There are no two ways about it, a suit is an investment. No suit is cheap. They’re a complex piece of tailoring and design that can be fairly pricey, so just like you purchase insurance on your house, you need to take steps to protect your suit.
Come wind, rain, or shine, suits need a bit of love, care, and attention. Especially a tweed suit. The high-quality wool-based, multi-coloured yarn that’s considered a classic, a tweed suit is the ultimate sign of style. Solidifying your status as a gentleman and taking pride of place as a statement piece in your wardrobe.
But making this investment piece stand the test of time can be a little more difficult. Due to its complex design and delicate fabrics, a tweed suit can be more susceptible to general wear and tear becoming frayed, worn, and faded if it doesn’t receive the correct care.
That’s where we come in. Read on for some expert tips on how to keep your tweed in tip top condition.Â
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What Is Tweed?
To effectively take care of tweed, you first need to know how the fabric is made. Â
Similar to hand-spun weave, tweed is a woolen fabric made of 100% wool or a blend of rayon/wool, wool/acrylic, or any other hard-wearing fabric. You can quickly identify tweed by its multi-coloured yarn woven into plain or twill weave fabrics, with specific plaids and checks, and a coarse texture.
Now that you know how tweed is made, you’re ready to learn how to care for tweed.Â
Can Tweed Be Washed?
It’s best to wash tweed as infrequently as possible to maintain the structure of the fabric. If you do need to wash your tweed, there are two options: by hand or at the dry cleaners.
Putting your tweed in a washing machine can be pretty risky. If the reinforced structures of the jacket — lapels and shoulders, vents, pockets, and lining — come into contact with water, they distort and tend to pucker. When this happens, you’ll end up with a misshapen jacket without flattering lapels or sculptured sounders.Â
How to Wash Tweed
If you do need to wash your tweed, there are two options: either by hand or at the dry cleaners.Â
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By hand: If you get a spillage or a scuff, spot and lightly dab your tweed clean with cool, clean water. Don’t use any detergent to protect the bonds in the fabric.
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At the dry cleaners: If your tweed requires a deeper clean and a simple mop won’t do, we recommend dry cleaning only.
When washing tweed, remember to never use ammonia, bleach, or other strong substances to clean, leave stains for longer than an hour, or rub the fabric.
Can You Steam Tweed?
If your tweed suit is crumpled and in need of a little TLC, it’s possible to freshen it up the old-fashioned way by steaming it.
Steaming doesn’t clean the tweed fabric, but it does lift the yarn, removing creases, odours, and killing bacteria. You can buy small handheld steamers, which should be up to the occasional job.
How to Steam Tweed
Simply steam the suit while it's hanging up. Leave it to dry for 20 minutes, then smooth it down and shape with your hands.
Can You Iron Tweed?
One good thing about tweed is that it doesn’t need to be ironed very often. After all, who likes ironing? Not us.
Due to the heaviness of a tweed suit, simply hanging it up will allow the creases to slowly come out, as it has a natural resistance to wrinkles and is able to retain its texture and shape without much work.
How to Iron Tweed
A tweed jacket or suit can be ironed without causing damage, but be sure to use a clean iron on the coolest setting to avoid catching the cloth.
Can You Put Tweed In Storage?
When it comes to caring for your tweed, how you store it is just as important as how you clean, steam, and iron it.Â
You can, of course, put tweed in storage. Just remember to spot clean your garment before storage. Fresh stains, that may not yet be visible at first, will oxidise and become fixed during storage.Â
You should also use a lint roller or a clothes brush on the fabric before storing. Lay your suit on a flat surface and carefully apply the lint roller or clothes brush on it using wide strokes and going against the nap of the fabric. This will remove any unwanted particles and dust.
How to Store Tweed
It’s advisable to store your suit inside an airtight clothing bag. This will keep it clean, preventing any accumulation of dust and dirt, as well as any exposure to harmful elements, especially fabric-eating moths.
Remember, you should always keep tweed in a climate-controlled, relatively cool environment. If the air is humid, it may result in a damaged suit, as extra moisture in the air can enter the fabric and damage the integrity of its structure.
Keep your wardrobe clean, and use mothballs, lavender, or cedar chips to naturally deter any moths.Â
How to Hang TweedÂ
When your tweed suit is hanging in your wardrobe, you want to make sure that you hang it on a sturdy, well-padded, and adequately-sized hanger.Â
You don’t want a narrow hanger that will leave the shoulder area of your suit drooping over it. However, you also don’t want a hanger that’s too wide and goes all the way to the sleeves, leaving hanger marks on them. You want the width of your hanger to match the shoulder width of your suit to maintain its form.
How to Care For Tweed
There are many techniques and products you can use to keep your tweed looking in ship shape.Â
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Use wool and cashmere spray to refresh your tweed. This safe, non-toxic, allergen-free fabric spray naturally repels bugs and moths without the noxious odours of toxic mothballs or danger of oil stains left by cedar blocks and chips.
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Always wash your tweed by hand or take it to the dry cleaners. Remember that machine washing your tweed could damage the structure of your suit or jacket.
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Only ever iron tweed on a very low heat. If you have the time, it’s best to just leave your tweed suit hanging and let any creases fall out on their own.Â
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Steaming your tweed is a better way of removing creases. For best results, use a small, handheld steamer.Â
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Always store your tweed carefully. Keep it in a cool, dry environment and hang it on a sturdy hanger inside a wardrobe.
Follow these quick and simple tips and your loved suits will surely last and leave you looking dapper for any and every occasion.
Shop Tweed Suits at Tweedmaker
Here at Tweedmaker, we have a huge range of top-quality tweed suits for any occasion.
Browse our collection and get that investment piece to last a lifetime.
