Questions about - Mens Suits - "Dry clean only"

[mariodude]

Hello all! Long time lurker, first time poster/registered-user here,


Work for a small, charity/non for profit organisation. Earning nothing to fancy, but more of a formal/finance role and I am on a budget.

In regards to suits

I am looking to buy some, and as certain suits state that they are "Dry clean only". What happens if you machine wash them?

How is 78% Polyester, 22% Viscose - Is this dry clean only? or machine washable?

I do not have close dry cleaning facilities, and i work in a charity/non for profit organisation, earning a modest salary.

If there is a Dry clean suit for around £35, and the machine washable which is going to cost me over £70.
Would it be better to simply buy the £20, use it many times and put it the machine to wash. Will it still look the part?


Cheers

 

[maxalex]

You will not find any suits that are machine washable. Suits have internal structure--canvassing or fusing and shoulder padding that cannot be washed conventionally, it will all get ruined and misshapen. However with proper care it is not necessary to dry clean suits often. Twice a year should be fine. Buy a clothing brush to remove dirt after every wearing. Allow the suit to air out on a good wide hanger.

 

[lildog]

First, some general advice would be avoiding anything made of polyester, viscose, or any other synthetic material.

Putting a suit in a washing machine would ruin its shape and shorten its life-span, if not ruin it totally. Dry cleaning is not very good either, and is to be avoided if not necessary. The best way to care for a suit is to hang it in the air on a proper hanger, so it doesn't smell, and brush of any dirt or stains with a damp cloth of some kind. You don't have to clean a suit very often.

A well made suit that is taken care of will last many times longer than a cheap suit that is dry cleaned a lot or god forbid washed in the washing machine. In the long run, it is always a better investment to buy a traditionally constructed suit than a cheap one of poor quality, plus it will look better.

Hope this helps!

 

[lildog]

You will not find any suits that are machine washable. Suits have internal structure--canvassing or fusing and shoulder padding that cannot be washed conventionally, it will all get ruined and misshapen. However with proper care it is not necessary to dry clean suits often. Twice a year should be fine. Buy a clothing brush to remove dirt after every wearing. Allow the suit to air out on a good wide hanger.

This.

 

[mariodude]

Is this machine washable?

85% Polyester,15% Viscose.


I really can't afford to spend over $200 on a suit. Just looking for some budget advice. Cheers

 

[mensimageconsultant]

Machine washable suits exist. There is nothing worth recommending, as there are always ways to acquire cheap, better suits that aren't washable. That said, Google will lead to the ill-advised item.

 

[J Stinson]

Is this machine washable?

85% Polyester,15% Viscose.


I really can't afford to spend over $200 on a suit. Just looking for some budget advice. Cheers

Machine washing a suit will ruin it. Unless you are terribly messy you can get away with dry cleaning a suit once a year. Use a clothing brush to remove dirt and hang the jacket on a wide hanger or valet before storing it back in your closet.

 

[thefringthing]

On budget: Thrift stores are chock full of polyester suits. It's fairly likely that you'll be able to find something that's not horrendously ugly that fits you for less than $20 if you have some patience.

On dry cleaning: Any modestly-sized town in the developed world will have a dry cleaning place.

 

[Falu_al]

It sounds as if the suit you have is not a canvased suit, rather using fusing to add the right structure of the jacket. If you wash the jacket, you'll ruin the fusing. Same is also true for canvased suits. So eventhough you might be able to wash the fabric itself, you can't wash the jacket.

 

[Falu_al]

and to buy a suit, just look for a thrift store and find the right jacket fit over the shoulders. You can easily alter the waist to fit you nicely

 

[shrink1061]

I think the problem is that you’ve come to the wrong place for the kind of advice you seek. I guess here the focus is on style and materials not budget. However.....

I work in the IT industry and often my job requires me to work in places where I’m expected to look smart, but there’s a good chance I’ll get dirty or the suit will get scuffed and marked.

For this event I have two super cheap fully polyester suits. Now things have come a long way on these fabrics in recent years and to be honest they look acceptably presentable, especially in 2017 when no one seems to know style if it hit them in the face.

Both these suits are marked as machine washable and have been so several times now. Both work and look just fine after a few years of ownership.

They’re not massively elegant, they won’t WOW anyone. But in a vase requirement of turning up to a place of work that demands you use business wear, then they are fine.

If you want to look stylish, there are better ways.

Mine are from the UK clothing giant M&S but I’d imagine you’ll have something similar where you are.

My advice, get at least one really nice suit though. Something made from wool that fits you well. Wear it on those days where making an impression matters.