Caring for Your Garments

In this article you will find some tips on how to get the longest possible shelf life from your Scavini clothing.

Foreword - Choosing the right size, the right fit and the right material

Before talking about routine maintenance, it is important to make sure that the item you are going to purchase fits you and your body type.

Trousers that are too tight will wear out more quickly than trousers that are the right size or too big. This is because the pressure on the seams and friction on the fabric caused by a size that is too small can lead to deterioration.

Here are some articles that may be of interest to you if you want to learn more about the subject:

It is also wise to choose trousers in a material that suits your daily activities and constraints. Indeed, trousers are a garment that wears out faster than a jacket.

The most robust materials are those made of cotton. This is also the case for very dense wools such as Whipcord.
Conversely, flannels and tweeds are sensitive to abrasion.

It is therefore recommended to avoid these noble but more delicate materials for intensive use or for men who cycle regularly (to commute to work for example).

I. Everyday care of your garments

A. Washing and ironing according to the material

Depending on the type of fabric your garment is made of, the routine care will be different.

1. Fabrics made from fibers of vegetal origins

The plant-based materials we use are linen, cotton and hemp. If a fabric is made of more than 90% of these materials, then you can care for it as described here.

Cleaning

You can wash your trousers in your washing machine. The recommended settings are: 20°C maximum, 600rpm spin-drying. Do not use a tumble dryer. Exceeding these settings can lead to shrinkage or discoloration.

If your natural fibre trousers have not been subjected to a hard day's wear (stains, perspiration), then it is not necessary to wash them every time they are worn. It is sufficient to wash them every 2 to 3 wears. Washing too often will tend to wear it out more quickly.

For jackets, we recommend dry cleaning in a good dry cleaner's, 3 or 4 times a year.

Ironing

You can safely iron your clothes made of vegetal fibres. However, you should avoid pressing too hard (especially on the seams) to avoid making marks. Cotton is a material that retains dye relatively poorly, which leads to whitening on the seams when you press too hard. Do not hesitate to watch the video of the 3rd section for more advice on ironing.

2. Fabrics made from fibers of animal origins

The fabrics of animal origin that we use are wool, cashmere and silk. If a fabric has more than 10% of these materials, then you can care for it as described here.

Cleaning

Animal origin materials have very advantageous properties for everyday use:

They are breathable
They do not retain odors
They do not retain bacteria

Therefore, it is not necessary to clean them as much as vegetal or synthetic fibres.

For cleaning, we recommend having it done "dry" by a good dry cleaner. It is not necessary to have it done more than 3 or 4 times a year.

Ironing

You can iron your animal fibre clothes with a few precautions.

The iron should not be too hot and the steam should be set at maximum. Do not press too hard or stay too long on the same area to avoid shining the fabric (irreversible burn).

3. Video - Ironing a pair of trousers

B. Good daily practice

Beyond washing and ironing, a set of good daily practices will allow you to take care of your clothes.

Make sure you fold your clothes properly and on a hanger when you change.
This will avoid creating extra creases or losing the central crease. Also, materials such as wool will naturally de-crease when hung up.
Let your clothes air out for a few minutes after a day's wear.
This helps to remove smells and sanitize the fabric.
If you have seasonal clothes (like flannel, for example), make sure you store them clean and free of dust and moisture.
Rotating your wardrobe between winter and summer clothes is the perfect time to have your clothes cleaned before long months of inactivity. This practice limits the risks of moths related damage.
Take your day's activities into account when picking your trousers.
Some materials, such as flannel or tweed (wool), do not stand up well to abrasion and therefore to cycling (for example).

Despite all these good practices, it happens (and it is normal) that your trousers will eventually wear out. However, it is often possible to make repairs and extend the life of your garment.

II. Repairs

Clothing is an everyday object. No matter how well it is made, it will eventually wear out. This is quite normal.

This is also where you can recognize a beautiful garment: The patina of time sublimates it, like a leather marked by the years. This is testimony to the use of the garment and its appreciation by its owner.

A. Normal and frequent wear and tear

1. Crotch wear

This is the first area of wear for a pair of trousers. The crotch is in fact confronted with daily rubbing and pulling.*

The first sign of wear in the crotch is the opacity of the fabric. You can look at the crotch of your trousers under a light from time to time. If you notice that the fabric is much more transparent in this area, this is the best time for a repair.

The next step is the hole, more or less large, and the repair is self-evident.

We provide with each altered order the remnants of the fabric recovered during the length adjustment. These remnants allow us to make an almost invisible yoke and give a second wind to your trousers.

If you have your alterations done locally, don't hesitate to ask your alteration specialist for the leftovers so that your trousers can be repaired in an invisible way later on.

*On some materials, the appearance of pilling during the first few wears is possible. This is not a cause for concern and the phenomenon will fade afterwards. You can use a pilling razor or a small sewing scissor to get rid of it.

2. Elbow wear

As with trousers, this is the most stressed area on a jacket. The warning signs of a hole are the same.

Elbow patches can be made by an alteration tailor.

3. Loose buttons

Buttons can eventually weaken and come off. It is best to redo the button before it falls off to prevent it from being lost. You or an alteration tailor can sew it back on easily and quickly.

If you have lost a button, a spare button is usually sewn into the waistband of your trousers. Spare buttons are also supplied with some of our jackets.

Please send us a message if you have lost a button and don't have a spare. We will see what can be done.

B. Accidents and one-off problems

1. Loose hem (or cuffs)

It can happen that the hem of your trousers becomes unsewn. Indeed, the invisible stitch which makes it possible to make simple hems (without visible seams at the bottom like on a pair of jeans) is a little more fragile. It is thus necessary to pay attention not to go there too hard when one enters the legs in its trousers!

The repair in this case is simple and your alteration tailor will be able to take care of it without difficulty.

2. Holes and tears

Holes can be the result of burning, moths, or intense rubbing. Tears are the result of a collision with a piece of furniture (watch out for door handles and armrests!).

Possible repairs depend on the type and size of the hole/tear. The most common technique is to have a zig-zag stitch or even a patch made. Unfortunately, this type of repair will always leave a more or less visible mark.

2. Broken seams

In the event of sudden pressure on a seam, it is possible that it breaks. It is possible to have the seam repaired invisibly by a tailor.

III. Case of a defective product

It may happen that a defective product manages to slip through our quality controls. If there is something wrong with the garment you have received, please send us a message with a photograph so that we can give you an opinion and, if necessary, a solution.

Send us a message

Going further - Extract from the blog

Beauty and Fragility

Extract from an article in Stiff Collar, Julien Scavini's blog.

The textile industry produces a huge amount of goods and it is often difficult to find your way around. For customers, the question of value for money, although difficult to spot, is a key element of the purchase. Being in the right price range, appreciating the product, seeing its qualities in use is more necessary than ever.

But when all the shop windows and stalls are full of merchandise, at very different prices, it becomes difficult to identify. In order to stand out from the crowd, it is possible to improve quality. It is even essential. But there's a catch.

The first 'catch' is obviously the price. Staying in a market segment without becoming an unaffordable niche is difficult. If you are a retailer, you can of course only offer the best. But if the customers don't buy or buy only a little, you will quickly go under. Volume with low quality is easier to do. Paradoxically.

The second 'catch' is more insidious and difficult to admit for the shopkeeper, which I am. It is possible to offer very good quality at a low price. Drapers no longer hesitate to offer prices on super 150s and other fabrics, which are otherwise extremely soft.

But this very beautiful fabric has a hidden side, its fragility. This is quite unthinkable, to tell the truth. Because often beauty is more expensive and more fragile:

Cashmere for a coat is sumptuous. But the fabric wears out much faster than 100% wool. It's a fact. Unthinkable. But it is sumptuous.

The Egyptian and sea island cottons are unbelievably soft. But the cuffs and collar edges quickly show signs of wear. It is a fact. unthinkable. But it is very pleasant to wear.

A pair of linen and silk trousers, or even flannel, is much better than jeans. But the forks can snap at the drop of a hat. That's a fact. Unthinkable. And yet, it's nice to wear.

A pair of leather shoes is stylish and comfortable. But they are very fragile if you wear out the soles without paying attention. How many men on the street know to put on rubbers or resole? This is a fact. Unthinkable. A good shoe is expensive. And you have to take care of it!

The example of mother-of-pearl buttons on shirts is archetypal. Firstly, they are exorbitantly expensive compared to plastic ones, and secondly, they break. [...]

Last example, a super 150 sheet is fluid to wear and light on the shoulders. But the knees, crotch and elbows crease quickly. It's a fact. Unthinkable. Despite the technical prowess of the drapers.

[...]

The difficulty lies in understanding this phenomenon of the fragility of beauty. That's part of the education. You have to accept the defects of a top-of-the-range product. A Bentley is much more expensive than a Ford and costs an exorbitant amount of money to run! Double the punishment.

Bringing luxury products down to a more accessible level, making people discover precious materials, making them love the exceptional only works if the customer understands it. How many customers have I had, often ladies, who do not understand that something is "more expensive and less good". Less good in certain aspects only... and fortunately!

A luxury product, a refined product, is delicate by nature. Solidity and endurance are the attribute of the common products.

[...]

Wanting beauty is legitimate. Yves Saint Laurent said that we must live in beauty. But the exceptional has a cost of purchase and a cost of use. And we must be aware of this.

[Read the complete article on Stiff-Collar - French language]