Shirt that seems impossible to iron

[kdsvs]

I have a shirt that I haven't been able to iron flat since the first wash. The shirt is striped, and the weave alternates between herringbone and broadcloth. The problem seems to be that the two different weaves have not shrunk by the same proportion.

Does this sound like it can be rescued? I have tried ironing it damp and steaming it. Would it help to spray starch on it? Would the dry cleaners have a better method?

 

[stach]

Give it to them and tell them "press only". It might wind up needing starch.

 

[well-kept]

2 identical shirts from RL Polo of such fine cotton it feels like silk. Incredibly fine hand. Totally impossible to iron - either at home or professionally. This is without any differential weave.

 

[NoVaguy]

I would try washing with a very light load (weight, not color), hang dry (I usually hang them on a plastic hanger), and then press damp. That might help prevent the formation of wrinkles in the washing machine, and eliminate wrinkles from the dryer.

Some of the really fine shirts (I'm thinking of my 180's) are just going to wrinkle by looking at them.

 

[Earthmover]

I think the first shirt can be ironed, much in the way that a seersucker shirt can be ironed (I've ironed seersucker shirts so that the crinkling is barely noticeable... someone did request this once). Basically, just stretch it out as best as you can when it's damp and apply the iron with a lot of pressure (this works better on commercial presses, obviously). Although with a hand iron, it will seem impossible to do and probably be close to that, but I think it can come out presentable with certain effort.


As for well-kept's shirt, it sounds like it can be ironed quite easily, just requires a delicate touch. For home ironing, the order I would go is collar-cuff-shoulder/yoke-sleeves-body, and that should minimize wrinkling during the ironing process.