Wardrobe Rules – Simple Suit Maintenance

Every few weeks we are asked how often one should have one’s suits professionally dry-cleaned. The answer we always give is this: Only when necessary and at most once a season. There are smarter ways to maintain one’s suits than sending them to the dry-cleaners along with one’s dress shirts every other week, as the chemicals dry and wear out the wool and cause the colours to fade. Keeping your suits in good condition and clean is a matter of consistent good habits. Here are some simple ways to keep your suits looking and performing well in between (infrequent) dry-cleanings! Suit maintenance is easy!

1. After wearing your suit, hang the pants on the hanger and the jacket with it. Leave them hanging outside your closet to air out overnight.
2. Get a bristle brush, and brush your suits regularly. This will help to rejuvenate the wool, as well as get rid of lint and dirt which can accumulate over time.
3. Have your suit steam-pressed by a tailor or at the dry-cleaners a few times a year. A harmless process, this will help give proper shape back to the garment, as well as push out unwanted creases, wrinkles and any dirt the brush missed.
4. Have at least three suits in rotation for a given week. The less often a suit is worn, and at a lower frequency, the longer it will last.
5. When storing your seasonal suits and sport coats make sure they have been steam-pressed or dry-cleaned beforehand. You can hang them in a separate dedicated wardrobe. If you are still worried about pests invest in some cedar hangers for your suits, and simultaneously enclose your suits in breathable canvas suit bags, which allow the garments to breathe while mitigating against unwanted critters.