Ever wonder how some garments become unwearable within a short period of time but some others look as good as new even after years? It all comes down to how you take care of it. Read on to know how to maintain your suits to make them last longer!

Pant suits for women have become a style staple of late and even in this age of laidback tech startups, the art of dressing is not lost. In fact, with the constant work-from-home, the excitement to dress up is at its peak with power suits. However, like a new car or a new watch, a suit is one of those major investments and is likely to be the most expensive garment in your wardrobe. 

Buying a suit isn’t enough; you must also learn how to take care of and maintain one to improve its lifespan and make your investment worth it. Here are our tips and tricks to maximise the life of your suit:

Limit Dry Cleaning

Garments go through a typical cycle of wash, wear and repeat. However, after a few days, your first inclination may be to take it to the dry cleaners. While there’s nothing wrong with this, if you want to maintain your pantsuit, trips to the dry cleaners should be kept as minimal as possible.

 

Why? Because dry cleaning makes use of harsh chemicals on your garments and these are incredibly harmful to the fine wool fibres of your suit. When you frequently repeat this process, it can dry out the natural fibres and damage the buttons. 

 

But then how do you know if your suit needs cleaning? Suppose you feel there are any strong smells coming from your suit it’s time to take them to the dry cleaners. You can work on the food stains by dabbing with a damp cloth. If you need the suit refreshed for an event, you could always steam press. 

Store With Care

Like with all other clothing items, suits should be stored carefully when you’re not using them because you don’t want any mouldy or humid conditions to ruin them. 

 

Store your suits in a breathable garment bag. Most suits come in a bag of their own, but just in case you need to purchase a bag for an existing suit, make sure that it’s cotton and not plastic. Making proper use of these accessories, you can then hang your suit in a spacious rack on a wooden hanger so it can breathe. 

 

Brush between Wears

Brushing your suit down after every wear helps remove the lint or dust that may have settled on the surface of your blazer without causing any damage. Out of all the fabrics, wool has the tendency to accumulate more dust so it’s a good idea to brush your suit out after every use. 

 

When you couple this with good airing, you may not have to dry clean your suit often increasing its longevity. 

 

Wear the Right Size

Boxy suits may be all the rage right now, just like slim fit suits were a while ago. Workwear for women is changing with every season. However, wearing a pant suit in the wrong size can do more harm than good. Tight-fitting suits run the risk of splitting at the seams when you’re bending to pick up something or taking a big step. The best way to combat this is to choose suits that fit you well and if you can’t find one, get it customized to your size. 

 

Keep Rotating your Suits

As it is with most business formals for women, your suits also need a break. But what if you work in an office that requires you to be in a suit all the while? No worries! You can still limit the number of times you wear a suit to no more than thrice a week. All you have to do is get more suits so you can regularly rotate your wardrobe. This should also help to air out your pant suits and get rid of any stuffy smells. 

 

Avoid using Pockets

This may sound counterintuitive, after all, why have pockets if you’re not going to use them? Well, it’s different with a suit, simply because constantly putting things in and out of your pocket is just going to wear it out. Moreover, sharp-edged objects like keys and phones will further decrease the life of your suit. The pockets are likely to get bent and out of shape and the edges will be frayed. 

Use your pockets minimally and if you must only use slim-line accessories. 

 

Be Gentle with Your Suit

This one is a given but still needs to be said out loud. You have invested a lot of money into your suit so it should only make sense that you look after it. Make sure to take off your blazer especially when you want to lift something heavy. Take care when you get in and out of a car. 

 

Avoid taking off your blazer with force or any sudden movements that could cause a split of seams. Think about the occasions you will be needing to wear your pant suit. Will you be constantly moving? Are you going to take your suit with you on a business trip? All these factors will come into play while picking the right fabric so you can ensure that it will fit its purpose. Proper maintenance goes a long way in making suits a proud staple in your wardrobe. 

Now that you know all about taking care of a suit, ready to find the perfect suit for you? Come, take a look at Power Sutra’s powersuits!