A Cut Above pants any users?

Screaming_Emu said:
I found that a cut above men's tapered shirts would only fit me if I was sporting a perky set of DDs. I got them because they said the tapered ones were great if you want to hide the fact you don't go to the gym much. In the end they fit me like a garbage bag. Other then that I found the quality of the shirts to be great. They had some loose strings right out of the bag, but that's easy to fix.

This time around I got the fitted ones and I like them a lot better. My only problem is even if I snag them right from the drier I have a hard time ironing them particularly well. Anybody have pointers? @amorris311

Related. You and @Seggy could make a pretty kick ass maid service between your combined ironing and vacuuming skills.
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Don't put them in the drier. Let them air dry for an hour or two then hit it with the iron. If you dry them with high heat sometimes they begin piling. This is not a desirable look and sometimes make you go through shirts faster. I'm not some kick ass ironing guy. I do however read labels and care about my appearance when I'm at work.
 
amorris311 said:
Don't put them in the drier. Let them air dry for an hour or two then hit it with the iron. If you dry them with high heat sometimes they begin piling. This is not a desirable look and sometimes make you go through shirts faster. I'm not some kick ass ironing guy. I do however read labels and care about my appearance when I'm at work.
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Yeah, I'm very bad at knowing this stuff on my own so I follow labels. If I remember correctly they say tumble dry and hot iron. But apparently that's not the case with these. I'll give that a shot. Thanks for the tip.
 
I only have experience with the "tropo" fabric shirts. I really like the material, but the new(er) ones start piling so bad after a few washes that they are unusable. And I even just put them in the drier on low for a few minutes, then let them air dry.. I think they changed their manufacturing location or procedures between the first shirts I bought and the second round.. maybe I'll order some new ones again and see how they hold up. Or maybe I'll find a better brand.
 
Since we're talking fashion I'll chime in :)

1) Pants:
I've worn both MH and Acutabove pants, and the latter wins by a mile. A much better fit, more comfortable, higher quality fabric from Acutabove.

Mind you, if you iron them on a high temperature setting you will get the dreaded shine. Guaranteed.

A simple and cheap solution is this:
http://www.amazon.com/Protective-Ironing-Pressing-Pad-2-Pack/dp/B001I1P48S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395890246&sr=8-1&keywords=ironing cloth
The cloth comes in 2-pack. Put it on top of the upper part of the pant (it's the part where the pockets are) and iron on pretty much any setting you like. Steam works best. I keep one of these cloths at home and pack one for the road. Works like a charm.

2) Shirts. Again, having tried both MH and Acutabove, the latter is far superior to M&H. In fact, I don't understand how HM is still in business making such a terrible product.

If you're slender and don't have the beer gut yet you will love Acutabove shirts, as they are tapered so you don't get the "parachute with a belt" look.

HOWEVER, I've been disappointed with the quality of fabric and color of their "new production" shirts lately. From what I understand, they've had quite a few complaints about longevity of their "old production" shirts, which IMO were caused by people mercilessly washing them in hot water and then throwing them in the dryer. That kind of treatment will ruin ANY king of clothes, no matter who it is by and where it was made. Their latest fabric is not as white and not as soft as it used to be but it still is superior to all other manufacturers out on the market these days (VanHeusen, HM, Crewoutfitters, etc). Ask me how I know ;)

3) Sweaters. Acutabove sweaters are unisex so the sizing was a bit off. I had to have mine taken in. The fabric that they use is thick and durable. Unfortunately, it's polyester and, unlike wool, it does little to keep you warm on those Bismarck walkarounds in February. It looks good though, so to some that may be worth it. Again, wash it on a gentle cycle and line dry to get the most out of it.

The bottom line, Acutabove offers high-quality and well-fitting uniforms. They do charge more than most other manufacturers but IMHO it's well worth it if you're trying to avoid the Homer Simpson look while you're on duty.
 
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Wool trousers should never be ironed. Never! Doesn't matter what setting is used, it will make them shine. The fibers in wool will get pressed flat and start to shine after a while. Even without the heat, just the sliding motion across the material will make them shine. That's why you're supposed to press them instead of iron them. A trouser press won't make them shine because there is no back and forth motion on the fibers.

They shouldn't be dry cleaned between every trip, either. Wool doesn't absorb sweat and odors, so they really only need to be cleaned once a month or so. In between cleanings, steam them and press them. If you're too cheap to buy a trouser press, then you can put an ironing cloth on top of them and use an iron on the cloth. Dry cleaning wool deteriorates the fabric more quickly, so the less you do it the better.

I think I'm going to start buying copies of Esquire and GQ in bulk and leaving them in every cockpit. Even if you don't care about the quality or the style of the clothes you wear, taking appropriate care of them can make them last practically forever and save you tons of money. A pair of trousers properly cared for can easily last you 5+ years. Doing this washing machine and ironing nonsense will wear them out in less than a year, though.
 
Assuming you iron properly at the very beginning, you rarely need to iron again unless you've been sleeping in your uniform. I still have nice sharp creases in my uniform shirt sleeves from the only time I ever ironed them, which was right after I bought them two years ago. As for pants, hang them upside down from the clippy hangers.

Oh, and more important than any of that, shine your damn shoes...
 
As far as decreasing you chance of getting the dreaded "shine" on uniform pants. ..use of a pillow case to protect your pants as you iron them helps greatly. Just make sure you get all the wrinkles out of the pillow case before you begin ironing. It works great when you need a quick touch up on hotel layovers.
 
You should not iron synthetics or wool.

But don't let me stop you from believing the wool and synthetic option on that $25 iron. It'll take care of your pants for you.

For folks all worried about buying the RIGHT pair of work slacks, I hope you're willing to take care of them and have them professionally washed/dry cleaned.
 
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SpiraMirabilis said:
I just wore dockers, I guess I was a rebel.
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We have a few guys who do. To me it's immediately obvious that they're not dressed the same way I am, but they're probably running about 30 degrees cooler, too.

surreal1221 said:
You should not iron synthetics or wool.

But don't let me stop you from believing the wool and synthetic option on that $25 iron. It'll take care of your pants for you.

For folks all worried about buying the RIGHT pair of work slacks, I hope you're willing to take care of them and have them professionally washed/dry cleaned.
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Yup.

At the very least, hang them upside down and let gravity do the work; both pairs of my work pants are stored that way.
 
Autothrust Blue said:
We have a few guys who do. To me it's immediately obvious that they're not dressed the same way I am, but they're probably running about 30 degrees cooler, too.


Yup.

At the very least, hang them upside down and let gravity do the work; both pairs of my work pants are stored that way.
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Upside down?
 
I had no idea about the hanging-upside-down trick.

Then again, MAH PIROT UNIFERM is the first set of 'nice clothes' I've ever owned.
 
dbrault17 said:
Over a year now with M&H pants and I still don't understand the hate with them. Everyone complains about the wear but I must have been the fortunate one to get a different stock cause mine held up nicely so far.

But I dry clean mine. Every time. I hear of a lot of guys moaning over M&H pants but then go on to say they wash them in their washing machines. Not sure if thats the reason but I'd bet improper care is the culprit. I would have went to the dockers options too but I'm not talented enough to get those razor sharp creases while ironing.
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I'd be complaining if I had to drop my pants off at a dry cleaner's every time I wanted them cleaned, myself. Why put yourself through that kind of hassle.
 
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