How to ensure your outerwear keeps you warmer for longer

Grab your coat and grab your hat. If you are careful in how your handle your outerwear, you can enjoy protection from the elements for a long time.

• After several washings, your down jacket may not seem as warm as you remember it. You're not imagining things.
• Washing down jackets can compress the down inside, removing the air between the feathers that acts as insulation.
• Next time you wash your down jacket, put a sneaker in the dryer with it to keep the loft high. Or if you don't want to wait until then, fluff the jacket up by putting it and a sneaker in the dryer with the machine set on the air-fluff setting.
• Another way to help preserve a down jacket's loft is to hang it upside down while storing it.

• After a long time, a raincoat may loose its water-repellency.
• Just treat your raincoat with a spray fabric water repellent, and it'll shed water like a duck for many years to come.
• You'll find water-repellent sprays in stores that sell outdoor equipment.

• An expensive leather jacket must be cared for properly because dust, dirt, and even oil from your skin can make it look dull.
• First wipe off any dirt with a damp cloth.
• Then regularly apply commercial leather cleaners and conditioners to your coat to keep its lustre.
• Hang your jacket on a sturdy, preferably padded hanger to help it keep its shape.
• Store it in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place where it isn't exposed to direct sunlight.
• And don't cover it with plastic; it's a natural product that needs to breathe.

• Nylon jackets, even if they are soaking wet, should be dried in a dark space.
• Light can damage nylon, so avoid direct light when you hang-dry your nylon jacket.

• Some nylon jackets fasten with Velcro or, known by its generic name, gripper strips.
• Reinforce the fabric by stitching around the strips so that they will not tear off one day.

If you've waited years to get your fur coat, you'll want it to last for years more. Here are a few fur-care pointers:

• Avoid crushing the fur. Try not to sit down while wearing it. If you must, then brush up the crushed parts afterward.
• Don't use any oils or chemicals around your fur coat. Perfume, for instance, can damage it. For the same reason, avoid using mothballs.
• Protect the collar of your coat by wrapping a scarf around your neck. That way, no residue on your skin will rub off on your fur. Avoid other damage by never poking jewelry into your fur coat or wearing sharp necklaces and bracelets. Also, don't use a shoulder bag; it will rub off the fur.
• When storing your fur, don't wrap it in plastic, use a cloth bag instead. Keep some room around it in your closet to allow air to circulate. Hang it with a wide, sturdy hanger — not a wire one — to help keep its shape.
• If your coat gets wet, hang it up to dry away from light and heat. Professionally clean it only once every two years.