Caring for a fine piece

Our pieces are dry clean only. It is the fine fibre that asks for it: a wash at home, however gentle, dulls the sheen and loosens the drape. But dry cleaning is only part of it. Between one visit to the cleaner and the next, a few small habits are what make a piece last for years.

At the cleaner

Choose one that handles delicate garments, and ask for low heat and a soft finish, no hard pressing. Less is more: a piece does not need cleaning after every wear, only when it genuinely asks for it. Keep the fibre-content label in case they ask.

Between wears

Airing a piece overnight, hung in a ventilated room, lifts almost everything a day leaves behind. A very light brush with your hands settles the fibres. A fresh mark is dealt with dry, dabbing with a clean cloth from the edge inwards, never rubbing.

A piece doesn’t need cleaning after every wear - just steady care.

Storing

• Fold the piece, do not hang it: its own weight deforms it over time.
• Store it clean. Moths are after traces of skin and perfume, not the fibre itself.
• A closed drawer with a cedar or lavender sachet helps more than mothballs.
• A breathable cotton bag, never plastic.

Creases

Most creases fall out on their own if you leave the piece hanging overnight in a steamy bathroom. If you need more, use a hand steamer held at a distance. Avoid the iron; if there is no other option, the lowest setting, with a cotton cloth between the iron and the fabric, and keep moving.

Pilling

A small tangle of fibres on the surface, what is called pilling, is normal in a new blend and is not a fault. Remove it gently by hand or with a cashmere comb, and it appears less and less with wear.