How to Iron a Shirt with Jeff Banks
Today, Jeff Banks himself has taken to the ironing board. It’s an everyday part of our lives and it’s no secret that it’s all a bit of a hassle; so let’s make it easier for you. We’re going to show you how to iron a shirt perfectly.
Get steamed up and ready, and pick out your favourite shirt!
The first step is turning the shirt inside out. From the inside of the shirt, you can actually get into every corner of the flat fabric – it’s far easier to access those problem areas.
Be very careful to smooth the shirt out, and make sure it’s lying absolutely flat on the ironing board. This way you can press right into the corners and concentrate on the arm holes. If the fabric has dried off a little bit, just spray it with a little water.
Flip to the other side and do the same thing again; smooth very carefully, and iron right into all the corners. Again, you want to focus on the arm holes.
When you’re ironing the back of the placket, make sure that you use a very firm iron.
The sleeves are made from a flat piece of material – so lay it flat again, but only press to about two centimetres of the leading edge of the shirt. I’ll show you why in a moment.
Next, the collar. Firmly press the top of the collar, turn it over, and with plenty of pressure, press the back of the collar.
Now turn the shirt, back to the right side. It’s time now for the finishing touches! No need to iron the back again, but just give the front a little final press, particularly down the front placket, and at the top of the placket.
Now press the button side of the front and be careful to press in between each of the buttons. Press the sleeves with the crease down the outside, if that’s what you favour.
Press the cuffs flat, and so the same again with the other sleeve.
If it’s a folded cuff, fold the cuff into the precise position, so that the button holes for the cufflinks line up.
When you’ve lined up the button holes, press the cuff flat.
The final touch is on the collar. Press along about 4cm along each side of the collar so that whether you’re wearing it with a tie, or open neck, the collar stays in a down position. Precision is always the order of the day.
Voila! A perfectly ironed shirt for any occasion. Simply place on a hanger and button up the collar, and the job is done. Check back soon for more top tips and tricks of the fashion trade – only from Jeff Banks.