Why the Suit?
For a man, the suit is often the most expensive item in their wardrobe, and is needed for a wide range of occasions. With that in mind, it is imperative that a piece of quality tailoring is cared for properly, and not put away in the manner that some denim or a t-shirt would be, for example.
Follow our guide to make sure you get your suit care right, look better, and save money in the long-term.
The Jacket
The jacket, although the most important part of any suit, is the piece that actually gets “abused” the most, in that it is rarely properly looked after. Do not get me wrong, this is usually never intentional, it is just that men hang up a jacket but do not know how to do it.
Basically, do not hang your jacket on a regular, run of the mill hanger. This is the quickest way to ruin your shoulder pads and have you shopping for a new suit. Thin hangers are another big no, which begs the question why on Earth do most dry cleaners give you back your tailoring on thin hangers? The answer unsurprisingly is because it is cheaper, so if you are taking your suit to be cleaned, take your own thicker hanger with you and request it is hung on there.
A general point is to always keep the suit in a bag, as this will stop it gathering any dust, particularly if you only wear it sporadically.
Trousers
As long as the pants are hung carefully, you can use any of the wide variety of hanger styles available. What you should do wherever possible however is hang the suit trousers on a different hanger from the jacket. Clamp hangers are among the most popular, however ensure these are of a high quality, as many cheap varieties can mark and even permanently damage your suit trousers, not ideal when you have just spent a lot of money on them.
Most stores will give you the suit on the hanger anyway, so the best option may well be to keep those at hand for the lifetime of your suit.
Shoes
With shoes the rules are simple, polish them as a matter of course once a week as a minimum, and touch up whenever they become marked or scuffed in anyway. As soon as shoes begin showing permanent wear and tear, follow the underpants rule and throw them out straight away.
One of the leading websites in the UK focussed on suits for men is Stylepilot. The website features a large collection of the best suit manaufactururers, suppliers, and retailers in the UK.