If you already decided to complete your wardrobe with made-to-measure shirts, you might want to know how to preserve them in a good shape as long as possible. Shirts are the clothing piece that have a direct contact with your body hence it will need much more treatment than a suit. First of all, let’s focus on the characteristics of a well sewn shirt.
The most important thing is the fabric. As mentioned above, a shirt will be in direct contact with your skin all day long so it is in your best interest to choose a high quality one. 100% cotton is a must, although you can have a couple of shirts made in a blend of cotton and elastane (specially for a very slim cut). Since we have already discussed the choice of fabric for this piece of clothing before, you probably know some iconic brands of weavers like Albini, Soktas, Cancilini or Thomas Mason. Choosing a fabric of this quality will guarantee you the comfort of wearing and breathability much appreciated after a long day of work.
How to clean your shirts? If you can afford it, a respected and tested dry cleaner is always a nice option. Nevertheless, shirts can be as well washed at home in a washing machine. The important thing is to keep the water temperature at 30 degrees (thus you can wash it at 40 degrees every couple of weeks). Remember not to exaggerate with the spinning - the spinning level should not exceed 800. If your shirt has some stains (coming from food, dirt, sweat etc.) use a special bleaching detergent like a citron soap that you can buy in most supermarkets. Prior to washing, moisten the soap and rub the stains and leave it for about an hour before putting it into the machine. And a golden rule - always respect the colours, wash white shirts with the whites and the colored ones with the colors.
The second step is ironing. Before this process however make sure that your shirts are well shaken to even out larger creases formed in the washing machine and let them dry. The material can be a bit humid for the ironing, the moisture will make it easier to strengthen the creases. Cotton fabric is quite easy to iron and every ironing machine can adapt its temperature to the fabric. Before ironing, remove the label with spare buttons from the side seam so as not to iron them under the fabric - this may damage the fabric and cause holes. The same attention applies while ironing the sleeves. The clean shirts should be hung on thin hangers and kept in the closet.
Critical elements in each shirt are the collar and cuffs. They wear off with regular use, and over time may look unsightly. Made-to-measure gives you the possibility to change the collar and the cuffs after some time in order to refresh your shirts and give them a second life.