Water resistant fabrics in men's suits: How do they work?

What is water resistant?

Once a durable water repellent (DWR) is added to a fabric, it becomes water resistant. It's not as complicated as it sounds, either: a DWR is simply a coating added to a garment to give it such a quality.

It repels water immediately. But this doesn't mean the garment is waterproof. While designed to resist contact from the likes of light rainfall and snow, it cannot withstand persistent rain showers and exposure to bouts of heavy snow.

Although water-resistant fabric can't protect against all imaginable elements, it still has to go through rigorous testing to be labelled as water resistant. In other words, men's clothing - from suits to accessories - which bears this label is still worthy of an investment.

How does it work?

Adding the aforementioned durable water resistant (DWR) coating to a piece of clothing gives you, the wearer, better protection against the great outdoors and all it exposes us to - especially in Britain - on a daily basis.

If we continually expose water-resistant fabrics to elements such as heavy rain, the coating will become ineffective. Consider wearing alternative clothing or take a raincoat (with waterproof qualities) or umbrella with you when wearing your water-resistant suit for maximum longevity.

At Suit Direct, we use Nanotex Resist technology on many of our suits, which can change the surface tension of a suit and provide resistance against liquids and spills.

Why choose it?

There are many benefits to choosing water resistant fabric, such as its lightweight quality. The DWR coating makes garments typically lighter and more comfortable than waterproof alternatives, which allows for better breathability.

Plus, if cared for properly, a water resistant fabric simply repels water at surface level, so you can be assured you'll stay protected in light to moderate conditions.

Caring for your item:

Be careful when washing water resistant fabrics, as high temperatures in washing machines can damage the DWR coating, making it less effective.

Of course, always check the care label but we recommend skipping fabric softener to better protect the coating. Washing water resistant garments at 30 degrees - or doing it the traditional hand-washing way - is preferable.