Making a Good Shirt Last: How to Take Care of Your Clothes
Here at Ash & Erie, we know just how good it feels to find the right fit. Thousands of shorter guys have tried our Everyday Shirts and every day we’re getting emails asking when more designs are coming out. But buying a great shirt is just one part of creating a great wardrobe—once you have clothes you like, you need to preserve them! Here are a few tips on how to do just that:
Take Good Care of Them
It’s never fun when you outgrow your clothes. It’s even more of a bummer when you accidentally shrink your clothes while washing them. Using our Ash & Erie Everyday Shirts as an example, even though we use pre-shrunk cotton and wash our finished shirts with a garment wash, certain methods of washing will still shrink your clothes in a way that you might not want. One way to avoid this is by getting your Shirts dry-cleaned. If you don’t want to do that, you can wash your Everyday Shirts at home, too, but in order to prevent shrinking, you’ll need to use cold water and let your shirts air-dry (and then give them a good ironing afterward). That’s a bit of work, but the thrill of looking great is worth it. And these strategies will also increase the longevity of your clothes to save you time and money down the road.
Keep Your Clothes Organized
If you respect your wardrobe, you’re respecting yourself. Don’t leave your shirts in a pile on the floor - hang them up and keep them organized in your closet. We like organizing our shirts from lightest to darkest, personally, so we always know where there are, and that they’re safe from children, pets, spilled drinks, roommates, and acts of God!
Pay Attention to Your Clothes
Once you’re out in the world, other people will be checking you out, and whether it’s because you’ve found the right fit, or because you have a mustard stain, people are going to notice. So before you go out, make sure your Shirt is clean! Make sure the buttons are firm and the loose threads are cut and that your collar is crisp and that there are no stains from sweat or deodorant or anywhere else. And, like anything, prevention goes a long way—if you’re taking care of your Shirts while you wear them, they’ll continue to take care of you for your next outing.
Iron Your Shirts
Wrinkles ruin a look. Whether you like it or not, ironing is important. It’s okay if you don’t know what you’re doing—there are even guys in our office who only just learned how to iron in their late twenties. The internet is your friend here, or maybe one of your friends can be your friend here — get an iron, find a wrinkled shirt, and get to work. The nice thing about ironing is that you can fix your mistakes—just don’t scorch your clothes or your skin in the process!
Wear Your Clothes!
There’s no better way to understand your wardrobe than by wearing it. When you try on your clothes, you remind yourself what fits and what doesn’t, what matters most to your comfort and style and what to focus on when you buy new clothes.
At the end of the day, these are tasks that anyone can do. A bit of effort before and after getting dressed can make you look sharp all day, no matter what you might be wearing. Our Ash & Erie Everyday Shirts are made to last. Follow these tips and you’ll be looking great in our clothes for a long time!