How to Iron and Fold a Dress Shirt

Please note that this post contains affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward me a small commission – at no extra cost for you.

This is a guest post written by Maine Mine.

Want to reinvigorate your dress shirt with that crisp, new top feel without actually spending money on new garb? Then it’s time to break out the ironing board and embrace your inner Sheldon Cooper, cause things are about to get steamy. And by steamy, we mean steam-setting steamy.

 

Ironing Your Dress Shirt

 

There’s something so disheartening about seeing someone in a wrinkled dress shirt. It brings to mind two-day stubble and empty bottles of cheap bourbon. If this isn’t the look you’re going for, then learn how to iron your dress shirt for a more kempt, more hygiene-friendly appearance.

 

Step 1: First, get out your ironing board. If you don’t have a board, place a clean bath towel on a table.

 

Step 2: Unbutton all the buttons then turn the shirt inside out. Generally speaking, shirts are easier to iron this way.

 

Step 3: Read the label to see what kind of material you’re dealing with and then adjust the iron setting to match. When working with blends, go cooler to err on the side of caution.

 

Step 4: Start with the sleeves. Place the sleeve on the ironing board. The cuff should be pointing toward the board’s tip and it should also be button down. Make the sleeve flat by smoothing it with your hand. Align the seams.

 

Step 5: Starch time! Spray starch on to the sleeve. Be sure to read the directions on the can.

 

Step 6: Begin to iron, working your way down from the shoulder of the sleeve to the cuff. Avoid ironing the cuff buttons, and be particularly careful around the cuff in general. Take your time, and use small movements to get all the little folds and creases.  Once you’re done the first side of the sleeve, flip it over and do the other side, and then do the other sleeve the same way.

 

Step 7: Next move onto the collar. First flip it up then spray it with the starch. Iron the outside then the inside, and then fold it back down and iron over the crease to set it.

 

Step 8: Move the neck up to the tip of the board, and then iron each panel of the shirt, starting at the top and moving down.

 

Step 9: Turn the shirt right-side out and iron between the buttons. Be mindful not to nudge a button loose and use the narrow tip of the iron to manoeuvre in the small space.

Folding Your Dress Shirt

 

Learning how to fold a dress shirt properly will not only prevent wrinkling, but it will free up room in your closet (so you can shop for a lot more stylish clothes.) Here’s how to do it.

 

Step 1: Button the shirt to ensure a tight fold.

 

Step 2: Place it on a table face down and spread it out.

 

Step 3: Vertically fold in each sleeve toward the middle of the back of the shirt. (Think where your shoulder blades would be if you were wearing the shirt.) Make sure the sides of the shirt don’t fold over.

 

Step 4: Next, fold in each side toward the middle of the shirt. The shoulders of the shirt should be making a V-shape.

 

Step 5: Fold bottom-to-top once for a longer fold or twice for a shorter one.

 

 

And presto! You’re done! In a few simple steps, you’ve turned a wrinkled mess into pressed perfection, and you’ve stored it so it’s ready-to-wear, whenever you need it.

 

<> <> <> <>

 

Maine is an introvert who loves eating, reading, watching American TV shows and Asian dramas. When she’s not doing any of her hobbies, you’ll probably catch her at a cafe, scribbling in her notebook.