Despite what beauty people might claim, a fashion girl's best accessory might be a hair tie. You know, the little black elastic that hangs out on your wrist or stuffed into your purse somewhere. Most times, your hair tie is just waiting for that sunny day or intense workout when it can step in and save the back of your neck. But that's not all it can do!
An elastic loop can be just as useful as a safety pin, needle and thread, or — hell, we're going there — even a tailor on demand when it comes to avoiding fashion faux pas (because what 20-something really goes to the tailor consistently?). It could save your outfit, especially if you're dealing with oversized shirts, broken zippers, and dangerously breezy tops.
Need proof? Ahead, we've rounded up five major clothing hacks that every 20-something needs to keep lookin' sharp — for when your on-trend, off-the-shoulder top is just a little too off the shoulder for comfort, for example. All you'll need is your trusty hair tie (and maybe two minutes locked in the bathroom). Who knows? Those old broken jeans you just can't throw away might be put back in rotation.
Extend A Waistband
This hair-tie hack is the oldest trick in the pregnancy book, but anyone dealing with a too-tight waistband will benefit. The catch? The waistband must fasten with a button. Loop a hair tie through the buttonhole, and use the rubber band to secure the button instead. Voilà, an extra centimetre (or five). This works best on bottoms you don't plan to tuck anything into.
Keep Droopy Sleeves In Place
Spaghetti-sauce sleeves might be the street-style look du jour, but when it comes to oversized sweaters, too-long sleeves might be a bit much. For a quick fix, grab a couple loose ribbon hair ties and place them over the wristbands of your sweater. Roll up your sleeves and pull down the extra fabric to cover those hair ties. You'll be able to get through the day without constantly pushing them up — we promise.
Keep A Zipper Up
There are plenty of tricks in the book that can help with a loose zipper (safety pins, key rings), but the easiest method might be the hair-tie trick. Loop a thin elastic through the small pull, zip up, and wrap the hair tie around your button to keep it in place (skip ahead to 3:06 in the video for visuals).
Keep Clothes On Your Hanger
Slick tank tops might feel nice, but they wreak havoc in your closet when they slip off your perfectly organised hangers. This video might use pipe cleaners to stop shirts and dresses from falling off your hangers, but trust us, hair ties work just as well.
Keep Your Off-The-Shoulder Tops In Place
This season's hottest trend can also be the most frustrating, especially if you plan on busting some moves on the dance floor. Find two safety pins and fasten loose elastic ties on the inside of the shirt in order to keep everything perfectly horizontal. Avoid too-short elastics if you want to prevent the safety pins from accidentally coming undone and poking you.
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