Hand steaming jackets - yes or no?

[MikeHaggarSSBM]

I have a handheld garment steamer that I use to de-wrinkle my tailored jackets. They tend to get wrinkles on the arms and in the back. The wrinkles don't dissappear from just hanging them.

I've heard that this can cause puckering in the seams. Although I have never run into this problem I am now apprehensive about steaming them.

Should I stop this?
If yes, do I need to press them myself or is there an easier way?
I'd prefer not to give them to the dry cleaners all the time.

It is worth noting that my jackets are all fused in the 3-400 dollar range.

 

[dieworkwear]

I think it's a balancing act.

If you own a very high-end tailored garment, then some of what you're paying for is the careful shaping that a tailor puts into the garment through pressing with a heavy iron. A well-made tailored jacket is a three-dimensional garment. When you put a lot of steam through it, you risk two things: 1) taking out the shaping and 2) blowing out the seams, causing them to pucker, sometimes permanently.

So then how do you take out wrinkles? Buy garments made from heavier fabrics. Or high twist fabrics. Let them sit overnight. And then send them in for a hand pressing every now and then.

This is the "gold standard" for garment care if you have a high-end tailored garment.

There are sometimes reasons to deviate from that standard. If you own a fused coat below $500 or so, the same shaping may not have been put into the garment. If you don't have someone near you who can hand press a garment, you might be left to your own devices.

If you steam judiciously, such as along the back, where there isn't much shaping, and don't steam too much, and stay away from seams, then you're doing a better job than someone who's just blowing a steamer through their entire garment as much as they can, thinking that "more is better."

The area that I most often see get wrecked is along the lapels, which can end up looking like this. Notice how wavy the lapel looks. This is caused by a steamer. To fix this, you need to have a tailor hand press the lapels.

In real life, many people are not able to spot these small things until they're pointed out to them. So that may be another factor. If you feel that most people around you don't know these things, and you're not bothered, then that may play into your decision.

The better way to go about this is to learn how to press a jacket. However, this is a skill and requires good training. You also need some things to press shape into areas such as the sleeves and chest. There are several tutorials on YouTube. I've never been comfortable doing this myself, so I send the work out. For the back of your coat, it may be easier; I would stay away from the front and sleeves unless you really want to learn this skill

 

[MikeHaggarSSBM]

Thank you for your detailed and highly informed reponse.

The puckering would bother me, I can get stuck up on small details.

Can this puckering always be pressed out? In the arms and back specifically, I never steam anywhere else.
If it were to somehow crease in the chest and/or lapels I am taking it to a professional, I know from experience at work (thrift shop worker) that steaming can unfuse the interlining and cause bubbling.

 

[dieworkwear]

Thank you for your detailed and highly informed reponse.

The puckering would bother me, I can get stuck up on small details.

Can this puckering always be pressed out? In the arms and back specifically, I never steam anywhere else.
If it were to somehow crease in the chest and/or lapels I am taking it to a professional, I know from experience at work (thrift shop worker) that steaming can unfuse the interlining and cause bubbling.

Sometimes the puckering is permanent.