# Help with shiny seat and elbows!



## CHC (Jul 16, 2005)

This is a problem that has been plaguing me for a while now, and it has to do with the wool on my suits getting shiny on the elbows and seat. What I really need to know is, am I doing something wrong? 

I put hard, hard wear on my suits, but this tends to happen pretty fast (ie; twice a week for a year and I can see my reflection in the elbow...). Is it just me wearing them too hard? 

Or is this is a problem on the cleaner's end of things? Should I be asking for them to clean my suit a specific way...? 

Anyway, I really just need to know prevention of this, and a solution (if there is one....) to the suits it has happened to. I just got four or five new suits from eBay, work has been done, and they are ready to wear. I don't want to see them ruined by shiny elbows and behinds.

Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks very much!


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## aluminiumfish (Feb 19, 2009)

stop buying dark blue suits


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## Andy (Aug 25, 2002)

CHC:

Didn't you just click on the Fabric Care Chapter of your own copy of *The Encyclopedia of Men's Clothes*? Don't have one!  See how to get yours below.

In the meantime, some excerpts:
_Just sitting on a garment can compress the fibers and cause a shine. Also too much dry cleaning can damage a garment by drying out the natural oils in the fabric, thus shortening the life and sometimes giving a shine to the fabric. _

_Often brushing and proper hanging will keep your garments clean and wrinkle free._

_If you already have some shine on your garment you may want to experiment with an ironing cloth. It's a damp cloth (like a linen or cotton kitchen towel) that is placed on top of the garment so that the iron doesn't touch it directly. Or place the damp towel over the shine and use a steamer to remove the shine. _

_The damp cloth adds extra steam and protects the fabric from shine. If it's a stubborn shine a little white vinegar may be used on the shine before the steam._​


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## CuffDaddy (Feb 26, 2009)

Twice a week is a good bit of wear, especially if that's week after week.


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## dfloyd (May 7, 2006)

*When I first started wearing suits to work many, many years ago ....*

I had the same problem. There are some things you can do:

1) Don't scoot on the suit seat. You have to sit down, but don't slide on the seat.

2) Don't lean your elbows on your desk (or on a bar after work). This just take an effort of remembering.

3) Get your rotation of suits to be no more than once a week.

4) After each wear, brush the suit good and hang on a good wooden suit hangar. JAB sells some pretty good ones for $15 each.

5) Using a steamer or a good steam iron, press your suit after every two wears or after every wear if you are unusually hard on your suits. Never put an iron directly on the material. Use a pressing cloth. An iron such as T-Fal which coninuously emits steam can be held just above the material surface to steam out wrinkles. Then use a pressing cloth to finish up.

6) Don't dry clean more than once per season.

7) Don't buy high super numbers. Buy 85s or 100s. these are much less likely to wrinkle and endure harsher treatment.

Hope this helps. Even expensive suits will shine if the material is not hardy or is not properly cared for.


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## Benjamin E. (Mar 2, 2007)

CuffDaddy said:


> Twice a week is a good bit of wear, especially if that's week after week.


What about once a week? I have a Zegna 15 milmil 15 suit that I'd hate to see get all shiny so soon. I don't wear it particularly hard.


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## CuffDaddy (Feb 26, 2009)

It is my experience that once a week is less than half as hard on a suit as twice a week.


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## johnpark11 (Oct 19, 2009)

1st- how often do you send them to the cleaners? I send maybe 4 times a year and other I know even less.
2nd- twice a week is a lot unless you travel and need to pack light
3rd- how do the elbows get shiny? You should take your coat off when at your desk. 

Add a few suits to the roto and it might solve the problem.


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## The Louche (Jan 30, 2008)

johnpark11 said:


> 1st- how often do you send them to the cleaners? I send maybe 4 times a year and other I know even less.
> 2nd- twice a week is a lot unless you travel and need to pack light
> 3rd- how do the elbows get shiny? You should take your coat off when at your desk.
> 
> Add a few suits to the roto and it might solve the problem.


Shiny elbows are a fact of life, IMO. A very unfortunate fact at that. Removing the coat at your desk will help a lot, but they will eventually get shiny anyhow. I struggle with this concept daily.


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## amplifiedheat (Jun 9, 2008)

Tweed will never get shiny.


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## a tailor (May 16, 2005)

your mother told you to "KEEP YOUR ELBOWS OFF THE TABLE". 
the problem is you did not listen. its as simple as that.

trouser seat shine? excessive brushing is abrasion and will wear on the cloth..
just sponge it.


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## The Louche (Jan 30, 2008)

a tailor said:


> your mother told you to "KEEP YOUR ELBOWS OFF THE TABLE".
> the problem is you did not listen. its as simple as that.
> 
> trouser seat shine? excessive brushing is abrasion and will wear on the cloth..
> just sponge it.


Alex,

I've been told that brushing the trouser seat lightly is good b/c it keeps the nap of the wool raised. Do you think its best to avoid brusing that area all together?

AO


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## paul winston (Jun 3, 2006)

As others have noted, twice a week is a lot of wear. Shine is the result of friction. If you have a leather chair, this will "shine" your trousers faster than a wooden or cloth chair. If your sleeves are too narrow you will shine the elbows faster. Analyze what you are doing that is causing friction. Choose clothes that are NOT clear finishes. The heavier the cloth the better.
Paul Winston
Winston Tailors
www.chipp2.com
www.chipp2.com/blog/


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