Care Guide

A good garment lasts a decade or a season, and the difference is almost entirely how it is washed and stored. Most clothes are not worn out — they are laundered out.

Always follow the care label on the item itself. What follows is what we do with our own.

Wash less than you think

Wool, cashmere, tweed and outerwear rarely need washing. Airing a knit overnight removes most odour. Spot-clean a mark rather than washing the whole garment. Every wash cycle is mechanical wear.

Shirts and underlayers are the exception — wash those after each wear.

Cotton — shirts, chinos, oxford

Wash at 30°C on a normal cycle, inside out
Close buttons before washing to protect the placket and collar
Skip the tumble dryer. Hang while damp and most creasing falls out on its own
Iron slightly damp on medium heat, collar and cuffs first

Heavy cotton can shrink a little on first wash. Cold water and air drying keeps it to a minimum.

Wool and cashmere knitwear

Hand wash in cool water with a wool-specific detergent, or use a wool cycle at 30°C in a mesh bag
Never wring. Press water out gently, roll in a towel, then dry flat
Never hang a wet knit — the shoulders will stretch permanently
Store folded, never on a hanger

On pilling: it is normal on natural fibres and not a fault. Remove it with a cashmere comb or a fabric shaver after the first few wears. It reduces over time.

Polo shirts

Wash at 30°C, inside out, with similar colours
Do not tumble dry — heat is what destroys the ribbed collar and cuffs
Dry flat or on a wide hanger to keep the shoulders true
Never iron directly over the collar rib

Technical outerwear and down

Wash only when performance drops, using a technical detergent — normal detergent and fabric softener destroy water repellency
No fabric softener, ever
Tumble dry down jackets on low with two or three clean tennis balls to redistribute the fill
Reproof with a spray-on treatment once water stops beading on the surface
Store down loose and uncompressed, never stuffed for months

Linen

Wash cool, on a gentle cycle
Remove while still damp and hang immediately
Accept the creasing. It is the point of the fabric

Leather and suede

Never machine wash
Let wet leather dry naturally away from heat, then condition
Brush suede when dry, with the nap, using a suede brush
Use cedar shoe trees — they absorb moisture and hold the shape
Rotate shoes and give each pair a day to dry between wears

Storage

Fold knitwear, hang tailoring on wide wooden hangers
Store everything clean — moths are drawn to skin oils and food traces, not to wool itself
Use cedar blocks or lavender rather than mothballs, and refresh cedar with light sanding once a year
Keep long-term storage in breathable cotton bags, never plastic

Repair before replacing

A reweaver can close a moth hole invisibly. A cobbler can resole a good shoe several times. A small seam repair costs a fraction of a new jacket. Buying pieces worth repairing is the entire point of buying this way.

Questions

Unsure how to treat something you bought from us? Email support@vantelli.com and we will tell you exactly what we would do.