Earlier this week I came across a wonderful article outlining the steps on how to care for your suit. It had a great deal of useful information but left me wondering.. Do consumers know what to do with all of the other pieces that make up their wardrobe? With that notion, I wanted to share some best practices from head to toe.
HATS
Whether you are wearing a felt fedora or linen ivy cap, you never want to put these in the wash or use excessive water. A stiff bristled brush will do the trick to remove dirt. On cotton or linen caps, try warm water and vinegar to remove dirt or stains.
SHIRTS
There is some flexibility with the cleaning options for shirts. Some may only have their shirts dry cleaned, but you can absolutely wash them yourself. If you choose that route, be sure that you are washing on a delicate cycle and using warm water for white shirts and cold water for shirts with color. You can iron them immediately after, or tumble dry on low heat and then iron. This is a great way to save money, however, you may not achieve the same result when picking up from your dry cleaner. So if you have the money, take your shirts to the cleaner and opt for minimal to no starch. Never, I repeat, Never wear your white dress shirts more than once without a cleaning. White shirts quickly accumulate dirt and it is nearly impossible to remove once it sets in. If you need custom dress shirts click HERE.
JACKETS
To preserve the suit jacket you should always hang it on a wide shoulder suit hanger and use a suit brush to remove lint. If you do not plan on wearing the jacket for a while, have it cleaned and cover with a garment bag. Do not have your jackets dry cleaned more than once every 4-6 months. The chemicals will only expedite the breakdown in the fabric. Instead, utilize your suit brush and have the garment properly steamed. You will find that steaming is a great way to care for your suit. If you try and iron your jacket, you will only succeed in damaging the thread and may even create a ‘sheen’ effect from applying too much direct heat. This mainly happens when the suit has a high concentration of polyester. If you have to wear a suit often, spend the money on a few pieces so that you can rotate them. Visit our SUIT PAGE for design ideas.
PANTS
For your slacks, follow the same cleaning and caring method as your suit. Never put dress pants in the washer machine. You’ll wind up with a damaged garment and quite possibly in tears. For cotton, linen, cotton blends, denim, etc.; feel free to toss them in the washer in warm to cold water and hang dry if you have the time. Always store wool trousers on a proper pant hanger. You can peruse a wide selection of fabrics HERE.
SHOES
The absolute very first thing you should do with a new shoe purchase is to spray them with an all-weather protectant. When storing, be sure to use shoe trees made of cedar to maintain shape and absorb moisture each wear. Cleaning is pretty simple if kept up. The first step is to remove any dirt or dust. Leather requires polishing and leather lotion at various times. As for suede, you can achieve a clean look with a rubber eraser and a coarse brush. Try using warm water and vinegar when removing deep stains. Likewise, you can get the dirt off of canvas shoes with warm water and a bit of soap. For unrivaled footwear, click HERE.
Now that you know how to care for your suit, just be sure to remain vigilant in your upkeep efforts… and be sure to keep the style flowing.