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Garment Care Recommendations

Daily use & everyday tips

We guarantee our garments to be made with the highest quality/craftsmanship. However, the quality will only last as long as you take care of your garments. Below, you will find recommendations/tips on how to care for your garments as well as other items in your closet that accompany them. We will cover everything from laundering/dry-cleaning, daily use/care, and some everyday tips.

Shirts

DRY-CLEANING:

We recommend having all of your shirts purchased through Richards Bespoke to be “dry-cleaned” from any reputable dry-cleaner nearest you. Always inform them this is a custom-made shirt.

We do not recommend getting your shirts “starched.” If you prefer to have them starched, request “light” to “minimum” starch.

Do not let the dry cleaners “launder” your shirts! This may cause the shirts to shrink in size.
We do not recommend washing the shirts yourself. If you must, wash the shirt(s) on “cold” with like-garments but do not dry them in the dryer. Instead, hang-dry and then iron.

DAILY USE/CARE:

Collar Stays
If your shirt collar is not a button-down collar, we recommend to either utilize the plastic collar stays that came with your shirt or the metal collar stays we provided with your purchase. Collar stays will help keep the collar’s shape by not folding/rippling.

To keep the collar standing up properly and not laying over your jacket lapel (collar), place the small magnets that came with your metal collar stays on the inside of your shirt where it will connect to the stays.

Stains
If you spill something on your shirt, take it to the dry-cleaners and ask for them to remove the stain. If you would like to remove the stain yourself, we recommend “Amodex Ink & Stain Remover”

SUITS

DRY-CLEANING:

Despite popular belief, you do not need to have your suits dry-cleaned after each wear. We have suits in our closet that we have had for over 5 years that we’ve never had dry-cleaned. If you sweat through your suit (e.g. dancing at an outdoor wedding in the summer), we would recommend taking it to the cleaners to have it dry-cleaned.

If you’re wanting your suits to look their best or to remove any wrinkles, have your suit “pressed” at the dry-cleaners (especially if you desire creases down the front of your pants and the jacket looking crisp).

If you insist on having them dry-cleaned, we recommend not having them cleaned more than 4x/year and make sure to take both pieces of the suit (jacket and pant) in together (otherwise, the chemicals used in dry-cleaning could potentially cause discoloration between the two).

Never wash your suit in the washing machine. Ever.

DAILY USE/CARE TIPS:

Our biggest piece of advice: Invest in a quality garment steamer. We personally own a Jiffy Steamer and have had it for over 10 years with no issues. After each wear, hang the jacket and pants up separately and run the steamer around any areas where wrinkles are present to remove those wrinkles.

Never wear your jacket while riding in a car. This will cause wrinkles down the back of your jacket. If driving, either hang it up on a hanger or lay it flat in the backseat. If riding, take it off and hold it.

Avoid wearing your jacket while sitting at your desk. This will help eliminate the elbows of your jacket wearing out and/or causing wrinkles in the back of your jacket.

Never iron your suit. Most forms of wool are not meant to be ironed. Instead, use a garment steamer or have them pressed at the cleaners.

Avoid putting anything in the front pockets of your jacket. This will cause the fabric, lining, and canvassing to stretch and lose its shape.

If you spill something on your suit, ask the dry-cleaners to “spot-clean” where the stain is.

SPORT COATS

Everything that applies to the jacket portion of the suits section would also apply to sport coats.

SLACKS

This does not pertain to suit pants, only individual slacks.

DRY-CLEANING:

Request that your dry-cleaners “press” your slacks if you’re wanting them to look crisp and new
We recommend having your slacks “dry-cleaned” once per month, especially if you are wearing them regularly (1-2 times per week).

If you get a stain on your slacks, take them to your cleaners and request they “spot-clean” to remove the stain(s).

DAILY USE/CARE TIPS:

Never iron your slacks (if they are wool). If they are cotton (such as chinos), you can iron them.

If your closet is designed/equipped with vertical hanging space for longer garments, we recommend purchasing clamping trouser hangers to hang your pants upside down. This will help release wrinkles in the pants.

If you own a garment steamer, utilizing the clamping hangers is also helpful when steaming out your slacks.

Blue Delta Jeans & Chinos

How do I care for raw denim?

Blue Delta Jeans should be washed in cold water on delicate cycle and hung out to dry. Raw denim’s worst enemy is heat. If you have them dry cleaned, please be sure to let your dry cleaner know that your jeans are raw denim and require a no moisture cleaning. We recommend using Lapels Dry Cleaning, a nationwide company whose GreenEarth Cleaning process is perfect for your Blue Delta Jeans.

How often should I dry-clean my Blue Delta Jeans?

Jeans should be dry cleaned as often as you might dry clean a suit or a coat. Depending on frequency of wear, 1-4x/year.

What is the deal with people soaking raw denim in a bathtub or keeping them in the freezer?

As you learn more about raw denim, you will discover some interesting ways to clean and care for your jeans to achieve different fades. Some work well while others can damage your jeans. Here is a good article to get you started if you choose to venture beyond the recommended dry cleaning method.

How do I break in raw denim jeans?

Raw denim breaks in like real leather! Work in it, play in it, live your life. The more you wear it, the softer it becomes.

SHOES

We recommend using shoe trees to maintain the shape of your shoes. They can be easily purchased through Richards Bespoke, any store that sells dress shoes, Amazon, etc.

For leather shoes, wipe them down with a damp cloth after each time you wear them. This will help remove scuffs or other debris.

For professional cleaning, we recommend taking them to any local shoe shining store.

TRAVEL

Suits/Sport Coats/Slacks/Shirts: When traveling on a plane, use a hanging garment bag (either the one that came with your suit/sport coat or invest in a more durable travel one that can be checked/withstand being under the plane). We recommend carrying the hanging bag on the plane with you and either placing it in the overhead compartment or asking a flight attendant if they have a closet you can hang it up in.

If you must pack your suit in your suitcase, follow these instructions on how to fold suits properly to prevent wrinkles:

Regardless of where you pack your suit, place each individual garment in a plastic covering (like the ones your clothes are separated in when you pick them up from the dry-cleaners). This will reduce the amount of friction caused between the garments and will keep them from wrinkling.

To release any wrinkles from packing, first ask the hotel if they have a garment steamer. If not, hang your suits/sport coats/slacks up in the bathroom (either on the shower curtain rod or towel rack), turn on the shower as hot as it will go, and close the door. The steam from the shower will help eliminate/release most (if not all) wrinkles.

If you’re taking dress shoes, wear them to the airport and stop by a shoe-shining station either before your flight or after you land. Almost all airports have them and it’s a good excuse to get them shined.

When packing your suitcase, place your socks or underwear in your dress shoes. This will create the same solution as shoe trees and can free up space in your suitcase.

HANGERS

For jackets, you should have the hanger that Richards Bespoke provided at purchase, but if you happen to lose it or have other jackets not purchased from us, we recommend using wide (or extra-wide) shoulder hangers. This will help keep the structure of your shoulders in the jacket.

For suit pants/slacks, we recommend using clamping trouser hangers to hang them upside down, especially if your closet is designed with vertical storage for longer garments.

WEDDING PREPERATION

See “Travel” section if you are traveling for your wedding

Have your tuxedo or suit “pressed” (not “laundered” or “dry-cleaned”) by the cleaners at least one week prior to your wedding
Have your shirt “dry-cleaned” by your cleaners at least one week before the wedding

If you’ve received your wedding day attire weeks/months before your wedding, keep the shirt and suit/tux in the plastic slip inside your Richards Bespoke garment bag. This will keep it/them from collecting dust in your closet.

SWEATERS/TURTLENECKS/POLOS/OTHER KNITWEAR

HOW TO WEAR?

  • Do not wear a cashmere garment next to rough clothing, such as rough leather goods, denim jackets, any coat with rough seams etc, these will cause the cashmere pill.
  • Do not wear suits with inside label of rough edges, do not put pens, hard edged purses, wallets and other hard objects in your suits pockets, do not wear anything underneath of above with a rough zip or rough buttons, these are the main reasons causing cashmere sweater pilling in your chest, or waist.
  • Do not wear rough jewelry and accessories such as metal necklaces, bracelets, belts and rough leather items such as crocodile leather bags.
  • Do not let the seat belt directly next to your cashmere sweaters when you drive or sit in a vehicle, it can cause pilling.
  • Give your favorite cashmere a break. Wearing it everyday even though you love it will cause it to lose shape or build up hard-to-remove perspiration stains. Alternate it with other sweaters or jackets.
  • Spray on your perfume before putting on your sweater – perfume is strong and can weaken the fibers of your sweater. Make sure it is fully dry before putting on your sweater.
  • Do not wear it to do heavy activity which will overstretch our cashmere sweaters, as it is very delicate this may lead to thread breakage and pill.
  • Do not over stretch a cashmere sweater and pull its neck over your head, or body, when it is too small, as cashmere yarn is weak and easy to break, do not wear sweaters too tight.

HOW TO WASH?

  • Wash your cashmere sweaters by hand. Even the instructions tell you to machine wash a sweater, never do so; do not dry clean it if you can hand wash, as the detergent dry cleaners use will harm your cashmere sweaters.
  • If possible, turn the sweater inside out to wash.
  • Fill a sink. tub or basin with water that is cool to lukewarm in temperature. Add a small amount of delicate apparel wash or shampoo for hair to the water. Swirl the detergent around until it dissolves in the water before putting the sweater in to be washed. After placing the sweater in the water, swirl it around a bit then let it soak for approximately twenty minutes.
  • Once you have drained the soapy water out, rinse the sweater with hair conditioner, this will make your cashmere sweater softer.
  • Do not put your sweater in the dryer, do not hang to dry, do not wring or twist a sweater, as these will cause it to lose its shape, and may lead to yarn breakages in the shoulder and neck area.
  • Then, lay the sweater flat on a large towel. You may even want to roll up the towel with the sweater inside, then press to extract more water. Lav the sweater flat on a new dry towel until it is completely dry. As your sweater dries, smooth it into shape with your hands as you would if you were ironing it.
  • Iron sweaters with care. If you have not wrung your sweater and you’ve dried it flat, it should be wrinkle-free and in good shape and not in need of an iron. If it truly needs an iron, use a dampened towel over the top of it and a low-setting on the iron. Only iron those parts that really need it, and iron from the inside of the garment if necessary.
  • Dry it away from heat and sunlight.
  • Be extra careful of sweaters with attachments such as beads, embroidery work etc.; use cool water to prevent the colors from embroidered labels running.
  • Wash colored garments separately.
  • Do not bleach your wool garment.

HOW TO STORE?

  • When Winter is over, we need to store our cashmere sweaters. When you store, make sure you fold it to store it. Hanging sweaters will result in a longer sweater, a misshapen profile and possible yarn break in shoulder and neck area.
  • Fold garments or place them neatly in tissue paper or a plastic bag and store them in a closet away from light, dust and dampness.
  • Do not use moth balls – they smell very bad and are very unhealthy for human beings. Use cedar balls or ask at your health food store for a safe alternative to mothballs. Keep your wardrobe clean – dust out and vacuum at the end of each season.
  • Wash any sweater you put away for storage, fresh stains that may not yet be visible will oxidize and become fixed during storage. This is very important to avoid providing a free meal for moths. They will accept the invitation!
  • Store sweaters dry. Whether you are storing your sweaters for a season or for a few days, never put the sweater away damp. This will encourage the growth of mildew or mold and this cannot be removed. It may also spread to surrounding clothing and will smell bad.
  • Check for moths regularly. If you spot them, air all clothing outside, vacuum the base of the wardrobe, scrub down the walls and check for clothing with holes. Remove clothing with holes and wash these.
  • A well-sealed plastic storage box (available in most stores) is good enough (a see-through one is better as you can notice that if there is any moisture inside) Make sure the box is dry before you put sweaters in.
  • Be careful when using storage boxes such as cardboard boxes. On the one hand, these are preferable to plastic because they let the natural fibers breathe. On the other hand, they attract nibblers such as moths and mice seeking food and nest material. If you wish to use them, check them regularly during storage. Or try a cedar-lined chest or suitcases.

HOW TO CARE?

  • Treat stains: You’ll want to treat stains immediately with cold water and mild soap, stains can be removed easily as soon as they appear. Gently rub the soap into the stain on the sweater using a soft cloth that has been immersed in cold water. If you are washing the sweaters in a sink. make sure the sink is completely sanitized first or the cashmere fibers will absorb bacteria and odor.
  • All cashmere pills, do not be alarmed if our cashmere has pilling, this is normal and does not mean your apparel item is of inferior quality. Pilling is caused by abrasion during regular use or even exposure to certain surfaces. Pilling is more apparent around the chest, elbows, under the armpits and on sleeves but can occur anywhere on the sweater, it can be easily removed.
  • We need to remove pills from your sweaters regularly to keep them looking presentable. Please buy a de-pilling comb available at most any store that sells fabrics and fabric accessories: or gently pick off these balls by hand.
  • Repair the sweater quickly. If a button falls off or a small hole appears, repair the sweater the moment that you discover it. If not, the hole may get bigger.
  • Do not use brushes of any type, scissors, or other tools to remove pills, improper handling of balls will lead to yarn break.