Ten habits that separate a suit that ages gracefully from one that’s tired in 18 months. From the master tailors at Sicily & Savile, Parkhurst.
A well-built bespoke suit can last 20 years of regular wear. A poorly cared-for off-the-peg suit can be unwearable in 18 months. The construction matters — but care matters more. Here is everything we tell our clients when they collect a new commission.
1. Rest the Suit Between Wears
The single most important habit. Wool needs 24 hours of rest between wears to recover its shape and let trapped moisture dissipate. Wear a suit two days in a row and you’ll see it lose its sharpness within months.
The implication: own three suits if you wear them daily, and rotate. Two suits worn five days a week each become tired in a year. The same two suits worn alternately last three years.
2. Hang on a Proper Hanger
The hanger should match the width of your shoulders — not narrower, not wider. Cheap thin hangers create bumps at the shoulder. Wire hangers from the dry cleaner destroy a suit faster than anything else.
A good wooden hanger has:
- Shoulder ends shaped to match a jacket’s slope
- A bar for trousers (with a non-slip surface)
- Width matching your specific shoulder
Cost: R150–R400 per hanger. Buy ten. It’s the cheapest improvement you can make to your suit’s lifespan.
3. Brush After Every Wear
A clothes brush (natural bristle, not synthetic) removes dust, lint and surface grime from the cloth. Brush in the direction of the weave, focus on the collar, shoulders, lapels and back.
Why it matters: dust and skin oils break down wool fibres over time. A 30-second brush per wear extends the suit’s life by years.
4. Dry Clean as Rarely as Possible
Dry cleaning is harsh on wool. The chemicals strip natural oils from the fibre and the heat presses out the suit’s hand-built shape.
Rule of thumb: dry-clean a bespoke suit once every 12–18 months of normal wear, or after a genuine stain that won’t brush out.
For most maintenance, steam and brush instead:
- Hang the suit in the bathroom while you shower (steam removes light creases)
- Use a handheld garment steamer for stubborn wrinkles
- Brush after steaming to lift the nap
5. Spot-Clean Stains Immediately
For most spills:
- Blot, don’t rub
- Use plain cold water and a clean white cloth
- Work from the outside of the stain inward
- If it’s oil-based: dust with cornflour, leave 30 minutes, brush off
For wine, ink, blood or anything serious: bring the suit to us within 48 hours. We know which solvents work without damaging the cloth.
6. Store with Care When Not in Rotation
For suits worn rarely (wedding suits, summer-only pieces):
- Clean before storing (dust attracts moths)
- Use a breathable garment bag (cotton, never plastic)
- Add cedar blocks or lavender sachets (moths hate both)
- Hang, never fold for long-term storage
- Store in a cool, dry, dark place — avoid humid areas and direct light
7. Address Pocket Sag Early
Carrying a phone, wallet or keys in pockets distorts the suit over time. The fix is simple discipline:
- Outer pockets: never use them for anything but a pocket square
- Inside breast pocket: thin items only (cards, slim wallet)
- Trouser pockets: keep them light
A bespoke jacket is sewn with shape memory in its panels — heavy pockets fight that memory and win.
8. Iron and Steam Correctly
If you must iron:
- Always use a pressing cloth (clean white cotton) between iron and suit
- Low to medium heat
- Never iron a lapel directly — destroys the hand-rolled edge
- Steam from the inside for lining; outside through pressing cloth for body
Better: invest in a handheld garment steamer (R600–R1,500). Steam removes wrinkles without compressing the cloth.
9. Bring It Back to the Tailor
A bespoke suit is built with inlays — extra cloth in every seam — so it can be adjusted over its life. Use this:
- Weight changes of 3kg or more: bring the suit for a refit
- Button-hole fraying: we repair, don’t replace
- Lining tears: repair immediately before they spread
- Annual check-up: even with no problems, bring the suit once a year for a quick once-over
We don’t charge for minor adjustments on suits we made. It’s part of the relationship.
10. Know When to Retire It
Even with perfect care, suits do age. Signs a suit is genuinely retired:
- Shine on the back of the trousers or sleeves: the cloth is glazed; cannot be reversed
- Multiple thinning patches on elbows or seat
- Lining beyond repair through more than two patches
- Cloth weight loss through repeated dry cleaning (suit feels limp)
A well-cared-for bespoke suit reaches this point at 15–25 years. An off-the-peg suit reaches it at 2–5 years of regular wear. The bespoke suit is, as we said, the cheaper purchase per wear.
The Quick Summary
If you remember nothing else:
- Rest between wears
- Hang on a proper hanger
- Brush after every wear
- Steam rather than dry-clean
- Bring it back to us for adjustments
Do those five things and any decent suit will last twice as long as it would otherwise.
What We Do at Sicily & Savile
Every suit we build comes with a printed care card and access to our atelier for life. We service our clients’ suits — minor repairs, free for the first year, modestly priced after that — because we’d rather your bespoke commission lasts decades than be replaced every five years.
Visit us in Parkhurst or call +27 84 798 0359 if you have a suit that needs attention.
Sicily & Savile Bespoke crafts custom suits, shirts and tailored garments at our Parkhurst, Johannesburg atelier. Master tailors with 30+ years’ experience. Traditional methods. Built to last.