Being in the dress biz, the inevitable question comes, "Where do I take my dress/gown/suit/pants/etc., to be cleaned?"
Nothing can send shivers up my spine faster.
I would never clean this tunic & pants as the tunic fabric was purchased on one of my island-dive trips and I'm not only not sure of the fabric content, I'm not sure of the dying process, so it will be cleaned.
As good as a cleaner may be, the whole process is like scratching nails across a chalkboard! It is without a doubt the hardest thing you can do to your clothes. So I have resorted to other methods and habits to keep the intended shape and style of my clothes as closely to what they were when they were first assembled.
For me this cleaning process is a last resort for removing stains, spots, or orders. I would prefer to do this myself and know that the garment has been handled gently to retain it's original style.
I've laundered this cotton jacket (removed shoulder pads & buttons) at least twice. It's light yellow and shows dirt easily, and a nice heavy cotton, so launders well.
So here's a few things I have learned along the way.
- If it isn't dirty or smelly, don't clean it.
- If it's wrinkled, hang it and allow the wrinkles to fall out. I will often recommend to clients that they hang their garments on the door jam to the bathroom while the take a shower to allow the steam to help in this process.
- If there is a spot or just a small place, spot it. I usually use K2r (I get this at my local Walgreens, but I'm sure there are other places as well). If it's really bad, I will use a cleaning solution, but this is very dangerous, as this is a liquid and all liquids will "ring" or cause a ring to occur, especially on silk.
- If the whole garment is dirty or smelly, and it is a constructed jacket (pad-stitched interfacing, collar,etc., shoulder pads, lambswool on the sleeve heads, other tailored elements, and is made of wool, rayon, acetate or other man-made fibers other than polyester), then the only way to clean the garment is to send to the cleaners. But usually this will happen about 4 or 5 times in the 20-year lifetime of the jacket - I'll explain this later.
- If the whole garment is dirty, usually, this means that the cuffs, collar, front are dirty (usually my lighter colored garments), then I will removed the shoulder pads (taking into consideration there is no other construction elements as mentioned above), and buttons and gently launder it, and press it when it comes out of the washing machine. I do not dry it in the dryer, and allow it to hang to dry.
- Silk is easily laundered, and smells infinitely better than the cleaning solution. You do have to iron it, but this is not a method for silk ball gowns, bridal gowns or other formal wear - this is a method for blouses, tops and pants that do not have heavy construction methods in the garment. I usually will launder them and then allow them to hang. One caveat here is that the garment will be folded and creased, and if those creases and folds will not press out, then do not use this method.
- For silk that when folded or creased, and the creases will not press out (the fibers usually break when they are folded or creased and nothing will heal or press out those broken fibers), then I will place the garment in a mild soapy solution (Woolite is NOT mild, but liquid Ivory is fine for this), and allow them to soak for at least a couple of hours or for a day. Then removed gently and allow to hang to drip and dry.
- Wool requires cleaning. It will shrink, loose it's original shape and there are other problems when it is washed in water. If it needs spotting, use K2r or another cleaning solution, being careful not to spot it with a liquid to prevent ringing.
This is a nice light-weight cotton that would normally be excellent laundered, but it is lined with
Bemberg, a rayon fabric, which does not do well in the laundry. As well it has faux leather trim and accent (the oxblood red trim & cuffs), which would preclude it from being laundered. It will be cleaned, but so far, I've had this for 3 years, and it hasn't required cleaning.
As amazing as this sounds, most of the time clothing like this just doesn't require that much cleaning. After you wear the garment, allow it to hang free or outside your closet, then look at it again and if it's dirty clean it. Most of the time it won't be. Even for working types, who wear jackets/suits all the time, usually have enough of a wardrobe that you're not wearing the same jacket day after day, unless it's a uniform, which will allow you ample time to allow the garment to breathe and not need cleaning.
Silk - watch out for wrinkling, you must press or iron silk after laundering (unless you gently soak it with no agitation), so know this before you start. Silk does not retain dye well, so the darker colors will run, soak or wash with like colors (this means green w/green, blue with blue, black with black, etc.).
Wool requires cleaning, period!
Cotton responds well to laundering as long as there are tailoring details to consider.
Man-mades:
Polyester responds well to laundering excluding the tailoring detailed garment.
Rayon, Acetate must be cleaned
Bemberg lining, must be cleaned
Viscose, excluding garments with tailoring details, can be laundered.

The two main considerations to consider are shrinkage (or other damage to fibers), tailoring details, and color (dye retention) when laundering or cleaning a garment. If you can be certain of the outcome whether cleaning or laundering, then this allows you many choices in returning the garment back to its original shape and look. And with such care, the garment will last 20 or more years. Mine have worked for me beautifully, and the only reason I have for retiring them permanently from my closet is that the style is no longer working for me, and it is beyond refashioning or reconstructing.