It’s funny how things stay with you from your childhood. Far from being a spoiled child I was brought up believing in taking care of one’s own belongings and whilst I was a very ‘choosy” kid, from an early age it was instilled in me to always be freshly pressed with polished shoes. Both of these efforts had me learning to iron my own clothes and ritually polish my school shoes from an early age.
For most men, taking care of their clothes is not high on a list of priorities, and rightly so. But I believe if you invest in having a beautiful custom-made wardrobe you should have the care and attention to make sure your clothing is cared for in an appropriate manner. A lot of men assume, and in fact demand, that clothes should take care of themselves, with menswear shifting more and more towards synthetics that don’t crease and wash easily, even at times in the face of sustainability. The truth is that practicality is very high on the list of must-haves of American men as opposed to our European cousins who, for the sake of style, keep their local drycleaners busy with refined cotton, silks, and wools constantly Here are a few tips for our clients who may have missed the memo on garment care and could find it useful. |
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On The Road Traveling domestically can be one of the many challenges we all face and if, like me, you are often not in the front of the plane, travelling can be stressful for your clothing as well as your soul.
For a trip of a few days, carry-on can be the answer, and plan your travel outfit as part of your wardrobe, particularly the accessories with your footwear and belt able to work with the other pieces in your carry-on. Stick with easy-to-combine colors that don’t need too much thought and can work in suiting and business casual, such as navy and natural or shades of blue. Traveling in a sportscoat is actually easier to manage than packing it, as most airline seats, even in the back of the plane, have little hooks to hang your jacket, with the locker loop can be used for. I have even hung my jacket over the table latch, which can serve this purpose. This applies to road travel, too, with every car I know having back seat hooks on the grab handles for this purpose. Generally, I am against cramming as much clothing into a carry on particularly if it involves a suit. For those fortunate to sit up front, some airlines are nice enough to hang a garment bag or jacket for you, but my golden rule is if I need more than a few days, I always check luggage, giving me the luxury of having more room and consequently making it much easier to pack and reduce my travel stress. I personally think the short added time at bag-drop, provided you checked in online before arriving at the airport, is well worth the payback in trying to find overhead storage and managing multiple bags on board.
If you are a carry-on bag-crammer, make sure you are really good with a hotel steam iron. You WILL need to refresh items on your arrival, which can take more time than waiting for a checked bag, so plan time for either eventuality. |
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At Home Wide hangers that help sustain shoulders in jackets are a must and anything less is going to damage tailoring over time. If your closet is crammed it may be time for a purge and leaving breathing room between each hanger so as to not crease sleeves or lapels which can be the most difficult part to recondition of a sportscoat. Trousers should be hung folded along the crease and personally I prefer the clip type that lets the legs hang straight and uses less space in your wardrobe. I also hang polos with only tee-shirts and sweaters folded softly in drawers. I try to spend some time maintaining my closet from time to time keeping it arranged by color and garment type for easy coordination to help me with my daily routine but also for those quick turn-around changes we all have occasionally. It is funny but I realize my closet is the one place I allow really bright lighting to ensure reading color clearly as it is with black and dark navy that can often be confused. Lastly, and it may seem obvious, but make sure to check yourself in a FULL-LENGTH mirror preferably near a window before leaving home. |
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