What makes a tuxedo cloth crease-resistant

A crease-resistant tuxedo cloth is the sum of four things: the fibre, the weight, the weave and how you treat the suit. No cloth is completely immune to folds, but some recover quickly and others keep a crease all evening. Knowing these factors lets you choose well from the moment you pick up the swatch.

High-twist yarn and mohair

Creases form when a fibre is bent and does not spring back. So a fibre with good resilience gives a cloth that creases less.

• Wool is naturally resilient thanks to its crimped fibre, so it already creases less than linen or cotton. That is one reason suiting leans on wool.
• High-twist yarn is spun tighter than usual. The yarn is springier, so when bent it recovers fast. Cloth woven from it has a slightly rough face and a clear grain, and has a name for resisting creases.
• Mohair comes from the Angora goat and is wiry and springy. Blended into wool, it adds bounce, shape and a faint sheen. Our piece on mohair-wool blends covers it in detail.

By contrast, very fine and soft yarn feels luxurious but tends to crease more. The smoothness is paid for in spring.

Cloth weight

Weight is the factor most often overlooked. A heavier cloth has gravity pulling small creases flat, and thicker yarn recovers better. A cloth that is too light is thin and wrinkles when you sit.

The downside is that heavier cloth is warmer. In Ho Chi Minh City you need a balance: medium to slightly light weight in an open weave is often a good compromise between crease resistance and comfort. Your adviser can help you read the weight on the cloth label.

Weave

The weave decides how quickly cloth recovers.

• Open weaves such as hopsack and fresco leave gaps between threads, giving the yarn room to spring back. Both are known for resisting creases despite being very breathable. See weave types in tuxedo cloth.
• Twill drapes and recovers fairly well when the cloth has enough weight.
• Smooth plain weave in fine yarn marks more easily.

Pure-wool tropical cloth usually combines high-twist yarn, an open weave and moderate weight, which makes it the typical crease-resistant family.

How you wear and hang it

Good cloth will still crease if mistreated.

• Hang it right after wearing on a broad-shouldered hanger with buttons undone, and let the cloth rest for a day before the next wear.
• Keep the pockets empty. A wallet or phone distorts the cloth and leaves marks.
• Unbutton when you sit, especially on a single-breasted jacket, so the body is not folded at the stomach. Do it up again when you stand.
• On a long car journey, lay the jacket over the back seat or hang it, rather than wearing it.
• Light steaming at home (hanging it in a steamy bathroom) eases small creases. For deep ones, go to a professional presser, and never iron directly onto matt wool, which can leave a shine.
• When travelling, fold the jacket correctly rather than rolling it. See our guide to packing a tuxedo in a suitcase.

Test the cloth before you choose

A simple test in the showroom: close a corner of the swatch in your fist for a few seconds, then let go. Good cloth gradually flattens itself. If the crease stays put, the cloth will wrinkle as you sit through the party.

Remember too that crease resistant does not mean never creasing. A few faint lines at the elbow and knee after a whole evening are normal and fall out once the suit is hung.

A model to look at

If you like a deep black, TUX-047 is a solid black tuxedo with a rounded satin shawl collar, single button and matching straight trousers. It is shown for the style only, and the crease-resistant cloth for your own suit is chosen separately with your adviser.

A word from the Mon Amie workshop

Tell your adviser if you often sit for long hours, travel, or wear the suit all day, and choose the cloth with that first. Book a fitting and try the fist test yourself in the showroom.