Is ironing essential to look polished?

[IsIroningEssential]

Does anyone manage to pull off that styled, chic elevated look that I keep seeing on Instagram without ironing? Any tips to skip the ironing stage please? 🙈

Yabu - you need to iron everything
Yanbu - you don't need to iron

Yeh - if you're aiming for sleek and polished, you need to iron.

Unless you're wearing lining, but that never looks sleek and polished.

You really don't need to iron.

I defy anyone to be able to tell the difference between ironed and unironed clothing once a person has left the house and driven/walked or travelled on public transport, unless it's something that creases easily but life's too short for anything that high maintenance.

...and a quick whizz with hair straighteners tidies up a crumpled collar or lapel

Yeah, I’ve heard the argument before that ‘no one can tell if you don’t iron’. Always by non ironers. Unfortunately, you can always tell.

I use a steamer for refreshing clothes if they’ve got a bit crumpled and on new curtains. That might be an alternative?

Yes

Really? Do you question everyone about their ironing habits?

My clothes are not creased, nor do I iron.

You may think that & if so that's fine. But you can always tell

Crumpled clutches don’t look good, but I think it’s part of the package. Having good hair, shoes etc contributes, plus how you hold yourself. I follow an instragram blogger who gives ‘deportment’ tips, and simple things such as sitting up straight can make a difference.

You need to iron everything to appear polished. Yes.

However in the case of some of us (ahem- me) even ironing does not entirely help.

Get a steamer

Totally agree with @Fliperty - it’s always non-ironers who say you can’t tell, but you absolutely can I’m afraid. Unless you’re wearing Lycra.
To be honest, just looking after your clothes properly makes you look better put together. Repairing saggy hems, sewing back loose buttons, hanging clothes on a suitable hanger etc

Some clothes you can get away with without ironing if you use an aired dryer. However, it you're tumble drying anything, or certain clothes such as chinos or cotton shirts will need to be ironed.

You aren't everyone, you'd have to be blind to not be able to tell in say an office full of men who had left the house with an ironed shirt and who hadn't

Without seeing a photo of you in an ironed outfit next to someone wearing the same clothes that had been ironed we can't say if you look different

You can always tell - a poplin or cotton shirt has a certain crisp look when ironed - creases from wearing look different and the whole piece of clothing doesn’t get creased from wearing. Same with any item of clothing, other than leggings/gym gear.

You can usually tell. And people do judge someone if they’re wearing crumpled clothing.
I hate ironing with a passion. A steamer has transformed my life.
Wash, tumble dry, hang up straight away. Use the steamer if it needs it (it usually does except non crease school uniform doesn’t, yay) whilst you’re getting ready, let it dry and wear it.
No piles of laundry sucking the life out of you whilst you stand for hours over an ironing board on a Sunday night.

It’s not that I don’t think most people can tell if something is ironed or not

it’s more that I don’t see ironed as looking polished or soemthing to be proud of - in sone circumstances I think it’s right - but mostly I think it shows the person has too much time on their hands abs cares too much about appearances. And quite often I find the ironed look too up tight

I would say it’s necessary if you wear the sort of clothes that need ironing!

I have the impression that possibly the majority of the population (even on MN) now lives in clothes made of synthetic / artificial fabrics which would shrivel up and die if you showed them a hot iron. Perhaps looking taut and toned and muscular and fit in athleisure clothing is a newly aspirational way of looking good.

But if you’re going to be spending the summer in cotton shirts and linen trousers - yes, in general you need a good iron and ironing board to look well cared for. (Steamers are ok, but not nearly as satisfying to use.) You don’t have to do either, obviously! @Bjorkdidit thinks she looks fine without. I, on the other hand, feel scruffy and unkempt in crumpled garments. And given how much I’m prepared to spend on decent clothes it would seem stupid to waste them by not maintaining them to look their best.

Totally disagree. I work in a school and you can spot ironed uniformed compared to non-ironed a mile off. No crease down the sleeve, crumpled collar on polo shirts. No pleats in skirts, trousers or boys school shirts.

Even at the end of the day when all the kids look a mess, the ironed t shirts and shirts look much better than the crumpled ones left to dry.

I think it depends what it is. I joked with a friend lately that I stay thin because I hate ironing - my winter work uniform is tight fitting pencil skirts and turtlenecks that generally don’t need ironing. Anything that does need ironing I outsource to DH. I have a steamer which is a lifesaver when traveling. I put something ironed in the case and then steam out the folds, avoids a full re-iron.

The secret to looking 'polished' is maintenance

Keeping a simple hairstyle which can be 'touched up' during the day

Make-up shouldn't follow fashion, you need to find your own style

Wearing correctly sized clothes which flatter you and fit properly

Snipping loose threads

Keeping shoes clean and maintained - going to shoe repairers regularly and making sure laces aren't frayed

Getting something professionally adjusted if you don't have the sewing skills

No folding or turning cuff and trousers - shorten sleeves and trousers legs

Ensuring all the buttons match, if one falls off - that may mean changing all the buttons or using the same sewing thread to ensure they match

Getting the dry clean only clothes cleaned promptly

and yes

Ironing, pressing and starching clothes

Sorry

You could say that the un-ironed look isn’t something to be proud of either. The un-ironed look could be seen to be sloppy and shows that the person has a don’t care attitude about things.

I’m guessing if you think ironing shows that a person cares too much about their appearance that you don’t wear make-up/get your nails done/hair coloured, blow drying your hair, etc. I’m guessing you don’t spend any time thinking about what you wear. Because ironing is just an extension/part of grooming and only takes a minute to iron most items of clothes, the most time consuming part is waiting for the iron to heat up.

How can you NOT tell the difference whether a decent cotton shirt/blouse has not been ironed.

It's immediately obvious when they're not ironed - even if you hang up a shirt/blouse after laundering, tumble dry or not, it will look 'unfinished' if not ironed/steamed! Unless it's made from nylon, or heavily patterned so you can't see the creases.

That’s a really interesting point of view, @andtheworldrollson- and does indicate the sort of people you want in your life. Because we all, of course, have evolved to judge others instantaneously on their appearance.

In general we assume that someone traditionally well groomed will follow accepted patterns of behaviour. That an interviewee will follow rules and treat clients respectfully, say. That waiting staff will wash their hands and not sneeze into our food. That the pilot of our plane is properly awake, and neither drunk nor dribbling. So it’s in our own interests to convey that impression to others through how we dress.

Clearly if one is so very rich that you don’t have to care about the impression you make on others, and you like looking unkempt in your mirror - it doesn’t matter. Most people do have to care, though. And quite a lot of people take pleasure in beautifully laundered garments regardless of any exterior pressure.

But all this waffle is me trying to make sense of your too much time on their hands comment. Because I honestly can’t see how you got there, or what it means. What, exactly, do you think I should be doing with the very few hours a month I might spend ironing?

I think that you need to iron - or you can buy a clothes steamer which does the job as well

I like to iron my clothes and if people think I have too much time on my hands, I'm alright with that.