Cleaning your Wool Suit

Suit care is an integral part of determining your garment’s lifespan. A well-cared bespoke suit can last up to decades, given it is treated well and rotated in turn. A Man or Women who wears a suit to work every day should not wear the same suit more than 2 days in a row. It is good practise to rotate your suits allowing them to recover and naturally clean themselves. Rotating between 2-3 suits a week is good practise, rotating 5 suits a week is great and anything more will definitely increase the longevity of all your suits.

Another good practise is to immediately hang your suit after wearing which aerates the fabric, and prevents the build-up of odours. Wool is a natural fibre and as such breathes. Or in other words, it allows for airflow that helps dissipate any moisture absorbed by the garment. Incidentally, this is what makes wool such a beautiful year-round fabric.

Avoid dry Cleaning to no more than once or twice a year, Modern dry cleaning methods involve the use of blasting the fabric of your suit with harsh chemicals. While the occasional visit won’t do too much damage, a lot of people make the mistake of over-cleaning, which can weaken the fibres and also cause the colour of your suit to fade.

Here is a simple list of Do’s and Don’ts that we have put together to assist guide you to the longevity of your TDH’s custom made suits.

DO

– Brush your suit with a lint roller and a suit brush after every use. This takes off the outer layer of dust and fibres it may have accumulated. After all, your suit is usually the outermost garment that you wear.

– Steam it, don’t iron it regularly. Your iron usually has a steamer setting, so any wrinkles can be eliminated with a few puffs. If your suit is extremely wrinkled, once in a while, it’s alright to press it. Another trick is to hang it behind your bathroom door whist you take a long hot shower, the steam will definitely freshen up the suit

– Air your suit once in a while. In the Eastern States of Australia, Especially in Sydney and Queensland you’re bound to sweat in it a little, its only natural that your suit will absorb some of your body odour and airing it should do the trick, especially the case with 100% wool fabrics.

– Rotate regularly, if you are not wearing your suit for a while, air it and then pack it into a cloth suit bag that will protect it from moths and encourage airflow.

DONT

– Iron on your hand rolled lapel lines. Your lapel will look flat and lifeless.

– Use wire or plastic hangers to store them on. Invest in a few suit hangers. Wire hangers will ruin the shoulder pads and the fabric around it.

– Send it to the dry cleaners at every opportunity. The chemicals they use there will completely disintegrate the natural Wool fibres in your suit.

– Place keys or wallets in the outside jacket or pants pockets, always use the inside jacket pockets only, if you tear your lining it can be easily repaired.

A suit is an investment for your wardrobe. A little attention can go a long way!