A quality tailored suit is of timeless design, not being affected by the passage of time or changes in fashion. However, suits do not realise perpetual succession and must be appropriately cared for.
All gentlemen are guilty of being indolent in properly hanging their suit up after a hard day in the office, failing to properly use a napkin while dining and consequently dry-clean their suits too frequently. Unfortunately, these bad habits inevitably deteriorate our suits fabric and construction.
This article is not reserved for those of you that stay at home combing your suit after every use but is more tailored to those whom are after the simplest and most cost-efficient ways to get the most out of your important formalwear.
Step 1
Choosing the Appropriate Fabric
Woollen suits with a thread-count of Super 150 and finer are generally a lot thinner and lighter. Which in the Australian summer is of course beneficial however, the fabric is much more fragile, wearing out exponentially faster than coarser wool.
Our number one recommendation for making it easier to look after your suit and achieve a much greater longevity rather than spending a small fortune maintaining your suit, look for woollen fabrics with a thread-count between Super 110 and 140.
Step 2
Store your Suit Properly
Now to looking after the suit when you aren’t wearing it.
Firstly, it may seem obvious, but hang your suit and pants immediately after use, this prevents any previously mentioned deteriorations in fabric or construction – in other words, keep it looking, feeling and fitting just like it did the first time you wore it.
Second, the crowded closet – deter from hanging your suit in your over crowded closest. In an ideal world hang your suits on a separated suit rack. This is imperative in allowing the suit to maintain its shape and will allow the suit to air out effectively.
Thirdly, and equally as important as any of the above, make sure your suit is hanged in a ventilated garment bag to keep it protected from the conditions and increase longevity.
Finally, the often-overlooked hanger. Hanging your suit on a cedar hanger not only absorbs moisture and repels those moths (more on this later). A cheap but highly affective investment.
We bet you didn’t know there was so much to it. Following these simple procedures will exponentially increase the life of your suit and ultimately save you those hard-earnt dollars.
Step 3
Repel Moths
Your suit is an essentially Moths lunch, and a mighty expensive one at that. Make sure suit is a culinary rarity, some that replicates caviar rather than your everyday meal.
As indicated in Step 2, moths are repelled by cedar. Cedar can be best used by hanging your suit on a cedar hanger, but to be even more precautious place cedar blocks in your suit pockets to eradicate any chance of infestation.
Of course, if your closet is the home to a moth family, the easiest method is to make sure it is well hoovered on a regular basis to ensure the environment isn’t one of well-nourished Moths.
Step 4
Cancel your Dry-Cleaning Appointment
Yes, you read it right, and here’s why.
We understand that gentlemen get a certain confidence from dry-cleaning their suit prior to a job interview or formal occasion. However, unless your suit is visibly dirty you be surprised at just how irregularly you need to be dry-cleaning it.
Furthermore, the chemicals involved in dry cleaning can wear out and deteriorate your suits fabric more than you may be aware. For these reasons we highly recommend that you limit the dry cleaning of your suit to once per quarter.
If your suit is noticeably wrinkled or you really need that confidence boost pre-occasion, instead of getting it dry-cleaned get your suit pressed. This allows for the so desired crispness without the chemicals.
Can’t get to a dry-cleaner for pressing? Hang your suit near the bath/shower after having the hot water on for a while and let steam fix those creases.
Any questions feel free to comment on this post or head to our contact page below.
Carry on Gentlemen
Suit Society
