A good suit can last a decade; a poorly maintained one, barely a year. Here is how to protect your investment.
1. Rotate Your Suits
Never wear the same suit two days in a row. Wool fibers need 24 hours to recover their natural crimp and spring back into shape after being worn.
2. The Brush Down
Invest in a horsehair suit brush. Brush your suit down after every wear to remove city dust and food particles before they settle into the fabric fibers.
3. Hang it Right
Throw away the thin wire hangers. Use wide-shouldered wooden hangers that mimic the shape of your shoulders. This preserves the structure of the shoulder pads.
4. Don't Over-Clean
Dry cleaning is a chemical process. Doing it too often (like every week) strips the wool of its natural oils, making it brittle and shiny. Clean your suit only when it's visibly dirty or has lost its freshness—typically once every 3-4 wears or once a season for occasional suits. In between, use steam to refresh it.