There is much more to owning suits than reading a ‘how to buy suits’ article online, spending a bit of money, and dressing in them for work or special occasions. While these steps are needed, caring for your suits so they last for a long time is also just as essential. Without proper care, your suits will quickly become worn out, instead of polished, refined, and stylish.

Before you purchase your next suit, consider the following tips about proper hanging and rotating.

Suits, Jackets, Trousers: The Importance of Hanging Them Up

For many men, the simple task of hanging their suits is often the most difficult, as they tend to fall back into the childhood habit of tossing their clothing on the floor or on the dresser without care. While you may have a hard time remembering to do this task at first, hanging your clothes up when you get home from work or come in from an important dinner or date is essential to preserving the life of your clothes.

• When you toss your suits on the floor on the dresser, they can quickly wrinkle. This means you will have to spend a significant amount of time ironing and starching them before you can wear them again. And, if the wrinkles are stubborn, you may have to take them to the dry cleaners. This will not only take a chunk out of your wallet, but, because suits should only be taken to the dry cleaners a few times a year, can shorten the lives of your suits.

• Even if it isn’t raining out, your suits will still retain moisture from your body throughout the day. If they are not hung up at the end of each day to dry, they will not be able to properly hold their shape and will develop a musty odour.

Essentials for Every Man: Suits Need to be Rotated

When you wear a suit, no matter what the thread count is, it should be allowed to rest for an entire day before you wear it again. Why? The natural fibres in men’s suits stretch and move constantly with your body while you are wearing your suits. While certain fibres, like wool, are better able to cope with this stretching, every fibre needs a certain amount of rest in order to maintain the suit’s shape, keep stitching strong, and reduce tension in the weave. For most suits, twenty-four hours is the perfect amount of time for rest.

Allowing your suit a day’s rest can also help eliminate odours. After you are finished wearing your suit for the day, hang it up with a wooden hanger. If you can, hang it up outside for a few hours so the fresh air can circulate and any odours on the clothing can be dispelled. If this is not possible, hang the suit up in your closet, but leave plenty of space between it and any other clothing so the fibres have room to breathe and relax.

If you want to preserve the life of your suit, hanging it and rotating it is essential. With these simple steps, your suit can look fantastic and last for years.

About Susan Grant

Susan has more than 7 years of experience as a Fashion Advisor for several reputed fashion houses and manufacturers including Brook Taverner. Her ultimate dream is to design and sell her own clothing line worldwide!

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