The Office for National Statistics found that in 2016, on average, 3.7 million employees commuted for two or more hours on a weekday. Whether you use public transport, endure rush hour, walk or cycle, doing this in a formal suit is not ideal for a long, uncomfortable journey. Here, we will look at ways to keep looking smart and avoid ruining your suit.

Prevent your suit from creasing

It is more than likely that you will sweat quite a bit if you’re cycling or walking to work. Not only can this be damaging to the material of your shirt and jacket, it’s also likely to smell later in the day. Getting caught in the rain can also have negative effects on your suit as often it doesn’t have a chance to dry out fully throughout the day. Instead, consider commuting in workout clothes and freshening up when you get to work.

To avoid creasing your suit in your bag, it is definitely worth investing in a crease-resistant suit. This will help keep it smart for when you arrive at work and change clothes. CT Shirts offer a range of ‘performance suits’ that are made with merino wool (a material with natural crease recovery). Their suits also have 2% added elastane which results in a crease-resistant cloth. This suit would also be suitable for public transport commuters. Sitting in the same position on a bus, tube, or in a car can cause your suit to become creased — not a great look for meetings throughout the day!

A suitable commute suit

Your work suit shouldn’t be the one worn to weddings and celebrations of special occasions. Keep an eye out for designs that add comfort for your commute:

  • Added elastane — this increases the flexibility of the suit and allows it to ‘bounce’ back to its shape after repeated wear and folding.
  • Elastic waistband — an elastic waistband gives you comfort during your commute, fitting to your skin.
  • Choose a lightweight wool that’s not going to cause you to overheat when you’re rushing to and from work.

Unpleasant weather

Unpleasant weather can mess up your appearance. During the winter seasons rain can damage your suit if it isn’t protected properly so a windproof umbrella would be a handy investment. Road salt can also be damaging to your shoes and the slush and snow can have long lasting effects if your shoes aren’t dried out properly.

There are however ways to avoid this. Purchase a shoe spray which can ‘prevent and seal’ the material and decrease weather damage. One way to do this is with beeswax — this creates a thin protective layer over the material of the footwear.

Hydrophobic suede protector is perfect for protecting suede shoes. If you find a good spray, this can cover your shoes with a waterproof layer as the spray repels water.

Protecting the threads

The threads of your suit can be damaged by your commute depending on your method of transportation.

Unclean transport

Public transport isn’t the cleanest. Especially when you find dirt from seats has stuck to your suit. You should brush your suit jacket down every day to prevent this dirt from becoming embedded in the suit and harder to remove in the future.

Try not to send your suit for dry cleaning too often. Instead, for stains that are hard to remove, send your suit for a spot clean.