Every man should own a pair of suits or two, they would be great for meetings, interviews, and formal gatherings. Just like any other piece of clothing, suits need maintenance and care. If treated anyhow, they can tear and fade away. The last thing you want to do is to appear in a gathering with a worn-out suit. To avoid these, here are tips on how to care for your suit:
1. Brush your suit after use
Even if you’re just sitting in an office all day, your suit collects dirt and dust. If you don’t do anything about it, that grime will settle into the fibres of your suit, and the fabric will pill and lose its integrity over time. Use a suit brush, one that is soft-bristled made with natural animal hair (as opposed to synthetic material). Brush your suit the same way you shave, with sweeping, downward strokes. Start at the shoulders and work your way down.
2. Remove spots with damp clothes
No matter how careful you are with your suits, it is impossible to disallow stains. This usually happens when you spill food or wine on your suit. To tackle this, gently dab the spot with a damp cloth or unscented baby wipes and rub on the stains. If you can’t shift the stain after a few tries, hand it over to the professionals.
3. Don’t dry clean your suit often
Your suit is thrown into a huge washing drum at high heat and pumped with chemicals. After that (harrowing) experience, it’s air-dried and patted down with a pressing machine or heavy iron, which can damage the canvas. As you can imagine, all of this does more harm than good. There are only so many dry cleaning sessions your suit can stand before it falls apart. So only dry clean your suit once or twice a year, before you retire it for the season. If the suit is smelling a little ripe between cleans, air it out for at least a day before deciding if it needs to go to the dry cleaners.
4. Hang your suit on wooded hangers
The wood hangers particularly help to absorb any moisture that built up in the canvas and lining of your suit. Moisture can wear down the delicate fibres of your suit, which is one reason to ditch the wire hangers you get from the dry cleaners. Wire hangers can damage your suit but a wide, wooden hanger with round edges will support the shoulder pads, smooth out any wrinkles, and help your suit to retain its shape. Plastic hangers are not bad too.
5. Allow your suit to breathe
Store your suit in a breathable cupboard – not one that’s so packed you can barely squeeze it in. This will keep your suit clean and dust-free, and stop moths from doing their dirty work. Plastic and canvas trap moisture and gases, while cloth bags promote airflow and allow any creases to fall out naturally.
6. Steam your suit
Suits look best when pressed, but the heat of the iron can scorch the fibres of your suit. A handheld steamer works just as well. This relaxes any wrinkles and freshens up the odour without burning the fibres. You can also steam the shoulders and chest of your suit, and it won’t change their shape. Drape the jacket and pants over separate hangers, turn on the hot water for 30 minutes and let the steam do its thing.
7. Arrange your suit smartly
Flip the jacket inside out, and press the shoulders together, making sure the seams and lapels line up. Then, loosely roll from the bottom up. Do the same for the trousers. Doing so will minimise wrinkles and prevent any dust that may be in your luggage from sticking to your suit. When you arrive at your destination, hang up the suit and do the shower steam.
8. Rotate your suit
Your suit will last longer if you don’t wear it every day. Wear each suit twice a week, and then give the fibres time to rest and relax. Just like your muscles after a tough workout, your suit needs a little tender loving and care. The rule of thumb is 24 hours for lighter suits, and 48 hours for heavier suits. Before packing your suit in the wardrobe ensure you brush it, dab it, hang it, and bag it. If you’ve been wearing it in a smoky or smelly environment, hang it up outside to allow air to permeate it to fizzle out the odours.