The Proper Mens Suits Care
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Besides knowing how to get a well constructed suit with great fit, it is important to maintain your suit in optimal condition as well.
Otherwise the suit will deteriorate in its appeal and becomes unpresentable for attending business meetings, formal occasions, or even a job interview. It also depicts the wearer with an attitude of “I can’t be bothered”.
Mens Suits Care Symbols
It pays to read the label attached to your suit that indicates how to maintain it. These labels would generally apply to off-rack mens suits.
It is important to know the symbols and what it represents. You would not want to do anything unsuitable and damage the expensive suit you just bought. The responsibility is yours.
Here are good references on the meaning of those Fabric Care Symbols:
Fabric Symbols
FabricLink Care Symbols
Important tools for mens suits care:
Clothes brush
Coat hangers
Steam iron
Clothes steamer
Hanging your Suit Jackets
Before hanging your suit jackets into your wardrobe, it will be advisable to use the clothes brush to brush them frequently after wearing.
It helps to removes dirt and lint buildup on the suit. It also helps to rejuvenate the wool and prevent it from shining.
A very important aspect of mens suits care is to always have your suit jackets hung on good coat hangers that entail broad, rounded shoulder supports.
No matter how long your suit is left on it, the support from the hangers will keep your suit jackets in shape.
So avoid those miserable metal wire hangers for your suits. They will never be able to lay a good foundation for hanging any mens suits.
Have ample space within your wardrobe. It allows your suit jackets to hang and drape nicely without creasing.
Unbutton the suit jackets and remove any items in the pockets. This will not strain and weigh on the jacket’s pocket to keep it in its original shape.
Keep your suit in a garment bag that can “breathe” and not one that is fully enclosed. If you are not going to use a garment bag, then it would be good to just cover the shoulder portion to avoid dust accumulation.
Hang your suits to “air” for about 24 hours before putting into the wardrobe. It will help dry up any moisture trapped in your suit before being introduced into the wardrobe. It also helps to rejuvenate wool since it is a natural fiber.
If a hanger is not available, fold your suit jackets inside out with shoulders touching. By doing so, it prevents any possible dirt or lint staining on the outer fabric of the suit. Then either lay the suit jacket flat or drape it over a chair.
Pressing Mens Suits
If there are wrinkles on the suit, have it ironed with steam before the next wear. Avoid dry pressing on wool suits because it can easily damage the fabric. Use reliable brands like Rowenta to iron away those wrinkle worries.
If you do not have enough time or lazy to do your ironing, then a clothes steamer can also help with your mens suits care by removing those wrinkles and freshening up the suit. I would recommend Jiffy Steamer J-2000 Residential Garment Steamer for its fast heating response, long duration of steam, and quality.
Before ironing mens suits, take note of the heat from the iron or press machine. Too hot an iron will cause wool to be shiny.
Always place a piece of clean cotton or linen cloth over the suit to iron. Do not slide the iron over the clean cloth but rather press and lift it up.
Turn over the collar and lapels when pressing away the wrinkles on the suit. For both the cuffs and shoulders, you can place towels inside of them and press the iron with a cloth on top.
Dry Cleaning Mens Suits
Always use a reliable dry cleaner since they will provide professional service and care for your suit including pressing and preventing damages like discoloring or “burning” of the wool.
Avoid dry cleaning too often since it is involving chemical solvents to steam your suits. Dry clean frequently will eventually damage your suit’s fabric. Once every 3 months would be a good frequency.
Point out to your dry cleaner the spots and stains that need pretreatment. If not told and they missed the stain, it can leave a permanent scarring on your suit.
Make sure that the clean suit is kept within a plastic bag during collection and the suit is not cramped in it. The suit should be allowed to drape freely within the bag and not jammed with too many other cleaned garments.
Take out the clean suit from the plastic bag and air it immediately.
Other Important Mens Suits Care Tips
Never hot press or have heat treatment onto a stain on the suit, otherwise it will permanently “imprint” the stain.
Do not rub vigorously on stains or dirt to avoid it embedding into the fabric.
The proper mens suits care is to promptly remove any spots or stains. Here are good references on removing certain stains and spots on woolen fabrics:
Stain Removal Tips
NobleHouse Custom Tailors Tips on Wool Stain Removal
Remember to work on stain from the edge towards the center to avoid spreading out the stain to other parts of the suit.
If you are drenched in the rain with your suit, remove it at the soonest and use a towel to pound on the suit to remove the moisture.
Then leave it in an airy space for natural drying at room temperature. Never attempt to wring your wool suits. Remember mens suits care boils down to taking care of the fabric. Wringing will damage the suit's fabric.
Other Mens Suits References:
Cheap Suits under $500
Fabrics for Men's Suits
Buying Suits for Mens Wardrobe
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