Stu Bloom of RAVE FabriCare wrote last fall to say that he would be instituting a modern version of the sponge and press for those of us who are not fortunate enough to live near a bespoke tailor who offers such a service.
Now there are no signs that Stu has instituted his service yet but the idea was interesting as a sponge and press, particularly the hand ironing press part, is usually all the maintenance that a suit needs unless it picks up a spot or acquires an odor. Suits can tolerate an annual dry cleaning, particularly if that same sponge and press tailor is available to repair the damage done by the cleaners usual attempt to iron the lapels into submission. Unfortunately, few alterations tailors, and those are the only kind of tailors remaining in most American cities, have recognized the revenue opportunity that sponging and pressing suits three or four times a year for $50 (35 euros) an hour might represent.
So, as I wrote, RAVE's prospective offering was of considerable interest. My own indequate attempts at tailored clothing maintenance have over time reduced themselves to the trouser press and my Jiffy steamer. That is because I have received too many dry cleaned suits that went away as a three roll top and returned as a three roll two, or, just as often, the reverse. And I suppose I should not really fault even my otherwise very good cleaning service for inadequately training staff who have most likely never owned a suit or had reason to understand that not all lapels roll the same way. After all, this is San Francisco and there are undoubtedly not many suits cleaned each week in the entirety of the city.
So last night as I contemplated a suit that does not need dry cleaning but would really benefit from a sponge and press, I thought today would be a good day to give RAVE's proposed service a bit of publicity in the hope that signs of prospective demand would get Stu off the dime. His toll-free (in the U.S.) number is 1.800.469.6776. Feel free to tell him ASW sent you.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Maintenance: Sponge and Press
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6 comments:
Will,
I used Stu on your recommendation after I had a nasty stain on one of my bespoke sport coats. The garment came back perfectly pressed with the stain gone. He is now my go-to cleaner even though I live in South Florida. Thank you for writing about maintenance issues for our clothes as good sources are so hard to find.
My tailor presses my suits as part of the service, Today Dormeuil prince of wales check made Aug 98.
Will: I spoke with Stu the other day on your recommnedation about a stain on the Bemberg of a vest. He said that he hopes to offer the sponge service beginning in February. He mentioned that they should even be able to help someone who spills a salad down the front of his suit. Good to know. Thanks for this post and the previous one about Rave. And generally, thanks for everything you do for us through this site.
Well done. Sent an email, saying ASW sent me. I thought this service was relgated to old Cary Grant movie references, asking the hotel staff to send the suit out for a sponge and press.
This is so much to the point! I have been quite mad at dry cleaners who have no idea about rolled lapels, as Will mentions, and will destroy a three- button jacket's lapel roll quite thoroughly. What's more, these incompetents will iron over the part of the lapel which is directly behind the top button and will cause a fabric shine to appear on that part of the lapel. Horrors!
I also noted with pleasure JC's point about Cary Grant -- he sends a suit to be sponged and pressed after it has been through the dirt and dust in that famous crop-duster scene in North by Northwest. Imagine rescuing a suit from that! I'm sure there are other such references as well in his other films.
As usual, a very pertinent topic, Will. I resort to dry cleaners only in times of dire emergency*, but my own attempts at pressing remain, well, amateur. Trousers are particularly frustrating. I would pay good money for a sensible training session with an expert. (*Such as the time that an entire shower rail of clothes plunged into a warm bath after I had left my hotel room. Instead of a gentle steaming they got a complete soaking - not recommended, although the custom-made suit did bounce back amazingly well.)
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