Shirts are an essential element in any wardrobe, but not wrinkled ones. If you're not sure how to care for this indispensable clothing item, we offer you a practical guide with simple steps and useful tips to correctly and quickly iron a men's shirt, straight from the expert tailor on the Tudor Tailor team.
If you frequently encounter unexpected or persistent creases, even after careful ironing, here are some things to keep in mind to achieve a flawless shirt:
- Start with the placket – the doubled area of fabric, usually located behind the collar. The placket is a crucial area of the shirt, adding strength and structure.
- Iron the cuffs – to avoid streaks, do not iron the cuff up to the fold line. This will give you a clean cuff with no signs of pressing.
- Collar – iron the collar on the front, starting at the neck. The collar is one of the most visible areas of the shirt, so it’s essential to iron it crease-free for a neat look.
- Fold the collar and iron especially in the middle – after ironing the front of the collar, fold it and carefully iron the middle. This detail will ensure a natural curve of the collar, avoiding a flat and untidy look.
- Chest – button the collar and iron the chest on the front of the shirt, continuing with the back to remove any creases. This will ensure an even and flawless result.
- Sleeves – for starched sleeves, it is recommended to iron them without leaving streaks. This technique helps maintain the stiffness of the shirt and prevents wrinkles in the long term.
To view the detailed steps in a video tutorial made by the master tailor, access the video below:
3 tips to keep your shirt in the best condition:
Dry the shirt on a hanger.
When you take your shirts out of the washing machine, hang them to dry on hangers. This will help them dry with fewer wrinkles and make ironing much easier.
Choose premium cotton blends
There are modern materials, made with advanced technology, that can facilitate an impeccable shape of the shirt even after washing and drying it on a hanger, leaving a "nearly ironed" appearance.
Beware of easy iron products
Easy iron fabrics are easy to iron and less likely to wrinkle, and are used in modern men's clothing. Be careful when choosing this type of fabric, as the "stiffening" properties are usually achieved by adding synthetic fibers.
If the percentage of synthetics exceeds a discrete limit, some of the blend's properties, such as the fabric's breathability or the thermal comfort index in warm weather, decrease dramatically or even disappear.
If you opt for an "easy iron" fabric, we recommend that you choose a high-quality one with high fineness, where comfort and naturalness are part of the material's DNA.