How often to dry clean a suit?

[jhcam8]

Weekly cleaning will wear a suit out quickly. If it doesn't smell better to brush and air it out then a little steam iron touch up.

 

[blackbowtie]

Originally Posted by AscotMcPocketsquare

They don't know what they're talking about

It goes without saying. But I surprisingly found myself struggling to demonstrate that wearing the same suit twice a month without cleaning for 6 months is not actually that gross.

 

[Don Carlos]

Originally Posted by blackbowtie

It goes without saying. But I surprisingly found myself struggling to demonstrate that wearing the same suit twice a month without cleaning for 6 months is not actually that gross.

Would you be expected to know all the intricacies of women's clothing? I should hope not.

By the same token, cut your female colleagues a little bit of slack here. They don't know anything about men's suits on any level deeper than the most basic of appearances. Trying to explain the ins and outs of cleaning and caring for suits is going to go over like a lead balloon with them. I mean, what else would you expect? Pretty much everything they own gets cleaned after every wearing, so they have no comparable frame of reference. I'm sure I'd find the idea of not cleaning an item of clothing after 6 months gross, too, if I didn't know any better. And I'm not sure that someone's casual explanation at the lunch table would help.

 

[wj2009]

I dry clean suits once or twice a year, but I don't wear any of them more than 2-3 times a month. Sometimes, I even get my suits dry cleaned even if they apprear to be quite clean, because I fear without doing it once in a while, a suit may grow mildew and get the rest of the closet affected. Am I being unnecessarily concerned?

 

[madaboutshirt]

Originally Posted by B2C2V

Is it possible to order this way for RTW? Thanks.

sure, this is entirely possible but that's not to say every label and every store will offer this. Some menswear stores go directly to the supplier so they can order whatever the customer wants, e.g. a suit with a EU46 jacket and a matching EU48 pants, or a spare pair of pants.

I just recently bought a grey Valentino suit and a second pair of matching pants, the colour and cut are exactly the same as that of the suit, only difference being the back pockets have flaps.

 

[jhcam8]

Originally Posted by Spiral Stairs

In my brief time here, this is one area in which I've found myself illuminated. I used to get my suits (which I wear every day) dry-cleaned every 3 or 4 wears. Now, I'm trying to stretch it out. Two things hold me back:

1. I walk to and from work, and it's a 35-minute walk each way. When the weather's hot, I sweat.

2. I keep wondering what all you guys do about creases in your pants. My creases are pretty weak after 3 or 4 wears, and almost gone a couple wears after that. Are you guys all ironing/pressing at home? Or just going (nearly) creaseless?

.

You do carry your coat and not wear it, I suppose?

Brush and iron. There's quite a few threads on home-ironing. Try it - you'll like it.

 

[Don Carlos]

Originally Posted by jhcam8

There's quite a few threads on home-ironing. Try it - you'll like it.

There are certainly a lot of threads on home ironing, but attempting to iron a suit is not for the beginner. That mucn should be said. And reemphasized. And reemphasized again. Amateurish ironing is a fantastic way to f- up the shape of a good suit.

 

[Spiral Stairs]

Originally Posted by jhcam8

You do carry your coat and not wear it, I suppose?

Brush and iron. There's quite a few threads on home-ironing. Try it - you'll like it.

I sometimes wear the coat and sometimes carry it. The coat is less of a concern than the pants though, since my skin is always separated from my coat by an undershirt and dress shirt.

As for ironing, this is a place where I just have to be realistic with myself. I have a demanding job that requires long hours, a wife and three year-old son who like to spend time with me (I think), and a desire to spend my scant remaining spare time doing things that interest me.

It might be different if I didn't have to wear a suit every day. But as things stand, it's all I can do just to take care of my shoes.

Are all you guys really home-ironing frequently? If that's what it takes, I may just have to resign myself to my suits' hastened death by dry cleaning.

 

[jhcam8]

Originally Posted by Arrogant Bastard

There are certainly a lot of threads on home ironing, but attempting to iron a suit is not for the beginner. That mucn should be said. And reemphasized. And reemphasized again. Amateurish ironing is a fantastic way to f- up the shape of a good suit.

Steaming it to get out the wrinkles and judicious touching on a cool setting. Don't try to iron it like a shirt.

Originally Posted by Spiral Stairs

... and a desire to spend my scant remaining spare time doing things that interest me.

Hell yeah - like ironing!

 

[Siggy]

Originally Posted by Spiral Stairs

I
Are all you guys really home-ironing frequently? If that's what it takes, I may just have to resign myself to my suits' hastened death by dry cleaning.

I never iron my suits, and very rarely dry clean them. Yet I wear a suit every day. I never wear the same suit two days in a row, and when I come home I brush my suit and hang it on a proper hanger. A day or two later any wrinkles are usually gone just from hanging. Sometimes my suits get wrinkled from traveling that won't go away just from hanging, and then I get them cleaned and pressed.

 

[sho'nuff]

dont try to dry clean as much as you can

the thing is, if you wear it that often and need to dry clean (and you got no other option like brushing or steaming), then it would suffice to say that buy workhorse suits for the regular wear and rotation.
stuff you get from brooks, banana republic, jos a banks, etc.
a suit you dont mind eventually damaging with constant dry cleaning.

save the brionis, kitons, rlpls, isaias and such for the special occasions and going out.

 

[blackbowtie]

Originally Posted by Spiral Stairs

I sometimes wear the coat and sometimes carry it. The coat is less of a concern than the pants though, since my skin is always separated from my coat by an undershirt and dress shirt.

As for ironing, this is a place where I just have to be realistic with myself. I have a demanding job that requires long hours, a wife and three year-old son who like to spend time with me (I think), and a desire to spend my scant remaining spare time doing things that interest me.

It might be different if I didn't have to wear a suit every day. But as things stand, it's all I can do just to take care of my shoes.

Are all you guys really home-ironing frequently? If that's what it takes, I may just have to resign myself to my suits' hastened death by dry cleaning.

Can't you just send your suits to the drycleaners and have them pressed ONLY, instead of drycleaned? That can help restore the crease, without excessively shortening the life of your suits.

 

[TheWraith]

Even pressing too often shortens the lifespan of your suits, though not as much as dry cleaning I'm sure.

 

[blackbowtie]

Originally Posted by TheWraith

Even pressing too often shortens the lifespan of your suits, though not as much as dry cleaning I'm sure.

Then maybe the OP should resign himself to a life of creaselessness.