Now's the time to assess wardrobe

KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
The gray cold days of winter offer the best opportunities to clean closets, assess your wardrobe and mend and spiff up garments to perfect wearing condition.
So a new how-to book is timely. It's "The Ultimate Guide to Shopping and Caring for Clothing: Everything You Need to Know From Blue Jeans to Ball Gowns!" by Steve Boorstein (Boutique Books, LLC, $19.95). Boorstein is a former buyer, boutique owner and dry cleaner.
It is not a glamorous bedtime reading book. It is a practical reference. For example, Boorstein offers a roster of fabrics: Rayon is durable and vulnerable to water stains and silverfish. Velvet may be steamed only. Silk is easily damaged by some perfume, hair spray and perspiration.
What causes sweaters to pill? Rubbing against the inside of an unlined coat or against furniture with a texture contributes. So can the friction of the dry cleaning process. They can be de-pilled, but the fabric will thin.