Unfortunately, as with anything we wear, your suit is bound to get dirty and so we take it to the cleaners after a couple of wears, correct?
Well not necessarily. Getting your suits dry cleaned regularly can reduce their life span due to the chemical process involved. Caring for suits can be fairly simple, from using the right hangers to cloth suit bags.
The fabric of a suit loses its integrity over time as dirt and unseen particles build up causing it to weaken and dull in appearance. To ensure longevity and best appearance of your Anthony Squires suit, gently brush using a natural bristle clothes-brush to remove surface soil that may develop into stains. When selecting the right brush keep in mind quality of the brush may effect results. Choices are generally a wooden or plastic body/handle and bristles made from either synthetic material or real animal hair. Natural animal hair is your best option, to ensure that the bristles aren’t too coarse that they damage your suit. Similar to shaving, brush downwards.
Base your dry cleaning habits on your suit’s fabric. Fabrics of higher micron numbers (higher than Super 110s wool) are richer and softer, but also finer and more fragile. Dry clean these as infrequently as possible. After wearing, hang your suit outside and use a damp cloth to pat the fabric softly to clean any spots as an alternative.
Airing is recommended to eliminate any odours and dry out any moisture in your suit. Keep your suit outside your wardrobe for one day after wearing, this helps to rejuvenate wool since it is a natural fibre and will lessen the need for dry cleaning.
Try to avoid wearing the same garment two consecutive days, if possible allow a minimum of 24 hours to rest. This gives your suit time to recover and retain its shape.
A quality hanger is crucial when it comes to suiting. Your choice of hanger can help maintain the shape of your jacket and ultimately help it last longer. No wire hangers, ever. Keep your suit on the Anthony Squires hanger supplied to help maintain the shape of your jacket, thereby extending the length of its life, this too will help smooth out any wrinkles sustained during wear. Avoid packing it in between lots of other clothes, which could cause it to wrinkle or chance of stamp effects of colour from other dull colour cloths. Wool suits are recommended to be occasionally hung for a short time in a steamy environment, this can easily be achieved in a bathroom to relax and refresh the garment.
A great alternative to dry cleaning is pressing. Get your suit pressed at your selected dry cleaner, this has less cost involved and will successfully remove unwanted creases.
A garment bag is a must if you’re a serious traveller with a suit. Look for one that is easy to carry, light and breathable. If a garment bag is totally out of the question, learn how to properly fold and pack a suit in a way that minimises wrinkles and offers maximum protection.
Entrust your garment only with a reputable dry cleaner. Skill, care and quality of chemicals used varies greatly. A poor dry cleaning can ruin the fabric and shorten the life of your suit.
01: Avoid excess loads in your pockets, which could strain the joints.
02: Unbutton your jacket before you sit down. Also pull the pants up when you sit so you don’t pull the fabric too much.
03: Do not rub forcefully on stains or dirt to avoid it embedding into the fabric.
04: Save the dry cleaning for stains or other major emergencies, and even then have them spot clean only the affected areas if possible. Frequency depending on wear should be 6-12 months.
05: Never hot press, iron or have heat treatment onto a stain on the suit, otherwise it will permanently imprint the stain.
06: Avoid metal wire hangers for suits. If a hanger is not available, fold your suit jacket inside out with shoulders touching.
