Style Accessories You Didn't Realize You Need but Will Make Your Life Easier

Image via Complex Original

The thing about stains is that the longer you let them sit, the harder they are to get out. Attack that ketchup stain or wine spill at the scene of the crime instead of four hours later when you get back to your crib. Pop a stain-removing pen in your pocket on the way out, because even if you're a neat eater, you may be the hero that saves a friend's shirt's life.

Whether you're running late for work and need to get some wrinkles out of your pants, or want to help get the smell of last night's Korean BBQ out of your shirt, a steamer is a multi-purpose tool that you're going to end up using a lot. Granted, most guys will just hang their garment in the bathroom while taking a steamy shower, but the effectiveness of this hack is nowhere near the real thing. It might seem like a superfluous investment, but the amount of time you'll save ironing and the number of times you won't look like a rumpled schlub are well worth it.

From the looks of it, shoe trees are just something that maintains the shape of your shoes, and yes, that's their main purpose. If you suffer from crushed toeboxes, flimsy heels, or compressed soles, a shoe tree will keep your kicks' form on point and prolong their life. 

But shoe trees do more than just act as a skeleton. If you're going sockless in the summer, copping shoe trees helps keep odor from setting in, particularly if they're made of a breathable wood like cedar. Try to recycle your footwear with a one day on the bench between wears, and use a pair of shoe trees to keep your footwear fresh and well-maintained for much longer than usual.

Cedar hangars are certainly an investment when considering the cheaper, plastic alternative. That said, you do receive a benefit for your extra bucks, cedar hangers keep clothes fresh and help resist moths and mildew. Sure a single hanger may cost the same amount as a pack of five plastic ones, but the aesthetic of your quality hangers combined with closet smelling like a forest of cedar make the purchase worth it on their own.

Aside from a basic hair brush, which is more likely to have medium-soft bristles, or a comb with wooden or plastic teeth, a coarse hair brush provides benefits for more than just your hair. Sure, the thick, rigid, bristles—often made with boar hair—are great for getting the hairs on your dome to lay right, but you can also use the brush as a vital part of your clothing care. The bristles do a great job of digging into the fibers of clothing, and their firmness create pressure and pull on any stains. In terms of your sneakers, a brush like this will also help clean suede and difficult to manage fabrics for those times when you pull out a pair from the back of the closet and they're extra dusty. 

Traveling isn't easy, we all know this, which is why you can make travel that much easier with a solid dopp kit. Instead of haphazardly throwing all your toiletries into your bag, keep all you grooming products and toiletries organized with a type of bag that was created in 1919 and became popular with soldiers in WWII. If it was good enough for the Greatest Generation who defeated the Nazis, then it's good enough to make your packing easier.

After heavy usage, some of your knit sweaters might start to pill, meaning those annoying balls of fuzz get everywhere and make you look shabby as fuck. With a gritty sweater stone, pulling the tool across the garment will trim the loose balls of fiber and keep your sweater looking brand new. If you don't want to deal with a sweater stone, a normal razor blaze can apply the same effect—just don't shave too close.

Lint rollers have a whole new lease on popular culture after Drake's visible use of them while sitting courtside for the Raptors. All jokes and OVO references aside, a lint roller is an obvious must have in your closet. If you wear a lot of black, or have a pet, or your girl has long hair, a good lint roller is essentially irreplaceable. Regardless, you're better off keeping one at home and one at your desk, and considering that they often come in packs of two or three, that should be an easy move.

It only takes one pair of ruined shoes to learn the values of waterproofing your kicks. If you're trying to protect your shoes from the elements, you can usually buy the corresponding leather or suede wax or spray right in the store where you cop the kicks, and usually one container is enough to last through several pairs of shoes. The best time to waterproof your shoes is the moment you cop them, so resist the urge to wear your brand new shoes for a day or two, and you'll be getting at least another few months of life out of your footwear.

How many times have you been shopping online and you find something you really like the look of, but you have no idea how the garment fits? Instead of being stymied by the "sizing" section of the site, make sure you have a simple tape measure to nail down your measurements and know if what you're trying to cop will actually fit. Knowing your measurements and being able to judge clothing accordingly is a huge step in advancing your wardrobe as you expand with new brands and new types of gear.