How to pack a suit jacket: Reader question

September 27th 2012

Hi Simon, First of all let me say I’m a massive fan of your blog. In fact I’ve even cancelled my GQ subscription because of your blog. Doesn’t mean you should start charging us though! I was wondering if you could do a p...

How to pack a suit jacket: Reader question

Match in comments:
I don't really buy hangers, I just use ones supplied by tailors, but if you wanted some very good ones, look at Nakata, supplied by Arterton. I don't really buy especially breathable suit covers either, I have enough fro...

Alterations and care - JacketsSeptember 27th 2012

Seasonal sponge and press: Burford Valet

June 18th 2012

I’ve never been great at looking after my suits. Shoes, yes. Brush them down at the end of every day, before the shoe trees go in; give them a wipe in the morning; regularly polish and, slightly less often, a treatment with cream. But I don&rsq...

Seasonal sponge and press: Burford Valet

Match in comments:
Hi Tom, It sounds like you're on the right lines, but not hanging is going to be tricky in terms of creases at the other end. If boxes are your only option, go with that but try to make sure the suits aren't piled up - n...

Alterations and careJune 18th 2012

Altering the neck of a suit

January 17th 2011

This is an alteration to an old flannel suit, pinching in and raising the neck of the jacket slightly to correct a collar that currently stands a half inch away from my neck. This, of course, is one of the last alterations you should have done. It ca...

Altering the neck of a suit

This is an alteration to an old flannel suit, pinching in and raising the neck of the jacket slightly to correct a collar that currently stands a half inch away from my neck. This, of course, is one of the last alteratio...

Alterations and care - SuitsJanuary 17th 2011

The search for a sponge and press

December 23rd 2009

Most men destroy their suits by having them dry-cleaned too often. That much is uncontroversial. A high-street dry cleaner will stick your suit in a large drum, soak it with chemicals that spread the dirt around more than they get rid of it, and then...

The search for a sponge and press

Match in comments:
Help! I am living in Paris and don't trust the dry cleaners here with my suits. Where do I find a good sponge and press service here? Thanks!...

Alterations and careDecember 23rd 2009

A step further in suit alterations

August 31st 2009

One true hallmark of a bespoke suit is the size of its armholes. Most armholes in ready-to-wear suits (and made-to-measure patterns, to a certain extent) cater for men with larger arms and shoulders, in order to be on the safe side. As with so many o...

A step further in suit alterations

Match in comments:
Thanks, Simon. I do feel rather swamped in it. I will get in touch with Buzz and see what can be done at this stage. Thanks again Jackson...

Alterations and care - SuitsAugust 31st 2009

Tips from Jeeves

May 22nd 2009

As regular readers will know, the search for truly old-fashioned craftsmen is one of the purposes of this blog. And while I would never recommend or compare services I had not personally experienced (an area where some of the style forums fall down),...

Tips from Jeeves

Match in comments:
# @Chris: you can drop it off at a Burberry’s for dry cleaning. I’m not sure if all of them to it, but I bought my trench at the boutique on Regent Street in London, and they informed me that they offer dry cleaning ...

Alterations and careMay 22nd 2009

How to get a ready-to-wear suit altered

January 25th 2009

Fit is the most important thing about a suit. It can be cheap, it can be threadbare and it can be hideously patterned. But the man wearing it will always look better than his contemporary if it fits him well– and his contemporary’s does n...

How to get a ready-to-wear suit altered

Match in comments:
If you take the adjustment too far, yes it can affect the proportions. But a good adjustments tailor should warn you about that and not take it too far. Also have it pinned and see for yourself. It shouldn't affect other...

Alterations and care - SuitsJanuary 25th 2009

Shorten your sleeves

August 14th 2008

I do not have short arms. In fact I’ve always thought them a little long if anything; average at the very least. Yet every suit I buy has arms that are an inch too long. Surely the rest of the male population with a 40-inch chest can’t ha...

Shorten your sleeves

Match in comments:
No worries, and you can have the sleeves shortened of course - much harder the other way round, to lengthen them...

Alterations and careAugust 14th 2008

How to look after your suits

August 2nd 2008

Many people look after their suits badly. This may seem obvious. After all men hang their suits on pegs, leave them on the floor after a day’s wear and occasionally bundle them into bags. For the most expensive piece of clothing a man owns, it ...

How to look after your suits

Match in comments:
Thank you for your comment :)...

Alterations and care - SuitsAugust 2nd 2008

Change anything but the shoulders

January 1st 2008

There are so many things to say about how a suit fits. Here’s one, the simplest. Pretty much everything can be altered in a suit except the shoulders. Obviously the jacket cannot be lengthened; but the sleeves can be lengthened or shortene...

Change anything but the shoulders

Match in comments:
Thanks Simon I’ll heed your advice!...

Alterations and careJanuary 1st 2008