A Year in The Life: Caring for Your Suit
"Dressing is a way of life." Yves Saint Laurent
A good suit isn't looked after once. It's looked after all year round. Here's how to keep yours in shape from the first wear of the season to the last, and how to bring it back to life when it comes out of hiding.
We've written about suit care before and the fundamentals haven't changed: brush it, air it, hang it properly, and keep the dry cleaner at arm's length. (You'll find the full detail in our earlier journal post.) This time we're looking at the bigger picture: what your suit needs, and when. If dressing really is a way of life, then caring for what you wear is part of it.
Every day: brush and air
Before you take your suit off, give it a quick going-over with a pure bristle clothes brush. Concentrate on the shoulders, elbows, back, lapels and front of the jacket, and the seat, knees and ankles of the trousers. Then hang each piece separately, outside the wardrobe, on a shoulder-shaped hanger for your jacket or a trouser clamp (trousers), so the wool can air and recover overnight.
Now and then: steam, don't press
When your suit looks tired, steam it rather than ironing it. Steam relaxes creases without flattening the nap. Only dry clean when something has been spilled and is still visible after 24 hours, and even then ask your cleaner about a spot clean first.
End of the season: put it away properly
Before storing your suit, have it dry cleaned, because moths are drawn to sweat, oils and food residue as much as to wool. Store it on a proper hanger in a breathable garment bag, with cedar nearby if you can.
Start of the season: the refresh
Your suit cloth is resilient, but a few months in a garment bag will leave it flat, creased and a little stale. Here's how to wake it up.
Let it breathe - Take the suit out of its garment bag and give it a firm but gentle shake. Hang it somewhere open with plenty of airflow for 24 hours. This gives the compressed fibres time to relax and lets the light storage creases begin to drop.
Steam it - Use a handheld garment steamer - keeping slightly away from garment - and move vertically from top to bottom while holding the hem lightly taut. If you have no steamer, hang the suit in the bathroom while you run a hot shower. Avoid using an iron: direct heat can scorch wool or leave an artificial shine. Steam plumps the fibres, releases heavier creases and clears any possible stale storage smell.
Brush and rest - Use your clothes brush to realign the nap (always brushing down), then leave it on its hanger for at least an hour to cool and settle. Putting it on while it's still warm and damp invites new wrinkles straight away.
Then you're ready to wear it…and the cycle begins again.
If you have any questions about caring for your Brown in Town suit, please do get in touch, we're always happy to advise.