A lot of people with Hunter rain boots find that they sweat white residue and it can be extremely difficult to remove. Here I have a solution that will not only remove the white residue from hunter rain boots, but it will also shine your boots so they look brand new!
Hunter Rain Boot Company has the following to say about this white residue wax bloom:
During the manufacturing of the natural rubber compound used to make Hunter boots, a white wax is inserted into the mix to help protect the rubber. During certain conditions, this wax can be brought to the surface giving the boots a white, cloudy look known as “blooming”. It does this to protect the rubber from drying out. This is a natural characteristic of the boot, not a defect, and can be wiped off with a damp cloth.
However, a lot of people find that a simple damp cloth is just not enough to remove this white residue. A lot of people try things like rubbing oil and other shining compounds on the boot which only masks the problem because when that oil or shine wears off, the white residue starts to show again. A lot of those solutions only work for a couple weeks at most.
The solution I have here will remove the white residue from hunter rain boots permanently as well as give them a bright deep lustrous shine. The instructions are very easy to follow when you have the right tools. You will need two things to get started with the white residue removal:
You will probably have trouble finding these products in your local store, and a lot of people online tried to tell me this stuff was only available in England! I had to scour the internet to figure out that I could find them on Amazon.com for a pretty good price. The two links above take you to their location on amazon.com
GOO GONE white wax residue removal
Step 1:Remove the white wax residue from your hunter rain boot
Use GOO GONE to remove the while bloom waxy residue. Spray the GOO GONE directly onto the boot or cloth and use the cloth to rub the boot until the wax is gone. You will find it does take a little elbow grease but it does come of pretty easily, especially compared to just a “damp cloth”.
Take a look at the picture to the right. It shows how the GOO GONE has removed almost all of the white residue from the part of the boot I cleaned with it. (See bottom right of image)
Step 2: Use UV TECH to further clean and shine the rubber
UV TECH protectant and rejuvenator will further remove traces of the white wax residue from your hunter rain boot while giving them a deep lustrous shine. Spray the UV TECH onto the boot or a new cloth and rub the formula into the boot.
UV Tech on toe VS GOO GONE on heel
This really is a two step process. Just GOO GONE will clean the white wax residue off but it will still leave them kind of “rough” looking. The UV TECH removes the last traces of the wax and gives them the shine… but you cant just do one of these without the other. You need both to get these hunter rain boots to really shine.
The UV TECH also has the benefit of protecting your boot from UV RAYS and other nasty elements.
The picture to the right shows the difference between just removing the white wax residue with goo gone (on the heel) and doing step to to shine the Hunter rain boot with UV TECH (on the toes).
Now I went through these steps pretty quickly for purposes of demonstration and didn’t spend more than a couple on minutes on the process (which shows how easy it is with these products). You’ll probably want to take a q-tip or something to spend more time around the corners and decorative areas to get all of the white residue “bloom” off of the boot as you can see that I left some near the edges of seams.
BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURE
Take a look at how awful the original hunter rain boot looked with its white waxy residue bloom, and compare it to the 5 minutes I spent cleaning it up (on the left). With these two product, it’s easy to get your Hunter rain boots looking like new again!
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and if there’s one man in your life you shouldn’t forget about, it’s your good ole’ Daddy.
Research indicates that a father greatly influences his daughter’s future romantic relationships. Thus, Focus on the Family Singapore (FOTFS), a local charity, is organizing the Date with Dad (DwD) campaign to:
• enhance parental involvement in shaping their children’s values and attitudes towards sexuality and relationships.
• encourage fathers to affirm their daughter’s value and worth by taking her out on a special date, particularly as a rite of passage.
In view of Focus on the Family’s 10th anniversary celebrations, DwD 2012 will take on the additional component of an exclusive high tea for prisoners and their daughters.
SOLE 2 SOLE supports Date with Dad – bring your Dad shopping at our store and find out what promos you can enjoy if you get your dad a pair of shoes! Sounds fab, no?
Most of us turn to clothes to fix our common body hang-ups, but we tend to forget that shoes help show off the favourite parts of your body, or even help make the least favourite bits a tad better.
Problem: Small and petite
If your legs are on the shorter and slimmer side, you usually would want to add height to your frame. Think platforms, wedges and heels without straps. Straps would almost cut your leg off in two, making you look even smaller. Make sure there’s nothing in the line of vision between your heel and the rest of your leg.
If you want to wear flats, make sure you’re wearing a dress that falls above your knee – anything below it will make you look even tinier.
Problem: Short and thick
Watch Jersey Shore – and whatever Snooki is wearing on her feet – do the complete opposite. Instead, try a simple pair of heels with a bright pop of colour or a unique print so attention gets drawn away from your short legs. Some other flattering choices are open-toed shoes with a solid heel and boots that end just below the knee, not mid-calf.
Since your legs tend to be on the thicker side, stay away from gladiator flats or any other shoe style that wraps around your ankle. On that note, it’s best to avoid flats as well, because they can make your legs look shorter and thicker.
Problem: Tall and thin
Being tall and thin is almost never a problem, and if someone tells you that you shouldn’t be wearing heels because you’re tall enough – stick your leg out next time they’re walking past and trip them.
Show off your modelesque physique with a pair of strappy sandals with an ankle strap (it will also give some edge to your feet) especially if you have thin ankles. Ballet flats are great for you because you have the height advantage. Stay away from chunky heels and platforms because they may overwhelm your ankles.
Problem: Muscular legs
All those triathlons and working out gave you “man legs”, but the truth is – toned legs are all kinds of sexy. You probably have a killer booty too!
To elongate the leg, choose a super high heel – in particular, pointy, open-toed shoes and stilettos that will make your legs look leaner. In addition, avoid rounded toe pumps, small squared heels and delicate styles like ballet flats or kitten heels because they can add weight to your legs and make them look heavier.
When in doubt, try on a pair of stilettos. This universally-flattering shoe will always make you look taller, sexier and thinner. What more could you possibly want?
Everybody’s sartorial inspiration changes from time to time; it can be from a fashion blogger, a friend, or even a magazine spread you’ve seen recently. My obsession with TV has many a times contributed to the way I dress, and these days, I’m twiddling my thumbs in anticipation of the new season of Mad Men that will roll out soon!
For those who haven’t watched the show, it’s set around an advertising agency in 1960s New York, the golden era of advertising. It’s also one of my favourite era of clothes – when men dressed like men and women dressed like women. With suits, and pocket squares and crinoline and pencil dresses. Women were sexy and it’s incredibly alluring to me.
Mad Men’s costume designer Janie Bryant was once asked if the show’s vintage style rubs off on her current wardrobe. “Sure,” she replied, “But there’s a fine line between looking like you’ve been influenced by the early ’60s, and looking like you’re going to a theme party for the early ’60s!” In other words: A little period styling goes a very long way. With that in mind, we thumbed through current collections in search of the perfect outfit for a Madworld.
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The Wealthy Housewife
Betty Draper is the perfect housewife – she dresses to the nines to matter where she’s headed and her hair is perfectly coiffed. You can try a floral frock for something Betty-esque, but for a little bit of Grace Kelly by way of Ossining, think about slim pants. These tapered slacks from Sandro were inspired specifically by the sporty, elegant silhouette of the movie star princess.
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The Bombshell Anyone can pull off this look, but the secret is knowing your shape and accentuating your best parts, a la Joan. Whether you’re getting a start up agency off the ground, or in charge of something more established, this curve-enhancing number from Diane von Furstenberg is the perfect mix of business and bombshell.
The Up-and-Comer
Peggy might have been a late-bloomer, but Season 3 proved she is as capable of exploiting her office (and bedroom) talents as anyone else. This pussy-bow blouse from ASOS sums up Peggy’s style in one piece of clothing.
For Mad Women and Mad Men
At Sterling Cooper, men and women have separate jobs, distinct salaries, and a different set of office politics to avoid. What they do have in common? Styling accessories, like Ray Ban sunglasses, the shades worn by everyone from Audrey Hepburn to Bob Dylan. Don Draper has a pair; so does Jane Siegel.
Let’s face it – we’re not born with the ability to walk on high heels. It’s one of the things we have to put ourselves through as we grow up, and while some of us rock ‘em heels like we belong on the catwalk, others need a little help. We found this quick video will help you figure out what you need to correct, and how to correct your posture when in heels.
Remember that fit, and make are two very important things to consider when purchasing heels. It is not natural for us to walk on stilts so do your back and your calves a favour and wear quality shoes that fit you well. Most of the time, the reason why you end up complaining about how much your feet hurt when wearing heels is cos’ you’re not wearing the proper size, or the heels don’t give your feet the support they need.
Like everything else, practice makes perfect. Wear your shoes at home to practice and when you think you can rock them, take those babies out! ;)
What a sensational piece of footwear. It’s a street-stopper. But let’s face it. Not every woman can wear this shoe. If your normal shoes size is a 10, your foot will appear 2 sizes larger in this shoe. A 12? Yes. Isn’t 10 big enough?
This “Just Cavalli” pump is simply gorgeous. But in a pointy toe, your foot does not extend all the way forward in the shoe. It can’t. There’s no room in the toe area for all of your toes, regardless how narrow your foot is. You can see 1/2 inch of this model’s toebed. Imagine how much empty space is in the front of the shoe.
This doesn’t work for women with large feet – that is, if you are concerned about your foot taking on the resemblance of the Titanic.
So, what do you wear to make your feet look smaller?
A higher wedge heel will give you a lift that will make the foot look shorter. Like this Mimosa Wedge. The ornamentation across the top helps even more by breaking up the foot. This shoe is extremely comfortable too.
These Baby Phat Heels (right)will make any foot look smaller. The design will help camouflage the foot. And the height of the heel will display your foot more on a diagonal as opposed to a flat, long loafer style.
If you have pretty feet that are long, try a shoe with clear acrylic as part of the design. Just be aware the shoe will cause a lot of stares because at 1st glance, people will think you are not wearing shoes at all.
Most flat shoes and pumps will make feet appear larger. Even a pump with a square toe can be unattractive.
If you have trouble finding shoes, find a store where you can try on all you want without the help of a salesperson. Stores like Nordstrom Rack have all their shoes out where you can try them on all day long, as many as you want. Most stores, even high end stores like Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus have shoes out on display during a sale. Trying on different styles will also give you ideas about what suits you best.
Shoes piled up in the entranceway? Mudroom? Bedroom? Here’s a pretty comprehensive list of the many ways of dealing with shoe storage – for those with just a few pairs, or quite a lot. In each category, I’m showing just some of the many options.
These can be built into a closet system, or they can be freestanding. The picture above comes from Cubbies Unlimited; Organize-It sells seven different cubbies.
Update on Nov. 25, 2008: You can also get acrylic shoe divider cubbies from Custom Inserts.
Nov. 24 update: I should make this category shoe boxes and shoe drawers. As organizer Ilene Drexler said: “I think you missed my hands-down favorite: the men’s size shoe drawers from The Container Store. They slide in & out with the greatest of ease, are crystal clear plastic & are roomy enough for all types of women’s shoes. Expensive but worth every penny!”
4. Shelves, without the boxes
To see how one person used shelves for shoes, take a look atApartment Therapy. (And here are more Apartment Therapypictures.) Or you could use a bookcase, as shown in Domino.Charles & Marie point us to a shoe shelf from 659 Design. And shelves for shoes are a common option used in closet systems – such as the one from Econize Closets, shown above.
5. Over-the-door shoe bags (or pocket organizers) - which could be hung other places, too.
The Container Store and Organize-It have a number of options.Room It Up has some for those who prefer patterns. In the UK, Cath Kidston has a pretty hanging shoe tidy, shown above. Update on May 23, 2011: The Cath Kidston web site is no longer showing this style of shoe tidy.
6. Over-the-door shoe racks
Organizer Ilene Drexler pointed me to the over-the-door shoe rack at Organize.com, shown above.
7. Shoe bags (or racks) that hang from a closet rod
The Container Store has a number of these, including some made from bamboo or recycled materials. Lorie Greiner has a couple options, one for just shoes and one for shoes and sweaters. Tiny Living and Room It Up have colorful options. John Lewis is one source in the U.K. And the picture above shows a product sold byHold N Storage. Update on Sept. 28, 2009 and May 23, 2011: Room It Up no longer has this style of shoe organizer. Lorie Greiner no longer sells this type of organizer, either. And, unfortunately, Tiny Living has closed.
Organize-It has a shorter version that works with double-hanging closet rods. [via Real Simple]
And Perfect Curve has a shoe rack that hangs from the rod – available at Organize-It and a number of other places. (via Harriet Schechter in the San Diego Union-Tribune] Update on Sept. 28, 2009: The Perfect Curve shoe rack is no longer available at Organize-It, but it can be found other places, such as here.
8. Under-bed shoe storage
Get Organized sells the under-bed shoe organizer shown above, as well as an under-bed shoe trolley. Organize.com has an under-bed shoe storage bag. Update on May 23, 2011: Get Organized no longer sells either of these products. However, you can find the pictured under-bed shoe organizer here.
9. Revolving shoe trees
The 4-tier revolving shoe tree above is made by Whitney Designs.Polder has 3-tier and 2-tier options. Update on Sept 29, 2009 and May 23, 2011: Products once sold by Whitney Designs are now sold by Household Essentials. Search for shoe to find these products on the Polder site.
The lovely shoe bench above comes from NHWoodworking. Tilt-out shoe benches are another options. And other shoe benches have cubbies, like this bamboo bench. Update on Sept. 28, 2009: That bamboo bench (which was sold by Design Public) is no longer available. But I see I neglected to point to the beautiful shoe benches by Woodistry, which I’ve mentioned before.
12. Elfa
If you’re using an elfa system, you can include the Easy Hang shoe rack shown above, which is meant for shoes with heels. [viaApartment Therapy]
There’s also the Hangmate shoe rack, which hangs on the side of any elfa drawer system.
13. Repurposed items: coat hooks, magazine racks and roll-out shelves
If you’ve been to our store, you’d know that we’ve got a delightful plethora of brands that will let you channel anything from Audrey Hepburn to Lady Gaga, and we have a lot of love for the labels and designers that we bring in.
Desti Saint is one of them. You’ve probably chanced upon her stunning range of bags – delightfully designed, with signature sassy tassles, a gorgeous range of colour and durability that gives you way more bang for your buck – we’re surprised Desti hasn’t graced the pages of VOGUE yet.
This season, Desti takes on something new – jewellery, kicking it off with the Desti Saint Limited Edition “Happiness” Charm Bracelets.
This season’s fashion collections highlight the resurgence of femininity. These beautiful and unique charm bracelets will perfectly compliment the floating chiffons and gauzy organza’s that are the hallmark of this season. Wherever you wear them, the Desti Saint “Happiness” Collection Charm bracelets will guarantee your unique personal style gets noticed.
We’ve recently got a new arrival in store, and we’re all giggly with delight cos’ we all want ‘em in every colour – they’re heaps of fun, they make you want to jump into puddles and they come in a fabulous myraid of colours. Yes! We’re dishing on Hunter Boots! Plus it helps that every other celebrity is wearing them! And with the gloomy weather we’ve had in Singapore of late, you should totally invest in a pair, so you’ll never be caught knee deep in a flash flood ever again!
All views and opinions expressed on this blog are SOLE 2 SOLE's own, and thus, have no association with any persons, institutions or organisations that we are affiliated with unless it has been stated explicitly.
GOO GONE white wax residue removal
UV Tech on toe VS GOO GONE on heel
The Wealthy Housewife
The Bombshell
The Up-and-Comer
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