Dress Shirts

[5uave]

Hey guys,

I just started working in an office 2 wks ago, and I like how my new dress shirts look because the collar is stiff. Its a business casual environment so we dont wear ties, and we leave the first button unbuttoned. My question is, how do we keep our shirts that way? after u wash it once, they tend to become wrinkled and loose. I iron my shirts but the collars go limp. Any suggestions?

 

[simon]

Starch them?

 

[5uave]

I've heard of that, but i have no idea how to do it. Do i powder the shirt with starch or like cover it entirely? and do i do b4 or after i iron them?

 

[JohnJones]

If you iron them yourself, the best way (IMHO) is to wash them, lightly dry them in the dryer to heat them up and get some of the wrinkles out and then before they dry completely iron them with some spray starch (use sparingly -- it builds up over time).

Something that can help with a crisp collar are collar stays - the little plastic tabs that come with non-button collar shirts.

Lastly, if the above is too painful (it is for me) for usually a couple dollars a shirt, just get your dry cleaner to do them for you.

 

[seanchai]

DO NOT press your collars with the collar stays in or you'll look like a rube. It's best to take them out when you get home and put them in a box or something.

Don't buy shirts with collar stays sewn in either.

Like JohnJones said, pay a little to get them professionally done.

 

[Teflon_Mcgee]

If there is one thing I know it's how to starch a shirt.

Easiest way is get them pressed with heavy starch at the cleaners. You can probably get 1-3 days of wear from one treatment and it usually only costs $1-3 per shirt.

To do it at home you want to go pick up a bottle of heavy spray starch, Sta-Flow (a brand of concentrated starch), and a spray bottle. It'll cost you $3 for a months supply of stuff.

After you wash and dry your shirt you want to put it on a hangar and completely saturate it in the spray starch. Then lay it down and grab a spray bottle full of the Sta-Flow. You can dillute the Sta-Flow as per directions and use it as regular starch but for an extra crisp durable collar use it 100% concentrated. Rub the pure stay flow into the collar. Hang up your shirt and dry it over night.

After it is dry grab your iron and put it on a suitable setting. I like to go as high as I can before burning the starch or fabric. This takes pratice and experimentation. You can use steam or you can use starch at this point. I like using starch but be careful cause you can leave starch stains (they easily whash out but it just looks like somebody gave you a c^m shot).

If you use starch, just spray enough to moisten the fabric, rub it in a little, and then place th iron on top. Move it back and forth for a second to smooth out the fabric and then hold it still for 10-30 seconds (don't burn the material). At the very least the spot should be dry, warm to the touch, and smooth. This will press it out and set the starch. Repeat until the whole shirt is complete.

With some practice you can get some sharp looking shirts. Be advised that this will not last as long as the cleaners and you'll probably have to do it daily.

For extra crispness just use 100% Sta-Flow or dillute as desired and saturate the entire shirt (use 100% on collar) then let dry over night. This is what I do.

 

[Vulpine]

Or...

pull out shirts that are to be ironed/starched from the washer without drying them. Then, iron them damp to remove wrinkles - you won't need to iron them so much that they are dry, and you'll never have to fill the iron with water, duh. Place them on the hanger, then spray on the starch and leave to dry overnight. After dry, if they aren't as crisp as you would like, spray on more starch and leave to dry again.

That way, you won't get any "glossing" or "crusting" from the starch - and you can really lay it on extra thick. Plus, your clothes last forever since they don't go through the dryer.

Another method is to get a thin handkerchief and put it between iron and the fabric and press the clothes. With heavy starching, the starch fries when it hits the iron and leaves crusty areas.

You know what, just join the Army or Marines. You'll catch on quick.