The brush-off!

[Rowly]

On the advice of Will, c/o Asuitablewardrobe, I bought a Kent CC20 double sided clothes brush. The brush is much stiffer than I expected. I tried the softer side on a Crombie overcoat and feared it was a bit abrasive, which made me reluctant to use it on my suit jackets. Is there a proper way to brush in terms of direction, force, technique and frequency etc.? I want to look after my clothes and hopefully, will enjoy the ritual....but I fear either the brush or my use of it is too severe and may do more harm than good!...Any tips? Thanks, Rowly.

[JCH]

I have the same model brush. I’m no valet, but over the years I've had good luck. Others more experienced may have something better to say than the following. The shorter, stiffer bristle side is for getting mud and the like off your trouser cuffs, should you have occasion to fix the wheel on a lady’s carriage in a storm. The other is for normal use. Gentle but firm, even strokes while your suit is on a tailor’s dummy (not me in this case) or its hanger should be sufficient to remove dust, particles, flotsam and jetsam, and the odd martini olive. Trust your eyes, hand, and ears to judge pressure. Mind you don’t smack the buttons. That brush has natural bristles and should not adversely affect the cloth with regular, even handed use, assuming its good English or London Lounge stock. ☺ Go easier on flannel. I use it after each wearing. Brush under the collars every once in a while. The bristles soften a touch with age and use. Keep them clean too. Don’t let your ne’er do-well nephew or some such use it to brush the dog or cat, as the case may be.

[andreyb]

What Kent's web-site says (or used to say) is that shorter, stiffer side is for trousers, while softer one is for jackets.

Always seemed odd to me... in case of two parts of a suit, what is the difference?

Andrey

[couch]

My understanding (tailors please correct me if I'm off here) has always been that the nap or grain of the cloth runs more or less vertically on the garment from top to bottom. So if your garment has picked up a substantial amount of dust or dried mud etc., you brush upward and outward in short strokes to lift the particles out of and off the fibers, followed by a final lighter brushing downward evenly across the entire garment to smooth the surface of the cloth. If the garment only has very light dust, you can just do the lighter downward brushing.

If the garment has stubborn creases that don't hang out and that flatten the surface of the cloth in spots, blotting a damp (not wet) pad of cloth to sponge the area will help release the fibers and this can be assisted by brushing first against and then with the grain.

As said by others, the shorter bristles are stiff and good for removing debris that adheres to the cloth (thus more often trousers, which are more likely to suffer mud and road dust), but they can also do good service on dense and/or heavily textured cloth so long as the fibers aren't too delicate.

[Rowly]

Thanks for replies. My clothes are not muddy or dirty, I just got the impression that it was proper maintenance to brush after each wear to remove debris unseen to the eye. This particular brush, although recommended, seemed too rough to me...and I don't want to damage the surface. The natural bristle seems to be a selling point...maybe it needs to soften with use?

[couch]

Well, that's the same brush I've used for many years. The "debris unseen to the eye" would be the light dust I referred to. If the cloth is not dirty or seems delicate, you don't need to use any real pressure. The bristles will soften some with time, but not dramatically--at least for several years.

As for brushing after each wearing, if you're wearing the suits mainly in air-conditioned buildings or cars and cover them when you hang them up, you might be fine with just a light shaking out before hanging and just brush after every second or third wearing. The injunction to brush after each wearing, I suspect, comes from a tradition that started when there was much more particulate matter in the air and much less paving on the roads and walkways. Another important function of brushing frequently is to help remove skin flakes and any other unseen organic matter lodged on/in the cloth that might be attractive to moths while the garment is hanging in a dark closet. So it's particularly important to brush thoroughly before storing for the off-season, especially if you are not having the garment dry-cleaned.

But obviously you don't want to scrub them, or brush more often or more harshly than necessary to keep the surface clean. A gutsy cloth will stand up to the brush quite well, while a lighter or more delicate one needs a gentler hand.

[Rowly]

Excellent advice...thank you.