A lot of us have to travel a lengthy commute In order to get to work in the morning. In 2016, the Office for National Statistics revealed that 3.7 million workers travelled for two hours or more every weekday as part of their commute. This may involve walking, driving, cycling, taking public transport, or a combination of a few. On top of this, many men choose to wear a formal suit to the office to look smart — not ideal attire for a lengthy travel time! Read on as we look at some smart solutions to avoid damage to your tailoring.

How is a suit designed to withstand the commute?

Suits are tailored for different events — you wouldn’t wear a formal tuxedo to the office for example! Look out for the signs of a suit that are suitable for your commute:

• Added elastane — this increases the flexibility of the suit and allows it to ‘bounce’ back to its shape after repeated wear and folding.
• Elastic waistband — an elastic waistband gives you comfort during your commute, fitting to your skin.
• Choose a lightweight wool that’s not going to cause you to overheat when you’re rushing to and from work.

What can you do to protect your suit?

There are some things that you can do to prevent damage to your suit. 

Prevent the creases

It’s not very formal to turn up at work with a creased suit. A great investment to make would be buying a suit that is crease-resistant — this way you can fold it up in a backpack and it will be good to wear when you arrive at the office. CT Shirts offer a range of ‘performance suits’ that are made with merino wool (a material with natural crease recovery). Their suits also have 2% added elastane which results in a crease-resistant cloth. This suit would also be suitable for public transport commuters. Sitting in the same position on a bus, tube, or in a car can cause your suit to become creased — not a great look for meetings throughout the day!

It’s nice to feel fresh at work too. If you cycle or walk to the office, it’s likely that you’ll work up quite a sweat. Not only can this be damaging to the material of your shirt and jacket, it’s also likely to smell later in the day. Getting caught in the rain can also have negative effects on your suit as often it doesn’t have a chance to dry out fully throughout the day. Instead, consider commuting in workout clothes and freshening up when you get to work.

Stop weather damage

Unfortunately, the weather is hard to predict and can be damaging to a good suit. The rain can damage your suit in many ways especially if it isn’t dried out properly so you should always carry a windproof umbrella to keep you dry when it’s raining. During the winter seasons, road salt can be damaging to your shoes and the slush and snow can have long lasting effects if your shoes aren’t dried out properly.

Consider a shoe spray. There are some which can ‘prevent and seal’ the material and decrease weather damage. One way to do this is with beeswax — this creates a thin protective layer over the material of the footwear.

Are your shoes made from suede? If so, try and get a hold of some hydrophobic suede protector. If you find a good spray, this can cover your shoes with a waterproof layer as the spray repels water.

Prevent dirt from sticking

It’s unsightly and can be damaging — dirt is something you don’t want on your suit. Spending time on public transport can cause dirt from seats to cling to your clothing. You should brush your suit jacket down every day to prevent this dirt from becoming embedded in the suit and harder to remove in the future.

Although you might think it’s doing good, too many trips to the dry cleaner can cause damage too. Instead, for stains that are hard to remove, send your suit for a spot clean.