13 fashion hacks to keep you stylish

1. Tape your toes together

Let's be honest, heels are never going to be 100 per cent pain-free, but there is a trick that can get you at least a few more hours wear out of them before they become totally unbearable. Taping together your third and fourth toes with medical or masking tape is said to alleviate that searing pain that develops in the ball of your foot. The theory behind it is that there's a nerve that splits between the two toes that cause pain when pressure is put upon it, and keeping them together removes the strain on the nerve. Marie Helvin swears by it. Of course, you could just wear flats...

2. Shave your woollens

Your favourite wool jumper/coat/trousers can be ruined by unsightly bobbles (called 'pilling') that form in areas of friction (like down the sides, where your arms rub), but fixing the problem is satisfyingly easy. Though you can buy fancy contraptions manufactured specifically for de-pilling, all it really requires is a razor, the type you use to shave your legs. Simply gently run the razor over the bobbling to literally shave it off.

3. Varnish your costume jewellery

Don't you hate it when your gold-coloured costume jewellery turns silver after just a few weeks of wear? One way to stop just that happening is to apply a thin layer of a clear acrylic coating to it. You'll find something suitable - like this - in spray can format at your local hobby or DIY store. Another option is painting over a layer of clear nail varnish.

4. Use rubber bands to organise your wardrobe

Silky items, spaghetti straps or those with a wide neckline often slip off plastic and wooden coat hangers. Wrapping a rubber band around each end provides grip for silky items and stops straps slipping off.

5. Treat your cashmere like a baby

Washing cashmere can be a nightmare, especially when you think you need to invest in an expensive cashmere-specific detergent to do so. But you don't; baby shampoo will do the job just as well. It's really mild (see the famous "no more tears" tag-line) so great for washing delicates. Just make sure you use luke warm water - click here for more details on caring for your cashmere.

long bridesmaid dresses

6. Take wrinkled clothes into the shower

Whether you're short on time, don't have an iron to hand (as is often the case in hotels) or simply really bad when it comes to ironing, there's an easy tip to remember. Hanging a creased garment in the bathroom while you shower can work wonders as the steam generated by the hot water works out creases.

7. Out of blister plasters? Reach for deodorant

One savvy way of combating blisters caused by shoes is to swipe a stick deodorant over the area where you know they will rub. It acts as a barrier between your skin and the offending shoe.

8. Make hairspray your friend

Honestly, it's multi-talented. Spritzing your tights with it will make them much less likely to ladder as the fibres become better bonded together. It can also solve sticky static clothing, just spray on the affected areas - after all, it combats just that on hair.

9. Powder your suede

There's little more frustrating than a greasy stain on suede, whether it's a bag, jacket or shoe, which can be caused by anything from food to beauty products. But don't panic, a quick fix is down the baby care aisle in your local pharmacy or the bakery aisle in the supermarket. Sprinkling baby powder or bicarbonate of soda on the stain and letting it sit overnight should lift the grease. If it doesn't shift completely first time, try again until it's no longer visible. But, as always, prevention is the best cure; we recommend you spritz any suede items when you first get them with Liquiproof, which forms an invisible barrier that makes water and oil unable to touch the fibres of the fabric.

10. Freeze your fluff, and your denim

It's amazing what the humble freezer can do for your wardrobe. Got an angora sweater that won't stop shedding? Pop it in a ziplock bag and then into the freezer for a few hours. The extreme temperature settles the hair so further shedding should be significantly reduced. The freezer is also a friend to your denim. We all know we should wash our jeans as little as possible (in fact many denim afficionados say we should never wash them) so it can be annoying when your favourite pair become permeated by a smell - be it food or cigarette smoke etc - but aren't dirty enough the qualify for 'time to wash' status. A simple way to shift the pong is to pop your jeans into the freezer overnight.

11. Stretch out your shoes

Bought new shoes that are a touch too small? If so, there are a couple of tricks you can try. First, try popping on some thick socks then squeezing into the too-small shoes. Then, fire up a hairdryer and aim it at the tight spots while flexing your foot - the heat and movement should stretch out the shoe. Keep your be-socked feet in until the shoes cool down. Alternatively, you could turn to the faithful freezer again - pop a ziplock bag of water inside the shoe and pop in the freezer, as the water freezes and expands it will stretch the shoes.

12. Use a pencil to unstick your zip

Zipper stuck? Grab a sharp pencil and run it over the problem area. The thin coating of graphite it will leave behind acts as a smoothing agent and should get the zip moving again, mess-free.

13. Care for your patents with Vaseline

Scuffed patent leather is never a good thing, but it's easily fixed. All it requires is some Vaseline and a cotton bud or cloth - simply buff the petroleum jelly over the mark and watch it disappear.

kissy teal bridesmaid dresses