Sportcoats and Blazers

Professionally dry clean. Low moisture, utility press.

You may be pleased to know most sportcoats and blazers need dry cleaning only twice a season. In between, however, here are some tricks of care we recommend. This may strike you as more instructions than you really need, but remember, you're protecting a valuable piece of clothing, and that takes some doing. 
 

At the very least, brush your jacket between wearings. Don't forget to check pockets to remove clutter before you brush and unbutton the jacket. Use a strong sweeping motion. Take short, quick strokes, first up against the nap, then down with the grain of the fabric.   If you wish to do your own pressing, here's how:   Press on the right side of the garment with a damp press cloth and a hot iron. (Heat is good because combined with the dampness of the cloth, it produces steam which opens up the fibers of the fabric and eases out the creases.)   Whatever you do, keep the iron moving; don't press down on the collar, and avoid pressing on top of vents which will cause a shiny outline of the fabric underneath to show.   If you're short on time, instead of pressing, hang your jacket in the steam built up after you've had a hot shower. Five or ten minutes will get the job done. This is not cheating. Actually, unless your jacket has deep creases, this method is almost better than pressing.

Always hang your jacket on a contoured or "wishbone" hanger, with buttons unbuttoned and pockets empty. Allow at least 24 hours rest before wearing the jacket again. This increases garment life.   Try not to store your jackets in plastic bags which don't allow fabric to breathe. Get cloth bags or shoulder covers, and allow a "breathing" space of about an inch between each jacket.   For serious stains, your best bet is a professional dry cleaner.   If you're merely caught in the rain, however, dry your jacket away from direct heat, which can make the fibers brittle.   It's best to consider cold storage for wool jackets during the summer, and by all means, store them clean. Moths find the slightest stain irresistible. Use moth crystals and cedar repellents generously.