How to Iron a Dress Shirt November 10 2022
The secret to ironing a dress shirt is the tools. Pros use the right tools and one of those tools is a great ironing spray like London Laundry.
Learning how to iron dress shirts (or any shirt, for that matter) can seem like a daunting task. Especially in world of tshirts and jeans, many of us rarely iron, but it is an essential task for those who wish to truly appear their best. Even a snappy suit can’t disguise a wrinkly mess of a dress shirt – sorry fellas! For those of you who have never had to iron a dress shirt before, or for those who have never quite gotten the knack, here is a simple guide for how to iron dress shirts like a pro.
The first step is the most essential: choose a good iron and board. You want an iron with some heft, preferably in the middle-to-high spending range. Take care not to choose a cheap iron, as the metal used in the soleplate is likely to be of poorer quality and thus will turn out a poorer result. Higher-priced irons are also likely to have better-functioning steamers and a more even heat dispersion. For your ironing board, any piece of wood will do; it’s the cover that’s important. Choose a cover made of reflective fibers or insert a piece of aluminum foil under your cover.
Once you have your setup, it’s only a matter of actually ironing the shirt. Check your shirt’s tag to make sure you know what the appropriate iron settings are. If your shirt doesn’t say, start your iron on the lowest setting and work up until you see the wrinkles disappearing.
Where you start is largely a matter of personal preference and if you’re going to be wearing a jacket with your shirt: while the back of your shirt will always get the least attention, covering it with a jacket is a surefire way to cut down on your iron-time, as you can merely do a simple swipe-over or even leave it alone and focus on more visible areas. Additionally, if you are seeking the crispest, most professional look possible, you are going to want to start by folding your shirt inside-out and ironing both sides; however, this is not absolutely necessarily.
The most important parts of your shirt are the collar, cuffs, and front, as they are the most visible. For the collar, unbutton and pop the collar up. Lay the collar flat to the ironing board and press the iron down hard (the fabric here is thicker and may require more time and pressure than the rest of the shirt). Move the iron in a straight line from the inner crease to the outer edge, pushing the wrinkles into the seam. Flip inside-out and repeat. Be sure not to iron the buttons, as they can scuff or even melt. The cuffs should follow a similar pattern: unbutton the material, press the fabric down flat, and move the iron from the inside crease to the outer hemline.
For the front, start on the side that has the buttons, working the iron around each one carefully. If you have plackets, press the material down with the tip of the iron and slide the iron over top. The back of the shirt is the easiest lay the shirt flat to the board, shoulder tucked around the narrow end, and run the iron from shoulder straight down to the bottom hemline. Do the back in two halves for the best, most even results.
The sleeves should be ironed last, as they will be flopping around and re-wrinkling throughout the ironing process. If you have a sleeve board, that is ideal. If you don’t, it’s not a problem! Merely tuck a rolled-up towel into the sleeves and iron over the sleeve from shoulder to cuffs in long, smooth strokes. This will give the best result: an impeccable iron job with no creases ironed into the sleeves.
There it is! Learning how to iron dress shirts is a simple process. While the actual practice may take some time to master, this guide should provide you with a simple, fool-proof method to looking your best every iron, every day.
Did you know, you can also iron a suit? If you’ve ever asked can you iron your suit the answer is YES.
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