Storing unstitched suits until you are ready to stitch them

The basics

• Keep each suit together, every piece plus the label, in its own bag.
• Dark, cool and dry: a wardrobe shelf or under-bed box in a heated room, not a loft, garage or damp cupboard.
• Breathable bags for long storage: the brand’s plastic bag is fine for a few months, but a cotton bag or clean pillowcase lets fabric breathe over a longer period.
• Tissue over embroidery: acid-free tissue stops embroidery pressing into neighbouring layers.
• Moth deterrents: cedar or lavender sachets, especially near wool blends.
• Away from perfume, food and sunlight, all of which leave marks that set over time.
• Fold or roll rather than hang: a length draped over a rail for months can stretch fine fabric and leave a line where it folds over the bar.

Folding and refolding

Fold embroidered pieces with the embroidery facing inwards and avoid folding across the thickest part of the work. Long, fine pieces such as chiffon dupattas can be rolled rather than folded, which avoids sharp creases altogether. Do not stack heavy suits on top of delicate ones.

Every few months, take the suits out and refold them along different lines. It takes a few minutes and stops creases setting and fold lines fading. If you do find a faded line, tell your tailor when you send the suit, so the cut can avoid it where possible. Our guide to storing dupattas and embroidered suits covers finished pieces too.

Keep chiffon and organza dupattas away from pieces with stones, sequins or rough embroidery, which can snag fine fabric. For under-bed storage, a lidded fabric box is kinder than a sealed plastic crate, and it is worth keeping it off a cold floor.

Keeping track

Once you have more than a few suits waiting, it is easy to forget what you have. A simple record helps: photograph each suit with its label, and keep the photos in one album on your phone with a note of the fabric, the season and what you plan to make. When you are ready to have one stitched, half the work for your quote is already done. Group suits by season, so the lawn is together when spring arrives, and put the ones you plan to stitch next at the front. It is a good moment to check each pack is still complete, too.

Do not pre-wash suits you are storing. Leave that decision until you know the design; our guide to pre-washing fabric explains when it helps. When the time comes, follow our guide to photographing fabric for a quote and send the photos through the stitching quote form. Several suits can be quoted as one order; the unstitched suit stitching page explains how.