"Non-iron" shirt fabrics

[Costi]

I always like to iron my good shirts while they are still a bit damp. This requires timing, and I don't always get it right. I know they are easier to iron damp but was wondering whether ironing a bone dry shirt with a steam iron actually does any damage..or is it simply a more arduous task? If ironing dry was fine for the shirt it would free up my style choices for shirt selection..big time!

No damage, just a little more work.
You can also sprinkle your shirt, roll it up and let it rest in a plastic bag for a quarter of an hour before ironing. Sprinkling works better than steaming even if you don't have time to let it get damp, in my experience.

http://lavraiechemisesurmesure.blogspot ... emise.html

[Rowly]

Excellent news and a great link. I never thought I would see the day when I couldn't wait to iron a few shirts.

[Costi]

Haha! The same here when I discovered it
Once again, it's in THE WAY we do things that we find pleasure, rather than in WHAT we do (ironing can be so boring to many). But follow Mr. Pierre Duboin's thorough instructions, play some good music in the background (with a Bach toccata you can't miss a single crease...) and you'll be ironing more than your shirts... your thoughts, too, perhaps? Therapeutic ironing: a spiritual experience
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd_oIFy1mxM
You really pull out all the stops with this, don't you?

[Berwick]

I must say I have been pleasantly suprised by how nice the recent CT non-iron shirts feel to the touch. They may not have the buttery feel of an Alumo end-on-end, but they are a lot better than the standard cotton one finds in Marks and Spencer shirts, for example.

[cathach]

Are there drawbacks in non-iron shirts fabrics? I bought one more or less by coincidence, and it doesn't feel bad so far. Haven't worn it in all seasons and climate zones, though.

An important thing to note is that non-iron fabrics are treated very aggressively, some processes involve soaking the cotton in formaldehyde. This aggressive treatment quite apart from the doubtful benefits of wearing something soaked in chemicals next to the skin, means the cloth is unlikely to wear well, or to last any length.

[hectorm]

play some good music in the background (with a Bach toccata you can't miss a single crease...)

I can´t help wondering what would happen to one of my few beloved T&A shirts if I listened to the "Helicopter String Quartet" by Stockhausen.

[Rowly]

Great therapy for me is shoe polishing. I wait, possibly for weeks, until I'm in the right mood, with a good stack of shoes waiting to be pampered. Then, my brush is guided by the charming refrains of Ada Falcon, and Carlos Gardel. If it goes well, a Romeo y Julieta Robusto might be added to the mix, when I can get my hands on one!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R_Lz_Ca3hI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ1aTPM-dyE

In Por una Cabeza , you can hear where the polish goes on...and when it's time to shine

[hectorm]

Rowly, what a surprise!
I knew you loved tweeds, but I didn´t know you also liked this Uruguayan singer.
One more thing we share.

[Costi]

play some good music in the background (with a Bach toccata you can't miss a single crease...)

I can´t help wondering what would happen to one of my few beloved T&A shirts if I listened to the "Helicopter String Quartet" by Stockhausen.

That's how you turn them into rags good for polishing shoes while listening to Gardel...

[BirdofSydney]

An important thing to note is that non-iron fabrics are treated very aggressively, some processes involve soaking the cotton in formaldehyde. This aggressive treatment quite apart from the doubtful benefits of wearing something soaked in chemicals next to the skin, means the cloth is unlikely to wear well, or to last any length.

The same chemical that appears in cheaply made shoes I believe! In either instance, it provokes an allergic reaction for me. I've never worn non-iron or easy-iron other than at high school, and while the fabric does crumple less, it tends to hang over the waistband in a strange wave, rather than a healthy crease or two.

[cathach]

You'll also notice a similar effect with 'superwash', 'easycare' or 'machine-washable' woollens. They are to be avoided like the plague, as the process destroys the elasticity of the fibres and this means that garments made of such fibres end up baggy and shapeless.

[radicaldog]

My (Italian) shirtmaker reluctantly made me a non-iron shirt as a test. I wore it twice, then donated it to charity. It had a papery feel. And yes, the seams looked glued as well as sewn, for lack of a better description. I do still have one RTW oxford buttondown shirt from Brooks Brothers which isn't that bad, but I only keep it as a last resort garment.

[stubloom]

More about non-iron shirts and formaldehyde....

Slate article: The shirt from hell

Link: http://www.slate.com/articles/style_and ... t_fas.html

(If the above mentioned link is not working after you click on it, enter SHIRT FROM HELL FORMALDEHYDE in the Slate search engine (top right corner of their page).

New York Times article: When wrinkle-free clothing also means formaldehyde fumes

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/11/your- ... wanted=all