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Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

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carter

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Shopping

39 replies

Latest reply was from Lisa

Mo

(website)

Veteran

looks like your V neck sweaters have matching companions in button shirts!! Like a rainbow catalog to look at. Yes, I'd say you probably have enough of them
I iron rarely. 2 or 3 times a year probably. Then again, I don't tend to wear crisp fabrics. Aha!

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

Stay warm! That is a lot of button front shirts. I used to have a ton too. I think they're a quick shortcut to pulled together modern classic. But they're also not really trending right now - silkier blouses and tops, but not the traditional Oxford silhouette and fabric.

I don't mind ironing but then I also sew so I better not mind it. Sometimes I do put it off though. My trick is to iron while watching tv - then I feel like I'm being productive but I also get to do something fun I have to haul the ironing board and iron into the living room, but it's worth it. Oh, and there are various spray starches and non starch sprays that are really nice - Mary Ellen's Best Press is one I really like.

I used to work at a dry cleaners as a wee lass so I will say that most dry cleaners will happily launder and iron shirts. They are used to doing men's dress shirts but will do ladies as well, and often for the same price. If I wore button front shirts a lot i would totally pay th em to do it for me.

nancylee

Veteran

Wow! That's a lot of button front shirts! No wonder you're weary of dealing with them. I currently own only 6 cotton button shirts, and only 4 of those need to be ironed (the other 2 are non-wrinkle wash and dry). I have to confess that my trick is to wash the ones that need pressing at home, hang them dry, and then take them to the dry cleaners for pressing. It's expensive, but yeah I'm that lazy. And they do a much better job than I do.

You might want to replace some of your more useful button shirts with the Brooks Brothers no-iron kind. I have two of those (one black, one white) and they launder and dry beautifully. Angie is a big fan of them.

BTW, your house is beautiful! Here's the view out my third floor office window earlier today. 10 inches and still coming down.

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Suz

(website)

Veteran

Your house looks so pretty with that little dusting of snow. (I am sure my choice of words will drive you crazy...)

Your shirts are incredibly pretty, too. And wow, what a collection!!

I am not crazy about ironing, but I don't hate it, either. Except when it is stinking hot and humid out. Which tends to be when I do most of my ironing, ironically. I wear mostly wovens in warm/ hot weather and mostly knits in cold weather. Almost none of the knits need ironing. Almost all of the wovens do. Ah, well.

cade

I do iron not because it is my favorite thing, but I like the crisp and neat way clothes look, and that includes t-shirts. I have never seen a no-iron shirt that does not look better after ironing. When all goes well, I catch up on my weekly ironing on Sunday afternoons to be ready for the week. TMC usually obliges with a movie while I do this chore, because I am much too frugal to pay someone do it for me. That money will go towards a high priced silk scarf.

rachylou

Veteran

Looks so pretty, your house in the snow!

I emphatically do NOT iron. I got delusional a couple of years ago and bought another stand up ironing board. Completely ridiculous purchase, lol. But it's not so bad, because I don't look that good IMO in shirts that need ironing and starch.

I also don't dry clean. I don't think hipsters do that. Because it's poisonous. Hehe.

On the other hand, if I were in the North East or South, I might feel the pressure to do so.

cade

Meant to add that I visited Atlanta for the first time when I still lived in Houston and I was really envious how your city preserved its older neighborhoods. Was a bit hard to return to Houston...

AviaMariah

Veteran

That is quite a collection and I'm giggling at Suz' comment about a dusting of snow. I really like button up shirts in the spring/summer/fall but I hate to iron. For awhile I had a baby sitter that would iron for me and that was heaven!

carter

Veteran

Mo, I'm afraid my v neck sweaters and button blouses will also have some competition from my cropped and ankle pants too;-)

Laura, thanks for the tip on Mary Ellen's Best press. I will try to find some. Unfortunately, my dry cleaner charges $4.75 for a woman's launderable shirt. I tried taking them to the "everything's $1.99" cleaner, but they looked worse than when I iron them.

Nancy Lee, that's a lot of snow! Interesting idea...I'll see if my cleaners has a different price for just pressing if I do the washing.

Suz, a dusting is all it takes to shut down Atlanta! Unfortunately, it was all sleet yesterday, so there's a good layer of ice underneath the snow. Temps are up now, so we'll be good to go tomorrow.

Cade, you iron your tees? My ex-husband's mom used to iron his jeans and boxers. Naturally, he expected me to do the same, so I donated the iron and ironing board shortly after we got married. Never got another one til I got divorced 15 years later. Still...cost per use on the new one is probably $25.

Rachylou, I'm really enjoying non-woven tops now too, but when it's so hut and humid here in the Summer, the blouses are great for air flow.

Karie

(website)

Veteran

Well, I have the worst washing machine in the world (a Maytag Bravos, don't buy one) and my clothes come out all twisted up, even on the delicate cycle, so ironing is a necessary evil. Everything gets ironed, even tee shirts.

carter

Veteran

Cade, I agree! I lived in Houston for 7 years and missed the charm of the older quirky neighborhoods we have in Atlanta.

AviaMaria, a nanny who does shirts! How awesome. When I was growing up we had a housekeeper who did all the ironing. Those days seem to be gone with the 3 hour speed cleaning we get today.

Elizabeth P

Veteran

I don't hate to iron, I just don't. I am terrible for deciding what to wear in advance, so if I decide to wear a shirt that is wrinkled, well, back it goes into the closet and back I go to decision making. So as a result I have very few shirts that need ironing, most button down/up/across shirts that I have are some sort of poly blend. The others just don't get worn. Part of my style challenge is that I'd like to get away from so many tees/sweaters, but the reality is that ironing is definitely something to consider.

Funny story... a couple of years ago, I had the ironing board out, and my EIGHT year old asked "what is that?" (I'm not that bad, if I do iron, it's after they go go bed, but still)

Anonymous

I hate ironing as well- but I invested in a steamer like this:
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.co.....rd=steamer
(mine is similar but I think was cheaper? lots on the market)

You can dewrinkle shirts in a jiffy (I just hang mine up after laundering and then steam them right before I wear them- takes 2-3 minutes max). I confess my husband's shirts go to the dry cleaners, but this steamer is great for all my things- esp after a trip when the clean/unworn times need a little de-wrinkling.

carter

Veteran

Karie, sounds like you need a new washer! I'd never be able to leave the house if I had to iron everything first.

Elizabeth P, that's a riot! The no-iron shirts (Chico's and Foxcroft) I have a re great. They've seen an iron. Unfortunately, I fell in love with some regular cotton and linen shirts over the past few years and didn't think through the whole ironing thing.

Pam, I need a steamer! Awesome idea. Does it take awhile to heat up, or do you just flip the switch when you're ready and it's ready to go?

Neel

Veteran

Wow!! That's a rainbow of button downs :). I can't be caught dead in wrinkled clothes! I have posted a few trial pics here with wrinkled clothes and I hate them! I would never step out like that! (I think I just found my style pet peeve!)

So yeah ..... I have to iron (sometimes twice/thrice)!

Anonymous

The steamer takes about 2-3 minutes to warm up. You just fill the container with water, plug in, switch on, then wait. You can easily do this while dressing.

carter

Veteran

Neel, you iron the same item 2 or 3 times?? Yikes! I think that definitely qualifies as style pet peeve for you.

Thanks, Pam. Assuming the streets are open tomorrow, I'm headed to BB&B for a new steamer.

Neel

Veteran

Yes I do carter! Until the last stubborn crease goes way! lol! Spray some water and iron away all the cotton and linen pants/shirts/dresses. I mostly do it just before wearing. That way I don't really do all ironing at once to find it a chore. Except my undies everything gets ironed

pastrygirl

(website)

Veteran

I don't iron. If I buy a shirt that wrinkles in the wash, then I add it to the donation pile. I generally can't wear no-iron shirts because I find them itchy. So I seek out shirts that naturally tend to not wrinkle. Right now, I've had success with the Ann Taylor perfect shirt. I remove my clothes from the dryer as soon as it's done; if I forget and something wrinkles, it goes back into the hamper for another wash/dry cycle. I refuse to iron!

My MIL thinks I should iron my cloth napkins for dinner... that will never, ever happen.

TraceyLiz65

(website)

Veteran

I am blessed to have a steamer since closing my store and I will never go back to ironing again! What a collection of shirts! The winter house looks beautiful.. We are so lucky our dusting of snow turned to rain yesterday and today!

Diana

Veteran

I hate to iron and I never do it. I just go around looking a little dishevelled probably (but I'm OK with that). But I married a man who enjoys it! My husband wears a button-down to work every day and irons them all himself. He claims the BB non-iron shirts still need to be ironed to look good - they are just a lot easier to iron than the others.

I still don't wear button-downs though. So actually I hardly ever give J. things to iron for me, even though he'd be happy to do it. (I do his mending for him in return.)

carter

Veteran

Thanks, Pastrygirl. I'll try the AT shirt. I haven't tossed my wrinkly items because I love the color, style, length, etc. I just need to find replacements, then out they go! I don't iron our nightly cloth napkins either. Seems like just a waste. When my in-laws come for holidays, my MIL irons the holiday dinner napkins and tablecloth for me. Gives her something to do and keeps her out of my kitchen!

Tracey Liz, I think you and Pam are brilliant with your steamers. I'm definitely going to get one.

Diana, you never look disheveled! Your husband likes to iron?? Where did you find him?

JAileen

Veteran

I will iron on occasion, but most of the clothes that ought to be ironed, I just wear a little wrinkled! I take the items out of the washing machine and shake them out and hang them up, and pull on the button bands and collars to try to smooth them out. This is probably not good enough if you need to look professional!

I used to iron my husband's pinpoint cotton shirts but they took forever. So we sent them to the dry cleaners to be washed and pressed, but now he wears no iron shirts.

We could use some snow, but instead it's supposed to be 68F today.

Lyn D.

Veteran

Beautiful House!
I iron about 4 times a year, most of my stuff doesn't need it, and my lovely DH does his own ironing when required.

unfrumped

Veteran

I hear that. I.. do.. not.. iron.
Except for packing creases on new items.
So no shirts that can't wash& wear. The all-cotton phase of clothing was not good for us no-ironers. Also rayon, which is lovely and drapey, usually is very wrinkly if 100%. So blends it is, or knits. or one or 2 items to the dry cleaners. The spandex and lycra phase (1 to 5 % in shirts) helps.
Mostly I don't like how I look in "crisp" button-front shirts, so I've been culling mine down to about 3-4 tops.

Amy

(website)

Veteran

I don't *like* ironing, but I do it most days of the week. My closet is too stuffed, so nothing in there remains wrinkle free and I can't go to work looking rumpled.

When I iron, I use a tailor's ham and a seam roll. They make the tricky spots a lot easier. I also use spray sizing for my shirts. It smells nice and the shirts aren't too stiff. I use a good quality iron that doesn't drip or spit water and that allows me to carefully control temperature.

Your house is soooo gorgeous!!!

Suzanne (ambergreen)

Veteran

We have an iron just in case, I guess, but I don't think I've used it in at least 5 years. It's still like new. We did get a stand-up steamer a few years ago and that's what we use if we feel the need. However, the sucker pulls a lot of electricity. I blew an outlet with it that we have to replace. :/

But, not being all that particular about perfection and no longer having to work in a New England office, what I usually do is pull a shirt from the closet a few days ahead and hang it on the shower curtain rod. It's a no-effort way to steam as showers are taken. It's not as effective as the direct steamer, but it's usually good enough for my purposes. I'll tug on hems a bit sometimes to help them along (not when they're bone dry; that'd be silly).

That said, I don't wear any of my roughly 35 collared shirts terribly often these days, but I still like them. My plan is to mix registers: wear them with updated jeans or funky/creative skirts to help dislodge the stodge. (Although it's possible that in a few cases there will be no help for it, and I should just ditch the thing.)

(I'm utterly shocked, though, that I'm considering wearing jackets/blazers in similar ways this spring! Gasp! Very different style direction for me.)

carter

Veteran

JAileen, I've tried to de-wrinkle and hang to dry, but I must not be doing something right. The dryer tends to do a better job, and it's lousy at it.

Lyn D, thanks! We must be on the same schedule. When my closet starts to look too thinned out, I know there's a huge rack of ironing waiting for me in the laundry room.

Unfrumped, I would love the drapey look. I should be looking for rayon blends?

Amy, what in the world is a tailor's ham and seam roll?? They sound very professional. Is sizing different than starch?

carter

Veteran

Ambergreen, so glad I'm not the only one with a million of these! I would like to look more up-to-date than practical when I wear them. Hmmm....if you figure that out, please post some WIWs.

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