mens' dress shirts and dry cleaning

[mary poppins]

DH bought a new dress shirt (to wear with suit or jacket and pants) last weekend. It was folded as new dress shirts in packaging are. The next morning, he unfolded it, put it on and was about to leave the house. I objected. No husband of mine leaves the house in a wrinkled dress shirt! (the issue of washing first is totally separate, and not the issue here). DH thought I was wrong, but changed into a shirt I had already ironed.

While we were having dinner with friends the next night, DH raised the subject. The guys agreed that it's fine to wear a dress shirt wrinkled in the pattern of a new shirt. After all, they said, some men choose to get their clean shirts back from the dry cleaner folded in a box.

I iron DH's dress shirts, and take the really dressy ones (french cuffs) to the cleaners to be lightly starched. I always get them back on hangers and hadn't heard of the box option.

Two questions:

1. Is it okay or common for men to wear dress shirts that are wrinkled in the pattern of a new shirt?

2. Why would someone want to get a cleaned and pressed shirt back folded in a box? I mean, the person just paid for wrinkles!

 

[monarch64]

It's ok to request your dress shirts be folded for storage or travel. If you're traveling, either steam or press your folded shirt in your hotel room or have the hotel do it. In my opinion, it is not acceptable to wear a shirt with the folded lines clearly visible. Not only does it look terrible when one's jacket is removed, it ruins the collar line and looks like one hastily had to buy a new shirt and says "unprepared."

 

[Enerchi]

I don't find that appealing. I agree with Monarch - it says unprepared.

I prefer an ironed shirt that just looks 'ready' for wearing. I know when my DH does the VERY RARE trip to the drycleaner, shirts come back on a hanger. (and I mean RARE... I usually iron them all)

 

[VapidLapid]

In boxes seems to be popular. A lot of people do not want shirts or sweaters on hangers because it stretches out a spot on the shoulders in a most absurd way that is quite difficult, if not impossible, to rectify. Still a new shirt needs to have the sizing washed out first, because once one starts to sweat that stuff gets rank fast. Also the fold lines in a new shirt are nearly burnished in from packaging and transport and storage, while a lightly folded boxed shirt will ease into a natural drape in a few minutes of wearing.

 

[Gypsy]

I have a different perspective.

It's his shirt and he can do what he wants. It isn't a reflection on you (though I can hear that you feel it might be) if he chooses to do this. So... why stress?

When I see men who have the new shirt lines I chuckle. But that's about it. Unless it's at something very formal or a job interview or a work presentation or something-- live and let live.

 

[TristanC]

My more formal meetings are overseas, where the shirts come out from the suicase. No biggie.

I prefer comfortable and well tailored than stiff and starched. No iron lines for me on a normal day. Suicase lines tend to disappear minutes after being worn.

Oh, but taking care of the hanger (body) is critical. A well cut shirt, filled out across the chest, and flat against the tummy beats an expensive straight shirt anyday.

 

[missy]

It depends. My dh would never leave the house without being impeccably pressed, shined and groomed. And his clothing is always perfectly tailored. That's just him. He works in the corporate world but that was him before he ever did anyway. He always looks like he just stepped out of a magazine ad or something LOL. Now I am the (almost) complete opposite. I cannot even iron- I have tried. My dh is always happy to help me out but I hate adding to his "to do" list (which believe me is very long thanks in part to me and getting longer every day).

Last summer I bought a steamer and it really is easy to use when I plan (a bit) ahead and it is very quick. Is it as effective as an iron? Maybe not but good enough for me! I also tend to favor wrinkle resistant shirts for this very reason. Having said that I still leave the house wrinkled occasionally and with shoes less than shiny but I'm OK with that. And I don't work in a corporate environment.

To each his own.

 

[Pandora II]

Easy, hang new shirt on hanger in bathroom while you take a shower... hey presto wrinkles all gone.

In London, shirts come back from the dry-cleaners on hangers - have never seen them in boxes.

 

[Deia]

You can get them boxed Pandora, just have to ask or they come on hangers as a norm, at least that's how the dry cleaners near my office works. My old boss used to get all his shirts boxed. I don't know what's better but surely they get creased if you box them up? I don't iron my clothes ever, it's so time consuming and boring, unlike my bf who irons all his shirts while they are still damp so he can get as many creases out. Anyway I second the shower steam thing, this is what I do. If my item of clothing has pleats or I know will look like crap without ironing then I take it to the dry cleaners.

 

[iLander]

I haven't dry cleaned or ironed anything for over 20 years.

And I never iron. I must be some kind of slacker.

When I put DH's shirts in the dryer, I set it for "less dry" and they come out slightly damp and I put them on a hanger. Button the top button and presto- no wrinkles when it's dry.

I also don't buy anything that says dry clean only.

I've done Pandora's trick too. Or, for a stiffer, almost starched look, I button the shirt on a hanger, spray it lightly with very hot water, then hang it in the shower. I'll tug the collars and cuffs into shape. The water sheets off overnight, and when I wake up, it's kinda starchy and dry.

Once every couple of years I pull out the iron, when someone wants to iron on a decal or something.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

I take newly purchased shirts from the store directly to the dry cleaners--they return to me perfect on a hanger. It's magic! I also agree with Gypsy--his "wrinkles" are no reflection on you --but if I see that (like creases at the knees in pants) I also chuckle...

You can get shirts folded by the drycleaners--but we've no room in our closet for two dozen folded shirts--so on hangers they go....

cheers--Sharon

 

[TooPatient]

No new shirt lines!

I agree with Monarch that it really says unprepared.


It is interesting to see the opinions about a man's appearance reflecting on the woman (or not). I wonder if it is maybe regional or age related? Or possibly length of relationship?

 

[mary poppins]

I don’t think his appearance is necessarily a reflection on me, although to a certain extent it could be perceived as such. After all, there’s a reason for the saying “behind every well-dressed man there's a woman.” Of course, that does not apply to all men, many of whom take great interest and pride in their appearance. DH usually does fine with his attire.

Then there’s this joke:

When a man has a wrinkled shirt and missing buttons, he should do one of the two things: either get married, or get divorced.

And articles like this show women are frequently behind mens' attire: http://www.joe.ie/style/style-news/two-thirds-of-men-rely-on-their-partner-to-dress-them-0022646-1

More importantly, a wrinkled dress shirt is a reflection of the person wearing it. Like it or not, people frequently judge each other based on appearances before a word is even spoken. Prior posters said it shows the man is unprepared, which I hadn’t thought of but do agree. I think it looks sloppy, unprofessional and undignified, and shows lack of attention to detail and possibly laziness. Not the end of the world, but in some contexts it matters. A lot. I would not want DH to inadvertently make any of those impressions because they are not true.

DH and I appreciate the other saying if something is wrong with our attire before leaving the house so we have an opportunity to fix or change (ex. a spot on my dress or thread hanging from my skirt; food on his tie or a button coming off of his jacket). We each reserve the right to ignore the other and proceed as we wish. A wrinkled dress shirt is a huge fashion faux pas that is easily remedied.

As to other comments, when traveling with dress clothes, we use a garment bag and use the shower steam quick fix upon arrival. At home we have an enclosed shower, and no rod from which to hang the shirt.

Deia, yesterday I used your boyfriend’s idea of ironing when damp – so much faster and easier to iron the shirt directly out of the washing machine instead of after drying!

Thanks for the explanation of the boxed shirt, VapidLapid. And sizing chemicals on new clothes, yuck!

 

[kenny]

Two words ... People vary.

If that's to confusing see my sig line.

 

[Gypsy]

I think that the 'behind a good man is a good woman' is a outdated. At least... it's my goal that it become outdated. With regard to wardrobes in particular: women have always had to manage households, kids AND the husband. I would at least think that a man can learn to handle his own wardrobe. So: teach your sons from a young age that it's their job to iron their clothes and to understand how to dress themselves and that no woman should have to do that for him. If you can, also teach them to cook.

The ONLY time I have thought of a man's lady in relation to his wardrobe is this: There was a very lovely young man that I worked with who used to wear the most incredibly eye searing colors and patterns in his men's shirts and had a particular favorite he wore often in a bright saturated grass green with check pattern. He was very pale featured and the vibrant colors and patterns had the effect of making you see only the shirt he was wearing and never the man. Then one day he started to wear more flattering shirts and after a few months I notice that the awful green shirt never came back. I concluded (and was correct in my conclusion) that the formerly single man now had a serious girlfriend.

 

[Lotus99]

I buy no-iron shirts for my husband. It solves the problem.

He doesn't wear dress shirts very often. I don't think he's worn one in over a year, in fact.

 

[tyty333]

1. No, it is not ok to wear shirts with folded wrinkles in it.
2. I have no idea, except like someone else stated for travel purposes. I always get hanger if I take something to the dry cleaners.

I almost always buy "Iron Free" shirts but it's like diamonds where "VG" isn't all that great and I still end up ironing them. It's just
a whole lot easier to iron an "Iron Free" shirt.

I rarely (probably havent in the last 3 years) buy anything for me that has to be ironed or dry cleaned for that matter. I'm a SAHM
so nice tee shirts, jeans and skirts come out of the dryer pretty iron free.

 

[telephone89]

I don't iron lol. He takes his clothes to the dry cleaner and they come back on hangers, and he wears them like that.

He has worn new shirts, however he will usually keep them under a jacket or wear a sweater overtop (so only the collar shows). His choice, haha.

 

[Queenie60]

My husband dresses in golf clothes daily! When he does wear a dress shirt, it's taken off of the dry cleaning hanger. I have them lightly starched and on hangers. He always leaves the house dressed quite nice - resort casual. I've never thought about the folds in a new shirt, my husband wouldn't wear a wrinkled shirt and if I'm around a man who does have the folds in his shirt, haven't noticed.

 

[momhappy]

Easy, hang new shirt on hanger in bathroom while you take a shower... hey presto wrinkles all gone.

In London, shirts come back from the dry-cleaners on hangers - have never seen them in boxes.

I have found that this takes out minor wrinkles, but I have not had luck with the steam shower technique on a shirt with the brand-new-from-the-store kind of wrinkles.
No way would my DH leave the house in a wrinkled dress shirt and thank goodness, because I wouldn't find it to be acceptable. Brand new shirts need to be pressed before wearing them. Wearing wrinkled clothes (of any kind) looks sloppy IMO, but I see it done all the time.