Preparing your winter wardrobe takes four steps: take everything out of storage and check your clothes, air your wool and knitwear, steam out the creases, and clean and dry the wardrobe before everything goes back in. With a short check at the start of the season, your clothes are fresh, neat and ready to wear again. Below you can read what to look for in each step, and how to stop moths from settling into your wool this winter.
Step 1: take everything out of storage and check it
Empty the boxes, vacuum bags or top shelves and lay everything out on the bed. Look at each piece in daylight. Pay attention to three things in particular: small holes (especially in wool and cashmere, often in places that were folded), discolouration along the fold lines, and a musty smell. Put pieces with holes aside: small holes can often still be darned, but only before they get bigger. If something is clearly too small, too worn or has not been worn for two winters, this is a good moment to decide whether you still want to keep it.
Put what you keep straight into piles by material. This makes the next steps faster, because wool, viscose and trouser fabrics each need slightly different care.
Step 2: air instead of wash
Wool rarely needs a wash after storage. A night on a hanger by an open window, or a few hours outside on a dry, cloudy day, is usually enough to remove the storage smell. Merino wool stays fresh for longer naturally and holds on to odours less quickly, and you notice that right now. An open polo such as the Trenton in black, made of 100% merino wool, is ready for the office again after a night of airing.
Never hang wool in full sun: strong sun can fade colours. And try not to hang heavy knitwear on a narrow hanger for long, because the shoulders will stretch. Airing can also be done lying flat over a drying rack.
Step 3: creases out, without an iron on wool
After months in a box, everything has folds. For knitwear, steaming is the best method. Hold a handheld steamer a few centimetres from the fabric and let the steam do its work, without pressing. No steamer? Hang the piece in the bathroom while you shower. The humid warmth relaxes the fibres, after which you gently pull the garment back into shape.
Trousers with a crease are an exception: these may be ironed on the inside at a low temperature under a damp cloth. Trousers with a soft, brushed inside such as the Frederick in coffee brown should always be ironed with a cloth in between, so the fabric does not become shiny. If in doubt, always check the label first and our care instructions page.
Step 4: clean the wardrobe
Before your winter clothes go back into the wardrobe, empty it completely. Vacuum the corners, the skirting and the seams of the shelves: this is where moth eggs prefer to hide. Wipe the shelves with a slightly damp cloth and leave the wardrobe open for an hour so everything is properly dry. Moisture is just as bad for wool as moths.
Keeping moths out: what works
Clothes moths love darkness, calm and fibres with a little body odour or food residue. That is why the best measures are simple:
- Only store clean clothes. A sweater you have worn once and that still looks fresh attracts moths sooner than you think.
- Use cedar wood or lavender. This does not drive moths away completely, but it makes the wardrobe less attractive. Lightly sand the cedar blocks each season and the scent comes back.
- Keep things moving in the wardrobe. Moths do not like disturbance. A wardrobe you open daily and take pieces from is less interesting than a storage box that stays closed for months.
- Store the most precious pieces separately. Pieces with cashmere, such as the Augusta in cream made of wool and cashmere, are best kept in a cotton cover. Cotton breathes, plastic traps moisture.
- Check halfway through the season. A quick look in December prevents an unpleasant surprise in March.
Hang or fold: what goes where
A simple rule of thumb: what is knitted lies flat; what is woven hangs. Fine-knit polos and sweaters are folded on a shelf, so they do not stretch. Put heavy pieces at the bottom. A fine-knit viscose polo such as the Josephine in black keeps its shape best when folded.
Trousers, blouses and shirts hang. For trousers, use a trouser hanger with clips at the hem or a hanger with a bar, and hang them over the crease. A wool cardigan with a tailored cut, such as the Maximilian cardigan in beige made of 100% wool, hangs on a wide, shaped hanger so the shoulders keep their line. Leave some space between the hangers: clothes pressed together crease and breathe poorly.
Storing your summer wardrobe
What is leaving the wardrobe now deserves the same care. Wash summer clothes before you store them, especially white and light pieces: sweat and deodorant turn yellow in storage. Let everything dry completely, fold it loosely and keep it in a breathable box or cotton bag in a dry place. Attics and cellars are often too damp or too warm.
Ready for the season
After an afternoon of work, you have a wardrobe where you can see at a glance what you have. That is also the moment to see what is missing. If you miss a warm layer for the office or a fine sweater for the weekend, take a calm look around our knitwear for women. With a clear wardrobe you choose more deliberately, and that helps for the rest of the season.
Shop the look
Trenton: open merino wool polo, black
Augusta: open-knit wool and cashmere polo, cream
Maximilian: tailored wool cardigan, beige
Frederick: trousers with brushed inside, coffee brown
Josephine: knitted polo with V-neck, black
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to wash my wool sweaters before I wear them?
Usually not. Wool that was stored clean only needs a night of airing. Wash only if there are stains or if the smell lingers after airing, and then follow the label.
Do vacuum bags help against moths?
They keep moths out as long as the bag stays closed, but wool is pressed together in it for a long time and can hold moisture. For precious knitwear, a breathable cotton cover is a calmer choice.
How do I know if there are moths in my wardrobe?
Look for small, irregular holes, fine grey residue in seams and folds, and small, pale moths that fly away when you open the wardrobe. Then clean the wardrobe thoroughly and check all your wool.
Can I also store knitwear on a hanger?
Preferably not for a longer time. Knitted pieces stretch at the shoulders. If you do want to hang it, fold the piece in half over the bar of a hanger.
