To some, ironing a shirt may be the bane of their existence but if done right, you’ll find it to be quite painless. For a clean and sharp appearance, you need to iron your shirts. No, you can’t get away with ironing only the part of the shirt that shows under your jacket.
A few things to remember when it comes to ironing:
Use a good quality iron. Steam irons are great for smoothing out shirt wrinkles.
Check the condition of the iron and the ironing board you are about to use. You wouldn’t want either to leave a mark on your shirt.
Before you begin ironing, check your shirt for stains. If it isn’t clean, ironing can set stains into the fabric.
It’s best to iron your shirt while it’s still slightly damp to easily get rid of those wrinkles.
Never iron over buttons, always around them to avoid damage. If you choose to give your laundry out to the dry cleaners, let them know to be extra careful with your mother-of-pearl button shirts.
Always remove collar stays before ironing.
Dark coloured shirts are best ironed on its reverse side.
Starch can give shirts a clean and crisp finish but too much of it can destroy the shirt fibers over time.
Here are step-by-step instructions on how to iron a shirt:
1. Let’s start with the cuffs. Open and lay the first cuff flat. Start with the inside of the cuff, ironing from outer edge to edge. Repeat likewise on the outside of the cuff. Repeat this process on the other cuff. For French Cuffs, fold the cuff in half at the crease and iron along the fold. Tip: Line up the cufflink holes for an accurate fold.
2. Next, the sleeves. Spread out one sleeve flat on the ironing board using the shirtsleeve seam as a guide and smooth out any creases. Start by ironing at the top of the sleeve and down to the cuff. Carefully iron between the folds of the cuff. Turn the sleeve over and iron. Repeat this process with the other sleeve. If you don’t want your sleeve to have a sharp side fold, iron just below the edge of the sleeve for a softer edge.
3. Next, the yoke. Place one half of the yoke over the narrow part of the ironing board; pull down slightly on the sleeve for a taut yoke, straightening out the seams for a smoother iron. Repeat process on other half of the yoke.
4. The back of the shirt. Place one half of the back flat on the ironing board and iron your way from the yoke down. Repeat on other half.
5. Next, the front of the shirt. Start with the side that has buttons. Iron the seam that runs along the side of the shirt. Then, from the top of the shoulder, work your way down. Iron between the buttons, not over them. Repeat on the other side.
6. Lasty, collar. Begin by ironing the underside of the collar. Place the collar flat on the ironing board and iron from one end to the other. Continue likewise on the front of the collar. Then, without applying too much pressure, fold the collar along its crease and gently iron only the centre back of the collar to allow for a neat and soft collar curve. Immediately button the collar to maintain its shape.
7. You’re done! At this stage, quickly place the shirt on a hanger in your wardrobe or get dressed. We recommend allowing the shirt to remain on the hanger for a few minutes before wearing it.
