A suit isn’t simply a piece of fabric. It’s a representation of everything you are. From the style of the buttons to the simplicity or complexity of the fabric, the colors, and the combination of the items of the attire, everything leaves a statement.
This is where custom-made suits often outshine store-bought ones, as they bring out the best in you in the most unique ways.
But what happens when this piece of custom-tailored clothing falls to wear and tear? A situation like that can feel like a disaster on the inside. If you patch it up, it may look worse. If it doesn’t, it still wouldn’t go back to its original glory.
Of course, it wouldn’t come to that if you keep it in an optimal condition. Maintaining custom suits isn’t all that hard, and doing it well helps you prolong their use. Plus when you do the math, you’ll realize it’s better to spend time on your suit’s upkeep, than to spend money on a new one.
Let’s look at some of the key ways to keep your suits in shape.
1 – Use Quality Hangers
Here’s one of the best suit care tips you’ll hear today: Invest in good hangers. Why? Because low-end ones like the flimsy wire types take a toll on your suit. They’re not made for delicate fabrics and so, often distort their original shape. This makes the suit worse to look at and wear. In comparison, wide wooden hangers maintain the original shape of your hung items with better support.
2 – Clean With A Brush
Suits aren’t immune to dirt and debris. When you go out, a significant amount of the dirt in the atmosphere gathers up on and around the outer layer of your clothes. Over time, it can make your suit lose color and look dull. To avoid this, you should always keep a natural fiber brush at home. Whenever you return from work or a party, simply use the brush to get rid of unnecessary particles without harming the fabric of the suit.
3 – Proper Storage
A good suit, like many good things, needs to breathe. Of course, not in the literal sense. So, when it comes to caring for custom suits that you’ve spent more mullah on, you need to put some extra care into the mix. There should be no chance of mold growth or moisture issues wherever it’s kept. The best way to achieve this is to ditch the cheap plastic bags in favor of more breathable garment bags. The benefit here would be that you still get quality protection from dust and moths, while also preventing the possibility of mold and moisture.
4 – Steaming Over Ironing
Ironing isn’t for everything. Irons are a great tool for quickly getting rid of wrinkles and bad odor. But the thing about suits is that suits are often made with delicate pieces of clothing that aren’t made for the hard presses of an iron. To keep your stitching and fabric intact, I recommend that you opt for steaming instead. Steaming is one of the simplest suit care tips you can implement today. It’s easier on your clothes and it keeps them in great shape for longer without harm.
5 – Spot Over Dry Cleaning
I love dry cleaning. It saves you from the hassle of bringing your clothes back from the laundry to now dry before you can use them. But the downside to dry cleaning is that it’s rough. The machine doesn’t have feelings and it doesn’t care how much your coat costs. Frequent dry cleaning ruins the fabric of your suit. This makes the maintenance of custom suits slightly tedious, but you can still get rid of pesky little stains through spot cleaning. Just don’t let it sit. Use a mild detergent and a clean piece of cloth to immediately get rid of unwanted stains.
6 – Avoid Overloading Pockets
Remember that custom-tailored clothing isn’t made for casual use. I, too, have the habit of keeping one too many things in my pockets, as that’s what they’re for. But when it comes to formal or business suits, it’s better to keep things light. The problem with filling up your pockets in these cases is that they tend to damage the shape of your suit. You wouldn’t want that. The best policy here is to store less spacious things like business cards.
7 – Don’t Rely On One Suit
Another common problem is that people who invest in custom suits tend to invest once and wear everywhere. One tailored suit doesn’t make all the difference. You need at least 5 to 10, which you can use one after the other. This helps you make every suit last much longer since none of them are being used repetitively. In turn, caring for custom suits is much easier when you have multiple articles at hand instead of one. This way, every suit gets more recovery time and lasts longer.
8 – Reduce Weather Damage
Maintaining custom suits can be an even bigger challenge in taxing weather conditions like rain and snow. If protecting your suits is a top priority for you, you should consider staying indoors during such times. However, if you’d rather go out anyway, you can still carry an umbrella to keep yourself and your clothes dry. Of course, if caught by rain or snow by surprise, you should find shelter and brush off anything that gathers on the suit. You can later hang it to dry in a suitable place at your home.
9 – Use Cedar Blocks
Cedar is underappreciated in the areas of suit maintenance. It’s a great addition to your suit storage area, as it helps you create another layer of protection against moths and moisture. But that’s not the only reason to consider this valuable suit care tip. It also helps you add a pleasant aroma around your suits. As a result, you get to keep your suits in the best condition for excellent use going forward.
10 – Leave It To The Pros
With good care, you prolong the life of your suits tenfold. But at the same time, maintaining custom suits isn’t the same as keeping it 100% new. You might still come across wear and tear due to unforeseen circumstances, and those would tempt you to approach amateurs for a cheaper stitch. However, you should consider that professional fits require a professional hand. An experienced tailor can help you make the right changes without compromising on quality or the suit’s original design.
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