Laundry Day

New to the The Laundress blog, is our loyal Laundress fan Eddie Ross. He is a style, food and decorating expert from his stints on Bravo's Top Design and as an editor at House Beautiful and Martha Stewart magazines. This week, he joins our laundry team and be sure to check out his blog at www.eddieross.com.!

xo, Lindsey & Gwen

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Now that spring is finally here, so too is that yearly ritual we’ve all come to know (and dread): spring cleaning! Recently, while lamenting all the laborious chores required to restore our house to its pre-winter splendor, it occurred to me that it wasn’t all that long ago that spring cleaning—indeed all cleaning—was much harder and more time-intensive than it is today. In the old days before washing machines, for instance, we relied strictly on a washboard and Mother Nature to care for our heirloom linens—lemon juice or chlorophyll to remove stains, sunlight to whiten them. Fortunately for all of us these days, simple, time-saving solutions abound, including one of my all-time personal favorites from our friends over at The Laundress.

When it comes to reviving and caring for the antique and vintage linens I’ve collected over the years, The Laundress is my most trusted source. Co-founded by my friend Lindsey Wieber Boyd and her business partner Gwen Whiting, The Laundress is an eco-chic line of specialty detergent and fabric care that takes the chore out of doing laundry. Long frustrated by dingy white t-shirts, ruined items from the dry cleaners and chemically treated cashmere, Lindsey and Gwen developed their own solutions to simplify and master the fine art of laundry. The result is a simple, sophisticated collection of everything you could ever need to care for every kind of fabric you’ll ever come across.

If you’ve ever put off cleaning your great-grandmother’s chenille bedspread because you weren’t sure how to safely do so, then my favorite product from The Laundress will help you do the trick. The All-Purpose Bleach Alternative is non-toxic, allergen-free, and doesn’t rely on any of the harsh chlorines that most detergents do. That means it’s gentle enough to safely brighten colorful vintage linens like the green and white ones here—as well as all those beautifully embroidered hemstitch napkins you’ve been too afraid to use until now!

And to wash and revive light linens like the ones I used for this outdoor tabletop, I love the Whites Detergent, which keeps even the most delicate fabrics looking as good as new. So why not go ahead and dig out the damask tablecloth and hand-pulled linens you’ve been saving for some special occasions? Thanks to The Laundress, you can now actually enjoy them year-round!

Not only do I no longer worry about ruining the linens I own, but I almost never pass up the chance to buy others just because they have a stain or two. I recently came across this antique linen table runner for only $8 at a flea market. Though sullied in a couple of places, the overall quality was outstanding, and I knew that with the help of The Laundress, I’d be able to restore it to its original condition. And sure enough, after cleaning it gently with the All-Purpose Bleach Alternative and drying it in the sun for a couple of hours, my old, vintage runner was as good as new!

Now that you’re getting used to the idea of using your favorite vintage linens day in and day out—thanks to the wonders of The Laundress collection—why not go ahead and put together a complimentary mix of them in the powder room? Antique hand towels are not only a wonderful luxury for your guests, but using and reusing them is a great green alternative to disposable paper napkins. I love layering lots of white ones, all with unique edges, embroideries, and hemstitches. It'ss the perfect blend of elegance and interest.

Even the most treasured of family heirlooms—the christening gowns and baby clothes that have been passed down for generations—can be trusted to the care of The Laundress line. Lovingly restore the ones you have, then seek out vintage ones at flea markets and antique malls. The frocks of yesteryear are far sweeter than anything you’ll find new today, and you can buy with confidence knowing how easy it is to restore the garments to their original beauty.

So the next time you encounter a hodgepodge box like this one, take a minute before dismissing it as a lost cause.

Chances are you’ll no longer have to pass on buying beautiful vintage linens because you’re unsure of how to care for them. As long as you unfold them completely and inspect them carefully—remember that creases are a prime spot for dry rot, which usually leads to unsalvageable tears and rips—you’ll most likely come away with linens to last you a lifetime.

Q & A

Lindsey interviews Stacy Van Praagh, President of Fendi North America

Q: Just getting back from Milan-what are the Spring/Summer Trends for 2010 must haves?
A: Lingerie - inspired collections, pastel colors, lucite heels and bags.

Q: After working with you in Chanel Ready-to-Wear and knowing you for almost 8 years…you have an eye for textures and fabrics. What are your Favorite Fabrics to wear?
A: Knits, Knits, Knits and leather. I love knits that are soft merinos, cashmere, and cashmere/silk. I love these fabrics for dresses as well as jacket like cardigans also leather jackets, skirts and leggings.

Q: What is your favorite Laundress product?
A: Le Labo Rose Laundry Detergent. When my baby was an infant/toddler, I loved the baby spray and detergent. Also I am dying to try laundress home cleaning products.

Q: What do you think every woman must have in their wardrobe?
A: A FENDI Peek a boo, an Oscar de la Renta swing dress, a Kate Spade straw clutch and a Chanel necklace.

Q: 3 things you can’t live without?
A:
1. Le Labo Bergamote 22 fragrance
2. Cashmere/silk scarves from L 'Eclaireur in Paris
3. 2 pairs of sunglasses

Q: Accessories-we all love them and can’t live without….I know you have mounds and mounds of fabulous jewelry, handbags, belts etc…any tips for woman wanting to accessorize and invest in a few keys pieces?
A:
-Multiples of the same bracelet (2-3) paired with many other odd bracelets
-Buy a thick belt in patent or cork and wear over knits, dresses, coats, or jackets
-A great neutral day clutch
-Large scarves – they look chic and keep you warm

Q: During your travels for work, what are you favorite stores you think everyone should see, aside from the Fendi Boutiques? (of course)
A: L 'Eclaireur in Paris, Dover Street Market in London, Duane Reade-all locations

Guest Blogger - Fabrice from Le Labo

We're happy to introduce Fabrice from the fragrance house Le Labo as our second guest blogger.

Most of you by now that we teamed up with Le Labo Fragrances to create our Rose 31 Signature Detergent:

If you haven't tried it yet, we promise you won't be disappointed - it smells amazing!

Here we are with Fabrice at our launch party:

We love how you can create a made-to-order fragrance just for you or you can buy one of their amazing signature scents like Rose 31!

Visit their store at 233 Elizabeth Street in NYC or order online here for more.

Smell my detergent...

I was excited when Gwen and Lindsey came to us last year to explore the idea of perfuming their detergent.

We are always interested by getting out of the traditional "spray" gesture to use perfumes...perfuming a detergent was a stretch we were excited to try.

After the first formulation and our own experimentation with the Signature/Rose 31, the results we so stunning that we were afraid our clients would stop buying our perfumes and only take showers with the Laundress detergent to perfume themselves...

And that's exactly what happened !

No, not really... but the success of the product, in difficult economic times, still surprised us and we learned a lot from this experience. Mainly that people respond very well to creativity, especially when they need to be more careful: they are willing to buy less, but to buy better...
And they also value these special initiatives that the "big brands" can't propose to them because if they are not too big to fail like some, they are often too big to be creative...

Like Le Labo, The Laundress has decided to be great instead of big...

That's why the sweet smell of their success is even more agreeable to our nostrils !

Keep on washing girls !!!

Guest Blogger - Julie Naylon

We're so excited to feature our first guest blogger - Julie Naylon of No Wire Hangers. Clearly, we're big fans of hers as we've shared some of her tips with you before.

Be sure to follow her blog for more eco-conscience postings and get organizing! ;-)

xo, Gwen & Lindsey

GREEN OUT YOUR CLOSET
Steps to Green Clean and Organize Your Closet by Julie Naylon of No Wire Hangers

Fall is in the air and there is no better time then now to revamp your closet. Whether you live in New York or Los Angeles a change of seasons means a rotation in the closet. The truth is that we only wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time. The rest hangs there taking up valuable space and clogging up your closet. Here are some steps to help you get organized greenly.

1. Sort and Categorize - Take everything out and sort clothes according to type. Sweaters, jeans, short sleeve and so on. Also while you are at it if you have any wire hangers jabbing at you pull those out and recycle them.

2. Wear it or Share It - Once everything is separated its time to purge. Start with one category at a time. I highly recommend you try everything on. Clothes hang completely different on you than on the hanger. Look for anything that needs mending or items that could be altered. And don’t forget your shoes! See if they could use a shine and check the soles for wear. Everything in your closet should be ready to be worn so make sure everything is clean.

3. Align and Redesign - Now its time to reassemble your closet. Look for what I call prime real estate, the easiest and most accessible sections of your closet. This area should contain the items that you wear the most. Everything else should fall into place according to what works for you. You can hang clothes by type or by color. The most important thing is to make it work for you. That way it will be easier for you to keep it organized.

Once your clothes are put away all that’s left is your unwanted clothes. If you need the cash you could sell them or just make a donation for a tax write off. Here are some options for you but its best to see what’s available in your area by doing a quick internet search for resale clothing. Or check out http://www.earth911.org/ for where to donate.

To Sell:
Buffalo Exchange http://www.buffaloexchange.com/
Cross Roads Trading http://www.crossroadstrading.com/

To Donate:
Dress For Success http://www.dressforsuccess.org/
The Glass Slipper Project http://www.glassslipperproject.org/
Good Will http://www.goodwill.org/ or The Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/