In celebration of Cinco de Mayo...a pocket guide on how to get those stubborn sauce stains out from your suit and shirt.
Cinco de Mayo...as with many celebrations around the world, the true root and meaning to the calendar event is often lost by an unpreventable wave of commercialism and any excuse to eat and drink in excess consumption, so let’s provide a brief recap on history before we dive into the goods. Cinco de Mayo is an annual celebration held on May 5th, where the date is observed to commemorate the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

Fast forward to 2018...Cinco de Mayo is a day where you can celebrate all things Mexican, put on your sombrero and get your dose of tequila, tacos and burritos around the city. Generally celebrated in Mexico and the US, the traditions are still upheld in Australia as well, as we all know that Australians don’t ever turn down an excuse to drink Tequila.

We want you to look good in your suit, and we also want you to stay looking good in your suits for the remainder of the year after your Mexican celebrations. Whether you are biting your burrito in the Big Apple, or tackling tequila shots in Sydney, on May 5th, across the globe, from table to table, there will be sauce slurping, carb cramming, hand to mouth wiping, and sauce dropping. So please, follow our quick pocket guide to getting the sauce stains out of your suit, and how to keep it clean for the remaining 364 days until the next Cinco de Mayo—we truly do care. NB: As much as we would love to provide a salsa removal guideline for all of our different suits, please note that this one is just in reference to our woollen suits.

Keeping it clean on Cinco de Mayo
A burrito, filled with all its juicy, saucy goodness is asking for some sauce spillage, so let’s all agree that the spillage is an unmitigated disaster.

The first step is to always be proactive, not reactive. Avoid wearing a white suit on this day, and pull out your navy number instead. Never underestimate the humble serviette (snugly tucked into the front collar of your shirt, this can act as an adult bib), and eat with a larger plate (more salsa on the plate, less salsa on the pants).

Once you have succeeded in your first spill however, the key tip is to act fast once you see the stain on your suit. Scrape the sauce off first with a clean spoon or knife to remove any excess oil, and then when home, soak a lint free cloth in a white spirit or proprietary grease remover and gently dab the area. Then, once dry, gently brush the area with a suit brush to ensure the fibres are brushed down smoothly and to remove any excess dried sauce.

Although tempting, please refrain from taking your suit to the dry cleaner too frequently—it should only be a last resort as you do not want to blast your fabric with too many harsh chemicals and weaken the suit's natural fibres, causing the colour of the fabric to fade.

The remaining 364 days...
Now that the salsa has hopefully subsided from your suit, here are a few quick care tips so that your suit can remain looking fresh until next Cinco de Mayo...

• After wearing your suit for the day, hang it up to aerate, in order to prevent the build up of odours.
• Once you have allowed your suit to breath, store it in a cloth suit bag— the cloth fabric promotes air flow and protects your suit from moths.
• Invest in a hanger made of natural wood and that is contoured to follow the natural shape of the shoulders. In doing so, the wood will help absorb moisture after wearing, and the contoured hanger will help maintain the shape of the suit.
• Also invest in a good quality suit brush (we suggest one made of animal hair rather than synthetic hairs), and give your suit a gentle brush after wearing it each time. This helps remove dirt and tiny particles that cause odours, without causing damage to the fabric.
• Finally, be sure to steam, and not iron your wool suit. A good quality steamer is an investment that can remove wrinkles and also the daily build up of dirt—we know that men are not always the masters of cleanliness.  Alternatively, hang your suit in the bathroom while you have a shower- the steam from your shower will expel nasty odours and help remove any wrinkles.

Cinco de Mayo, a day where pants, lapels and collars suffer from salsa spills across the globe. One more piece of advice—please implement the above tips first, before throwing your suit at your Mrs to clean...none of us enjoy a siesta on the staircase.

Happy Cinco de Mayo Amigos!

Is that salsa too stubborn? Despite our guidance, was the spill too severe for your suit to survive? We've got you covered in all instances...shop here for a stain-free new suit—we know, any excuse will do.