Tips for Keeping Your Suit Quality for Longer
Your suit isn’t just something you wear to cover up and look sharp. It’s an investment in your professional and social lives. And like all investments, a small amount of housekeeping can maximise its returns. Here, the return comes from keeping your suit looking like new for as long as possible. Unfortunately, some men develop a few bad habits and shortcuts that can make their pristine suits look tired and shabby in short order.
However, with a little preparation and a few routines that take seconds to perform, you can have a suit that will last you for years. Here are our key tips for maintaining your suit in the condition that you bought it.
Proper storage
How you store your suit when you’re not wearing it will impact its longevity more than anything else. There are two types of storage to consider – everyday storage, and long-term storage.
For the everyday, such as when you get home from work on a Monday evening, you need to hang your suit on a good quality hanger as soon as you arrive. You might have got a pretty decent hanger with the suit when you bought it, but there’s no harm in spending a little on a really good quality one. That means rounded shoulders that are about as wide as your own shoulders, with a dedicated crossbar to hang your trousers. It should have some sort of felt or other gently abrasive coating to stop the shoulders from sliding sideways, which is a surefire way to mis-shape the suit. Hang the suit freely, away from other garments.
When it comes to longer-term storage, invest in a good suit bag. It should be breathable – you don’t want to trap moisture in the bag, but you also don’t want it to be completely dry. The atmosphere in the bag should be the same as the air outside; the bag is just to stop dust, moths, sunlight and neighbouring clothes from touching your threads. Hang it as normal, slip it into the bag and zip it up. Just make sure it’s dry when you pack it away.
Transporting your suit
Your suit bag can double up as a transport bag. They usually fold in half, with a loop or button to hold it in place. Be gentle with it, and try to make sure it’s the last thing you pack in your suitcase. That way, you can ensure it’s not forced into an unnatural shape for what could be hours or days of travel. You might not want to pack it at all, leaving it in its bag outside of the luggage.
Take it onto planes with your carry-on luggage, or invest in a more robust suit bag if there’s a risk that it’ll be thrown around. As soon as you reach your destination, get it out and hang it up, preferably outside of the suit bag so it can fully acclimatise and rest.
Washing and drying
Always follow the washing instructions, as suits can easily be irreparably damaged by washing and drying them incorrectly. In 99% of cases, that means dry cleaning only. You might be able to spot clean small splashes and marks by dabbing the affected area with a damp cloth and a very small amount of detergent, but treat this as a last resort, especially on lighter coloured suits.
Remember – prevention is better than cure, so try to avoid situations where you could damage it. That said, it’s always worth giving your suit a dry clean every few months if you wear it often. Grime will build up without you noticing, but other people will certainly notice.
Daily routines
After every wear, gently shake the suit to loosen any creases, hang it up neatly, and give it a wipe with a soft suit brush to get rid of small particles of dust and dead skin. It only takes a few seconds, but it makes a huge difference over the long term.
Doubling up
Letting your suit hang unworn for a few days keeps it straight and flat, and lets the fabric breathe and acclimatise. That’s why it’s a good idea to have at least two suits on the go at any time. You can alternate between them and give them a rest between wears.
Bad habits to avoid
Finally, don’t fall into these bad habits, which can shorten your suit’s effective lifespan dramatically.
- Using the pockets – the only pocket that should actually be used is the front one, for example with a pocket square. The other outside pockets are for decorative purposes only, and anything larger than a wedding ring will cause a crease that might become permanent. Even inside pockets should be used sparingly. A well-fitted suit will expose large objects in there too, so maybe just keep your phone and wallet in there.
- Sitting in seats – when you’re in a car, train or plane, it’s best to take the jacket off and fold it neatly – or better still, hang it up. The rear of the suit will inevitably get badly creased after a short period of being leant and sat on. Even office seats and armchairs will cause creasing, so if it’s at all possible, take it off. Of course, it’s not always appropriate to do so, but just be mindful of what’s going on around the small of your back.
