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An Expert Guide to Cloth and Garment Care
At Scabal, we are renowned in the sartorial community for our heritage fabrics and timeless high-end garments. Sustainability is at the heart of our craftsmanship; pursuing all measures possible as to decrease waste and overproduction. Sustainable measures however, don't end with the manufacturer, it is the consumer who must care for their cloth and garments to ensure everlasting quality.
Hence, we have asked the garment care experts at Arterton London to assist in creating a simple guide for effective and sustainable garment care, catered to luxury Scabal cloth.
The Dangers of Dry Cleaning
As a general rule, the best practice for your beloved garments is prolonging dry cleaning visits. There is a common misconception that the dry cleaners are always best. Not to be mistaken, dry cleaners should not be completely avoided, but aren’t always the leading solution.
The harsh chemicals used at the dry cleaners for cleansing can be damaging to fine fibres, especially if exposed repeatedly within a short amount of time. Further, the cleaning process used at dry cleaners does little for removing human moisture, as it is water-soluble only. We recommend visiting a dry cleaners at a maximum of three times per year, relative to wear. In between these visits, a sartorial should adapt a garment care routine. This guide will dive into each key matters to a quality garment care routine with specialised knowledge and advice.
If you find your garment looking a little lifeless, steaming will provide the fresh look often achieved by dry cleaning. Thus, an effective method to revive a crumpled garment. Alternatively,airing out a garment is often neglected, but is a rather effective way to let a garment breath. Allowing the garment to receive fresh air can remove lingering odours and evaporate humanmoisture. Simply hang your garment in a well ventilated area of fresh air. If desired for an enhanced freshness, dryer sheets can be placed between the layers of cloth. These simple fixes can achieve similar results to a dry cleaner in reviving garments.
Spot Cleaning and Stain Removal
Spot cleaning is an easy and effective practice to care for your cloth. From time to time, we all experience an accidental spill of coffee or lunch mishap upon our garments. This can often be resolved with a damp cloth and mild detergent (preferably of natural ingredients).
How to Spot Clean a Stain
1. Mix water and a mild detergent
2. Using a cloth, gently blot the affected area with the mixture, working from the outside. Always avoid rubbing and/or scrubbing motions as to maintain the fibre structure.
3. Absorb the moisture using a clean cloth.
Brushing Your Cloth
A garment brush is a necessary tool in garment care; assisting in the removal of dust and dirt collected or trapped in fibres through wear. Dust is often overlooked as a danger to fine cloth, but its effects can be detrimental. Dust can easily fade bright colours as well as cause abrasions to fine fibres, thus decreasing the lifespan of a garment.
Key Considerations in Using a Garment Brush:
1. Direction of Strokes
Starting at the top of the garment such as the collar or shoulders, work your way down the cloth using long and swift strokes. If wishing to clean the cloth, brushing against the nap of the cloth will be most effective.Brushing with the nap of the cloth will restore the flow of fibres, creating a smooth and pristine result.
2. Brushing to Clean Dampening the bristles of your garment brush to additionally assist in spot cleaning any minor marks or stains.
3. Pressure Applied It is key to consider the structure of cloth when applying pressure through brushing. For example, a wool cloth can withstand a firmer brushing in comparison to a cashmere, which requires a gentle pressure.
Storing Luxury Garments
A garment will spend more time in storage than on the body, therefore, how one stores their garments is vital for everlasting quality. A few factors are to be considered in terms of storage, those include proper hanging of garments and protective coverage of cloth.
The main threats posed upon hanging garments is shoulder dimpling, stretching and fade spots. These are often created by using an incorrect hanger. A hanger’s key purpose is to support garment integrity. Most bulk purchased wooden hangers or flimsy wire hangers provided by the dry cleaners cannot provide the necessary support.
A sartorially minded gentleman should consider the use of hangers which offer enough support for a bespoke suit. The curvature of a premium hanger often mimic the natural curvatures of the body; giving the effect that the piece never left the body. Their large surface area caters for the desired support required for high quality items. Carved from European beechwood and polished to a smooth surface preventing any pulls. If the correct hanger is unavailable to you, folding garments is preferred in preserving garment structure in comparison to using a poor quality hanger.
As previously mentioned dust is an unsuspecting risk to fine cloth. The use of dust covers or enclosed garment bags will ensure your cloth is kept safe through storage. Keeping dust off the most affected areas therefore preserving their colour and structure. An enclosed garment bag takes garment care to the next step, as also protecting from harmful UV rays and pesky insects. We recommend pairing your garment covers with a moth deterrent fragrance bag for optimum protection.
As a consumer, the best we can do for sustainability in the fashion market is to ensure we get the most wear from our pieces. A sartorial should be investing in quality crafted garments that are timeless and versatile. Further ensuring the garments and cloth are cared for, using high-end garment care tools and practices. If cared for correctly, a luxury garment can last generations.
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