Caring for your fine wool and rayon St. John Knits is important to ensure your investment will last for years to come. The key to ensuring that your St. John Knit garments stay pristine is to practice good preventative measures. After spending thousands of dollars on a designer wardrobe, you want to make sure that moths, humidity and stains will not destroy your investment. These tips will help you protect your St. John garments.
Blocking
One important thing to remember about your St. John Knits is that you can adjust the size through blocking. If your St. John garment is too small or too large, go to your nearest St. John retailer to have the garment blocked for you. The blocking process is simple; a professional blocking expert can use steam to shrink or stretch the garment size because wool can easily expand or contract, which saves on alterations.
Adjusting the Waistband
Your St. John waistbands are completely adjustable. There is a slit on the inside of the waistband that gives you access to the elastic band; this allows you to have the elastic expanded or tightened. You can even have a worn elastic band replaced.
Caring for Your St. John Knits
- Make sure that you take your St. John garments to dry cleaners that specialize in St. John Knits. Cleaners familiar with St. John will know to measure the garment before and after cleaning. If the garment shrinks during the cleaning process, they will block it back out.
- If your St. John garment has a leather trim, it requires special care; make sure your cleaners specialize in leather care.
- When you dry clean your St. John garments, be sure to clean your suit top and bottom together. This way, if there’s any fading, the suit will still match.
- Keep in mind that white pieces will gradually yellow due to the dry cleaning process, so clean your white tops and bottoms together. In addition, you should remind your dry cleaners to use clean water to avoid discoloration.
- Dry cleaners that are familiar with St. John Knits will protect your ornamental buttons to avoid damage during the cleaning process.
- Do not store your St. John garments on hangers; instead, fold them with tissue paper to avoid permanent creases. Furthermore, when you store your knits, since they are made of wool, make sure they can breathe by storing them in a well-ventilated area; do not use plastic containers.
- Do not use mothballs, perfume or other chemicals on your garment because the wool will absorb the smell, making it difficult to remove. However, if you have wool garments that have a mothball smell, read this article about how to remove the smell of mothballs.
Shipping Back to St. John for Repair
There are certain repairs that your local retailer or dry cleaners cannot perform; these repairs require shipping your garment to St. John in California. Here are examples of repairs that a St. John professional must perform:
- If moths get to your St. John Knits, go into a St. John boutique or authorized retailer to have the garment sent to St. John in California, where they will repair the holes. There is a fee to repair the moth holes.
- If your garment has missing sequins or crystals, you can have them replaced for a fee.
Caring for your St. John Knits will protect your clothing for years to come. These simple tips will help you keep your clothes looking as new as the day you bought them. With a little time and care, your St. John garments will continue to look beautiful and elegant wear after wear. Be sure to click here to check out the new St. John Knits ad campaign featuring Kate Winslet.
