How to Iron a Shirt....the professional way.
Recently in comments, Cissie complimented me about how well pressed my shirts are, and asked me for some tips. So I have chosen to show you this video from T.M.Lewin, makers of fine men's shirts and other haberdashery, in business since 1898 located on Jermyn Street, London. (Worthy of mentioning--they have been making fine shirts for well over 100 years, and now even they use fusible interfacing in many styles of their shirts!)
I was taught to iron my finished shirts in this manner during my shirtmaking/tailoring training, and have been doing it this way for 30 years. ...and yes, this is "ironing".
Please note the following--
- Iron one "cuff and sleeve" and the associated half of the yoke...then iron the other "cuff and sleeve", and the remaining half of the yoke (only one sleeve side is demonstrated in this video).
- Note how only the CB of the collar is ironed when folded.
- Remember to fasten the top button before ironing the body of the shirt...it makes a huge difference.
- Perhaps the most useful tip in this process that will make the most difference in how your pressed shirt looks is this-- Use the heel (back wide end of the sole plate) of your iron to do the "work" when ironing places like the cuff and collar. This is fully demonstrated in the video, and really does make a difference!
Labels: Shirtmaking Tips
22 Comments:
That was awesome Pam thank you!
Thank you for the video, I am a visual person and I learn better this way. Thanks again.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I knew a few of the things mentioned but I learned more, which is always a good thing.
Pat
I didn't know about buttoning up the top button. Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you so much! Needed this
My father showed me how to iron a shirt many years ago. Same order, but I picked up some new tips! Thanks so much!
This was fabulous! I have always loved ironing, even my brothers' shirts back when I was growing up. Wish I had seen this video back then. But from now on, I'll be better at it!
This is exactly the way I learned to iron a shirt when I was taking my apprenticeship in shirt-making in Germany!
Fantastic... Thank you!!!
This is fabulous, Pam. Thank you so much for sharing it with us. I love that he did not have a super glorified ironing system but got his results with a good basic iron and just knowing the correct way to do it.
These are techniques I am ready to implement in my ironing. Thank you for this video!
Marie
Thanks for the video! It confirms what I've been doing for nearly 40 years!
Thanks so much, Pam. I'm off to practice!
Cissie
Fabulous! I ironed three shirts in under 30 minutes -- and they look great! Now, please don't tell my husband that I'm working on this. After all, if he didn't have our local dry cleaners to complain about, what would he do????
Cissie
Thanks Pam!
I've been wanting to make some cotton blouses for spring/summer, but the thought of ironing them was less than appealing. The tip of buttoning the collar button is inspired!
Pearl
Thans so much for this video. The other TMLewin videos, on pressing trousers and measuring shirts, were also enlightening.
Very informative!. Thanks for passing this on.
I've been ironing in the same order, but have never seen some of the finer points, like not using the tip of the iron and buttoning the collar. Thanks!
Thanks for posting this video. I'll start buttoning the top button.
Where does one get the wider ironing board?
This video was filmed in the UK..I have no idea where they got the equipment used. Perhaps if you do a search for "wide ironing boards" you may come up with something.
I know many people who have made a new wider padded "top" for their existing ironing board..perhaps that would be an option for you.
I've always loved ironing. It's mindless relaxation, to me. I plug in some movies and go to it. Anyhow.... I was taught the 'Proctor Method' for ironing shirts, back in high school. I'm assuming that that was in reference to Mary Proctor from Proctor irons. But I can match this fella's time and maybe best him, by a tad. I love his idea of the heel first. I hate those waves in the cuffs and collar when they occasionally happen. Nice video. DeR
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