Materials & Care

Wool and cashmere improve with the right handling and are ruined quickly by the wrong kind. None of what follows is difficult.

Wool and cashmere

Do not wash after every wear. Wool is self-cleaning to a degree — airing a pullover overnight on a hanger does more than a wash cycle, and does less damage.

When it does need washing: cold water, by hand or on a wool cycle at 30°C, with a detergent made for wool. Never wring. Press the water out between two towels, then dry flat and away from direct heat. Hanging a wet knit will stretch the shoulders permanently.

Store folded, never on a hanger. Cedar in the drawer is worth the small cost.

Pilling on cashmere is normal and not a fault — it is the shorter fibres working loose in the first few wears. A cashmere comb removes it and the garment settles down.

Linen and cotton

Machine wash at 30°C. Linen creases; that is the fibre doing what linen does, and pressing it flat every morning defeats the point of wearing it. If you do press, do it while slightly damp.

Line dry where possible. A tumble dryer will shrink linen and shorten its life.

Suede

Every loafer in the collection is suede, and suede is looked after differently from smooth leather. Do not use polish, wax or leather cream on it — they flatten the nap and darken it permanently.

Keep the loafers on shoe trees between wears; cedar draws out moisture and holds the shape. Let wet shoes dry at room temperature, away from radiators and direct sun, then bring the nap back with a suede brush once they are completely dry.

Brush after each wear, always in one direction. Lift marks with a suede eraser rather than water. A spray protector applied before the first wear, and again a few times a year, is the single thing that most extends their life.

Rotate between pairs rather than wearing the same shoes two days running.

Anything else

Write to team@francescobellani.com.