Washing my H&H shirts with MOP buttons

samus · Sep 22, 2009

I picked up a few RTW Harvie & Hudson shirts when I was recently in London. Problem is, I'm nervous about washing them. They are my first shirts with true MOP buttons, and they are very thin, it seems to me, in comparison with my usual plastic jobs. Do I need to be especially delicate, or will they be fine? Thanks!

voxsartoria · Sep 22, 2009

You're right to be nervous.

I would never wash those shirts.

- B

samus · Sep 22, 2009

Come now, vox, we all have to start somewhere.

voxsartoria · Sep 22, 2009

Originally Posted by samus

Come now, vox, we all have to start somewhere.

Well, RJman wraps the buttons on his bespoke Lanvin with little squares of aluminum foil before they are laundered. As he posted in another thread, "Once my shirts are clean, removing the foil is like opening up a candy bar."

Alexander Kabbaz will also launder shirts. His technique? He rips off the buttons and sews on new ones with each cleaning.

- B

forex · Sep 22, 2009

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

Well, RJman wraps the buttons on his bespoke Lanvin with little squares of aluminum foil before they are laundered. As he posted in another thread, "Once my shirts are clean, removing the foil is like opening up a candy bar."

Alexander Kabbaz will also launder shirts. His technique? He rips off the buttons and sews on new ones with each cleaning.

- B

So,when are you picking the shirtmaker,sir?

voxsartoria · Sep 22, 2009

Originally Posted by forex

So,when are you picking the shirtmaker,sir?

Fwocker.

- B

hws · Sep 22, 2009

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

Well, RJman wraps the buttons on his bespoke Lanvin with little squares of aluminum foil before they are laundered. As he posted in another thread, "Once my shirts are clean, removing the foil is like opening up a candy bar."

Alexander Kabbaz will also launder shirts. His technique? He rips off the buttons and sews on new ones with each cleaning.

- B

You are making joke for both this thing, yes? Kabbaz do not remove button of shirt when wash shirt.

Do rjman wear also this?

Mild Mannered · Sep 23, 2009

If your washing machine at home is a front loader, you'll be ok. Wash in cold water then hang dry. If your washing machine is a top loader, do NOT wash in the machine. Hand wash, then hang dry. A top loader washer has that twisting mechanism in the middle that will destroy things. The Euro-designed Front loaders have only a rotating drum and 'tumble' wash the clothes. You can also keep the shirt buttoned & turn it inside-out before washing. That will protect the buttons further from any direct contact with the washer drum or other garments that the shirt can catch on. I have several MOP shirts that I wash in cold water setting on our Front loaders. I always let them hang dry (or almost dry) then iron. no problems experienced here at all. Avoid dry cleaners. They press the hell out of everything and will destroy your buttons.

laphroaig · Sep 23, 2009

Don't forget to get advice from vox on where to send your shirts for pressing. I hear Royal Mail does a great job pressing shirts but I'm not certain of post code.

Journeyman · Sep 23, 2009

Originally Posted by Mild Mannered

If your washing machine at home is a front loader, you'll be ok. Wash in cold water then hang dry.
If your washing machine is a top loader, do NOT wash in the machine. Hand wash, then hang dry.
A top loader washer has that twisting mechanism in the middle that will destroy things.
The Euro-designed Front loaders have only a rotating drum and 'tumble' wash the clothes.
You can also keep the shirt buttoned & turn it inside-out before washing.
That will protect the buttons further from any direct contact with the washer drum or other garments that the shirt can catch on.
I have several MOP shirts that I wash in cold water setting on our Front loaders.
I always let them hang dry (or almost dry) then iron. no problems experienced here at all.
Avoid dry cleaners. They press the hell out of everything and will destroy your buttons.

I have a top loader, but I put my shirts into individual laundry bags before washing them. I've been wearing some of my shirts for 11+ years, so I assume that the bags work well!

The only reason to be nervous about MoP buttons, as far as I am aware, is if you send your shirts out to the cleaners and they use a large press on the shirts, instead of hand-ironing them. This is because the pressing machine can crack the MoP buttons. Hand-ironing, though, does not present any problems.

laphroaig · Sep 23, 2009

Originally Posted by Journeyman

I have a top loader, but I put my shirts into individual laundry bags before washing them. I've been wearing some of my shirts for 11+ years, so I assume that the bags work well!
All my shirts get washed in easy-care preset in the washing machine, ie. hot water, several cycles, takes about an hour, slower spin dry setting. I can hear the MOP's tapping against the glass window occasionally. No broken buttons yet. I'm more worried about breaking the cuff buttons from hitting hard surfaces on some tables. I don't like top-loaders. Over time they tend to shred everything.

Mr.P · Sep 23, 2009

The Turnbull and Asser Online Store site has a Garment Care section with detailed instructions. They actually recommend having the shirt unbuttoned so as not to put too much pressure on the buttons.

evil_bond · Sep 23, 2009

a good shirt should be able to withstand regular washing at the recommended temperature for years. I have H&H shirts that are 6 years old that are still looking super (though i wash them at only 30C, but that is due to my extreme fear of sleeve shrinkage).

Kent Wang · Sep 23, 2009

I wash cold on the delicate setting in my cheap-o, old top loader and have never cracked a button, except for a Jantzen one but that button style (the self-shank) seems particularly fragile.

samus · Sep 23, 2009

Thanks for the tips, everyone!

Washing my H&H shirts with MOP buttons

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