Cover Story
How to extend the lifespan of your suit
The tips and tricks you need to preserve tailor-made perfection
5 Minute Read
After completing a made to measure appointment with one of our tailoring specialists at Harrolds Sydney or Melbourne, you’ll likely leave with an immaculate suit in tow. Once those garments exit our store, they’re in your hands for a lifetime. But how do you make the most out of an expertly-made, bespoke suit jacket, or a freshly-hemmed trousers?
Here, we catch up with our lead tailoring buyer Alireza Shakoori to share some masterful maintenance tips for your most-loved fashion items. From storage hacks to ensuring longevity of wear, these are some of the suit-care lessons the Harrolds team has learned over 37-odd years. Take note.
Masterful maintenance tips
What is the first thing you should do with a fresh, tailor-made suit from Harrolds? How do you hang it or store it at home?
Regardless of the make of the suit, it’s important to use a hanger with the right size. It’s best to store them in a well-ventilated room and dry environment. The cupboard has to be free of insects such as moth larvae and silverfish. It’s recommended to fully clean the cabinets every year and spray them with appropriate insecticides. Direct sunlight should also be avoided at all costs to minimise the risk of colour fading.
What kind of hangers do you place it on? For jackets, and for trousers?
The hanger should support the shoulder area and should not be bigger or smaller than shoulder width. If you hang your jacket and the tip of the hanger is pushing the sleeves outward, then it’s too big for jackets. Thickness of the hanger is also important to avoid leaving a dent in the padding and shoulder support. Hanging a jacket on a thin or wire hanger from dry cleaners is not recommended.
The best material of hanger is cedar wood, known to absorb the moisture from after wear and keep the garment fresh. It also has a moth-repelling aroma and is thus very beneficial for keeping moths away from precious fabrics. Next up, the bar for hanging your trousers is better to be covered in felt to add grip to hold them on the hanger. Spending a minute to straighten the trousers on the hanger will save time as it will be crease-free and ready for the next wear.
Say you’ve taken your suit out for the evening (and accidentally had a champagne spill). How do you clean a bespoke suit from Harrolds MTM?
It doesn’t matter if the suit is MTM or bespoke or off the rack! Spillage of alcohol or sugar free drinks is not so damaging except for the odour hangover. If the odour can deteriorate by airing and no stains are visible, then best to avoid dry cleaning.
The first thing is to dab the fabric with paper towels to absorb the drink as much as possible. Avoid rubbing the area as it might aid the liquid to penetrate to the lining and canvas. It might also leave fluffs from the paper towels.
Red wine on bright fabrics may leave a nasty stain. Try to apply table salt and soda mix instantly and take the garment to a professional for dry cleaning as soon as possible. Lastly, sugary drinks spillage will require professional dry cleaning.
What are some cardinal sins when it comes to suit storage and preservation? What should we absolutely avoid?
Continuous wear is the most damaging activity and can easily destroy the garment. In addition to that, any position or activity which might put stress on fabric or the seams is detrimental — even sitting for long periods behind the desk or wearing the jacket while sitting in the car.
The most important thing is to be mindful that an expensive fabric will require extra care and a higher price won’t make the piece titanium. If you own a suit made of cashmere blends, or vicuña jacket or a woolen suit with high thread counts (anything beyond 120’s, or less than 15 micron), wearing it only occasionally is a must.
Any other tips for storage and maintenance of a favourite suit?
The first step starts from the price point. Spending extra bucks to buy a canvased suit or jacket or a soft tailed one (without any canvas) is much better than opting for a cheaper ones with fused linings. Fused lining has high risk of giving up, and as a result causing an unappealing bubbling effect on lapels or around the pockets. A canvased garment will keep its shape and can be worn up to ten years without losing its lustre and structure.
It is important to avoid excessive heat and direct sunlight in your suit storage area. It’s also recommended to avoid strong steam flow while steaming the jacket, as the excess moisture will pass the shell and penetrate the canvas. This will cause unwanted shrinkage from inside the jacket. Airing the garments after wear and avoiding sweating in the suit or jacket is vital — they are not made for exercise or lengthy walks.
Carrying shoulder bags or backpacks while wearing the jacket is better to also be avoided, as it causes a lot of stress on the fabric and construction of the garment. Frequent dry cleaning is also a no-go. The chemicals used in the process are not friendly to the natural fibres. So, if you are planning to press your suit at home, simply use a damp cloth between the shell fabric of your garment and iron’s surface. Keep this in mind especially for black and navy fabrics to avoid burning the fabric and that notorious shine.
When travelling with a suit, how should you pack it away?
Place them in a suit carrier. If not possible, then turn the jacket inside out and fold the jacket from the centre. Place one of the shoulders inside the other armhole and fold it in half. Avoid placing it on the bottom of your luggage, too! Bon voyage.
