Maintain Your Suit
Treat your suit with love and respect and it will return the favor when the time comes to wear it. Herewith, everything you need to know to ensure your suit will last.
Brush
It Off
A clothing brush will gently remove dirt and lint, extending the life of your suit and removing some of that dreaded shine that appears on well-worn areas. Lay your jacket or pants flat on a hard surface and brush from the top down. Make sure to attack areas like armpits and the top of pockets where lint, crumbs and grime often accumulate.
Bristle brush, $35 by Kent
Keep It Dry
Precipitation can wreak havoc on a jacket's lining. Your suit will likely end up saggy with puckered seams, and it's hard to get the original shape back after that. Bring protection if the forecast calls for rain.
Hang It Right
Your jacket may've come with a plastic hanger, but you should spring for a well-made wooden one. They have a substantial shape to the shoulder and arch forward slightly, which supports and maintains your jacket's shape. Keep pants wrinkle free with the "Savile Row fold," developed decades ago by London's best tailors. Grab the pants by the legs and fold one through the hanger until the hem reaches the crotch. Finish by folding the second leg similarly over the first.
Ludlow jacket and pants, by J.Crew
Spot Steam It
Before you put it on, check the jacket's elbows and the back of the pants for wrinkles and simply steam the areas with a handheld steamer. It's the ideal solution for keeping a suit looking fresh (and much more effective than hanging it near a hot shower).
Steam brush, $25
by Rowenta
