It is nothing short of a delight slipping on a brand new bespoke suit. Feeling it hug you in all the right places is truly a unique feeling, as is knowing that you are wearing an item that will fit nobody else quite as well as it fits you.
The feeling needn’t be a one off though. If properly looked after your garments will last you many years longer than any off-the-peg equivalent, which will give you that satisfying feeling over and over again. Furthermore, the canvasing in your jacket will actually mold to your body over time, so the longer you own the garment, the better it will fit.
1) Don’t over dry clean – A common mistake people make with their suits is that they dry-clean them frequently in order to keep them crisp and clean. Chemicals in dry-cleaning can change the look and fit over time. Dry –cleaning should be kept to a maximum of 4 times a year, either quarterly if warn excessively or when the suit has a visible spill on it.
2) Pressing – If your suit has become creased, the solution is to press or steam it to ease out the creases. This is key to prolonging your suits life. A quick way of reducing creases without cost is to hang your suit in the bathroom whilst you shower. The steam eases the creases out without any damage to the cloth that repeat ironing would cause. If the creases are more severe, take the suit to your dry cleaners and request that they press the suit, without cleaning it.
3) Hangars – Your suits shoulders are padded carefully to fit your shoulder perfectly. If you have a sloped or a dropped shoulder the padding can be more extreme to balance the suit correctly. For this reason, you suit should always be kept on a hangar designed for suits. These hangars are bigger, offering correct support to the garment. If a slim hangar is used, over time the padding will droop over the sides and the point of the hangar will dig into the padding – ultimately changing the shape and fit of your garment.
4) Rotation – As a rule of thumb, you should never wear the same suit more than two days in a row. If you wear suits daily, then we recommend having a rotation of 5 suits at least. Firstly, even in cold weather you will sweat, leaving a suit to air will allow time for the sweat to evaporate and the suit to recover. Moisture can warp the shape of your perfectly cut suit and we don’t want that. Secondly, wearing your suit causes stress to not only the fabric, but the stress areas such as the seams, crotch and so on. The less you wear the suit, the less stress caused and therefore less damage done. Every extra suit you have in your wardrobe will increase the life of the others.
5) Keep your suits covered. Any garment made from wool has one arch nemesis, Moths. To save your suits and coats from becoming prey whilst in your wardrobe, keep your garments in suit bags. If you live in an area especially susceptible to the little critters then moth proof suit bags actually exist. Suit bags also help against dust and creasing in a tightly packed wardrobe.
Put these tips to action gentlemen and your suits will remain your pride and joy years down the line. Your boss will be impressed you’re always smart, your wallet will remain fuller for longer and as a result you’ll look and feel a million dollars.
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