A bespoke suit is probably the most stylish garment you can wear. However, like any other item of clothing, your suit has to contend with unpleasant or unexpected weather conditions and your own physical activities. As such, it may not look quite as smart at the end of the day as when you first put it on. Naturally, this is frustrating for any gentleman. Luckily, you can protect your suit from the trials of daily life with a little preparation.
Firstly, you should wear a discreet undershirt or T-shirt beneath your shirt. At some point during the day, you may have to exert yourself physically: you might have to run to catch a train or hurry to be at a meeting on time, for example. An undershirt will effectively ‘catch’ any sweat before it soaks into your shirt or suit, thus ensuring that your suit’s appearance and odour remain impeccable throughout the day. Having to rush is an unavoidable part of modern life, but a true gentleman’s appearance should never show that he has had to rush.
Another unavoidable part of modern life - at least in the UK - is rain. As such, in addition to an undershirt, it’s worth adding a hat or umbrella to your ensemble. If your hair and head get wet due to poor weather, that water will continue dripping down onto the shoulders of your suit, even after you’ve made it inside or the rain has stopped. The appearance of your suit will therefore be disrupted for longer than is strictly necessary. Fedoras and bowler hats are both very efficient at protecting your head from England’s erratic weather, and their brims are often wide enough to partially shield your suit’s shoulders as well. More importantly, they both go well with most suits. During the winter months, of course, a hat simply isn’t enough and you’ll need to invest in a high-quality umbrella. However, during the summer months, you’ll find that a hat is sufficient to deal with any light showers that occur.
However, while the hectic pace of modern life and the unpredictability of the weather are both frustrating, they are not the biggest challenge that your suit faces. Ground-level mud and dust are far more problematic than either rain or rushing, purely because they are ubiquitous. As such, just walking about can damage the lustre of your shoes and thereby undermine the appearance of your whole suit. Luckily, there’s a very simple (if somewhat old-fashioned) solution: spats. It’s advisable to invest in two pairs of spats so that you can remove the first pair as soon as their appearance deteriorates and don the second pair for the remainder of the day. This will keep your outfit looking fresh, even after you’ve been on your feet for hours.
A gentleman looks impeccable at the end of the day as well as at the beginning. Simply follow these tips for protecting your bespoke suit and you can ensure that your appearance remains beyond reproach, whatever the day throws at you.