Proper Suit Care (Vintage and Modern)

[Johnnysan]

Excellent advice from all...just a quick follow up to a previous post. DO avoid the adhesive type lint rollers and using tape in a pinch. My understanding is that with every use they transfer the adhesive from the roller to your clothes. Not only does this break down the fabric, it also defeats the purpose. Over time, more lint will stick to your clothes because they have picked up the adhesive.

 

[jamespowers]

Men's shirts, DO NOT PUT IN CLOTHES DRYER. What wears out clothing? Heat and friction (when you wear), and you guess what the dryer does........yup!
I gently machine wash with MILD and LESS soap. Treat collar with soil remover as that is my worst part of the shirt to have looking nice. Then I remove from machine propmtly, and hang on a plastic hangar to drip dry. Then a very cool ironing to remove wrinkles. I don't have a steamer yet..but that is far better than the iron.

Gee, I wouldn't know about all that. The wife does all that stuff. What's an iron? What's a dryer?

Regards to all,

J

 

[Andykev]

AVOID THE HEAT

Gee, I wouldn't know about all that. The wife does all that stuff. What's an iron? What's a dryer?

Regards to all,

J

The point is "what's and iron...what's a dryer"? They apply heat and friction!
That is why I DO NOT put my dress shirts in the dryer, and ONLY cool iron the wrinkles as absolutely necessary.

Your wife must be doing it right, because you always look sharp when we meet for lunch

 

[jamespowers]

Yeah she does a good job so I do not concern myself with it.
You have a point about buying the best shirts because they do last longer. Cheap shirts fall apart at the seams and the buttons fall off one at a time over a period of months. I like the Broadcloth and the Pima myself but some may find them a bit too thick for wearing in warm weather. The Pima isn't so bad though.

Regards to all,

J

 

[Jefferson Smith]

Hate to perform this thread necromancy, but I was wonderin'—where can a guy pick up a good brush to use on his suits?

 

[dhermann1]

Hey, don't feel bad. I wasn't on the Lounge in 2005, and I just red all the posts here. VERY informative. Can't help on the clothes brush question, tho.

 

[Feng_Li]

I wondered the same thing myself...I've been using a hat brush, and I considered using a shoe brush. Both are horsehair. My suspicion is that a badger (bristle) brush would be better.

 

[Jovan]

Same advice. Hang it up.

Buy a heavy weight material. The higher the number such as super 100 or super 150, the faster the suit will wrinkle up and wear out. It's is just another way to say the material is super thin and not durable. Buy a suit that you know can take a tumble... it may be hotter to wear, though that's why jackets can be removed.

Dry cleaning is harmful, dulls the colors and shorten's the lifetime, problem is that if your suit just needs a presisng it's hard to find someone who will simply sponge and press a suit nowadays. Wet cleaning is a new service that is coming into it's own in California and works better than dry cleaning... no harmful chemicals and the clothes get cleaner. If you have a place near you that offers wet cleaning, do that instead.

If you do bag your suit for storage, find a bag with ventilation so air flows.

Good advice.

Also, with regards to the quality of a suit, one with floating canvas instead of fusing will last much longer too.

 

[Orgetorix]

Hate to perform this thread necromancy, but I was wonderin'—where can a guy pick up a good brush to use on his suits?

Kent Brushes.

Website

Recommendation from Will, a FL member

Ebay store (link does not violate the live-ebay ban, I believe)

 

[Sylvester D]

Hey
Any advice on cleaning dress shirts?

As a lawyer, I wear a suit and a dress shirt everyday during week. I usually wash them first and then bring them to cleaners because i found out that the cleaners did a poor job of cleaning the whites.

Does the advice against drying cleaning suits too often appy to shirts??

 

[Orgetorix]

Hey
Any advice on cleaning dress shirts?

As a lawyer, I wear a suit and a dress shirt everyday during week. I usually wash them first and then bring them to cleaners because i found out that the cleaners did a poor job of cleaning the whites.

Does the advice against drying cleaning suits too often appy to shirts??

Even when you send your shirts out to the cleaners, they're laundered--not dry cleaned. The process isn't nearly as hard on shirts as dry cleaning is on suits. However, what is hard on them is starch and the machine pressing that most cleaners subject shirts to. You're better off laundering them at home at doing your own ironing, if you have the time. And you must wash them regularly--you don't want dirt to accumulate in the shirt, especially in the collars and cuffs.

Wash in cool or warm water, then air dry until just damp. Do not put them in the dryer, as it is harmful to shirt fabric and promotes shrinking. Iron the shirts with a hot iron and plenty of steam, then hang them up to finish drying.

 

[Sylvester D]

I hear you. I just like the crisp as look of a professionally starched shirt.

 

[cookie]

Mr New Age

Gee, I wouldn't know about all that. The wife does all that stuff. What's an iron? What's a dryer?

Regards to all,

J

James,You must have an ama! Congratulations!

In which colony are you presently residing?

 

[jgilbert]

Suit brushes

Saw the post on Kent Brushes. However what about a travel brush? something thin and flat?

And does the same rule for shoes brushs allpy to suits? black for black / grey / blue. And a brown for browns?

Thanks

 

[Orgetorix]

Saw the post on Kent Brushes. However what about a travel brush? something thin and flat?

And does the same rule for shoes brushs allpy to suits? black for black / grey / blue. And a brown for browns?

Thanks

Kent have a travel size brush as well.

I should think that one brush would be sufficient for all your dark suits.

 

[Robert Conway]

I wear my suits every day for work, so I tend to murder them a bit faster than most. The steam and brush help a lot though, as does a tape roller for lint et. al. Febreeze has also been a good friend to freshen them up in a pinch, though I am not so inclined to use it on my lighter cololored suits.

K

Actually the tape roller is a bad thing. The glue comes off and damages the fabric. Obviously it takes a lot of cleanings for this to happen, but why not just avoid the problem by using a good, soft clothes brush?

 

[cookie]

Cleaning Shirts

Even when you send your shirts out to the cleaners, they're laundered--not dry cleaned. The process isn't nearly as hard on shirts as dry cleaning is on suits. However, what is hard on them is starch and the machine pressing that most cleaners subject shirts to. You're better off laundering them at home at doing your own ironing, if you have the time. And you must wash them regularly--you don't want dirt to accumulate in the shirt, especially in the collars and cuffs.

Wash in cool or warm water, then air dry until just damp. Do not put them in the dryer, as it is harmful to shirt fabric and promotes shrinking. Iron the shirts with a hot iron and plenty of steam, then hang them up to finish drying.

My dry cleaners (not for me - other rich bar stewards) suggest dry clean to remove skin oil etc and then wash them.

 

[Undertow]

Although I only dry clean when absolutely necessary, or in the case of a new purchase from a thrift store prior to tailoring, I do occasionally utilize my dry cleaner for pressing only.

I can't currently afford a steamer. Is it "bad" for the suit to have a simple pressing?

 

[jamespowers]

James,You must have an ama! Congratulations!

In which colony are you presently residing?

HAHHAHAHAHH! lol
I reside right where my avatar states. An ama? [huh]

Regards,

J

 

[Marcus]

How about for 100% wool? I have been working on putting together a WW2 USMC impression and finally got a hold of the service alpha uniform. It's in great shape however it has that "old" smell to it. Would the steaming technique take care of that or should I dry clean it?