How to care for your BLVDier garments
We spend an inordinate amount of time designing and crafting a mindful product. We want you to respect the clothing that moves from our hands to your back. If you have pride in the building of the clothing, we believe you'll inherently take better care of it. Below is a primer for how to do just that.
The rules of the trade
Dry clean your clothing as little as possible. When you do, we suggest Davis Imperial or Barry-Regent.
Here’s what those symbols mean on the tags inside your clothing.
The armpits of your shirt yellow due to the aluminum compounds in your deodorant. Try this.
The crotch of your pants will pill if your legs rub together. The pilling will worsen if the crotch is moist with sweat. Getting a second pair of trousers will help, as will rotating your pants between wears. Getting more absorbent underwear will also help.
Wear and tear on a woolen fabric is normal and to be expected. A properly fitted garment made of natural materials is made to last a long time, but that’s dependent on the environment in which it is worn.
Keep an extra hanger in the office and car to give your jacket a break.
Starch, wire hangers and messenger bags are bad. Steamers are great.
The tricks of the trade
Messenger bags, seat belts and anything resting/hanging on your jacket will warp the fabric and interfacings (please take off your jacket before getting in the car).
Don't order the red sauce pasta if you're prone to spilling on yourself.
Graphite from a pencil is a great dry lubricant for a stuck zipper.
A paperclip makes a suitable collar stay. Twist ties from bread make suitable cufflinks.
The inside of a banana peel can help shine your shoes in a pinch.
Storing your suit or sportcoat in a garment bag in your closet will do the same thing your locker did to your gym uniform. The cloth needs to breathe and should not be stored in a bag.
Learn how to sew a button on. Shank it properly.
Dissolving aspirin or denture cleaner in water can help remove stains on a shirt.
Bad dry cleaners break buttons. If such a thing happens, you will incur a fee to order new buttons and have them replaced. The trick here is to go to a good dry cleaner.
Alterations/Repairs
Immediate alterations to new BLVDier garments will be performed at each client’s second fitting and done at no cost to the client. Subsequent alterations due to weight fluctuation or a change in mind of style will be done at the client’s cost. If you bring clothing back in to be altered after wearing, they must be dry cleaned in advance. Repairs will be done ad-hoc, depending on the severity of a tear/rip, and if a solution presents itself we will do our best to assist.
Some specific wear and tear is a result of certain behavior, habits and also certain body shapes that can’t ultimately be resolved with our tailors. Increased wear is often unavoidable. We can offer guidance on the appropriate cloth if you are harder on your clothing than normal, as well as tailor a less fitted silhouette, to decrease stress on the cloth. Trouser wear in the crotch is common for some who rub in this area. Finer, and in some cases more luxurious, fabrics will wear quicker in these conditions and our larger crotch lining can extend the life of the trouser. It is not a foolproof solution. It’s unavoidable in many cases and wool suiting fabrics may never hold up in the worst of cases.
Types of Stains
*We offer several stain resistant fabrics.
Coffee, Tea: Rinse with peroxide, white vinegar or club soda.
Grease, oil: Blot excess oil with a napkin. Work baking soda or cornstarch into stain to draw it out. Launder with a heavy-duty detergent. Pray.
Ink: Douse with aerosol hairspray or rubbing alcohol and blot. Sponge detergent on the stain before washing.
Lipstick: Remove as much as possible with a dull knife. Dab with baby wipes, then rinse with hot water to dissolve oils.
Tomato sauce: Scrape off excess, then apply a mixture of cool water and liquid dish soap. Blot stubborn stains with white vinegar.
Wine: Blot with club soda and salt. The salt helps prevent permanent staining while the carbonation lifts the stain out.
Blood: Rub fabric against itself under cold water. Avoid hot water; it will set the stain.
Static cling: Get a metal/wire hanger and rub it along your pants. It will remove the charge.
Knitwear Care Instructions
It is important to take good care of your knitwear to ensure your garment lasts as long as possible. Here are some helpful tips:
Do not wear your garment for more than 1-2 days in a row.
After wearing for a whole day, let it rest on a flat surface.
Since wool is naturally resistant to stains, odor and grease, it does not need washing very often. Washing less will help the garment last longer and is more environmentally friendly too.
When you do need to wash, turn your garment inside out first. Hand wash in cold or lukewarm water (max 30 %), using a lot of water to rinse. If you must use the washing machine, spin at low speed and temperature.
Use neutral or mild detergents (preferably a special wool detergent) as enzymes in normal detergents will damage the lanolin in the wool.
After washing, pat your clothes dry with a towel, without twisting them. Then place to dry on a flat surface in a well-ventilated place, away from heat sources (especially direct sunlight).
Knitwear should not be stored on a hanger as this can stretch the garment out of shape. Instead, fold and store away in the closet.
Always keep a good moth repellent in the closet, hanging and without direct contact with the clothes. In summer when you aren't wearing your knitwear, store in the reusable bag your garment came in to keep it extra safe.
After wear or unpacking, drape your knitwear in a steamy bathroom to help remove wrinkles. If needed, iron the dry shirt inside out with a damp cloth on top using a warm iron (with the wool program).
In the early stages of the use of the garment, it's normal for this quality to produce excess fiber or "pilling". After 2 or 3 washes the wool will settle.
Manually remove any piling carefully with a soft brush or the appropriate comb.