Blazers are made to be used, acquiring a stylish patina and unique character during their life. It’s far from unusual, for example, for well-tailored tweed blazers to be passed down between generations. For this to be possible, though, the blazer will need a little care and attention to ensure it looks its best. In this article, we share our six simple tips to keep your blazer in the best possible condition.

How to wash and care for a blazer:

Using the right coat hanger when storing your blazer is a key factor in making sure it keeps its shape. The hanger should fill the shoulders of the blazer in the same way as your own shoulders do. Its width should be equal to the distance between the shoulder seams, though a couple of centimetres either way shouldn’t be a problem. In the worst case, using the wrong size of hanger can cause your blazer to become misshapen.

Blazers shouldn’t be regularly dry-cleaned, unless you manage to get it frightfully dirty every time you wear it. Dry-cleaning not only removes stains, but also the important natural fats in fabrics such as wool. The dry-cleaning process also causes significant wear, so we strongly recommend waiting until you happen to get it particularly dirty or when you feel it’s been a long time since you last had it cleaned.

We recommend washing sprays that eliminate bad odors and freshen up your jacket between uses, here from the brand Laundry Society.

The most crucial part of blazer care is airing it out regularly. A fresh breeze has an almost miraculous ability to freshen up fabrics, and woollen fabrics in particular. Hang your blazer to air on the requisite coat hanger that you will, of course, now be using.

Don’t panic if you somehow stain your prized blazer. In most cases, a little spot-cleaning of the stain should do the trick. Spot-cleaning involves gently cleaning the stained area by hand, and there are many suitable stain-removers out there for this specific purpose. Personally, I prefer using gall soap and water, gently rubbing the area with a sponge to remove grease, for example.

If your blazer ends up creased after that long-haul flight from Amsterdam to Singapore or some other escapade, using a steamer is often the right solution. For this, you won’t need a complicated or advanced specialist product, a general purpose, hand-held steamer is often more than enough to revive your blazer. If you’re away from home, a simple trick is to hang the blazer in the shower cubicle of your hotel room, lie the shower head on the floor and turn the water temperature up as far as it will go. Leave it for a while so that the steam can properly pass through the fabric but be careful to ensure that the blazer doesn’t fall in the water or get too wet from the steam. Allow it to dry fully before wearing.

By all means, open and use the pockets of your blazer, but with restraint. Overfilling them with your bulging wallet, large keyring and sizable mobile will always lead to a rather awkward fit and can even cause your blazer to become misshapen. Stick to a few small and well-chosen items. Keep your phone in the dedicated pocket and your cardholder in another. Use the chest pocket for a pocket square or, at the most, a pair of sunglasses.