Suit Care

Suit care should be on the top of your to do list once you purchase your suit. Some things to consider are: dry cleaning, tailoring, storage and moth protection.

Why?

Moth Protection 
- It would be a great tragedy if you wore a $1,000.00 suit once and then found it had been eaten by moths the second time you went to wear it. 
Moth protection is a must for anybody keeping suits in their house. These little insects can cause big problems in a matter of seconds. Unless you plan on keeping an eye on all your suits at all times you should take measures to protect them.

The biggest enemy to the moth besides your fly swatter and array of poisons is cedar. These bugs despise the pleasant smell of cedar and will not go near it. A cedar closet is the ideal body guard for your clothes. However, cedar hangers are much more affordable, portable, and financially viable.

A note of caution when using cedar wood is that it will eventually start to lose potency. The quick and easy solution is to just take some sand paper to the wood and unlock the magic again. If you don't like to sand you can always buy cedar spray to liven things up again as well. 

Suit Storage 
- You'll want to have your suit ready to wear at all times which means curled up in a ball under your bed is not an option. 
Suit storage is a necessary piece of the suit care puzzle. Storing your dress clothes in a haphazardly manner can cause you a lot of pain when you go to wear them.

Suits need to be properly cleaned and pressed after use. Hang them in a manner that keeps them from acquiring any new wrinkles in between uses.

Cedar closets are the ideal place to hang your suits but a normal closet out of direct sunlight is a fitting alternative.

Traveling with a suit can be a bit trickier. When traveling you will want to keep your suit as wrinkle free as possible - you never know if your destination will have a good local tailor.

Use a garment bag to protect your suits and dress shirts during travel. These bags are relatively inexpensive and can hold a suit in hanging position quite easily. 
Suit Alterations 
- Unless you plan on staying the exact same size all of your life you will probably need to find a good tailor. 
Suit alterations are great for both the shrinking and expanding man. A good tailor can save you hundreds of dollars on a new suit for a mere fraction of the price.

However, you should know when its appropriate to repair your clothes and when you should throw in the towel.
 

Areas that can be tailored elegantly are: 

1. Waist - The waist can be taken in aggressively to make the pants more snug. Expanding the waist is limited to how much excess material is in the pants. You can tell how much you have by looking inside the back of the pants.

2. Legs - The legs are like the waist in that they can be shortened by great lengths but are limited in the amount you can lengthen them.

Jackets can be let out at the waist and shortened at the sleeves but be careful to get a good tailor if you decide to do anything else.
Dry Cleaning 
- If you decide to just pop your suit in the washing machine you can probably forget about ever being able to wear it again. 
Good dry cleaners can really make a mans life easy. Being able to toss your suit on without having to worry about whether or not it was done correctly takes some of the daily stress away. Besides, we have enough to worry about don't we?

 

Quick Tips

1. Use word of mouth to find a cleaning establishment in your area. Asking somebody if they know a superior professional isn't very hard to do and you may even make a new friend.

2. Check to see if the business is certified. A certified organization has employees that have been professionally trained.

3. Shop around until you find somebody that will give you a nice crease at a reasonable price. The industry is very competitive and you don't have to accept poor service. 

source: www.theguidetomenssuits.com