# Regular vs non iron shirt question.



## 3degrees (Jul 8, 2013)

Is there a big difference between the two? Is it less important if I always have my shirts professionally cleaned? Specifically Charles Tyrwhitt shirts. Thank you gentleman.


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## alaric (May 23, 2005)

Personally, I will stick to regular. the non iron shirts usually achieve the effect by coating the thread (before weaving), the fabric (before the shirt is built) or the shirt as a whole (after construction). Ironing the non iron shirt will eventually remove the coating. How many ironings/washings it takes to reduce the coating will vary by quality of coating and method of application.


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## dks202 (Jun 20, 2008)

There are many laundry/dry cleaners who will not accept non-iron shirts for their laundry. Don't know how they do with dry cleaning. Non-iron shirts do not hold starch, they are very hot, and a they're a little heavier than regular shirts. I bought one and got rid of it quickly.


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## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

As I recall the last time we discussed this particular subject the ban-hammer was wielded and the thread eventually transferred to the interchange. 

Ahh the good old days..... :redface:


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## Starch (Jun 28, 2010)

Dodging the controversial part, and going to the easier question:



3degrees said:


> Is it less important if I always have my shirts professionally cleaned?


I _think_ it's pretty obvious that it's less important in that case. In other words: if you're going to get your shirts professionally cleaned (and pressed), the advantage of a non-iron shirt is largely eliminated. The purpose of the fabric, as suggested by its name, is that you can launder it without ironing. If you're going to iron it anyway, that's not an advantage.

I suppose non-iron shirts wrinkle less in the course of wearing, but that's a more minor issue. Personally, I don't really have a problem with shirts or any sort wrinkling in the course of wearing. That might be different depending on climate and your activities. On a specific note: Phoenix is hot, but "it's a dry heat." Well, that's what everyone always says.



> Thank you gentleman.


The singular suggests either (i) that there's only one gentleman present or (ii) you're only expecting one answer. I won't speculate as to which was intended.


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## mrkleen (Sep 21, 2007)

dks202 said:


> There are many laundry/dry cleaners who will not accept non-iron shirts for their laundry.


Good story.



Starch said:


> I _think_ it's pretty obvious that it's less important in that case. In other words: if you're going to get your shirts professionally cleaned (and pressed), the advantage of a non-iron shirt is largely eliminated.


The biggest selling point to Non Iron shirts is that they retain their crisp look longer - so at the end of the day, you dont look like a bag of wrinkles. I dont know anyone the wears non iron shirts in a professional environment who doesn't press them after laundering them.


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## 3degrees (Jul 8, 2013)

Thank you gentlemen. I did a little research on the subject but, was interested in some first hand insights from AAAC members with non iron shirt experience. Regular shirts it is.


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## Starch (Jun 28, 2010)

In light of (a) Shaver's implied admonition and (b) the OP having already chosen the appropriate course _for his situation_:

'nuff said.


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## cdavant (Aug 28, 2005)

mrkleen said:


> Good story.
> 
> The biggest selling point to Non Iron shirts is that they retain their crisp look longer - so at the end of the day, you dont look like a bag of wrinkles. I dont know anyone the wears non iron shirts in a professional environment who doesn't press them after laundering them.


I wear non-irons in a professional environment--Dr.'s office--all the time without pressing them first. Most are good for 25 or more washes before they begin to look like they need pressing (BB, Lands End, JAB Traveler). My wife hangs all my shirts slightly damp as they come out of the dryer and the newer NI look ironed beside the must-irons they hang beside. Pressing a good NI is a waste of time for months if not years.


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## momsdoc (Sep 19, 2013)

my wife insisted I try no iron shirts to save on laundry bills. The only problem is they still need touchups and as she does not iron, I end up doing it. That means I end up giving up and sending them to the cleaners anyway, so buying non iron becomes a moot point. Maybe I'm imagining it but I think I can feel the difference in texture between the two and prefer the feel of regular shirts. But again I may just be kidding myself.


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## Stubbly (Jul 26, 2013)

All the non-iron shirts I've tried seem to have some "cling" to them, especially in the dry winter air.

Cotton shirts wrinkle a lot, but I still prefer cotton shirts (no starch).


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## medhat (Jan 15, 2006)

I wear non-iron (BB) exclusively during the week for work. I always wear a cotton undershirt, and the "breathability" issue has never bothered me. I work exclusively indoors, in an air-conditioned environment, and it simply isn't an issue. I'm a little old school, and was a long time adherent of traditional BB shirting (I actually enjoy ironing - find it relaxing), but IMO there's no question that, at the end of the day, non-irons continue to look good, whereas traditional shirts are pretty wrinkly. I have BB traditional finish shirts for my formal (black tie) shirts, but even here, if they offer a non-iron alternative, I may take the bait. I also have several CT non-irons, and IMO they're a little more variable in their non-iron finishes. Some I need to touch up a bit more than others. But all in all, I like them.


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## dks202 (Jun 20, 2008)

mrkleen said:


> Good story.
> 
> .


but very true.......


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## kravi (Feb 26, 2013)

medhat said:


> I wear non-iron (BB) exclusively during the week for work. I always wear a cotton undershirt, and the "breathability" issue has never bothered me. I work exclusively indoors, in an air-conditioned environment, and it simply isn't an issue. I'm a little old school, and was a long time adherent of traditional BB shirting (I actually enjoy ironing - find it relaxing), but IMO there's no question that, at the end of the day, non-irons continue to look good, whereas traditional shirts are pretty wrinkly. I have BB traditional finish shirts for my formal (black tie) shirts, but even here, if they offer a non-iron alternative, I may take the bait. I also have several CT non-irons, and IMO they're a little more variable in their non-iron finishes. Some I need to touch up a bit more than others. But all in all, I like them.


^

This. I love non-iron shirts. I iron all my shirts anyway, and rather enjoy the process. With regular shirts I get wrinkly fast, even with an undershirt underneath. A non-iron shirt will stay smoother all day, regardless of whether or not I'm inside or outside.

--Me


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## vasuvius (May 4, 2009)

I find that the non-iron shirts tend to gather more sweat stains on the collar and cuffs. I always send my shirts to the local cleaners for washing and ironing (can't beat the $1 price) and after a while, the non-iron shirts never really get clean well.
None of the non non-iron shirts ever have any sweat stain issues


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## altovintner (Aug 7, 2013)

Of the 15 or so dress shirts that I have in my lineup now, 3 are so-called no-iron. One no-iron is from BB and the other two are Lands End. I find that the BB shirt is the best no-iron shirt that I have now and the best out of all I have owned over the years. Have to touch up the Lands End shirts here and there. My other shirts include RL Polo OCBDs, Zegna, and custom orders from Modern Tailor. 

Having said that, I am an ultra-light one-bag traveler. Have used Eagle Creek packing folders for over 15 years now and I swear by them. If I fold an ironed shirt properly and use the packing folder, I do not need touch-up ironing at the hotel. If needed at the hotel, I just hang 'em up in shower area with hot water running and in no time they are good to go. Same for suit coats and pants. For both personal and business travel, I have used the no-irons quite a bit (admittedly the other $75+ shirts look better at the start....) and I can say that from my experience, the no-irons hold up quite well during the day. And that is saying something as I often travel to Austin on business with temps and humidity 95+.

About 80% of the time, I iron my own shirts. It is only when I run into a schedule crunch that I might send shirts to the cleaners. When I do my own ironing on a nice fabric shirt, such as a 2-ply 120s cotton, I can iron a shirt expertly in 15 to 20 minutes. When you have good cotton to work with, ironing is a breeze. Those of you who do your own ironing on these types of shirts can relate to this. On the other hand, the last time I ironed a pinpoint RL Polo shirt, it took me nearly 30 minutes! Big difference.

One additional note. This past summer the DW and I went on a 16 day overseas trip that included a Mediterranean cruise. I took only one carry-on bag with 4 short sleeve shirts, 3 long-sleeve no-iron shirts, 4 pairs of pants and various other things and had 28 "outfits" with that setup. For me, hand washing clothes in the sink takes only maybe 15 minutes tops and they dry the next morning. The 4 short sleeve shirts were golf-type shirts that did not require ironing. The 3 long sleeve no-irons worked great. 

Blessings to all.


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## mrkleen (Sep 21, 2007)

cdavant said:


> Pressing a good NI is a waste of time for months if not years.


Every shirt I wear gets sent to the laundry for a wash and press - so guess I will have to take your word on it.


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## thegrayshazam (Sep 25, 2013)

Try the best of both worlds - Eton shirts. I believe they make a lot of their own cotton, and somewhere in the process it becomes naturally wrinkle-resistant. I don't like their collars as much as some of my other shirts, however they're my go-to travel option.


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## AaroninOC (Sep 1, 2013)

I have countless BB NI shirts and wash them only when soiled. I get 3-7 wearings _easily_ between needed washings so long as I don't have spicy miso ramen for lunch (I always end up wearing Santouka ramen).

My game plan is to throw them in the dryer for 4 minutes and then allow them to cool on a hanger prior to wearing in the morning. They look sharp with a sport coat or suit and hold up wonderfully on their own.


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## BOBOLINK (Apr 24, 2021)

vasuvius said:


> I find that the non-iron shirts tend to gather more sweat stains on the collar and cuffs. I always send my shirts to the local cleaners for washing and ironing (can't beat the $1 price) and after a while, the non-iron shirts never really get clean well.
> None of the non non-iron shirts ever have any sweat stain issues


IS THERE AN ANSWER TO THIS PROBLEM ? i HAVE TO THROW THE SHIRTS AWAY BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS LOOK SOILED. BOB


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## Vecchio Vespa (Dec 3, 2011)

Bob, many of us have found that buying high quality shirts that require ironing and washing and ironing them ourselves yields great results and longer life for the shirts.


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## Charles Dana (Nov 20, 2006)

TKI67 said:


> Bob, many of us have found that buying high quality shirts that require ironing and washing and ironing them ourselves yields great results and longer life for the shirts.


Yes. Learn to love the iron. Put on some music and iron away.

Start with songs by Dean Martin.

Anyway, non-iron cotton shirts don't breathe. I found that out the hard way.


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## Vecchio Vespa (Dec 3, 2011)

I actually have favorites for ironing and house cleaning. For ironing it's often either Ravel's Rapsodie Espagnole or Rachmaninoff's third piano concerto. For house cleaning it's the Stones with Let It Bleed, Exile on Main Street, and Sticky Fingers leading the way. However, the re-issue of Goat's Head Soup might be a good purchase. Star Star would be superb cleaning music. I love Dean Martin, but I'd save him for drinking negronis. It only takes two to have you singing along!


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## Fading Fast (Aug 22, 2012)

TKI67 said:


> I actually have favorites for ironing and house cleaning. For ironing it's often either Ravel's Rapsodie Espagnole or Rachmaninoff's third piano concerto. For house cleaning it's the Stones with Let It Bleed, Exile on Main Street, and Sticky Fingers leading the way. However, the re-issue of Goat's Head Soup might be a good purchase. Star Star would be superb cleaning music. I love Dean Martin, but I'd save him for drinking negronis. It only takes two to have you singing along!


"Goats Head Soup" is an underrated album as almost all the songs are really good, but they just never caught fire on the radio ("Star, Star*" is a hoot). "Exiled..." is an insanely good double album. I never understood why "All Down the Line" wasn't a hit single.

* I read once that The Stones wrote "Star, Star" (it has a rude original title) as an FU to their old record company they were fighting with as they owed it one more song and knew the record company could never release it as a single. I have no idea if that is true or not.


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## vonSuess (Apr 29, 2017)

BOBOLINK said:


> IS THERE AN ANSWER TO THIS PROBLEM ? i HAVE TO THROW THE SHIRTS AWAY BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS LOOK SOILED. BOB


Perhaps it's something as simple as soil redeposition? You could try the ancient Chinese secret and run them through another cycle without soap for better rinsing. This would also let you build the alkalinity in the original wash cycle for additional cleaning power...


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## Guest (Apr 25, 2021)

BOBOLINK said:


> IS THERE AN ANSWER TO THIS PROBLEM ? i HAVE TO THROW THE SHIRTS AWAY BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS LOOK SOILED. BOB


I launder my shirt myself and have used a product now named spray and wash pre-treat laundry stain stick on both my non-iron and regular shirts for nearly 50 years. Originally just named Stain Stick, it's still the same product it has always been, a solid stick you rub on the area requiring treatment before laundering. Used with every wash from the beginning, I've found it avoids the formation and build up of these stains, effectively cleaning and keeping clean collars and cuffs on both non-iron and regular shirts.


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## EclecticSr. (Sep 21, 2014)

TKI67 said:


> I actually have favorites for ironing and house cleaning. For ironing it's often either Ravel's Rapsodie Espagnole or Rachmaninoff's third piano concerto. For house cleaning it's the Stones with Let It Bleed, Exile on Main Street, and Sticky Fingers leading the way. However, the re-issue of Goat's Head Soup might be a good purchase. Star Star would be superb cleaning music. I love Dean Martin, but I'd save him for drinking negronis. It only takes two to have you singing along!


Okay, other than Dean Martin and negronis I don't have clue bout them other guys.
Unravel a rap in Spanish? Or some guys 3rd. piano concert. What happened to the first 2?
You clean your house with some bleeding stone? I used to know a guy who had sticky fingers.
Then for lunch you have some goat's head soup.
Man, don't ever invite me to one of your bashes unless you offer more than one of them negronis.

Dude must be stay as high as the guy who wrote " Nights in white Satan" 


Fading Fast said:


> "Goats Head Soup" is an underrated album as almost all the songs are really good, but they just never caught fire on the radio ("Star, Star*" is a hoot). "Exiled..." is an insanely good double album. I never understood why "All Down the Line" wasn't a hit single.
> 
> * I read once that The Stones wrote "Star, Star" (it has a rude original title) as an FU to their old record company they were fighting with as they owed it one more song and knew the record company could never release it as a single. I have no idea if that is true or not.


Good Lawd, I just get through scratching my head over a dude that cleans his house with a bleeding stone only to find out you have goats head soup as well.

"All down the line" Don't suppose it has anything to do with " I walk the line" ? 
I say most confusing. 
I don't want to be accused of not staying on thread so, have a couple of Eton shirts, supposedly non iron, I notice no diff. in feel and they do hold up well as opposed to reg. I do my own dress shirts, washing and pressing, though less these days. I don't have a problem with perspiration on cuff or neck soiling but I keep a bar of Laundress stain bar handy with a fairly stiff brush when watch band might.

When washing and pressing (ironing to the uninitiated) I like "Dancing on the ceiling" by one of my favorite guitar players long gone. Mind you I have to crank up the Victrola when I want to listen.

I admit, I do like that Santana guy's playing as well. Dude can pull off some licks. Wait.........did I use Dude three times in this thread? 😍


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## EclecticSr. (Sep 21, 2014)

Favorite guitarists in no particular order or achieved fame. Since it was you all who brought music into this thread. I wouldn't want to be accused of derailing. 
Rienhart, (sp) Django, played with webbed fingers fused together in a fire, refused to have them separated. Played a low end guitar, Made it sing. I'm fortunate to have an LP . 
Smith( dancing on the ceiling) referenced. Have an LP as well.
Wes Montgomery. Harmonics !! Another LP in my possession.
Paul, Les a pioneering legend. Chester and Lester LP. More LP's 
Santana, Carlos maybe a newcomer in the order but a natural talent.Yeah I think I got one of those .
Atkins, Chester along with Les a pioneer as well. See above. Another LP?
Cambell, Glen A sought after studio guitarist before his due fame as singer and guitarist. When asked if he can read music, his reply, ........not enough to hurt my playing.
Doc Watson (bluegrass ) blind man. Made a Martin sound angelic. Son no slouch. 
Cooder, Ry, who would make you think he's about to run out of neck and frets and then finds more. Never really y achieved typical fame but I believe does well, or has, writing scores.
Not to dismiss ,
Slow hand, a guy headed up "Cream" who now is, or was a major owner that saved that establishment known as Cordings in the U.K. Thank you, 
Add in kid named Allman, Greg whom I have yet to hear anyone emulate his Exedrin bottle slides on a Gibson. Layla with the above "slow hand". Imagine if he had not met with a tragic accident at such a young age. "Georgia Peach". 
Betts, Dicky ,"Liz Reed". with that "kid " I don't believe they duplicated any riffs in that cut. and it went on for at least 3-4 minutes.
Many more. 

Should I go on to Segovia? Or latter day Gypsy Kings? Totally different venue. Nah, How many would know. 
Remember, you all brought music to washing and pressing shirts.


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## Vecchio Vespa (Dec 3, 2011)

EclecticSr. said:


> Favorite guitarists in no particular order or achieved fame. Since it was you all who brought music into this thread. I wouldn't want to be accused of derailing.
> Rienhart, (sp) Django, played with webbed fingers fused together in a fire, refused to have them separated. Played a low end guitar, Made it sing. I'm fortunate to have an LP .
> Smith( dancing on the ceiling) referenced. Have an LP as well.
> Wes Montgomery. Harmonics !! Another LP in my possession.
> ...


Can't argue with any of those! Nice eclectic list. I am kind of partial to Anthony Wilson. For slide, Greg Allman was "it," but Jesse Edwin Davis, who played slide on Taj Mahal's Giant Step, is my sentimental favorite, also, sadly, no longer on this earth. Washing and pressing shirts clearly requires suitable music.


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## vonSuess (Apr 29, 2017)

Guest-346411 said:


> I launder my shirt myself and have used a product now named spray and wash pre-treat laundry stain stick on both my non-iron and regular shirts for nearly 50 years. Originally just named Stain Stick, it's still the same product it has always been, a solid stick you rub on the area requiring treatment before laundering. Used with every wash from the beginning, I've found it avoids the formation and build up of these stains, effectively cleaning and keeping clean collars and cuffs on both non-iron and regular shirts.


It's been a long time since my first job as a chemist, which was formulating products for the laundry and drycleaning trade. As I recall, the active ingredient in the original spray and wash type household laundry pre-spotters was usually perchloroethylene, a common solvent used for drycleaning. Some commercial laundries back then would get the same effect on greasy loads by putting a cup of perc in the wash water along with a built detergent. I'm sure they can't do that now due to pollution, but they probably weren't supposed to do it then, either. If we think this dirt that won't come out of the shirts in question is oily based, take one to the drycleaner and have his run it through the cleaning machine instead of the washer and dryer. That should take care of greasy type soils and stains...


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## medhat (Jan 15, 2006)

Wow, weird to look back and see a comment I made 6 years ago! Thankfully it still holds true, I still have both regular and non-iron shirts, but the "regulars" are occasional use shirts (formalwear, etc.) while for day to day work and even in casual shirting almost all my new shirts are non-iron, the only glaring exception is a growing collection of linen casual shirts. I still end up ironing most of the non-irons, which gives it a very "like new" appearance. I have a son heading off to college this fall, who compared to his father has a better fashion sense than when I was of a similar age. My advice to him is absolutely non-iron. He's going to live in a fraternity, and I'm not thinking an iron and ironing board are going to be easily accessible. So to be presentable non-iron it it. I just hope he washes his clothes with some regularity.


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