Care for your suit - A basic step-by-step guide

1. Buy an extra pair of trousers for your suit. Trousers are the first part of a suit to become worn, and by having two or more pairs per jacket, you ensure that your suit has a longer life. It's an investment that pays off in the long run.

2. Alternate your suits. It's always good to have at least five good suit options that you can rotate during the week. The same goes for shoes and shirts. By rotating them, you'll have less wear and tear on your suits and also get a more varied and interesting wardrobe.

3. Avoid using the pockets. The inner pockets of a suit are not meant to be used that much. By filling the inside pockets of the jacket with, for example, car keys or wallets, you risk stretching the fabric and it will eventually fall apart. It also makes the jacket look uneven. Also, if you fill the outer pockets, the appearance of the suit will become slightly lumpy and the tailored silhouette will be ruined.

4. Don't wash it too often. As always, it's very important to read the label before washing your suit. Most suits should be dry-cleaned, but first, check the washing symbols to make sure. Dry-clean it as rarely as possible. About once every six months should be enough unless there's a stain that needs to be removed immediately. The strong chemicals used in dry cleaning put a lot of wear on the fabric and will shorten the life of your suit.

5. Buy a good clothes brush. Investing in a proper clothes brush is a good idea. With a brush you can remove any stains or marks on the suit, making sure it stays clean and fresh. A lint roller is also a useful purchase, as it keeps lint and dust off your suit.

6. Take care of it and hang it up properly. Suits should be hung on special, thick wooden suit hangers somewhere the fabric can breathe after a day's wear (if possible, avoid squeezing your suit in between your other clothes in the wardrobe). Always hang it up after a day or night of use, even if it's tempting to dump it in a pile after a late night out. It's well worth hanging it up overnight.

7. Use a steam iron. To ensure that the suit stays smooth and wrinkle-free, steam it at regular intervals using a steam iron. This opens up the fibers and helps remove stains. Avoid an ordinary iron at all costs. It risks damaging the fabric which causes the suit to become shiny. Steam iron is an extra investment that you won't regret if you want a stylish suit that lasts a long time. If you still need to use an iron, be sure to put a protective layer of cloth between the garment and the iron when ironing (e.g. a clean pillowcase or a clean tea towel).

8. When traveling. It's important to take care of the suit when you travel. Make sure you have a suit carrier or a good-quality garment bag that doesn't weigh too much. It's best if it's made of material, to let your suit breathe while you travel.