Fashion Emergency Kit
It all started with these shoes. I ordered them online from my go-to brand, in my usual size, for a special holiday event. On the night of the event, I tossed the shoes in the car and put them on when we arrived at the event. After taking a few steps, I realized that they didn’t fit. I had to pinch the tips with my toes to keep them on! OUCH! Okay, so I should have known not to wear new shoes to an event, but did I mention that happened during the (stressful) holidays? Since that night, I’ve been thinking about fashion emergencies and how to be prepared for them. (For the record, stuffing tissues into my shoes did not work.) Do you have a fashion emergency kit? If not, here are some common wardrobe malfunctions and what to have on hand to solve them…
1. I Can’t Feel My Toes…
Have you ever had numb toes from wearing high heels? Heels put pressure on the balls of your feet and pinch your nerves. If you wear heels often, you’re at risk for developing hammertoes, bunions, and ingrown toe-nails. Yuck! Use gel or foam inserts to help cushion your foot. In the case of my blue suede shoes, my feet slid down towards the toe box, squashing my toes and leave a gap behind my Achilles tendon. The next time I wore them, I used foam pads and heel liners to make sure my foot stayed in the correct position.
I’ve heard that taping your third and fourth toes together with medical tape helps alleviate the pressure on the nerve that runs between them. I haven’t tried it, so if you have, let me know what you think!
2. I’m Covered In Hair…
If you have a pet that sheds, you’re probably going to find hair on your clothes. Keep a lint roller in your car or keep some lint-removing sheets in your handbag for a quick clean-up before an important meeting or dinner.
3. Racoon Eyes And Clown Lips…
I try to use natural, organic make-up whenever possible even if that means my eyeliner smudges a little. I keep a stash of Q-tips in my fashion emergency kit to clean up any runaway eyeliner. It works well for lipstick bleeds and smudges too. Dip your Q-tip in your foundation or loose powder to fill in the areas where your foundation has rubbed off.
4. Oops, I’m showing…
Like shoes, cocktail and evening dresses really should be tailored to our individual bodies. With all the subtle differences in our measurements and curves, it’s rare to find something that is a perfect fit. If you find that your v-neck dress is gaping, or straps keep falling off your shoulder, use fashion tape to stick the fabric to your body. If you accidentally step on the hem of your gown, and it starts to come undone, use fashion tape as a
5. The Wrap That Keeps Un-wrapping…
I love wrap dresses but I’m always self-conscious that they’ll un-wrap during the day. I often wear a slip or camisole under my dresses, but sometimes I just don’t want the extra layer. A safety pin pinned from the inside keeps the wrap, wrapped.
6. My Clothes Smell Like Dinner…
Have you ever walked out of a restaurant feeling like you’re taking dinner with you (and I don’t mean in a doggy bag.) Sometimes you can simply air out a scent, but if you’re running from lunch to a meeting, you may want to smell a little more “clean”. I’ve used this Laundress Fabric fresh laundry spray for the past few years. Not only does it add a fresh laundry fragrance, but it also deodorizes unwanted smells.
7. My Heel Just Broke…
If you often wear heels or have a gravel driveway, you may want to keep some heel caps in your kit. For outdoor events, these heel protectors should stop you from sinking into the grass.
8. I’m Hanging By A Thread…
I like to have some nail clippers handy to snip loose threads as well as trim down a broken nail.
9. Make Me Up…
I never seem to have enough time to get dressed up, so I often keep mini make-up in a pouch for touch-ups in the car. Take a look at the Mini/Travel section in Sephora, order online to receive free samples with your purchase, and/or join their Beauty Insiders for mini-gifts. Toss them in a pouch that you can keep in your handbag or grab on your way out. I especially love mini-makeup for formal occasions when my clutch or mini bag is too small for full-sized make-up.
How To Organize Your Fashion Emergency Kit
I keep my fashion emergency items in a basket in my bathroom. In the basket, I’ve organized some of the essentials (safety pins, mini makeup, Q-tips and lint sheets) in a little pouch that fits in my smallest clutch. You may want to keep your fashion emergency kit in a basket near your front door, in a drawer at your office, or in your glove box.
Mini-kits (shoe mitt, sewing kit, mini nail file etc) from hotels and international flights are also good additions to your fashion emergency kit.
What else have you used in a pinch? Feel free to share in the comments below.
Great suggestions! I went to a party at Christmastime and had gotten a new pair of shoes for it. By 2 hours in I was pretty uncomfortable. Other ladies were carrying their shoes by this point. I suffered through it but next time I’m going to have an emergency kit in that cute little beaded black bag! I’ll use this as a guideline for an emergency kit…..sharing!
Thank you, Ruth. Here’s to happier feet!!!
These are great ideas. I love makeup minis, too. You might consider keeping a spare pair of shoes in your car in case you need to do a quick switcheroo.
Thanks, Susan! I had actually worn another pair to my car, but once the event started (dinner, concert, dessert in different locations) it was too late to go back to the car. I learned my lesson though…!