Care for Specific Fabrics

The custom shirt shop and worldly gentleman knows that each fabric requires a particular mode of care. By paying attention to details, your investment will reward you handsomely.

Cottons are still the best choice for custom shirts and are practical and easy to maintain with regular laundering. With care, your cotton shirts should keep you looking fresh and feeling comfortable for a long time.

For thorough cleaning and brilliant color, you can use chlorine bleach on whites and color-safe bleach on custom shirts other than white ones. Cottons do have a propensity to wrinkle, and it is wise to press into service the cotton shirt's erstwhile companion, the steam iron.

Wools are priceless in value, timeless in appeal, and can last for generations with proper care. A few special rules apply here. Wools need their space. Give them a 24-hour cooling off period after wear and separate them when you hang them in your closet. On business trips, you can hang them in a steamy bathroom and they will regain their shape and lose their creases.

A brush or damp cloth will serve to keep your wool garments clean, and an annual trip to the cleaners will take care of the rest. When touching up wool garments with an iron, always use steam, as wool does not respond well to a dry iron. Rather than sliding the iron across the garment, use an up and down motion to obtain a freshly pressed look without damage to the fabric.

Remember to empty pockets and fasten zippers and buttons before hanging. Knits should always be folded to retain their shape. Be sure to use cedar blocks around your wool garments, as they are very popular with moths as well as refined gentlemen.

Silks are beautiful but require special care. They can fade easily when exposed to sunlight. They do not respond well to cleaning with water, as colors may bleed. Deodorants, anti-perspirants and perspiration are enemies of silk, so steps should be taken to avoid exposure.

Dry cleaning is a preferred method for silk. Some silks, however, are pre-washed and may be hand or machine-washed. Items should be washed separately on cool or lukewarm delicate settings and allowed to air dry away from sunlight.

If your silk garment is stained, time is of the essence. Tell the dry cleaner the nature of the stain and when the spill occurred. A good dry cleaner is an expert and selecting the appropriate cleaning materials and techniques to restore your prized silks to their original beauty.

Linens offer a beautiful texture that is excellent for custom shirts, particularly during warm months. Be prepared to provide due diligence to keep you fine linens looking great. Shirts can be dry cleaned or washed. If you choose to wash them, be aware of their propensity to wrinkle and have an iron within reach.

The good news is that with repeated washings, linen shirts actually become softer, less wrinkled and more comfortable. Suits and jackets must be dry cleaned to maintain their shape and preserve their inner features.