Death of my Zegna Soft suit.......

[kolecho]

Being new to suits, I bought my first so-called nice suit from Zegna - the soft range in 2002. After regular wear in the past 6 months, it died on me. I can see very fine white threads coming out from the fabric. When I asked Zegna, they said that it was due to bad dry-cleaning processes. They also said that the fabric shrunk due to dry-cleaning. That is seen in the shoulder-sleeve joint. I can't wear the suit anymore because it looks like I bad dandruff over the shoulders from conversation distance. Is Zegna Soft really that poor in quality, or is it really the dry-cleaner's fault? The Zegna guys recommended that I get a suit that is made out of Trofeo fabric. It is apparently more hardwearing. Any experiences with Trofeo here? How many days of wear could I realistically expect from an all-season suit like Zegna, Cerruti or Armani, assuming I get the dry-cleaning right? BTW is the new Zegna Z replacing the Zegna Soft range. Just want to make sure I don't mess up again. Many thanks for your kind advice.

 

[AlanC]

I can't speak to what caused your problem, but it sounds like you may, in fact, be dry cleaning your suit(s) too often. Get a steamer and a clothes brush instead and cut way back on the dry cleaning.

 

[Ranjeev]

I agree with Alan. You shouldn't dry clean your suits more then twice a year. Spot clean them and hang them up once you get home. Don't place them in a garment bag, let the suit breath by spacing your suits out a bit in your closet. A steamer is a great idea and I'm actually in the market for one right now. Zegna Soft is a fused suit and the Z line is just a new name for basically the same thing. The style and cut are often nice but overpriced for what you get. I'm not sure how many wears you should get from your suit but a lot more then 6 months. I'd be interested in hearing how much longer canvas suits last, in comparison to a fused suit.

 

[hopkins_student]

How do you recommend spot cleaning a 120s wool suit? I asked the owner of the boutique in Baltimore, where I purchased my Zegna suit, how I should care for the garment in the event of a small stain (not in the permanent sense). He told me I should never spot clean it, but have it dry-cleaned immediately, suggesting that spot cleaning might cause the color to fade in the area of the spot. What say you all to this?

 

[Ranjeev]

Depends on the stain I guess. I usually just try and wash the spot with water and soap. That seems to work well. If that fails, I usually just do a google search to see what the best way to get the stain out is. I dry clean only as a last resort. The chemcials are too rough on the fabric. Same for shirts. I hate dry cleaning shirts. I'd rather hand wash or just throw them in the wash.

 

[montecristo#4]

I had my tailor make me a suit with Zegna Trofeo fabric a couple years ago. He had it in stock so I got the suit at a relative discount. In any case, here are a couple pictures: http://www.styleforum.net/cgi-bin....;t=6595 For what it's worth, the Trofeo has worn pretty well. It is a great fabric to travel in (this suit is my go-to suit when I fly) because it doesn't wrinkle very easily. That being said, I take care of my suits--hang them from cedar suit hangers and let them air after every wear, brush them regularly, steam them, and almost NEVER dry clean them. This particular suit has been to the dry cleaners just twice in over three years. Montecristo

 

[FIHTies]

How do you recommend spot cleaning a 120s wool suit? Â I asked the owner of the boutique in Baltimore, where I purchased my Zegna suit, how I should care for the garment in the event of a small stain (not in the permanent sense). Â He told me I should never spot clean it, but have it dry-cleaned immediately, suggesting that spot cleaning might cause the color to fade in the area of the spot. Â What say you all to this?

Of course he did... How else could he sell you another?

I have spot cleaned regularly and never had a fade. Dont forget that we are talking a little water on a rag or towel to get out the food or dirt that invariably will get onto the clothing you wear. We arent talking major pressure or steam cleaning of that particular spot. If a decent suit cant hold the dye in the place that you spot cleaned it how much could it be worth? JJF

 

[MilanoStyle]

Do not dry clean suits. Get many suits and rotate. I wear a suit once in 2 weeks. Get steamer. Steam your suits and air it out. Brushing will take out minor dirt. Do spot clean rather than dry clean.

Z line is not really replacement of Zegna Soft. Z line is new line from Zegna for younger people. Hugo Boss like stuff. The design of Zegna Soft was not sleek, the items looked like for older people.

Stick with Ermengildo Zenga. Their quality is pretty good.