Care & Maintenance

Easy Trick to Discover How Frequently You Wear EVERYTHING

Jul 15 2016

Clothing you don’t wear frequently can fill up your closet while giving you the unpleasant feeling that you don’t have anything to wear. This leads to overbuying, which leads to a cluttered closet. The solution is to figure out how frequently you wear each item, but trying to remember what you wore weeks ago—or even writing down your daily wardrobe selection—is a huge time waster. Fortunately, there’s a simple solution. Instead of arranging your clothing by type or by color, for the duration of this test, you’ll arrange it by date of wearing. When you rehang an item of clothing, put it on the most accessible end of the closet rod. The next item worn goes next to it, and so on. Soon you’ll see what you wear frequently, and what is simply taking up space and collecting dust in your closet. You can also use this trick to avoid over-wearing an...

J Kent Erickson

Care & Maintenance

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How to Iron a Tie

May 01 2016

I received this question from a reader: Can I iron my tie? It seems to have permanent wrinkles, but I don’t want to take it to the cleaners. This is what I shared with them: You can certainly use an iron to remove wrinkles and restore a fresh look to your ties—but not by pressing them. Here’s how: Turn the iron on high and select the steam setting. Hold the iron about one inch over the tie and let the steam sink into the tie. Move the iron back and forth slowly above the tie’s surface. This will release wrinkles without damaging the delicate fabric of your tie....

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Care & Maintenance

Your Need-to-Know Necktie Refresher

Mar 15 2016

This season is a great time to review some essentials of style for your tie. We’re happy to share with you a few fun basics on ties compiled by GQ.com Q: How long should my tie be? A: The tip of your tie should reach the middle of your belt. This keeps your shirt from showing through when your coat is slightly open. Q: Why (and how) should I create a dimple in my tie? A: The dimple ensures your tie knot looks crisp and sharp. When tying the knot, make sure it’s tight—that will keep your dimple in place all day long. Q: What’s the purpose of creating lift in my tie? A: A tie that lies flat looks, well, flat. Bring an impression of energy and depth by creating lift. Use a tie bar to secure your tie to the shirt between third and fourth buttons. Be sure to pull the tie up a...

How to Store a Tie

Sep 15 2015

Your holiday or seasonal neckwear needs a safe place to rest until its moment to shine arrives. Instead of letting occasional-use ties collect dust or fade by languishing near your everyday ties, treat them right by storing them wisely. Fold the tie in half lengthwise. Roll it up smoothly from the folded end to the point. Be careful your roll is neither too tight, nor too loose. Store the tie in a shallow drawer. Now it’ll be in excellent condition when its day to shine arrives....

How to Iron a Dress Shirt

Apr 15 2015

I received this question from a reader: What's the Best Way to Iron a Dress Shirt? This is what I shared with them: Ironing carefully will ensure your shirts look their absolute best each time you wear them. Use the lowest temperature that is effective. Turn on the steam setting if necessary. Thicker fabric will require more heat and steam than thin fabric. Iron the back of the shirt first, from the center to the sides. Iron the sleeves next, followed by the cuffs. Turn the shirt over and iron each side of the front, taking care to iron between buttons instead of running over them. Iron the collar last. Hang (or wear) immediately to avoid getting new wrinkles in the fabric....

90/10 System: Every 90 Days, Replace 10% of Your Wardrobe

Jan 26 2015

Keeping your image polished and up-to-date is an important part of being a professional. You can maintain a fantastic wardrobe without it becoming a hassle with this easy 90/10 system. Every 90 days, go through your business wardrobe. Look at every piece and evaluate it based on fabric quality and coloring, fit, and general appearance. Take the bottom 10 percent, and donate it to a charity. (If there is one in your area, consider a charity which helps provide interview clothes to job seekers.) Next, replace the discarded 10 percent of your wardrobe with a garment which is slightly better quality than your best pieces of clothing. Rather than simply adding more pieces of clothing to your closet, you’re improving your wardrobe with each clothing investment. This 90/10 system doesn’t require huge, expensive shopping trips or a large time commitment. Instead, you gradually build up a wardrobe that is not only professional-looking and...

New Year’s Resolution: Renew Your Wardrobe

Jan 19 2015

Instead of making the same, old, still-not-accomplished resolutions every year, we suggest that this year, you make a resolution that’s not difficult, will bring you great satisfaction, and will support career success: renew your wardrobe. Here’s how to get it done without getting stressed: Restock the basics. Your go-to shirts will be the first to fray at the collar and cuffs. Replenishing your supply of white and blue shirts will ensure you always have your most dependable options available. Embrace new colors. Expand your color choices in whichever palette works best for you, including light, medium, and dark shades of your favorite colors. Enjoy subtle textures. Weave patterns and a variety of natural fibers can bring a fresh look to your clothing, whether used for a sport coat, a working-week suit, or for shirts designed for a night on the town. Accentuate. The easiest way to improve the visual appeal of your wardrobe is...

Suits: To Press or Steam

Aug 20 2014

I received this question from a reader: Should I press or steam my suit? Or should I just take it to the cleaners? This is what I shared with them: Steaming is far gentler on your suit than too-frequent dry cleanings and the high-temperature commercial press. Steam it lightly just before wearing, instead of immediately after wearing it. This will allow any moisture to dry naturally and remove any wrinkles from storage. Your dress shirts should be pressed instead of steamed to smooth the fabric and give it a crisp look....

What’s Great about Gabardine

Aug 06 2014

Born in the middle ages and refined with current textile techniques, gabardine has come of age with surprising elegance. Originally intended for outerwear such as traveling cloaks, today gabardine is a refined, elegant fabric for a variety of purposes. In more modern times, gabardine has clothed adventurers and trendsetters as they traveled to such exotic locations as Antarctica and Mount Everest. Gabardine combines the strength and durability of a tightly-woven twill with a more supple hand than many other twills. The twisted weave that is gabardine’s signature element creates micro-ridges that allow light to almost bend around it, giving it a soft, almost luminous look. The fabric’s luxurious feel will complement the finer pieces in your wardrobe without looking overly formal. This fabric is also a fantastic choice for business-casual trousers. Gabardine’s durability stacks up well next to the twilled cotton that is today’s most common choice for casual trousers, while retaining...

How to Care for Ties

Feb 10 2014

I received this question from a reader: Do you have guidelines on how to care for ties? This is what I shared with them: Ties add a splash of color and personality to your ensemble, but are often overlooked when it comes to maintenance and storage. If you spend a little time on your ties, you’ll get a better return on your neckwear investment. Avoid stains. A vest or a tie bar can minimize the chances your tie may end up in your meal. When a stain occurs, blot it dry immediately, then dry clean if needed. Untie it. Loosening the knot then lifting the whole apparatus over your head can stretch the fabric fibers. Instead, reverse the tying procedure you used in the morning. Hang it up. Your tie will attract fewer wrinkles if it’s on a hanger in the closet than it will on the back of a chair or on a...

J Kent Erickson

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Older Posts

Care & Maintenance Tag

Easy Trick to Discover How Frequently You Wear EVERYTHING

How to Iron a Tie

Your Need-to-Know Necktie Refresher

How to Store a Tie

How to Iron a Dress Shirt

90/10 System: Every 90 Days, Replace 10% of Your Wardrobe

New Year’s Resolution: Renew Your Wardrobe

Suits: To Press or Steam

What’s Great about Gabardine

How to Care for Ties

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