Effects of weather on a suit

[MichaelEmouse]

I'm wondering what the effect of a mild snow fall or light rain can be on a 100% wool business suit. Will it mess it up or are suits able to take such inclement weather?

[Really Not All That Bright]

I've been rained quite heavily on in a wool suit without any problems. It may stain light fabrics, though.

[BigNik]

It can cope with rain, but typically if it's humid I'll find a salt stain across the back of the jacket that has to be dry-cleaned out.

Wait until the suit's completely dry before pressing it, though.

[MichaelEmouse]

This reminds me, aside from the presence of stains or odors, how many times a year or after how many wearings do you get your suits dry cleaned? I heard 15 days to 6 months.

Can you press your own suit with an iron (on a very low heat setting I presume)or is that best left to a dry cleaner?

[BigNik]

I'm fairly hard on my suits, but I dry clean them every tenth wear unless otherwise necessary. Dry cleaning's not good for them.

That said, I alternate between two "work"-grade suits, each with two pairs of trousers, so I wear each pair of pants once a week.

Each night I use a Corby trouser press, then hang the pants by the cuff. It seems to keep them in pretty reasonable nick. If it's needed, I'll iron the jacket or the tops of the trousers - wool setting, no steam and no spray starch, with a brown paper bag between the suit and the iron to prevent it getting 'shiny'.

[sharding]

I don't wear my suits very often (ultra casual work environment -- my co-workers would think I was interviewing somewhere else if I showed up in a suit), so I don't have an exact count of wearings before cleaning. I just do it when it seems like it's been a while. In between I use a Kent clothes brush to keep things clean. It's great.

[CookingWithGas]

I have several 100% wool suits and get rained on all the time. No problem if you don't get soaked. If you get really soaked, it doesn't damage the suit but it'll mess up the shape and you'll have to get it cleaned and pressed.

Can you press your own suit with an iron (on a very low heat setting I presume)or is that best left to a dry cleaner?Absolutely. Just put the iron on the appropriate heat setting for the fabric, doesn't necessarily have to be low. I press my own pants from time to time on Wool setting or even a notch higher. I have a couple of 100% cotton suits and crank that baby up all the way for those. Cotton is more forgiving.

[kunilou]

Wool handles the rain quite well. I've even been able to get road salt out of my suits without having to go to the dry cleaners.

The only problem with ironing your own suit is pressing for the structure of the jacket. Pants are pants, just set the iron heat accordingly.

[Vorpal Blade]

Suits don't like to be dry cleaned, as mentioned upthread. Instead ask for them to be brushed-and-pressed. Do the full dry cleaning every third time or so.