Men: Here’s How to Care for and Maintain Your Suit
Posted on 7th February 2019 at 20:40
A formal suit is a staple in any man’s wardrobe. However when it comes to washing it, it’s important that it’s done correctly to protect the lifespan of your suit. 1 in 5 Brits say that they don’t wear their ‘Sunday best’ clothes because they’re too difficult to care for. So they’re left in the wardrobe just hanging around waiting for a day when only they will do.
Suits can be worn more than that though, and with the right care and storage a suit can be the go-to rather than the never-never.
Do you avoid wearing your suit because you’re unsure how to clean it or store it? We’d like to change that with these simple but effective tips for better suit care and storage.
Hang your suit on a wide hanger
The shape of your suit jacket (and trousers) are essential to the look and feel of them and when you store them for long periods of time, you could risk losing that style. The best and most simple way to store your suit is on a wide hanger.
A wide hanger will help to air out the fabric so it keeps its shape and makes sure that it looks its best when you pull it out of the wardrobe on that special day.
Brush your suit after every outing
To make sure your suit stays in top form, brush it after each use to remove any hair or debris from within the layer inside the fabric. You can’t just brush it with any old brush though. You’ll need a specific ‘suit brush’ and a lint roller to remove all that debris from inside the fibres (brush) and outside (lint roller).
It really makes a big difference. Check out the video below to show you how to brush your suit (at around 3minutes).
Always steam your suit instead of ironing it
Unless you’re standing still all day and not moving or sitting down then your suit is bound to get creased. It’s just life and it’s one of the reasons suits get left in the wardrobe and why suits are not seen as an everyday garment. Who knows whether you can iron a suit? Can you do that?
Well we’d recommend that you steam clean your suit instead. Steaming is a more delicate method of rejuvenating the fibres of your suit, and steaming carefully will help to prolong its life. Ironing is more harsh and the contact from the hot iron onto the fibres can sometimes be too much. If you must iron out a wrinkle then keep it damp and turn it inside out, and use a thick cloth to protect the material.
Keep it in a cover in your wardrobe
Invest in a good suit bag and store your suit in it all the time you’re not wearing it. This will maintain its freshness and protect it from moths. A suit in a wardrobe for months on end isn’t going to smell or feel as fresh as you’d like if you’re leaving it resting against all the other clothes and open to the elements in your bedroom or wardrobe.
Hang it in a proper suit cover, on a wide hanger, and you’ll have a really fresh suit every time.
Only dry clean it if it really needs cleaning
Dry cleaning involves chemicals and although they’re designed to clean and look after the fibres in your clothes, it’s best avoided if you don’t need to. Exposing your suit to harsh chemicals often isn’t a great way to prolong the life of your suit so only dry clean it when you need to.
Hang in the bathroom while you take a shower or bath
For a really simple way to freshen up your suit, just hang it in the bathroom when you have a hot bath or shower and the steam will give it a little freshen up. This is a really gentle but effective way to give your suit a little steam clean.
This also works well on your shirts and even T-Shirts, too.
Wear your suit more often. It deserves the time
A suit is an investment and we completely understand that you want to prolong its life by not wearing it much. We just don’t agree that’s what you need to do! Sometimes, storing it for long periods of time will actually shorten the life of the suit.
The idea of all clothes is to be worn and to give you confidence, and we hope that these tips will give you some really good everyday care ideas to help you and your suit look amazing.
Need more help? Contact us now and see us in our Warwick suit and menswear store. We’d love to meet you, sir!
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