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.
Your journey to work can cause damage to your threads in a few ways, depending on how you travel.
A suit made for the commute
The suit that you wear to work shouldn’t be the same one that you wear to a wedding. 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.
From dirt
You might find that 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. Having a windproof umbrella is an excellent start but there is more you can do to stay protected from the unpredictable weather in the UK.
From the weather
Harsh weather conditions can be harmful to your ensemble. 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.
There are some preventative measures that you can take. Purchase a shoe spray 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.
For suede shoes, invest in some hydrophobic suede protector. If you find a good spray, this can cover your shoes with a waterproof layer as the spray repels water.
From creasing
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.
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!
