Looking After Your Rick Owens Pieces: Leather, Cotton, and Drape Fabrics
So you finally bought the jacket. Perhaps it was a leather biker you saved up for over months, a heavyweight cotton hoodie you grabbed in a Rick Owens sale, or a draped tunic that ran more than your monthly rent. Whatever it was, you now own a garment that rewards a little knowledge and punishes neglect. Rick Owens pieces are not delicate in the fussy sense, but they are made from materials that behave in specific ways, and treating them like ordinary clothing is how people ruin expensive things. The good news: proper care comes down largely to restraint and a handful of simple habits. This guide runs through the three fabric groups you probably own. Master these basics and your pieces will survive longer than almost everything else you own.
Leather: The Investment That Asks the Least of You
A Rick Owens leather jacket is honestly one of the easiest things in your closet to maintain, even though leather scares people. Rick Owens tends toward lamb and calf nappa, at times washed or blistered for the lived-in effect, and such hides want minimal interference. Never machine wash leather and never dry clean it on a whim; a true leather specialist, not a corner dry cleaner, is the only person who should ever treat a stain. Remove surface dust with a barely damp cloth and let it air dry Rick Owens official well away from radiators, because direct heat permanently cracks the grain. Condition the leather once or twice a year with a neutral, brand-safe balm, applied thinly and buffed off after twenty minutes. Hang the jacket on a broad wooden or padded hanger so the shoulders hold their shape, never on a flimsy wire one. Treated this way, a $4,000 leather jacket easily lasts fifteen to twenty years and only looks better as it patinas.
Coping with Rain and Scuffs
Leather’s quiet enemy is water, but it is manageable if you act sensibly. Should you get caught in the rain, don’t panic and don’t blast the jacket with a hairdryer; simply hang it at room temperature and let it dry gradually over a day or two. Once dry, a light pass of conditioner restores any oils the water pulled out and prevents stiffness. Light scuffs on washed nappa usually disappear with no more than a fingertip and your hand’s natural warmth. You can sometimes rub deeper scratches into fading a bit, yet Rick Owens leather is built to reveal character, so don’t chase perfection. Wipe salt stains from winter pavements away promptly using a barely damp cloth before they set. The guiding idea here is gentle and slow, perfectly matching the worn-in aesthetic the brand prizes anyway.
Cotton: The DRKSHDW Workhorses, Hoodies, and Tees
It’s the cotton pieces, above all anything from DRKSHDW, where most owners inflict the most damage out of simple overconfidence. The heavyweight jersey Rick Owens hoodie seems indestructible, but hot water and rough drying shrink it, wash out the dye, and ruin the meticulously engineered drape. Always turn cotton garments inside out and wash them in cold water, ideally about 30 degrees Celsius, on a gentle cycle using a mild detergent. Avoid fabric softener altogether, as it films the fibers and flattens the matte finish that lends these pieces their character. Never use the tumble dryer; hang the garment to air dry, safeguarding both the color and the elongated proportions the design relies on. Laundering it less often than you’d expect is truly the smarter move, as over-washing is the fastest way to a tired-looking hoodie. Stick to these rules and a $600 hoodie keeps its expensive look for years instead of months.
| Fabric | Wash Method | Drying | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leather (nappa) | Spot clean only / specialist | Air dry, no heat | Condition 1–2x per year |
| Cotton jersey | Cold, inside out, gentle | Hang air dry | Every 4–6 wears |
| Drape / viscose blends | Hand wash or dry clean | Flat dry, reshape | As needed only |
| Waxed denim | Cold, rarely, inside out | Hang air dry | Every 8–10 wears |
Drape Fabrics: Where Patience Is Rewarded
The draped pieces, those flowing tunics, asymmetric skirts, and pooled-hem tops, are the trickiest of the three because the fabric content varies and the cut is the entire point. Many drape garments use viscose, rayon, cupro, or silk blends that lose their shape if handled roughly, so always read the care label before doing anything. Uncertain? Hand wash in cold water with just a touch of delicate detergent, swishing gently rather than wringing or twisting. Squeeze the water out by sandwiching the garment flat between two towels, then dry it flat and reshape it by hand while it’s still damp. Hanging a heavy wet drape piece stretches it unevenly and can permanently distort that carefully considered silhouette. For anything you are nervous about, a reputable dry cleaner experienced with designer garments is money well spent. The drape is the reason you bought it, so preserving it is the whole point.
Everyday Habits and How You Store Things
Nearly as crucial as cleaning is the way you store these garments between wears. Leave your pieces some breathing space in the closet, since packing them tightly creases the drape and flattens the structured shoulders on jackets. Reach for padded or wide wooden hangers for outerwear, and fold heavy knits and hoodies instead of hanging them up, as hanging gradually stretches the neckline. Keep everything out of direct sunlight, which fades the signature blacks and dusts into uneven grays surprisingly fast. Use a breathable cotton garment bag to guard leather and drape pieces from dust while avoiding the moisture plastic traps. When storing for the season, clean the garments first, since body oils and unseen stains draw moths and set permanently over the months. These minor habits cost you nothing yet add years to genuinely pricey clothing.
Common Mistakes That Wreck Good Pieces
A short list of avoidable errors causes most damage to Rick Owens garments, and knowing them in advance saves a lot of heartache. The number one offender is tossing a heavyweight hoodie into a hot wash with everything else, which shrinks the cotton and bleeds the careful dye in a single cycle. Right after that comes hanging knits and jersey on thin hangers, pulling the shoulders into permanent bumps no wash will undo. People are also fond of “freshening up” leather with household wipes or alcohol-based cleaners, which strip away the natural oils and leave the hide dry and cracked within months. Ironing drape fabrics on high heat is another classic disaster, flattening texture and sometimes scorching delicate viscose blends beyond repair. Stowing seemingly clean yet unwashed garments through a season hands moths a meal of invisible body oils. Lastly, hunting down every little scuff or fade undermines the whole idea of a brand that celebrates a worn, lived-in patina. Steer clear of these six habits and you’ve already handled eighty percent of the work.
When to Call a Professional
Understanding your limits is part of caring well for luxury clothing. Any structural repair, a torn lining, a failing zipper, a split seam on a leather jacket, belongs with a specialist rather than a sewing kit and good intentions. Rick Owens retailers and the brand’s own service channels can frequently guide you on repairs, and the official site at rickowens.eu is the proper starting point for questions about a particular garment. For deep stains on leather or drape fabrics, resist home remedies you read online and consult a cleaner who explicitly handles designer pieces. The cost of a professional clean is trivial compared with replacing a four-figure garment you damaged trying to save twenty dollars. Trade guides at outlets like Highsnobiety often tackle designer garment care if you’d like to dig deeper. In 2026, as resale values for the brand stay strong, well-kept pieces are also truly worth more should you ever sell. Treat these garments as the long-term pieces they are, and they will reward you in return.
