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17 Things To Spiff Up All Your Fall And Winter Pieces That Still Fit But Look A Little Rough
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BuzzFeed and our publishing partners may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. Read More That overcoat has seen several chilly seasons but it doesn’t have to look it. As a Deputy Editorial Director for BuzzFeed’s shopping team, I love to get into the weeds of why a product’s worth the money by deep diving into customer reviews, and product-testing as much as possible. It's that time of the year to dust off your riding boots, dig out your gloves, and probably dry clean your favorite coat (though I recommend doing that at the end of the season). But your seasonal stuff may be looking a little worse for wear. It's time for a little upkeep (but not difficult upkeep). I rounded up several little helpers, including a fabric shaver that TRANSFORMED my extremely fuzzy overcoat that didn't start out the way, some leather conditioner I swear by, and lots of other products that'll keep your stuff in fighting shape for this fall and winter. This was an impromptu purchase once I realized just how bad my circa-2018 Asos midi coat was looking. It was SERIOUSLY fuzzy, and I'd been walking around in it, not even realizing it. How embarrassing for me! So I took this fabric shaver to it while I finally watched Lost about a year ago. It's a little loud, but it did some WORK. Here's a pic of a sleeve where you can see the difference it's making and also a glamour shot of the gobs of lint and fuzz it's removed from the coat. And unlike with other fabric shavers, there's no guessing how much charge the battery has left. This gadget has a little % countdown that's clear to read. My beloved coat looks brand-new and it's still going strong more than a year later since it got a haircut. Get it from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in seven colors). Note that it's best to de-pill a sweater BEFORE you wash it because when cashmere is wet, the fibers detangle. Promising review: "The before after says it all, easy to use, very happy with the results on my big wool sweater. I look forward to trying on other fabrics!" —reader99 It can be used on leather shoes, accessories, interiors, furniture, upholstery, saddles, jackets, and tack. Also, Leather Honey is a small biz! Promising review: "I use this for my everyday boots as well as my dress shoes. I'm not always gentle with my boots and I thought I had ruined them the other day (worn out color, scuffs all over), but I cleaned the muck off, gave them a brushing, then applied this leather honey, and after letting it sit, my boots look almost like the day I bought them! It keeps the leather supple and restores color. You only need to use a small amount per use!" —David Horning Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in three sizes; clip the coupon for this price). Promising review: "Amodex took ink out of my expensive scrubs. A pen leaked in my pocket and made a thick glob of ink stain on the scrub jacket and a little on the pants. After using the Amodex and washing in cold water, there is no evidence of a stain, and the fabric looks exactly how it looked before the stain. There was no damage or discoloration of the fabric. Thank you, Amodex. This product just saved me the $75 that it would have cost to replace the scrubs." —Michelle hammer Promising review: "It feels like carrying a new purse again! Look at that hardware sparkle! I used a cotton swab to clean the hardware and only used a very small amount at a time, so it did not get into the leather." —Curious007 Reviewers say it also worked great on their Louis Vuitton locks and belt buckles. Promising review (for the bag): "I have a few designer bags. I never really thought to use any cleaner to clean it, but the Louis Vuitton seemed dirty looking, so I decided to try this product, and it really amazed me. It exceeded my expectations! Doesn’t have any strong smell and really cleans your leather! Definitely recommend!!" —Mabel & Grayson Promising review (for the jacket): "This weekend, we cleaned five leather jackets that were completely covered with white mold. We used microfiber cloths and sprayed the leather cleaner on them, and followed the instructions, and we got wonderful results. We could see the leather really getting clean, and the cleaner also gave the leather a soft feel and a nice shine (we like it because it's not too shiny but looks great). It's GREAT!!" —Sandy Z Promising review: "So thankful I got this! It works so well. I used it on the soles of a few shoes and even on a belt! Wish I had bought it sooner because I spent $70 at a shoe place to fix the soles of some other shoes." —T "I used this for the first time on two pairs of running shoes that had the toe portion coming loose from the rest of the sole. I used it two weeks ago and have been holding ever since. As of this time, I would rate this product as very good." —Michael Barnowsky Check out a TikTok of the SneakErasers in action. Promising review: "I have a couple of pairs of sneakers I stopped wearing because they started looking a bit grungy. Just couldn't justify throwing them away though, because they were still in great shape and not very old. I came across these sponges and took a chance. They work like a charm. I cleaned two pairs of shoes and could not believe the results! Awesome." —Spencer Check out how to dye your canvas sneakers on Rit. Get a bottle from Amazon for $8.99 (available in a range of colors). Promising review (for the pic on the right): "I used the bucket dying method on a white 100% cotton dress I bought from a thrift store. It worked perfectly. No blotchy bits or anything to give away that this dress was ever anything but yellow. The key is to follow the instructions. You'll want to use a cup of salt and a little squirt of soap with your hot water, and make sure everything is completely dissolved before dying your fabric. Also pre-wet the fabric. The RIT website has very clear instructions with various methods of dying. I highly recommend RIT dye." —Loren Get it from Amazon for $6.75+ (available in 16 colors). It can remove oil, grease, ink, grass, and blood stains for all my vampires out there. Psst, a few months ago I recommended this to a friend who fell in a puddle of motor oil on a sidewalk, then accidentally wiped it on her camel coat. It got the stains out! Promising review: "So….my son pays no mind to the amount of grease that he is covered in while working in the farm shop!! 🤣😂 I had basically said these jeans are work jeans now!!! I am amazed at how these look after two washes!! If you haven’t ordered it, go do it now!!" —Mommyof20607 Promising review: "What can I say, never sew another button on your pants again, These are sturdy and easy to install. I use them on jeans and I've used them on shorts and khakis, too." —J R It has four sides: one to clean heavier scuff marks and stains, one to gently clean fine suede and light scuff marks, one to clean rounded corners, and one to clean hard-to-reach crevices and grooves. Promising review: "I was really sad when I thought my bucks were at the end of their road, because I had always heard that suede couldn't be cleaned. With this brush and a little elbow grease my bucks are looking great again! I didn't use any water or cleaner, I just kept wiping the brush off on my jeans to keep the brush clean, then hit the shoe again with a clean surface. It even brightened the leather up a bit." —Roberto Puffer Jacket Repair is a small biz Etsy job specializing in, well, patches for puffer jackets! Get it from Puffer Jacket Repair on Etsy for $11.18 (available in a variety of colors). These patches are peel-and-stick, and all designed by different artists. So you can really get creative, even if your repair needs are already satisfied! Get them from Noso: fern patch for $15.99 and orange rose for $15.99 It's great for leather furniture, car interiors, shoes, bags, and more! Note: Furniture Clinic (the maker of this product) recommends testing to see if your leather is absorbent before using this product by seeing if a drop of water will soak into the undamaged part of the leather. If the water is able to soak in, use this balm! If it cannot soak in, they recommend using their leather repair paint instead. Promising review: "Furniture clinic leather re-coloring balm is DA BOMB!!! In under 20 minutes, my vintage Marc Jacobs bag was transformed from fair condition to WOWZA (and that’s with just one coat, I can’t wait to see how beautiful it will be after a second coat!). The balm dried quickly and easily washed off my fingers with soap and water. I was out the door with a newly refurbished bag in under 20 minutes! If you are concerned about staining your hands/nails, you can wear gloves, but I didn’t find it necessary. Overall, I cannot recommend this product highly enough!" —Mrs. Garnett Get it from Amazon for $24.94+ (available in 16 colors and two kits). Check out how one reviewer used the paint to give a pair of cowboy boots a colorful new twist. Angelus is a small biz. Promising review: "I was a bit skeptical of a shoe specific paint — it seemed more marketing hoodoo than a real improvement over other paints — but I was mistaken. This stuff rocks! It works well with stencils and brushes, has good opacity, great adhesion, and remains flexible when it dries. When combined with Angelus Paint 2-Thin, you can use it in any fillable paint pen. You lose some opacity but gain the ability to do longer continuous lines before needing more paint compared to a brush. I look forward to working on a few other projects with this paint." —Xaq F. Get it from Amazon for $42.95 (12 colors available in a multipack). BuzzFeed Shopping is service journalism first: our writers and editors spend all day shopping so you don’t have to, vetting products, fact-checking brand claims, and surfacing what actually helps in real life. We center readers over revenue, recommend products with authenticity (using real experiences, not ad-speak), and reflect our diverse audience, inclusive of a variety of price points, people, and needs. We cut through fake deals, favor useful info over glossy fluff, and recommend both budget and splurge options with context so you can decide what’s right for you — and still have a little fun along the way. Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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