A good suit needn't have an expiration date – if you wear and care for it right. Here's how to keep your suit from showing its age:
- Don't wear the same suit two days in a row. Give it a day to recover from its forays into the world of perspiration, dust, grime, ancho chile sauce, Pinot Noir, et al.
- After each wearing, hang the suit in a well-ventilated space. Letting air circulate allows moisture to dissipate so the wool fibres spring back into shape. A crumpled suit will benefit from being hung in the bathroom. It will enjoy a sauna while you shower.
- Hang the jacket on a sturdy wishbone shaped wooden hanger with shoulder support that allows the fabric to drape crease free.
- Hang the trousers separately, upside down, from a hanger with a flat wooden clip. Don't fold them over a hanger bar – that causes creasing.
- Brush frequently with a clothes brush to remove dust and surface lint that collect between the fibres. Soft bristles are best for Jackets; short stiff bristles for trousers which tend to accumulate more fluff.
- If your suit is dark-coloured worsted, spot-clean minor water-based stains using a sponge lightly dampened with warm or cool water. Follow with gentle blotting, using the same sponge. For oil based stains, use a petroleum-based solvent – gingerly. Keep the area small. Several light applications are better than dousing. If the suit is light-coloured or made of cotton, entrust any spot cleaning to a dry cleaner.
- Except in the case of large spills and hard or prolonged use, suits don't need much dry cleaning. Dry-cleaning chemicals can literally take the life out of wool suits, cause shrinkage and discolorations, and break down the fusing. If you must dry clean, only use a dry cleaner with an on-premises machine. Arrive with your suit in the late afternoon so it will be placed in the first load of the day. This ensures that the chemical solvent will be cold, reducing the risk of damage.
- Don't jam your wardrobe full of suits. Give jackets and trousers breathing space so air can constantly circulate between them.
- When it comes to removing stubborn wrinkles, take your suit in for a pressing – but be sure to ask for hand-pressing. Overpressing with a steaming machine can destroy the suit's built-in shape.
- Since trousers wear out faster than a jacket, buy another pair of identical trousers with your suit.
Your tailors, Andrew and Joseph, would like to help you extend your suit's life. We are available should you need our tailoring advice. Find us at http://josephmartintailors.com
