$Account.OrganizationName
Sartorial Excellence News
Caveat Emptor: Part VI: Laundry Deterioration Rips Fabric of America!
Vol.5 No.8
Copyright � 2008 Kabbaz-Kelly
. . .
December 6, 2008

Fall/Winter Season
The Luxury
of Cashmere

Caveat Emptor

A Quick Look:
The New Cashmere & Cotton Dots!


 

Cashmere ...
Luxury Defined

MEN'S CASHMERE SOCKS


Marcoliani Cashmere & Silk Windowpane





Plain Colors
in Mid-calf & Over-the-Calf




WOMEN'S CASHMERE SOCKS

Marcoliani Contrast Top Knee-High



Harlequin Knee-High





CASHMERE SCARVES FOR ALL


Alex Begg of Scotland








A Word About
Luxury Gift Selection


We know how difficult and time-consuming it can be to select the right gifts from our vast range of fine luxury clothing and accessories. It doesn't have to be such. We know our wares from top to bottom. Let us help ...

How? On every page of CustomShirt1.com, you'll see a link to our Gift Center where you'll find a very short questionnaire to fill out for each intended gift recipient. We'll take it from there, assembling unique treasure boxes for your loved ones and sending them to you by email for your approval or revision.

GREAT GIFT IDEA:
Zimmerli's ExtraFine Red Swiss Cotton Broadcloth Pajamas


ANOTHER GREAT GIFT IDEA:
Zimmerli for Women Cocoon Cotton Fleece Loungewear/Warmups shown in Soft Sandstone

We'll even take care of the wrapping! When you remove your presents from their outer package, they'll be all ready to hand out. Well ... almost. You'll have to sign the gift card.

GREAT GIFT IDEA:
Zimmerli for Women MicroLyocell
"Zen" Wrap Pajamas




GREAT GIFT IDEA:
Sexy Belle du Jour Cotton Lace Cap Sleeve & Peek-a-boo Lace Bikini



GREAT GIFT IDEA:
The Incomparable Swarovsky-on-Zimmerli
Diamonds & Pearls Collection

Order by December 17th and we guarantee delivery in time for Christmas at no charge. Click here and put us to work on your list!




Greetings!

From the caustic chemical concoctions currently called "Professional Laundry Detergent" to the super-heated steam-spewing pressing machines, the entire thrust of modern laundry/cleaner is productivity. Long gone are the days when someone actually looked at each item of clothing before handing it to the customer. As long as it's been through the washer and presser...it must be done!

Although this issue's article was originally written on the subject of proper shirt care, the principles discussed apply to all articles of clothing. The true value of clothing lies not in the price you pay for it but in the number of wearings you receive from it. Quite simply, the major determinant of that is the care your garment receives in the cleaning process.

Thank you to the many who have written me about the previous Caveat Emptor articles. I appreciate your interest and enjoy answering your comments. Please keep it coming. We have now made all the articles available on our web site. Click here.

Oh, yeah. The sales pitch. :-) A bit more of a look-see at our Holiday items is over there on the left.

Best regards,
Alex Kabbaz


  • Caveat Emptor
    Part VI
    Proper Care Yields Maximum Longevity
  • by Alexander S. Kabbaz, Master Shirtmaker
    Copyright � 2003-2008 Alexander S. Kabbaz, All Rights Reserved


    Why bother to scrub the collar and cuffs by hand when boiling water, lye, hydroflouric acid and sodium hypochlorite will achieve something near the same degree of cleanliness? Why hand iron for 27 minutes per shirt that which a pressing machine can make flat and stiff as a board in 27 seconds? The simple answer is Profit. Long gone are the days when the key word in a laundry was Pride. Economics of scale says it all. If your shirt spends 30 minutes in a 300 shirt washer/extractor, then the cost is for 6 seconds of machine work. Another 30 seconds of labor on the pressing machine and the total comes to 36 seconds. And all that suffers is...your shirt!
    All this is just wonderful for the bottom line of a custom shirtmaker, especially one who uses the finer Swiss and Italian shirt fabrics. These fine fabrics naturally deteriorate more rapidly when improperly cared for...but then you wouldn't take a Rolls Royce to a Kia mechanic, would you?
    Want to know how your laundry should really be done? Read on!

    Correct Shirt Laundering

    Following just these few simple procedures will greatly extend the life of your fine cotton shirts as well as insuring cleanliness and a neat appearance. Proper technique requires a two-day cycle. On the first day, you'll need a bar of Octagon Bar Soap, available from your local grocer, and a fingernail brush or some good, old fashioned elbow grease.



    Thoroughly wet the Collar (Step 1 in the photo below right), Collar Band, Cuffs, and underarm area. Rub with the bar soap on the underarm area and inside Cuffs until a bit of lather develops. Rub also on the Inside Collar Band (Step 2 in the photo) and the seam where it joins with the Collar.


    Now take your choice of the following two methods:
    • On the Collar Band and inside Cuffs, scrub the dirt ring gently with the fingernail brush until you begin to see the ring leaving. (Step 3a)
    • An alternative to the fingernail brush is to rub the shirt against itself. Do this by rubbing the soap on as above. Then grasp each end of the collar in your fists and rub them together as you would to warm your hands on a cold day. (Step 3b) This serves to gently move the weave of the fabric slightly out of alignment as the rubbing action permits the soil between the yarns to fall out. Do the same with the other soiled parts.
    Either method works although I personally prefer the second. Check the remainder of the shirt for spots or soil. If any are found, rub with the brown soap as above. If any stain is found which does not remove with the Octagon Soap, see the Stain Removal Guide at the end of this page.

    Finally, roll up the wet, soapy shirt and leave overnight in a plastic bag in order that it will remain moist while soaking. See photos at right.



    The following day, machine wash as follows:
    • Whites
      • Warm Water in Summer if Very Soiled
      • Cold Water the rest of the time
      • Gentle Cycle
    • Colors
      • Cold water
      • Gentle Cycle
    After testing many detergents, Tide Unscented Powder (Tide Original) has been found to offer the best results for fine cotton shirts. After cycle is complete, tumble dry on 'No Heat' setting until shirts are just damp. Or, if you have the facilities, line dry outside until just damp.
    Hang damp shirts on a white plastic hanger. Do Not use a metal hanger or you may get rust marks on the shirt. If line drying colors, keep them out of direct Sun.

    Laundering Hints
    • Do not use bleach! Do not use starch! Do not use fabric softeners!
    • Allowing the shirt to oak overnight reduces the amount of scrubbing needed to remove soil, therefore reducing wear. The longer it is permitted to soak, the better the results.
    • Sleeves tend to tangle in the washer, reducing the ability of the soak cycles to remove detergent. Adding a couple of white terry towels to small loads will help to reduce this problem. If soap remains in the shirt, it will brown when ironed. Wash again without detergent if you suspect this to be the case.


    Correct Shirt Ironing

    The shirt should be damp all over. Use either Steam or Dry Iron. Use the 'Cotton' temperature setting. The 'Burst of Steam' button is not recommended. Best is a water mister spray bottle (plant mister).
    1. Press cuffs open flat, first on the inside, then lightly on the outside. S-t-r-e-t-c-h tightly while pressing. Be gentle with the corners of the cuffs. Try not to catch them in the steam holes on the iron as this is a major cause of premature fraying.
    2. Press the sleeves' plackets. Button their button. Then: Button Cuffs: Button the button of the previously pressed cuff. Using your hands, shape the cuffs into a circle. Do not crease button cuffs. French Cuffs: Fold and iron or hand-crease (your choice) the fold, carefully matching the link holes. Shape with your hand to a circular shape. Secure circle with a plastic stud or white plastic twist-tie.
    3. Holding the sleeve at the seam side(under the arm) grasp seam at underarm and cuff ends. Shake the sleeve out and lay flat on the pressing table with the seam near you. Place the point of the iron on the seam at the cuff end. Holding the seam at the underarm, stretch very tightly and press the seam flat with no puckers. Holding the seam with one hand, use your other hand to smooth the sleeve away from you, removing all wrinkles from both top and bottom layers. Repeat this smoothing motion using the iron. Continue right off the sleeve, pressing in the crease at the top of the sleeve. Press in the pleats, if any, at the cuff end. One should match the top-of-sleeve crease.
    4. Place left hand just inside the left armhole and use the right to grasp the shirt at the hem where the left front and back join. Shake out and lay flat on the table. Press this side seam flat while stretching. On the inside of the rear armhole, press flat the seam which joins the sleeve to the shirt body. Do not stretch this seam too tightly. Repeat for the other side, reversing your hands.
    5. Lay the top center front (buttonhole side) face down on the table. Holding the top with your hand and the hem with the iron, stretch very tightly and press heavily twice from the bottom to the collar band. Repeat for the button side, pressing around the buttons. Turn each side face up and repress, lightly this time. Do not press the buttons as they can break.
    6. Hold the button side of the front at hem and collar. Shake out and lay face down. Press on the inside, paying particular attention to the top area where the collar, yoke, and front join together. Repeat for the buttonhole side.
    7. Press the shirt yokes on the inside. Then, using the point of the ironing board or corner of the table, press flat on the outside.
    8. Lay the shirt on its back, wrong side up. Press the back with steam. If there are darts, press them towards the side seams.
    9. Lay the collar band, inside up, flat on the table. Stretching very, very tightly, press from buttonhole to button. Turn over and repeat. Then press the underside of the collar, again stretching tightly. Do not have the iron on the band and collar at the same time.
    10. Turn over and press lightly on the top side of the collar. Do not catch the collar points in the steam holes, again a major cause of fraying. Now fold down the collar over the band and with the band side up press in the crease (exactly at the joining seam) as heavily as you can.
    11. Press the fronts again, this time lightly on the outside. Put in the collar stays and hang the shirt on a hanger. Button all of the buttons on the front of the shirt.


    Helpful Hints
    • For best results, you should have available either a firmly mounted ironing board or a flat pressing table with a separate sleeve board. In all cases, pressing surfaces should be covered with white cotton fabric and maintained lint-free.
    • A small pair of sharp scissors for removing loose threads is helpful. Additionally, a small, damp piece of white fabric will assist in removing small dirt spots.
    • Should you press in a wrinkle, allow the area to cool. Then dampen and re-press. When hanging shirts in the closet, make sure there is sufficient room to keep them from crushing each other's carefully pressed collar. Store two shirts back-to-back, then a space, then two more back-to-back shirts, etc.

    So ... if your laundry is ruining your shirts, what can you do?

    A few solutions exist. You could become our shirt client ... if we were taking new clients. You could find, train for years, and then struggle to keep your own laundress at home. Good luck! Seriously though, a solution which has worked for some is a bit involved. Many of the local Chinese laundries do a rather good job at the hand-ironing part. That's the upside. The downside is that they send the shirts to a central launderer for (improper) washing. An ideal solution therefore is to launder the shirts in your machine at home (this won't hurt them) and negotiate with your local Chinese laundry to press them for you. By the way, our advice is that you get them on hangers if you have the closet space. Should you have them folded, they won't be as well pressed. The presser knows that folding them is going to wrinkle them and thereby disguise any lapses on his part.

    Stain Removal Guide For Washable Fabrics
    1. Store Safely Away From Children!
    2. Always test on an unseen part of shirt first!
    3. Wear rubber gloves and suitable eye protection.
    4. Do not get chemicals on skin.
    Stain Removal Supplies:
    • Drycleaning Solvent: Available in grocery or drug stores;can be poisonous and/or flammable. Do Not Breathe fumes. Never dry in dryer!
    • Make: Dry Spotter: Mix 1 part Coconut Oil with 8 parts Drycleaning Solvent
    • Make: Wet Spotter: Mix 1 part Glycerine (available in drug stores), 1 part Liquid Dishwashing Detergent, 8 parts water...Shake well before use
    • White Vinegar, Clorox Bleach, Ammonia, Hydrogen Peroxide, Tide
    Crayon, Make-Up, Grease, Mascara, Oil, Paint, Shoe Polish:
    Sponge with drycleaning solvent. Apply dry spotter and cover with absorbent pad soaked in dry spotter. Remove pad. Flush with drycleaning solvent. Repeat until pad comes away clean. Allow to dry. Sponge with water. Apply wet spotter & a few drops of ammonia and cover with pad soaked in wet spotter. Remove pad. Repeat until pad comes up clean. Flush with water, wash with Octagon Soap. Wash normally in machine.

    Catsup, Cheese, Chocolate, Gravy, Dairy & Food Products:
    Same as above procedure Except substitute liquid dishwashing detergent for wet spotter. Before washing, soak 30 minutes in solution of Tide and water. For chocolate, bleach with Hydrogen Peroxide for 5 minutes. Wash normally in machine.

    Blood, Body Fluids, Regurgitation, Organic Stains:
    Soak in solution of 1 quart warm water, 1/2 tsp. liq. dish detergent, and 1 tbsp. ammonia for 15 minutes. Repeat. Soak in 1 quart warm water with 1 tbsp tide for 30 minutes. Rub with Octagon soap and keep moist. For blood, use hydrogen peroxide. Then wash normally in machine.

    Beer, Coffee*, Fruit*, Jam*, Suntan Lotion*, Tea*, Tobacco*, Whiskey*, Wine*, Mixed drinks*:
    Soak in a solution of 1 quart warm water, 1/2 tsp. liquid dishwashing detergent, and 1 tbsp. white vinegar for 15 minutes. Rinse. Sponge with alcohol. Wash. Soak in a solution of 1 quart warm water and 1 tbsp. enzyme-containing detergent for 15 minutes. Wash normally in machine.
    *Bleaching in a solution of 1 tsp. Clorox with 1 tbsp. water for less than 1 minute may remove the final traces of stains marked by *. Immediately flush with water, apply 1 tsp. white vinegar, and flush again. This is not a safe procedure for colored fabrics. Test the method on an unseen area of the garment first. Always wash the garment (by itself) for a full wash cycle immediately after this bleach/vinegar process. Bear in mind that this process may ruin the garment. Wear rubber gloves!

    Rust, Ballpoint Ink, Grass, Scorch:
    Call Your Shirtmaker ... or write to us!

    For all final machine washes of stained garments, add one capful of white vinegar to the wash water.

  • A Quick Look:
    The New Cashmere & Cotton Dots!

  • Marcoliani's Incomparable Cashmere & Silk socks are equalled only by their Cashmere & Cotton! This season's style is a stunning, sophisticated dress dot. If you've never tried these, you've really missed out on a special, rare treat. This is the last year these will be made until 2010.



    FYI: Forward Sartorial Excellence News to a friend. Email us their name. When they order you'll receive a $100 Gift Certificate.
    Click to Forward.

    Telephone 866-267-7909
    Int'l Dial +01-631-267-7909
    Facsimile 631-267-0138

    Email Marketing by