How to Care For Your Vikki Vi Clothes

We keep hearing from customers who are still wearing Vikki Vi pieces from the 90s. Which is 20+ years ago even though it seems like last week. Yet they don't look out of style because classics look good no matter what the latest trends are. But how on earth do people keep their clothes in wearable shape for decades?

It starts with the fabric. We use a variety of fabrics - always check the product name to see which one you're looking at. The Classic material (aka Slinky, aka Classic, aka Silky Classic) we use to make Vikki Vi clothing is something really special. It's made from acetate with just a hint of spandex. That acetate is what makes our clothes last so very long. It won't pill or sag no matter how much you wash it. That keeps Vikki Vi clothes from looking old and tired. 

But acetate isn't like other fabrics and so it needs to be treated a little differently.

What is acetate, anyway?

It's made from wood pulp. No, seriously. The wood pulp undergoes some chemical processes and is then extruded into fibers that are woven or knit into fabric.

What about the other fabrics?

For the most part, they're knit fabrics, so they need to be stored the same way as Classic Slinky. 

How should I store my Vikki Vi clothes?

Not on a hanger. Not even a velvet one. Knit fabric stretches. That's just what knits do. Plus, our Classic fabric is heavier than other materials. The weight makes it drape over your body like a dream. The weight also pulls it down so it gets longer.

The best way to store Vikki Vi clothing is to roll it up like you do when packing luggage. That will keep it from wrinkling. Keep the rolls in a drawer or in the closet in a hanging organizer.

We do make some pieces from woven fabric, and those can be hung up in the closet. If you gently tug on the material and it doesn't move at all, that's woven. You can also find out if a piece is woven or knit in the product description.

How should I wash my Vikki Vi clothes?

Just throw those babies in the washing machine on the gentle cycle. But keep them out of the dryer. (I put them in mesh bags so that it's easy to pick out everything that shouldn't go in the dryer.) Ideally, you'll lay each piece flat on a towel to dry. If you don't have the space for that, hang them over a hanger - draped over the bar, not hung by the shoulders. That will minimize the stretching. Just be sure to roll them up as soon as they dry. You can speed up the drying by putting them in the dryer on fluff (no heat) for 15 minutes before laying them flat.

Heat melts spandex, so resist the temptation to toss something in the dryer to dry it in a hurry. This applies to all of your clothing that has spandex in it.

Do not dry clean your Vikki Vi clothes. Just don't. Dry cleaning chemicals will make the fabric stiff and smelly. Save your money. Machine washing will get them cleaner.

This material snags more easily than other fabrics. Be careful around cats, dogs, wood furniture, etc. That may mean changing when you get home from work even though our stuff is super comfortable.

Oil stains can be death for acetate. It's just the nature of the beast. You can get other stains out of it without much problem, and actually you will be able to get oil out too. The problem is that most things that will take oil out of the fabric may also take dye with it. Be careful around salad dressing and other oily or greasy foods. An apron is your friend.

(I experimented with removing oil from fabric swatches, and some products removed the oil but not the dye. Your actual clothes are exposed to perfume, deodorant, lotion, etc. which can affect the results. But if you get some oil on your classics, trying to remove the stain may be preferable to not being able to wear the clothes anymore anyway. )

Hairspray can discolor the fabric, so adjust your morning routine accordingly.

This material isn't meant to be worn oversized. Order the size that matches your measurements. The fabric will grow a little over time, so going big now will mean going way too big later. For pants, stick with your hip measurements instead of your waist because the elastic waistband will stretch over time.

If you take your Vikki Vi clothes to be altered, make sure the tailor uses a stretch stitch. Ideally, you want someone who has worked with this material before. The industry name is "slinky", which we don't use for obvious reasons. But you want a seamstress who knows what that is. Save time by calling around first.

Easy enough for ya?

You do have to take care of our clothes just a little differently than other fabrics. But it's still not that hard to do. And it's way easier than running to the dry cleaner every week.

Check out our other posts about caring for your Vikki Vi.