PRODUCT CARE GUIDE

Learn how to take care of your luxury garments

In order to ensure your purchase continues to look and feel at its best, we would recommend you take care of our garments in the following ways, always bearing in mind a general rule, that natural fibres need a rest after wear and that if you alternate your wardrobe daily, your clothing and shoes will serve you even better.

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CARE GUIDE FOR

Suits and Jackets

Caring for your suit and jacket properly is essential to maintain their appearance and extend their lifespan. Here's a useful guide to help you keep your clothing in top condition.

After a day's wear, place your suit or jacket on its original hanger or use a wooden hanger with a suitably curved shoulder. Let the garment hang in the open for a while to allow any natural moisture and odours to evaporate before placing it in the wardrobe. This helps prevent musty odours and wrinkles.

Remove everything from the pockets, and try to avoid carrying heavy or bulky items in them. This will help your suit retain its natural shape and prevent pocket bulges.

Treat any stains as soon as possible. Dry marks can often be cleared by gently rubbing with another part of the same fabric. For moist stains, use a dry cloth to blot and absorb as much of the moisture as possible. Quick action can prevent stains from setting.

Use a lint roller or adhesive tape to remove any lint or hair from the fabric. This should be done as soon as you notice any buildup to prevent staining and maintain a clean appearance.

Before storing your suit, give it a gentle brush with a soft clothes brush to remove dust and debris. Brushing also helps raise the fibres of the fabric and prevents shine, especially on high-wear areas like the elbows and seat.

When ironing fine fabrics, use the principle that steam removes creases while drying sets them in. Use a piece of silk or cotton fabric between the iron and your suit to protect it from direct heat. Iron at a low temperature and use steam sparingly.

For certain types of marks on fabrics, you can cautiously apply a damp cloth to gently blot the affected area. Always test in an inconspicuous spot first. Grease, oil, or inks will need a dry cleaner or specialist.

Dry clean your suit sparingly, as the process removes some of the natural oils from the fabric and can lead to wear over time. When you do decide to dry clean, choose your cleaner carefully. An independent cleaner often has more experience with fine-quality garments and can help avoid unnecessary damage. If your suit has mother of pearl buttons, notify your cleaner to avoid unnecessary damage.

If you want to store your suit for an extended period, use a good-quality suit cover to protect it from dust and moths. Ensure that air can circulate within the cover to prevent any mustiness. Prior to storing your suit make sure it has aired for several days to avoid mildew forming.

When traveling in a car, it's advisable to remove your jacket. The combination of body heat, pressure from the car seat, and seat belts can cause creases and shine across the shoulders and lapels. Transport your jacket separately to keep it looking sharp.

Once you've worn your trousers for the day, they may have developed creases. Simply tossing them onto a standard hanger or leaving them in a heap on the floor can exacerbate the creasing when you wear them next. To address this, we recommend using a clamp hanger for your trousers. Hang them from the trouser hems, and here's a handy tip: keep your dress belt attached for added weight, which will help naturally straighten out those creases. Leave them in this state for a few days before returning them to a normal trouser hanger for storing. 

By following these tips, you can ensure that your suit and jacket remain in excellent condition, allowing you to look your best and enjoy their durability for years to come.

Knitwear

Remember to take note of the washing instructions, as not all knitwear will be the same. Washing at too high a temperature and with too much soap is usually the cause of any shrinking problems.

Knitwear should be dried flat and away from sunlight to keep it at its best.

Pilling is occasionally a problem with knitwear, but it is usually part of a natural process caused by some of the shorter and superfluous fibres coming to the surface of the yarn and perhaps working into little balls. Pilling fibres should remove themselves naturally or come off in the washing process without detriment to the garments wearing qualities.

Cashmere Knitwear

To avoid stretching your cashmere garment, it is wise to remove pullovers and sweaters over the head by pulling at the waist and not the neck. Never hang knitwear it will inevitably lengthen.

Pilling is the formation of small balls on the outside of a garment caused by the abrasion of short, loose fibers that have worked their way to the surface of the fabric.

Some pilling is likely to appear in most new garments. During the spinning and knitting process, there will naturally be some loose or excess fibres the presence of which will result in a little pilling; however, in high quality garments, this is unlikely to persist after the first wash.

Most commonly pilling occurs in areas of high friction such as underneath the arm as it passes the body when walking or moving, this is to be expected but it should not be overly noticeable in a densely knitted, good-quality sweater.

Lower-quality garments are produced using the shorter and coarser fibers from the back and legs of the Hircus Goat. These sweaters are knitted loosely to keep the amount of Cashmere used to a minimum.

To give an appearance similar to their more luxurious counterparts they are often given a large amount of surface fibre which, whilst initially pleasing to the touch, will roll easily into balls and be the main cause of long-term pilling.

When wearing your luxury Cashmere sweater excess pilling can be avoided by protecting them from areas of day-to-day high friction such as car seatbelts, bag and shoulder straps, and the edges of tables and desks.

Should your garment begin to require the sort of attention that only experts can provide, you are welcome to return it to us and we will arrange for it to be reconditioned by our manufacturer in Scotland free of charge.

Laundering expensive knitwear is best done by hand in preference to Dry Cleaning which gradually strips the Cashmere of its natural oils.

Hand washing may seem like hard work but years of due care and attention will result in cosy perfection and a garment that only seems to feel softer with every wash.

Step 1

Begin by removing any pilling, especially in high-wear areas like under the arms, using a Cashmere comb. This is particularly essential before the first wash to eliminate loose fibers that may have surfaced during initial wear.

If the garment features any leather detailing, such as buttons or zippers, it's advisable to cover them with cling film to prevent dye transfer.

Turn the garment inside out to protect the outer surface and any delicate features during cleaning.

Wash each Cashmere item separately to prevent color bleeding.

Step 2

Fill a spotlessly clean sink with lukewarm/tepid water (not hot!).

Add the recommended amount of Cashmere shampoo, typically no more than 50ml. If a specialized Cashmere shampoo isn't available, you can use 30ml of gentle baby shampoo or a detergent like Woolite or The Laundress Shampoo.

Step 3

Submerge the garment in the soapy water and gently massage it to allow the knitwear to absorb the detergent. Avoid twisting, stretching, or rubbing the sweater, as this may distort its shape. A delicate kneading motion will suffice.

Rinse quickly and repeat the process, then soak for 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 4

Rinse the sweater under lukewarm running water to remove excess soap until there's no trace of shampoo when the garment is gently squeezed.

Gently manipulate the Cashmere to remove most of the now-clean water.

Step 5

Wrap your sweater in a large, clean towel and gently press it to allow the towel to absorb excess water from the garment.

Place the sweater on a flat surface, preferably on a fresh towel. Carefully arrange it in its original shape, being cautious not to stretch it, with particular attention to the cuffs and the welted bottom.

Step 6

Lightly roll the sweater inside the same towel and then remove it to a warm room or cupboard. Do not line dry, hang in the sun or tumble dry.

Allow up to three days for the sweater to air dry naturally. This will keep the fibers supple and result in the softest possible wear.

Step 7

Once the sweater is dry, lightly press it with a cool iron to restore it to its original condition.

Following these steps will help maintain the quality and softness of your Cashmere sweaters for years to come.

When their purpose is made redundant by the warmer weather it is advisable to store your Cashmere garments individually in sealable storage bags to protect from possible moth damage.

  • Specialist garment bags are available for storing Cashmere, but large zip-close freezer bags will also prove suitable. Freeze the sweaters overnight to kill any potential moth larvae.
  • Lauder your garments thoroughly prior to summer storage; moths are particularly attracted to remnants of skin, hair, and food, and perspiration residue provides optimum warmth for larvae to develop.
  • Ensure that your sweaters are entirely dry before storing them as any dampness may result in the development of mold.
  • Store your sweaters in a clean, dry place away from any direct sunlight.
  • During a long storage period, it is recommended that you give your sweaters a periodical shake to dispose of any dust and possible moth eggs.
  • Cedar balls deter moths with their scent and should be stored outside the bagged garments to protect the storage area from infestation. Other effective products such as sprays are available from specialists.

Ties

Avoid wearing a seat belt over your tie. The material of a seat belt rubbing on the fine silk of a tie can have a remarkably abrasive effect.

If it is really necessary to clean a silk tie, we recommend a specialist dry cleaning service.

Shirts

Before washing your shirt, make sure that you undo all of the buttons to avoid undue strain on the fabric and stitching.

To protect the buttons, turn your shirts inside out before placing them in the washing machine.

For the best and easiest results with fine cotton fabrics, iron your shirts whilst still damp from the washing process. Start with the inside of the collar and then iron the collar points on the front, following that iron the yoke, cuffs and sleeves before ironing the main body of the shirt.

Shoes

Our formal shoes are produced using traditional techniques and, when well cared for, they will serve you well you for many years. To keep them at their best, we recommend that you wear them in gently so the leather can adjust to the shape of your feet.

Leather soled shoes should be well worn before being exposed to damp conditions. The compacting of the sole in wear makes them much more efficient at keeping the wet out.

Rotate your shoes; after wear let them dry naturally and give them a rest the following day, use wooden shoe trees so as to help retain their shape.

Wooden shoe trees and shoe care products are available from our online shop.

Crockett & Jones have an excellent repair service and will give your shoes another life. It is essential to have the soles repaired before the wear in the centre of the sole puts too much pressure on the welt seams.