Safeguard your Suit

You’ve put a lot of money into your suitings and the accessories that go with. Make sure to take care of your garments in the best way possible. Unless your suit is stained, twice a year to the dry-cleaners is plenty. Remember, the more trips to the cleaners your suit takes, the shorter life span it has. Always remove your clothing from the dry-cleaning bags as soon as you get home as they trap moisture and can cause the lining to streak. To keep your suit fresh, let your clothes breath by an open window, which is much better than the harsh chemicals.

Steam is the answer for your wrinkles! You can have your cleaner steam and press your suits or you can get yourself one of the new portable systems. They work great and are a super investment for your wardrobe. They’re inexpensive and deliver fantastic results with a minimum of effort. If you are on the road and don’t have time for a cleaner simply hang your outfit in the bathroom while you take a hot shower. The steam from your show will relax the garment and the wrinkles will disappear.

Ideally, you want one suit for each day of the week. Store them in clean suit bag. Plastic is acceptable, but less preferred. Keeping them stored and ready will make them last longer and look better. Keep the pockets of suit jacket sewn closed to avoid the temptation to fill them with items that will stretch and ruin the fabric and lines of your jacket.

When it comes to the accessories, you want to take as good care of your shirts and ties as you do your suits. Always iron shirts inside out, particularly the dark colours and micro-fibre fabrics. When removing your tie, loosen and then undo the knot completely. Don’t just pull the knot down as this can break the stitching and dramatically decrease the life your tie. Hang it up until you’re ready to wear it again. If you find a thread on your tie, don’t pull or cut with scissors. Instead, carefully burn the thread away which can give new life to your tie.

Hangers protect the shape of your garments. There are hangers made for suits, trousers, and shirts – invest in some and your clothing will last much longer.