did wearing a lab coat affect how others perceived the wearer but the person wearing the lab coat had increased attention and higher performance. But, when the study gave participants the same coat but said it was a “painter’s coat” there was no positive effect. That could explain why people will pay the extra money for name-brand items over generic; it really does make a difference.

Taking care of nicer clothes does require more care, but as we’ve seen above, it also pays off.  St Croix Cleaners is an eco-friendly dry cleaner, which means it’s gentler on your clothes and also makes them feel as good as they look. With extra touches like repairing buttons at no charge, stain removal and quality inspection before your clothes go home, let St Croix Cleaners be a part of your success when you dress the best!

The History and Style of Golf Fashion

Have you ever wondered why golfers dress the way they do? What makes each golfers look stand out from the rest? Let’s dive into the fashion of the past and some of the crazy styles currently!

In the early 19th and 20th centuries golfers would wear knickers or short pants that ended below the knee and heavy tweed jackets. Their ensembles would also include starch shirts, neckties and matching tweed caps. Golf wear was meant to show authority and wealth, and the more formal the outfit the more money you had. Sometimes these jackets were brightly colored to warn passersby of flying golf balls. As the years went on the tweed jacket switched to a cotton single-breasted jacket because of the heat, and the knickers moved on to flannel trousers. They were often white or gray since men usually went golfing after a day at the office. Around the 1930s, Neckties were no longer worn. By the 1940s the heat was becoming unbearable and the styles of today’s golf wear were introduced. Men wore short-sleeved knitted shirts and lightweight slacks similar to today’s age.

Women’s fashion back in the day was the opposite of light and comfortable. Women in the 19th and 20th century were not allowed to play golf as a competitive sport but only as a leisure activity. Victorian golf dresses included crinolines, bustles, and multiple petticoats not to mention heels. With all those layers it was not easy to get a swing in! It wasn’t until the 1920s that woman could have fewer layers while golfing. They were allowed to wear a single layer skirt cut below the knee and stocking with a suit style jacket. Golf shoes for women were still not invented, and in many photographs, they were still shown wearing heels. 1933, was the first time women were seen wearing trousers on the course. It was considered incredibly scandalous and didn’t become common dress until the 1960s.

In today’s age, most golf courses require men to wear a collared shirt, and women must wear a similar style, but they are not required to have a collar. Pants should long and made out of a cotton or polyester or shorts with a pleated or flat front. Traditional workout clothes are not permitted on most golf courses for both men and woman. Footwear is an essential part of the game; the shoes should have spikes on the sole. Many courses require a soft spike made out of plastic or rubber to not damage the course. Hats are not required, but are worn by most golfers to protect them from the sun! Baseball caps and visors are the most popular on the course, but there are no formal rules on golf headwear.

Now a day’s golf fashion is trendier than ever! With major fashion houses designing stylish options, and companies like Loud Mouth Golf making funky alternatives to the traditional look, you can style your look on the course in some many different ways! Regardless of what you wear on the course let us take care of the cleaning afterward!

What’s up with Dryer Sheets?

Dryer Sheets: How they’re Made and Why we use them.

You use them every wash cycle, but do you really know why? Are dryer sheets doing anything to your clothes or just a force of habit? Let St Croix Cleaners break it down from the beginning.

Dryer Sheers were invented in the late 1960s, by Conrad Gaiser and his wife Audrey.  They lived on the top floor of an apartment duplex with the laundry all the way on the ground floor.  Audrey would have to run at the last minute to get the fabric softener in the load before it dried completely! Conrad, who worked in the cleaning industry for quite some time wanted to make things easier on his wife.  He applied fabric softer to sheet fabric and named his creation the Tumble Puff.  (Source: C&EN)  He sold his invention to Proctor & Gamble in 1969 and after a few changes, it became known as the Bounce dryer sheet we see in stores today!

Now, what are they really doing to your clothing?  For the most part, dryer sheets reduce static electricity in clothes.  When two materials rub together like a sweater & a top they can build up an electrical charge.  This can cause the loss of electrons from one fabric to another.  With too few electrons the items get a positive charge, and with too many, the garment gets a negative charge.  As the saying goes  “Opposites Attract”, two garments stick together ie. Static Cling.  Dryer Sheets prevent this process from happening by balancing the electrons with positive ions.  They also reduce the soap residue that may be left on the garments from washing.  When soap residue is left on the garments, soap eventually breaks down the fibers, giving your clothes a shorter lifespan.

How are dryer sheets made? They start off as a non-woven polyester material coated with a softening agent and fragrance.  There is very little difference between brands, usually only the surfactant that is used is different.  A surfactant is a compound of fatty acids that contains a positive charge.  (Source: ACS) Some dryer sheets may also contain a calcium clay, this just protects your clothing from getting any stains from the fabric softener on the dryer sheet if it releases the surfactant to early!

If you don’t want to use a dryer sheet, the best way to reduce the electricity is take your clothes out of the dryer before they dry completely.  Water is an excellent conductor so it gets rid of the charge before it can build up.  There are also lots of recipes online for homemade dryer sheets that are a bit softer on your clothes and the environment for those not wanting to use the store bought dryer sheet.

Whether you use a dryer sheet for just the laundry, for everything from the kitchen sink, or not at all, the dryer sheet has a long and interesting history! The laundry world is always coming up with new things, we can’t wait to see where the future of dryer sheets will take us!

116 Year Old Heirloom Restored

Customer Heather MacLeod remembers seeing this dress for the first time when she was just a little girl. Pulling it from its box, she was immediately attached to its history and sentimental value to her family.  It’s typical for garments over 100 years old to be in less than ideal storage conditions, which can sometimes make cleaning/restoring much more difficult. This heirloom, dating back to 1899 was clearly in more favorable storage conditions making it easier to restore. The before and after pictures speak for themselves:

What is the background story of the woman in the dress? Mary Ella McIntosh grew up in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. On December 27, 1899 at age 27, she married British-born James Paris Scott (age 33). They settled in James’ home in Massachusetts, and later had one child – a daughter, Elaine, born in August 1914.

When was the first time you saw the dress? I remember my grandmother – Mary Ella’s daughter, Elaine – showing me the dress when I was a young child; I was probably about six years old the first time I saw it. After that, she was willing to show it to me any time I asked (at least a few times a year). When she passed away in 1992, the dress was passed to me.

Why did you decide to get your great grandmothers wedding attire cleaned? The dress had been in the attic for many years, and fortunately remained in very good condition. But I realized that a dress that was 116 years old needed proper cleaning and packaging in order to prevent degradation.

Why did you bring your great grandmothers wedding attire to a member of the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists? It was important to find someone who could be trusted to clean an antique dress without doing any damage. Treasured Garment Restoration did a fantastic job of cleaning the dress, and packing it appropriately so that it will last for many years to come.

Duane, the Treasured Garment Specialist who worked on this dress, says “With older dresses that have oxidized so much over time, it’s sometimes a mystery what color the dress truly was, but with this dress we were able to really brighten it up and restore it. [You can see that this dress was constructed using 2 very different fabrics—1) cotton linen, which restored all the way back to its original color, and 2) silk (the trim) which will brighten a bit, but usually will not restore completely back to its original color.) ] Since this dress is over 100 years old we had to be careful to make sure we didn’t distort any of the fibers in the process. We carefully test all fabrics to make sure we’re using the right process with them. This is especially important to ensure the longevity of the dress for years to come.”

It’s truly an honor for our team at Treasured Garment Restoration to restore garments such as this dress.
We find joy in taking items that mean so much to our customers and restoring them to their original beauty. Our goal is to preserve garments so they last for years to come and can be passed down for generations.

If you have a wedding dress or other vintage garment you’d like us to take a look at– contact us!

Laundry Detergent 101

So what’s exactly in the laundry detergent you use at home?
Do you know that producers of detergents aren’t required to list exact ingredients?!
Clothes were not designed to be washed in perfumes or colored detergents.
We’ve had customers bring in garments that have literally been dyed from the coloring
some laundry detergent products use. 

We like to play it safe here at St Croix Cleaners and only use eco–friendly cleaning solvents
and soaps.When you receive your garments back you won’t smell any fruity fragrance
or nasty chemical smell. There should only be a fresh clean scent.

All of our soaps used in our laundry and wet-cleaning processes are scent
and color free, leaving your clothes softer to the touch. For at home use
we suggest using non-fragrance, color free detergents too!
Most of your favorite brands will carry some version of this.