Clothing Care Necessities: The Clothes Brush

There are a few items every well-dressed man needs to properly look after their clothing. In the coming weeks I’ll be posting more items you’ll require but I wanted to start with one of the first things you should buy if you’re serious about proper clothes care- the humble clothes brush. 

An incredibly versatile item, it can be used on suits, jackets, denim, coats and even bedding, sofas etc., If you’ve gone for a walk in the rain and you’ve found muddy water marks on your jeans or trousers when you return, this brush will remove them completely, stopping the need for a trip to the dry-cleaners or washing your jeans. Denim should be washed sparingly to keep the shape and colour intact, especially dark or selvedge denim. 

The brush should also be used to remove dust and lint from suit jackets and overcoats when you put them on. If you can get someone to brush down your jacket from behind, you’ll feel like an Earl with their very own butler, satisfying any fantasies of Downton Abbey-esque grandeur. Or maybe that’s just me and my eccentricities? 

Kent’s Travel Clothes Brush- I’m not sure what I’d do without it now!

There are several types available but I bought mine from Kent Brushes who are the world's oldest manufacturer of brushes. Billing their products as “the world’s finest brushes”, they were established in 1777 and they have a royal warrant so they certainly have pedigree. It’s also a travel brush, so it’s fairly small and you can even take it on holiday.  

At only £14.50, this is a no-brainer and is the first item you should add to your clothing care kit. You can buy it here. The only thing it isn’t suitable for is cashmere. The bristles are quite stiff and as cashmere is an exceptionally soft fabric, a dedicated cashmere brush should be used instead, although in truth, I’ve never once needed to brush cashmere. 

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Thanks for reading,
Terry