Proper Suit Care

Caring for your suit and garments is easy, and something that every aspiring gentleman should know how to do. With proper upkeep, everything from your bespoke Senszio suit to your trusty off-the-rack blazer will be looking sharp and trim.

Storage

Suits:

• Make sure that your suit is hung upright.
• The hanger should be thick enough to fully support the shoulders, and long enough that the shoulder crease does not hang off the side. The Senszio hanger that comes with your suit will maintain your bespoke fit best.
• There should be nothing in the pockets as the extra weight can damage the seams.
• For long term keeping, a suit bag will keep your garments fresh.
• Your wardrobe itself should not be cramped, and tall enough that the bottom of your suits are allowed to hang free. If you can take one suit out of your wardrobe without disturbing the others, you have enough space.

Shirts:

• If storing in a wardrobe, use a hanger that is respectfully thick. A wire frame hanger will leave an unsightly crease in your shoulder.
• If storing in a drawer, make sure that they are not packed too tightly that the collars will be squashed.
• Drawer liners will also keep your shirts fresh.

Trousers:

• Draping off the cross bar on a hanger is fine. Keep matching trousers with corresponding suits on the same hanger for ease. Just make sure the hanger is strong enough to support both.
• When on the cross bar, make sure the weight is distributed evenly to avoid your trousers falling off, and creating stress along the fabric. Generally, the belt looped side should be slightly shorter than the pant legs.
• If storing in a drawer, overpacking will cause a crease along the folds. Leave space.
• Much like the suit jacket, make sure there is nothing in the pockets.

With proper storage, your vintage pinstripe suit will be in top form for this season’s fall/winter fashion.

Cleaning

Suits:

• Dry cleaning uses heavy chemicals that can cause lasting damage to your suit. Of course, the cost is worth it if you are trying to get rid of unsightly stains.
• After a day’s work, use a brush to gently clean dirt that has accumulated. Pay special attention to the collars and cuffs, these areas tend to trap debris
• Waiting too long for a deep clean is also detrimental, if it has seen constant use for 6 months, send it to the dry cleaners.

Shirts:

• If unavoidable, ask your launderer to take it easy during the pressing, they might come out a little less crisp, but the delicate care will extend the life of your shirts.
• Unbutton your shirt and pre-treat any deep stains with detergent or a stain removing pen.
• Place in the washer on delicate, if dealing with a particularly filthy shirt, use normal.
• After the spin cycle, take the shirt out to dry immediately before the deep-set wrinkles become too troublesome for an iron.
• Dry by placing them flat out or on a hanger. Avoid a drying machine, the heat will cause colors to fade and damaged fabric.
• Once relatively dry, iron them and fold/hang for storage.

Trousers:

• Much like suits, take them to the dry cleaners if used heavily.
• A brushing down otherwise will be fine.
• Inspect the bottoms of the pant legs, mud and dirt stains may be hiding out of sight. Use a damp toothbrush to rub away any caked mud. Don’t use too much water as the mud will dissolve into the fabric.
• For that slick crease down the front; and if you don’t have your own trouser press, use an iron to gently create the fold in your trousers. Patience is key, not a hot iron.

Choosing a good dry cleaner is important, they are taking care of your treasured garments after all. Avoid dry cleaners that outsource their cleaning to a larger facility, try to find somewhere that does everything in-house. If they only do dry cleaning and no laundry services, even better. The owner should be trustworthy and upfront with their costs; you don’t want them holding your suits hostage!

Once you have a freshly cleaned suit, you could do nothing worse than put it into a dirty closet. A dirty home will mean a dirty suit, so try to keep your wardrobe free from dust and dirt.

Travel

• When travelling with your suit, unless you have a designed suit-carrying baggage that you can carry-on, you may have to check it in.
• Try to keep your suit towards the middle of your suitcase where it can remain as flat as possible.
• To avoid creases on the outside, fold your suit inside-out with the lining facing out and the sleeves inside. This will limit the number of visible wrinkles.
• Always try to carry-on your suits if you can, and avoid wearing it on the plane, especially long haul.
• For shirts, make sure you are not packing too tightly to squash the collars.