What's the most elegant and sophisticated type of apparel worn by men? If you did, then your answer is absolutely correct! Designer dress shirts are indeed one of the best things that a man can wear in order to exhibit style and elegance.
Now you are well aware of the fact that designer dress shirts are not cheap by any stretch of the imagination. They usually come with a pretty hefty price tag; however its premium fabric quality justifies the price. So considering its superior value, you'll want to make sure you handle your dress shirts with the utmost care, so that they last for a relatively long time.
On that note, ironing is an important, yet dangerous (in case of negligence) process. Everyone has to iron the shirt prior to wearing it, pretty obvious is not it? But unfortunately not many know the proper way of ironing a dress shirt, which typically detracts from its appearance. That is why, it's vital to iron your shirt correctly, so as to give a neat and spectacular look, while getting your money's worth.
Here is a step-by-step guide to facilitate you in ironing your dress shirt properly:
Step 1
First and foremost, you'll have to unbutton the dress shirt and then lay in on the ironing board. Start off the ironing process with the collar. Open up the collar completely and iron off the wrinkles using the front part (narrow one) of the iron. Keep in mind that every shirt is stitched differently. That is why you have to adjust the direction in which you move the iron accordingly, so it does not leave any crease on the collar. Now turn the shirt and iron the other side as well (this is optional if you use a stream iron).
Step 2
Once you have finished lighting the collar, move to the cuffs. If the cufflinks are still on, take them off prior to ironing. Thereafter, lay the cuffs flat on the board and iron out the wrinkles using the front part of the iron (just like you did previously). Make sure you press the cuff carefully, especially when moving around its buttons. Once you're done with one cuff, move to the second one and repeat the process.
Step 3
Now it's time to press the yoke, which is far the most difficult part. This is basically the area of the dress shirt which originates from the bottom of the collar and extends to the sides of the shoulder (where your trap muscles are). The bigger the yoke, the more effort you'll have to put in to iron it well. That being said, most dress shirts come with a normal-sized yoke.
The key to ironing the yoke well is to lay it completely flat on the board. This may vary according to the size and shape of the shirt. An excellent tip is to iron it in two separate stages. You can first align and press the shoulder end (of the yoke) followed with the other end. As said earlier, use the front portion of the iron to clear out noticeable wrinkles.
Step 4
This step involves lining the sleeves. Prior to ironing the sleeve, take a moment to align it evenly over the board. After aligning it, lay it flat on the board, with the button-side of the cuff is at the top. Now start pressing the sleeve smoothly from top to bottom, keeping the seam as a guideline. Once you are done with one side, flip the sleeve over and press through the other side. You'll apply the same technique for the other sleeve as well.
Step 5
After both the sleeves are done, you'll now move to the front of the shirt. Begin by placing the front side flat on the board. The left side will be fairly simple to iron because it does not have any button on it. All you need to do is iron smoothly through it. Subsequently, place the right side of the shirt on the board and iron with smooth movements. For the area near the buttons, use the same front-tip tactic. Since, this is one of most prominent parts (the second being the collar) of the shirt, pay close attention to it.
Step 6
Last but not the least, you have to iron the rear side of the shirt. This is probably the easiest of all steps, hence, that is why you should do it last. Place the rear side of the shirt on the ironing board, with the collar hanging over the narrow end. Once the shirt is in place, starting ironing it making smooth movements until it appears completely flat.
And then ends the ironing process! Now just take a hanger and hang the shirt on it so that it does not get crumpled when in the wardrobe. This way, when you take it out to wear it, it will be in intolerable condition.