There’s nothing quite like receiving a brand new bespoke shirt. It looks pristine, and you certainly want to keep it that way. While professional laundering is often the best way to take good care of a bespoke and hand-tailored shirt, it isn’t always the cheapest or most convenient of methods.

In fact, we’d argue that professional cleaners aren’t always up to the job when it comes to shirts. High temperatures, overdoing the starch and intense pressing techniques can all cause damage to a shirt over time.

Here’s our advice on keeping your new shirt in tip-top condition.

Wash your shirt before you wear it

This ensures that any toxic chemicals involved in the dying process have been removed and it makes the material softer too. It’s best to machine wash on a gentle cycle using lukewarm water. This preserves the colour of your shirt and extends the life of the fabric.

Remember to separate colours before you launder your shirts

Whites, colours and darks is the golden rule when it comes to separating shirts for the laundry to prevent colour lifting and ‘runs’. Avoid bleaching your dark coloured shirts and stick with a colour-safe bleach for the lighter colours.

Keep stains in check before they ruin your shirt

Apply deodorant to your body and not your shirt. While it’s tempting to have a quick spritz over your shirt in the morning, antiperspirant stains can be tricky to remove. When you do spot a stain, launder the shirt immediately to prevent the stain from setting in and getting absorbed into the fabric.

If you’re away from home, there’s an emergency solution at hand. Put some cold water on the stain which will keep it from setting until you get home

Go easy on the starch

Starch builds up over time and weakens the cotton fibres of your shirt. Buy a shirt with a high thread count and use the minimal amount of starch you can get away with to prevent this from happening.

Iron your shirt while it’s still damp

This prevents you from scorching the shirt and preventing any damage, and it makes it easier to get the wrinkles out too.

Check for stains again before you begin to iron, the heat will permanently set the stain into the fabric.

Once your shirt has been ironed, hang it up on your wardrobe immediately to prevent any wrinkles re-appearing overnight. A good and sturdy wooden wardrobe is still the best at preventing issues from heat and humidity in your home.

Do you have any hints and tips you rely on when keeping your brand new bespoke shirt crisp and clean? Let us know by dropping a comment below.