GARMENT CARE
With a little care and maintenance, your P Johnson garments should live a long life.
Woollen suits, particularly trousers, need rest from wear. They should ideally be worn in rotation with several other suits to prevent excessive and premature wear. To get the best value and longevity out of your suit we recommend an extra pair of trousers.
Where possible, always attempt to hang your jacket on the provided hanger to retain the shoulder form. If there isn’t a hanger available, using the loop in the collar is the next best thing. To hang trousers correctly make sure they’re unbuttoned, hold them by the base with the crease lines matched, then fold them over the trouser rail of the hanger. Adjust the creases to match perfectly. Avoid leaving your garments in the sun for extended periods of time (eg. in the back of cars).
It’s a tricky one to make a habit of, but always take your jacket off before getting in the car. Seat belts wear the jacket’s shoulder and lapel, leaving a localised shiny patch that is irreversible.
We sell many luxurious and lightweight merino wools. While these are relatively strong for their weight, some won’t have the lifespan of a more robust cloth over about the 270gm/m mark. Your tailor will discuss what is most appropriate for your needs.
Save some cash at the dry cleaners by making less visits, and use a small, reputable dry cleaner with a premium service. Two to three times a year is a lot for most suits if you’re using them in a good rotation. Often a pressing is sufficient to freshen up the garment or hang them outside in the cool and moist night air (under cover and in the suit bag). This will gently rehydrate and recover the cloth. If your garment is soiled in only a localised area, ask for a spot clean only, or press a damp cloth gently on the mark. For olive oil drops, apply talcum powder in a small mound onto the spot, then dust off after 12 hours without massaging it into the cloth. Ask your dry cleaner to cover horn and shell buttons in foil, so they aren’t damaged. Feel free to drop your suit off to one of our showrooms for a press and freshen up anytime, and have a coffee while you wait.
Go for a set of wheels where possible. Hanging bag straps over your shoulder may displace the interlinings of a jacket over time and wear the cloth.
In your trouser hems (and the hem of an unlined jacket) we use ‘blind stitching’ to secure the hem. This is designed to break, believe it or not, so that the cloth itself isn’t damaged. It’s easily recovered, so just drop them in and we’ll do it in minutes. To avoid constant ‘kick-outs’ please put your socks on first and take care putting your foot through the trouser leg’s base.
Like fingers, buttons don’t like wardrobe doors closing on them. If you crack one, don't sweat - they're a natural product after all. Our buttons are attached with long strong stems, occasionally one might unwind over time, this is easily fixed. Just drop your garment back and we’ll replace or repair your buttons for a small fee.
Suits are very strong but they deal with a lot, so like your car, expect maintenance to be required at times - this is normal. We charge a small amount for in-house repair of our garments. Our team will explain when something is no longer salvageable from wear.
Wear and tear is normal and unavoidable. P Johnson is not responsible for wear and tear. Please read the garment care advice and take advice and cautions from your tailor to prolong the life of your garment. Some specific wear and tear is a result of idiosyncratic behaviours, habits and also certain body shapes that can’t ultimately be resolved in tailoring. Increased rate of wear is often unavoidable for the unlucky ones amongst us. Consult your tailor for the most appropriate cloth if you know you wear harder in certain areas, and go for a natural fit with your tailor where possible, to take duress off the cloth. Trouser wear in the fork is reasonably common for some who rub in this area. More delicate and luxurious fabrics will fail quickly in these conditions and attempting to solve the problem with an added silk saddle will only delay the expected. It’s not a comprehensive solution. It’s unavoidable in many cases and wool suiting fabrics may never hold up in the very worst of cases. Take care with abrasive seats in office environments. Textured seats kill suits, and there isn't much that can be done about this damage. Trousers and jackets in some areas employ blind stitching. Blind stitching is used so that it breaks before the cloth is damaged (as a preservation measure). The hem at the base of a trouser is blind stitched for this reason.
Cold machine shirts under 30°C is best, followed by a line dry and hand ironing. Never put them in a dryer. The average commercial laundry process is very effective but also very harsh and will shrink shirts excessively. The subsequent pressing is also mechanically aggressive and will damage cuff and collar edges. Dry clean or commercially launder your shirts at your own risk.
Knitwear is made using ‘woollen yarn’ (as opposed to stronger and smoother ‘worsted spun yarn’). It will naturally ‘ball’ for a period as it sheds its fluffier loose fibres. This is normal. It can be removed with a very gentle and light drag of a safety razor or very gentle use of a pilling comb. Always test a disguised area first. To clean knitwear, it's best to hand wash in cold water with a tiny amount of very delicate detergent suitable for wool (like Woolmix). Store flat in a clean cloth bag. Merino wool and cashmere naturally retard bacteria and odours so in many instances knitwear will never need a clean.
Check care instructions on the labels attached. Laundry type varies because of different construction and cloth types used.
Over summer store overcoats and winter suits in a sealed bag to prevent moth damage. Air out regularly if storing for an extended period.
Brass is a naturally soft metal that will tarnish over time. Our solid Brass Bracelets have been coated with a lacquer to give an aged appearance and to reduce tarnishing. Exposure to perfumes and oils will reduce the effectiveness of this lacquer. If tarnishing occurs (or to create a high shine) polish with a jewellery cloth or suitable cleaning agent (such as Brasso). Our bracelets are malleable and can be manipulated in shape to adjust the size, but avoid doing so repeatedly as fracturing can occur from excessive pressure.