If you’re considering a new suit, we bet you’re already thinking about how that black suit will look with your favorite pocket square and leather shoes. Buying a new men’s suit costs a pretty penny, regardless of if you’re searching for an affordable or expensive garment.
Basic suits from brands like Banana Republic Lauren by Ralph Lauren range from $300 to almost $600, while moderately-price outfits made of more refined materials cost between $600 to a thousand dollars. Men with discerning taste – appreciating fine fabrics and hand-stitching – can expect to pay upwards of $1,000 for a new suit.
It’s clear to see that a new suit is an investment piece, no matter your budget. That’s why you want to be sure you’re not ruining your new suit in ways you might not realize. The key culprit behind outfits with wilted shoulders or pulled stitches are plastic or metal hangers that simply can’t preserve this sturdy garment.
Here, we’ll talk about surprising ways you’re ruining your new suit with the wrong hangers.
Problems with Traditional Suit Storage
1. Flimsy Metal Hangers Create Shoulder Points
When you have your suits cleaned, it’s common for the dry cleaners to return them to you on metal hangers. These are not appropriate for long-term storage, however. Over time, metal hangers’ pointed edges create creases in your jacket’s shoulders. Often, these creases become permanent. If your suit jacket’s shoulders show denting in this way, metal hangers are the culprit!
2. Rusting Metal Hurts Suit Lining and Tears Stitching
Another downside to using metal hangers, especially those not covered in paper, is their tendency to rust over time. This rust causes discoloration to the lining of your suit jacket. While this isn’t as noticeable a problem as creased shoulders, you’ll nevertheless feel less confident in a suit jacket that has a rust-colored stain on its lining.
Metal hangers are always likely to tear or remove the stitching from your suit, as well. However, rusted hangers are even more likely to snag and pull suits threads, causing major damage to your suit!
3. Your Hangers are too Small for Your Suit Jacket
If you transfer your suit from a metal hanger to a plastic one after dry cleaning, you may think that you’re doing your due diligence. But in fact, plastic hanger storage is also ruining your new suit.
If your plastic hanger is narrower than your suit jacket, its shoulders will start to crease and bunch. Plastic hangers are often too slim, causing the suit’s weight to distribute too strongly on the ends of the hanger.
4. You Fold Your Pants
Some men fold their suit pants and store them in dark dressers or armoires. Then, when it’s time to wear the pants, the owner discovers a crease to iron out before going out.
Stop folding your pants, guys; you’re ruining your new suit!
Better Suit Care Tips for 2022
1. You Should Choose a Wood Hanger
Wooden hangers are a better alternative to metal or plastic ones because of their sturdiness. Even lightweight men’s suits feature expertly-tailored, heavy fabrics that metal or plastic cannot support. The hanger types will not hold up and will often bend or wilt under the weight. Wooden hangers, however, can support the weight of any suit!
2. Your Suit Jacket hanger Should Mimic Your Shoulder Shape
Here’s something we all should have learned in school: hangers should replicate the shape of a person’s shoulders as much as possible. This feature is a crucial reason plastic and wire hangers don’t cut it – they are too narrow!
Hangers that are shaped similarly to shoulders “help clothes to maintain that natural, just-off-the-model look,” said home organization expert Maeve Richmond.
So instead of settling for poorly constructed options, switch to thick wooden hangers sloped in a way that’s reminiscent of a person’s shoulders.
3. Your Pants Hanger Should Prevent Creasing
If you hang your pants instead of folding them, you’re already ahead of most suit owners! You can do better if you place those same suit pants on plastic or metal hangers! Metal or plastic pants hangers will cause creasing due to the materials catching on to any imperfect fold in the fabric. What’s more, your pants may end up on the floor after falling off either of these slippery hangers.
Instead, you want to find a pants hanger bar wrapped in material that will keep the pants in place. This fabric-wrapped bar will also prevent the pants from creasing where they’re folded.
The Best Hangers Ensure You’ll Never Ruin Your New Suit
It is essential to preserve the life of your new suit with the best hangers on the market, Butler Luxury hangers. Each wooden suit jacket hanger is made from high-quality wood that slopes in a gentle curve that matches the slope of a man’s shoulders, meaning your shoulders and jacket sleeves will be pristine the next time you want to wear the jacket. What’s more, the company’s trouser hanger comes with a velvet-wrapped bar that ensures your pants won’t fall onto the ground.
Ready to stop ruining your new suit? Trade out your plastic and metal hangers, and purchase Butler Luxury’s high-end alternatives instead.
Mike Cregan Bio
20 years ago Mike Cregan embarked on a mission to create a state of the art hanger. His passion drove him to open Butler Luxury, an online store featuring luxury hangers for the discerning fashion enthusiast.
Mike’s hangers feature a highly-functional yet beautiful aesthetic, built from the finest wood products. These sturdy accessories include solutions for suits, shirts, pants, and skirts.
Butler Luxury’s hangers enjoy a high-end clientele, including top designer brands, tailoring houses on Savile Row, and 5-star hotels such as The Dorchester, Claridge’s, The Connaught, and The Savoy.
For the first time since their founding many years ago, Butler Luxury is offering their luxury hanger inventory directly to the public. Explore their collection today at www.butlerluxury.com.