You’re about to have your “red carpet” moment when you casually glance at the effortless movement of your knee-length dress and notice that the hem has dropped. Or, maybe you’re beaming head-to-toe in summer white when your dinner partner splashes some red wine on your blouse. It has happened to all of us, there is no need to worry.

We’ve consulted a team of experts: Vanessa Wakeman, owner of Indulgence event and wedding planning, in White Plains, New York; Renee R. Klein and Zoe Schaeffer, co-owners of Presse, a luxury fashion boutique in Los Angeles; and Jen Goodkind and Jayne Chase, co-hosts of “A Fashionable Life” radio show, to help you navigate even the most unexpected fashion emergencies.

healing heels

You’re ready to mix and mingle in your strappy stilettos and, as luck would have it, your heels snap. “You don’t want to spend a night limping,” says Klein. “Instant Krazy Glue To-Go is the answer. I always carry it with me.”

In the instant

For treating pimples and blemishes, Chase relies on Tide to Go sticks: “I carry at least one in my bag at all times.” Other remedies: Get rid of makeup stains with baby wipes, which also help remove lint from clothes and dirt from shoes.

If you’re lucky enough to catch a deodorant stain before you leave the house, Schaeffer recommends steaming the garment with a traditional steamer “or hanging it in the bathroom during a hot shower.”

a losing streak

You can always rely on an old standby clear nail polish. “Paint just one touch in a stock run and you’re ready for your event,” says Schaeffer. Another quick fix, says Wakeman, “is a dab of hairspray.”

worn leather

Did you break your leather bag, your shoes or your belt? “Carefully touch up the area with a Sharpie of the same color,” says Schaeffer.

hem raging

The beauty of a sewing kit is that it is compact and multifunctional. Goodkind divulges, “I always take them from the last resort I’ve been to,” which also sets them free! Duct tape or duct tape can also be helpful. Grab the lighting guy/girl or the musicians at the event, who usually carry tape in case they need it for their gear.

simply tied

Bra/dress/shirt straps that fall off or break can be a real nuisance and the easiest and most obvious answer is, “A safety pin,” says Chase. “Always carry the small ones, which are less visible but safe.”

close it

If your zipper isn’t ready to go up, “a bar of soap or candle wax gently rubbed over the problem area should help loosen it up,” advises Wakeman.

soft as a button

If you have a button that is stuck to the ground, clear nail polish will come to the rescue, again. Rub the top of the button to prevent it from falling off. Another way to keep it tight: a storage bag tie. Peel off the plastic and thread the button with the metal strip.

best sweater

Rub a piece of Velcro up and down the fabric to remove the pills from the sweater. For hooks, take the tip of a closed ballpoint pen, push the hook back through the inside of the garment and knot.

heard and now

The back of your earring has fallen off on the dance floor and is nowhere to be found. “Don’t worry,” says Wakeman, who has seen this happen to more than one girlfriend. “Take the eraser off a pencil and push it through the stem. You’ll be good to dance the night away.”

While emergency remedies are invaluable, warning of disasters is obviously the way to go. Have the soles and heels of new shoes reinforced, and always be sure to waterproof suede shoes, advises Goodkind.

Chase also recommends packing an extra jacket, cashmere cardigan, or pashmina in case you need to cover up a stain (or it’s cold!). And when all else fails, she says, “Think creatively. I once had a pink gingham dress from Ralph Lauren with spaghetti straps. They took the straps off and the night I wore the dress, one tore. I had no needle.” and yarn, so I took off the other strap and went strapless. You know what? It looked better!”

Crisis kit to have on hand

Here’s a list of must-haves you might want to keep in your purse or a plastic bag in the trunk of your car, in case of a fashion, beauty, or comfort emergency.

Baby wipes: To remove or attenuate makeup stains on clothing. They also remove lint from clothes and dirt from shoes.

blotting papers: For unexpected greasy moments.

clear nail polish: For a broken stocking or a loose button.

hair spray: Also good for runs in tights.

Masking tape or duct tape: For dropped hems.

Krazy instant glue to go: A quick fix for broken heels.

Mini sewing kit with safety pins: To temporarily repair sagging hems, broken straps, or small tears.

mini-umbrella: For unexpected showers.

an extra pair of pantyhose: Put them in a small plastic zipper bag.

pencil: A closed toe can help reverse snags on the sweater; so can a small hook.

Pencil: The eraser can be used to fix post earrings.

sharpie markers: To rub worn or scratched leather on shoes, bags, belts, etc…

soap: For a stuck zipper.

Tide to Go Stick: To attack stains in an instant.

velcro: To get rid of pills in sweaters.

Vaseline: Keep a small tube handy to rub men’s or women’s patent leather shoes so they don’t stick while you dance.

Cover-up (cashmere sweater, jacket or pashmina): Good for keeping in a plastic bag in the trunk of your car, to hide a stain or ripped fabric, or just to warm up in a place with too much air conditioning or on a cool night outside.

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