CARE OF MEN’S CLOTHES

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29234, 18 June 1960, Page 4

CARE OF MEN’S CLOTHES

Advice In Trade

Journal I Even the best garments lose ■ their good appearance if not cared j for properly, says the “New Zealland Draper,” so the following j advice is offered by the journal |on men’s clothes:— Before putting on a suit, give , a quick brush to make sure that no dust has settled on it since last worn. Never stuff the pockets with odds and ends. When taking off the suit, shake and brush it thoroughly, not forgetting turn-ups and under the collar and lapels. When hanging the suit in the wardrobe fold the trousers the crease and place carefully over the bar of the coathanger. Place waistcoat and jacket on a hanger that is neither too long nor too short, for an ill-fitting hanger can spoil the set of the shoulders. If possible, do not wear the same suit two days- running. Before settling down to an evening’s occupations, change from the suit that has been worn all day.

Overcoats should always be placed on a hanger immediately they are taken off and, if absolutely dry, brushecl. Don’t shut them in a cupboard if they are in the slightest degree damp. If they are, do not put too near a fire or radiator, but allow to dry gently in a warm room, preferably spreading the garment out over a chaih Coats or jackets should never be hung for long by the loop at the back of the neck, or even worse, by the back of the neck itself. Cleaning What men do not always realise is that dirt picked up in the normal course of events is harmful to fabrics. Again, all healthy humans perspire little or much, and this moisture is transferred to clothing at every point of contact with the body, and can even be transferred to buttonholes, pockets, etc., by the hands. The resulting greasy surface traps any i air-borne dirt particles. i “It would shock many a fastidious man to know that, after only six months’ normal wear, cleaners extract from his suit lj ounces of solid measurable dirt, an amount equivalent in weight to a small cigarette lighter. One large firm in one year removes from garments it cleans 115 tons of visible, measurable dirt,” the article says. Regular cleaning not only removes this dirt, but restores the “set” of a suit which may be showing signs of bagging at knees and elbows and drooping at the shoulders.

Overcoats, which have to bear the brunt of the weather, should be dry cleaned at least twice a year to keep them in good condition. Users of the top decks of omnibuses will probably collect, most dirt on their coats, for every time they descend the stairs they do a nice sweeping job for the bus company. Dry cleaners find that ‘the hems of overcoats are some of the dirtiest pieces of apparel with which they have to deal.