[Califax]

...and, in the totally wrong "area".

One is navy hopsack: there's a crease from above the top third button almost down the front hem, below the last button. The other side is normal. ?

The other is a navy flannel jacket: it now has two little tiny lapels - creased into eternity.

Both of these were my fathers and are over 50 years old; they were in superb condition. My father died just a few months ago.

I am so *&^& %$** angry I really don't know what to do with myself.

The dry cleaners (in Boston - at some point I'll tell the name) said they would repair the navy flannel and it came back with the crease still in it. Then, I saw the navy hopsack that I had left some time ago - and nearly flipped.

I am seriously going out of my mind. These rolls were so beautiful that even people who know nothing about men's clothing would remark on them. There's something about the ignorant intentionality about it that just enrages me every time I think about it - "hey, that [gorgeous] roll shouldn't be there - let me work to create an eternal crease!"

Pressing a lapel is rather like trying to repair a violin with a friggen sledgehammer - what is the friggen point?????

This dry cleaner has been taking care of my clothes for 5 years; I don't understand why this happened; and, worse, I don't understand what I'm supposed to do.

Any advice would be very appreciated; I'm sorry if I've been incoherent or ranty. I am just flummoxed beyond my depths.

 

[Andy]

Califax:

That irritates me too and I get new bespoke jackets with the lapels ironed flat! (usually from Asia). That I can fix myself with a home steamer. That's worth a try, and if it doesn't work find a better cleaner to fix it.

 

[Califax]

Califax:

That irritates me too and I get new bespoke jackets with the lapels ironed flat! (usually from Asia). That I can fix myself with a home steamer. That's worth a try, and if it doesn't work find a better cleaner to fix it.

Many thanks Andy; it is irritating beyond belief.

My understanding is that jackets go on a form that expands and steams outwards and that it's never supposed to go anywhere near a press unless there's a problem. Of course, I suppose someone might see a roll as a "problem??

What really bothers me: it's one thing if it's an accident. But the fact that it's done on purpose out of ignorance is just too much.

Anyhow, sorry for ranting; so you are saying it's within the realm of the possible that pressed hopsack and even flannel is repairable?

 

[cloth_guy5]

@Califax,

Hello sir. I'm sorry this happened. That really stinks and I don't blame you for ranting.

As far as fixing the current garment, I'm not quite certain what advice to give. There are probably other members here that could offer better advice than I can.

In the future (and perhaps the present...I'm getting to that) to avoid any more problems such as this, I would like to make a humble suggestion if I may. I send all my high end clothing, such as my bespoke suits and jackets, to Rave Fabricare in Arizona. It's not cheap but the results are always absolutely first rate. Also, when I consider how infrequently dry cleaning is necessary, it actually averages out to be okay. Additionally, the peace of mind that I'm getting back an expensive garment that won't be ruined, is priceless.

Lastly, from what I understand, Rave does have a pretty good track record of satisfactorily fixing other cleaners' disasters. It may be worth it to give them a call and see what they have to say. This is just something to think about and I hope it helps a little. Have a great (or at least better) day!

 

[Troones]

+1 on Andy's suggestion of using a home steamer.

My home steamer works like a charm. Its one of the best investments my wife and I have made. I recommend having one anyway, so it would be worth getting one and trying to fix your garments.

And I'm also sorry to hear of this happening to you. And to your late father's jackets no less. One of the problems with declining standards in dress is that cleaners see less and less quality suits/jackets and just don't know how to treat them anymore. Try explaining what a 3/2 roll is to them and watch the blank stares you get.

 

[TimF]

Proper ironwork of a tailored jacket is an intricate skillset, maybe just after cutting and sewing.

So my advice is to get thyself fast to a good tailor: someone who knows how to make a suit knows how to iron it properly, and maybe can get rid of that hard crease. Second best, find a reputable cleaner who knows how to hand press a suit jacket. If no one locally, ask Stu Bloom of Scottsdale, AZ if he can fix and get the shipping box ready.

The sad fact is that in most walks of life >90% of "professionals" are mediocrities who have no place handling something valuable. Seems like you landed a lemon. Unless you can recover damages, what's the use of getting upset?

 

[Danny]

Sorry to hear this, it has happened to me before as well. It's very difficult to communicate the nuances of this stuff to people who are just hustling to rush through their day's work.

 

[Searching_Best_Fit]

@Califax :

Besides of finding a good tailor/clean to hand press your jacket or sending it over to Rave FabriCARE, there are other options for you to consider:

1. Just hang the jacket for a long long time (months or even years) and hope the crease will be gone (wishful thinking).
2. Do the hand-press/steam yourself at home.

Step 2 does require your patience and time. Reserve at least 1 or 2 hours to play around with steamer/iron to fix the issue yourself and learn a new skill. Next time you can simply ask the cleaner to clean but not press and do the pressing yourself, if you are inclined to to do. If not, send the garment to someone you know how to take care of them.

Keep in mind that it is wise to have the lapel pressed from collar to some portion at the top. 1/3 or so is suggested. It depends on the design of the jacket so that is up to you of where you want it to be pressed. Now, I am assuming that your issue here is some there are unwanted creases from mid to lower part of the lapels and quarters. To fix this, you can try a steamer to relax the crease, or the following items to press them yourself:

* home iron
* press clothes (a cotton/linen handkerchief or an old white T-shirt and cut off with one layer of fabric)
* water sprayer
* beach towel (preferable white but color one will do provided that they do not transfer dye to your jacket. Or wrap the color one with a while T-shirt to prevent color transferring).

Now, the pressing steps:

1. find a solid surface that you can work. An ironing board with stand is good. A flat dining table is ok.
2. roll the beach towel into a roll to be used as a make-do tailor's ham. You can adjust how big or small a roll you want by rolling it differently. This roll will be used so that the clothes can be placed on top and provide a soft cushion for pressing.
3. heat up the iron and set it a bit less than the wool setting. Typically the wool setting is somewhat in the middle of the heat setting between polyester and linen. Start it with a bit less heat than wool setting and try it first. If the heat is insufficient, add a little bit more. Too little heat for ironing is ok, just take more tries. Too much heat is bad as you can shine or burn the clothes. That is no no.
4. remove everything from the pockets of the jackets (duh!)
5. start pressing from the inside facing (the part that is not shown when buttoned) near the hem (in case you screwed up) and do the followings:

a. Lay it over the towel roll
b. put on the pressing clothes
c. spray a little bit of water
d. gently press vertically a bit with no horizontal movement
e. replace the iron and pressing clothes to observe result
f. if not sufficient, repeat with a bit more time or turn up heat on pressing until you find a good heat setting and pressing time

Some notes:
* You should ALWAYS use a press clothes to prevent shining. Professional typically do not use it but it is wise to use it to not over-do it.
* I find that it is easier if you have a consistent pace of counting from 1 to 5, or to 10. Press it with your pace and observe. If not sufficient, count more. If too much, just reduce the count next time.
* During pressing, you do not need to press hard to the clothes with your whole body weight. Simply press down with some pressure is fine. In this case you are trying to smooth out the crease so no hard-pressing is required. Gently and repeatedly pressing is better than one hard press to achieve a good result. Pressing to create a crease OTOH is just the opposite.

6. Once you get a hang of how this pressing is done, move up from the inside facing to near the lapel area and press them flat to remove the crease.

Since a towel roll is used here, the pressing can be done gently so that you will have less chance to break the fabric. Gently pressing until the crease is loosen and removed. I would also suggest that once the crease is loosen and less pronounce, you might want to unroll the towel and lay it flat so that you can press the lapel flat.

Continue these steps until you are done on this side to the point where you want the crease stop.

7. Do the same thing on the *front side* of the jacket near the lapel area. Typically this part is hidden once the lapel is flipped when worn. In this step, you do not need to press too much, but you do need to press this side to complete the job. This is the finishing touch of creating the roll.

And that's it. Done. You should un-crease the lapel at this stage.

Wait a minute, where is the step to create the lapel roll? Do I need to press it against something to create this roll?

In fact, you do not need to press the roll. If you really want to press a lapel roll, you can use that make-do towel roll and place the lapel against it to press the curvature of a roll. But really, there is no need to do this as a nicely built jacket lapel will roll itself naturally. As long as the lapels were pressed flat without crease, it will roll once the jacket is put on.

Pressing for one lapel side should probably take about 5 to 10 minutes. Pressing a whole jacket will be somewhere around 30 to 45 minutes as each panel needs to be pressed carefully. If your dry-cleaner charge to $10 for cleaning the jacket, and with the minimal wage of your location per hour, imagine how much *time* do they reserve on pressing and make a profit of your case. That would explain why no cleaner will do hand pressing unless asked, and did not bother to create/preserve the lapel roll discussed here.

Once you are done in one side, wear it and observe the difference it makes. With every precaution I can think of, I think these steps should restore the lapel roll from your delicate and memorable jacket with minimal costs except your time and effort. Good luck.

 

[FLMike]

Sorry that happened and I’m not sure how to fix it, unfortunately. For future reference, whenever I send one of my 3/2 sacks to the cleaners, I safety pin a note to the lapel, instructing them to leave the roll as-is with no pressing.

 

[127.72 MHz]

I have had a brand new made to measure 3/2 lapel pressed with creases so deep that they have never been correct.

For about the last 15 years I have had a cleaners with a fellow who really understands how to press a jacket/sport coat. None the less I make the owner write on the ticket in Capitol letters: "Please do not press lapels." The owner was exasperated the first few times I asked that it be done. She even went so far as to tell me that if an individual understands how to do their job they would never iron lapels flat.

After I brought in my jacket that still shows the deep creases some ninconpoop put in my jacket she indulges me.

So sorry this happened to you.

 

[Peak and Pine]

A couple of firsts in this thread. To me anyway.

Have yet to encounter such passion filled writing on such a minor matter as what the OP has tied himself in knots about. Get at least a partial grip. The cleaner screwed up. But not with a chain saw. With an iron. So just fix it. You don't need any high-skilled tailor. Do it yourself for cryin' out loud (which you seem to be doing). Do like Searching Best Fit says above. Good as that advice is, it's the second thing I've not encountered here: an evening's long read to describe a simpleton's task. Just get an iron, press the lapels flat from the under side as if they weren't there, turn the lapels back to where you want them, shove a thick terry underneath the fold-back line and press long and hard with a damp cloth 'tween iron and lapel . Should that not work (it will), go deep: one, tack (sew lightly in one spot much as cuff tops are tacked to the pant body ) the lapel to the coat in the position you want or, two, seam-rip the lapel and insert new uncreased stiffener, sew back up and reshape with cool iron. (Cool Iron means you put the iron in the refrigerator for 38 minutes.)

 

[127.72 MHz]

^^^ My first hand experience is that a deep crease cannot always been corrected.

Two professional tailors have done their best to erase the deeply steamed creases that were put into a brand new jacket that had never been worn.

If they can be corrected as you have described that would be great. None the less it is, in my opinion, exasperating to happen to a $1200.- brand new jacket. Not at all out of the ordinary to be upset about something like this.

While a partial grip is maintained it is worth letting the offending business know what damage they have done.

 

[Peak and Pine]

^

I don't disagree with anything you've said because only you know your experiences. As I know mine. I'm sorry you've had some poor ones. I can't address the reaction to a screwed up 12-hundred dollar jacket because I've never owned a 12-hundred dollar jacket. You and I have different spending habits. I can understand someone being ticked off at an experience such as the OP's. But not publicly losing it. The initial posting seems to lean in that direction.

 

[Califax]

So, you...

can't address the reaction to a screwed up 12-hundred dollar jacket because I've never owned a 12-hundred dollar jacket. You and I have different spending habits.

But you can address my reaction to a dry cleaners destroying the 3/2 roll lapels of irreplaceable heirloom blazers more than 50 years old, given to me by my father who just died a few months ago....

...because you've HAD this exact experience? LOL? Nice logic.

I can understand someone being ticked off at an experience such as the OP's. But not publicly losing it. The initial posting seems to lean in that direction.

I think you're overreacting a wee bit with that there strained interpretation.

 

[Califax]

Anyway, many thanks everyone for the advice - here and via IM. Be well!

 

[Peak and Pine]

^

You've misread. Though I've never spent 12-hundred on a jacket, that's not the same as saying I don't value a piece of clothing as if I had. As you're doing with the jackets your dad left you, of which, I assume, you have little idea what they cost him 50 years ago.

I do have experience with this mis-pressed lapel thing, as l ventured a few solutions to you in the post above. You thought maybe l pulled those from my a***? Suggestions l make here are based on things l've done, not had done, but thought it out and figured a way to do it. If it turned out poorly, as it often does, l don't offer it as a half-assed solution, such as sending your clothes to Arizona to be cleaned as mentioned above, good as Stu Bloom is (I internet-know him ).

What caught my attention in this thread was this quote from you in your initial post:

"l'm seriously going out of my mind."

Since that condition is unknown to me, seriously or unseriously, regarding clothing or anything l can possibly think of, l believe my choice to comment in this thread was unwise. Sorry.

 

[TimF]

Seriously, stop entrusting your valuable jackets to people who haven't earned your trust. It's that simple, the world is full of idiots.

Dry cleaning is damaging enough to clothes. So I'm a little perplexed why send out a brand new suit.

 

[cloth_guy5]

^

You've misread. Though I've never spent 12-hundred on a jacket, that's not the same as saying I don't value a piece of clothing as if I had. As you're doing with the jackets your dad left you, of which, I assume, you have little idea what they cost him 50 years ago.

I do have experience with this mis-pressed lapel thing, as l ventured a few solutions to you in the post above. You thought maybe l pulled those from my a***? Suggestions l make here are based on things l've done, not had done, but thought it out and figured a way to do it. If it turned out poorly, as it often does, l don't offer it as a half-assed solution, such as sending your clothes to Arizona to be cleaned as mentioned above, good as Stu Bloom is (I internet-know him ).

What caught my attention in this thread was this quote from you in your initial post:

"l'm seriously going out of my mind."

Since that condition is unknown to me, seriously or unseriously, regarding clothing or anything l can possibly think of, l believe my choice to comment in this thread was unwise. Sorry.

@Peak and Pine,

My sport coats and jackets cost more than the aforementioned twelve-hundred dollars, and my full suits run significantly more than that. Therefore, I am extremely careful as to who works on them. For a pressing I am fortunate in that I can bring my garments to my tailor who makes them as he provides this service.

For the occasional full dry cleaning, unlike you I do not "internet know" Mr. Bloom. Additionally, you admit you don't own high dollar clothing and therefore have no experience with that either. I have trusted Mr. Bloom's business with my bespoke garments for years. My suggestion, which as always was meant to be sincerely helpful, was hardly "half a**" as you so eloquently put it. Nor was it based on something I read on the internet. Rather, my friendly suggestion was derived from firsthand experience of having very expensive garments worked on. Rave is by far and away one of the best, if not the best out there. If they can't fix up the garments of @Califax I doubt anyone can.

After many years of reading AAAC I decided to jump on board. The reason I was reluctant to join and it took me so long to do so is the same reason I often decline to post a reply or offer helpful suggestions when I think I may have something to offer. That is, there are many members here such as yourself, that have far too many acerbic rants and snide remarks that I don't want to be involved in. Particularly when these rants and remarks come from a position of nothing more than "internet wisdom."

Lastly, my personal life is mine and I don't blast it all over the internet. However, let's just say I have a job where literally ever single day I have people's lives in my hands and, despite my best efforts, not all of them make it. There are many folks on here, such as yourself, that may want to re-evaluate how seriously they are taking this clothing hobby.

 

[Shaver]

However, let's just say I have a job where literally ever single day I have people's lives in my hands and, despite my best efforts, not all of them make it.

Dont tell us. Let us guess.

Hmmm.

<strokes chin thoughtfully>

Are you a blindfolded taxi driver?

 

[Peak and Pine]

@Peak and Pine,

My sport coats and jackets cost more than the aforementioned twelve-hundred dollars, and my full suits run significantly more than that.

l waded thru your post, but you must have skimmed mine. You're forgiven. Not spending Bg Money for clothes is not the same as not having Big Money clothes. Dollars don't leave my pocket without considerable thought. What considers far less thought though is the half a**ed idea of sending my stuff to Arizona to get clean.