# No Iron Shirt Review



## mclean5 (May 16, 2006)

I've been trying different kinds of no-iron French-cuff shirts. My reason for this is that my local dry cleaners can't do French cuffs; the shirts are always returned with a deep crease running down the cuff where it will be on top of my wrist. I've spoken to the manager about five times, and the promises that it won't happen again were for naught. I've lost a lot of weight -- I wear a 17x36 shirt now, down from 19.5x37, so I took the opportunity to buy one of each maker I could find. My reactions follow.

(One last thing before I start, I should explain the word "crowning" used below. One thing I notice about these shirts is the tendency of the fabric to make points at the end of each cuff, as though you had a crown pointing out from your wrist. I think this is because no-iron fabrics are treated, and therefore stiffer, than regular cotton. It looks pretty bad, and so the less of it the better).

*Alphabetical by Brand*​
Enro.

Enro makes several types of non-iron shirts. This review is of the Ultra-Poplin, a poly-cotton blend. The cuffs are a bit narrow, but will cover the Seiko. The seams puckered by the second wash. The cuffs "crowned" about every inch, which is about par for the course. It is a bit thin, and papery, much more so than the Brooks Brothers shirt. Washed per directions, it is wrinkle-free. The cloth is a little thin.

Brooks Brothers

The cuffs were rather narrow. The left one is very snug over my watch (a modest Seiko) and sometimes it pulls over the watch and gets stuck, riding the watch instead of my wrist. The seams puckered by the second wash. The cuffs "crowned" about every inch, which looked unsightly. It was very stiff and a bit scratchy, but after numerous washings, it's become smoother, like a paper grocery bag that's been wrinkled, re-wrinkled, and re-wrinkled. Washed per directions, it is wrinkle-free.

Charles Tyrwhitt.

The cuffs fit fine, and the left one always covered my watch without being snug and didn't ride up. Each cuff has two sets of eyes for cufflinks (which aren't visible on the outside of the cuff), and you can adjust the look of the cuff by using one or the other. The seams haven't puckered after multiple washes. The cuffs didn't "crown" at all, although this is achieved at the price of a somewhat "rounded, puffy" look to the edge of the cuff. It feels very smooth. The Prince of Wales collar and absence of a chest pocket are interesting differences. Washed per directions, it is wrinkle-free.

Jos. A Bank.

They have two kinds of non-iron shirts, Traveler and Signature. This review is of the Traveler shirt. The cuffs fit fine, and the left one always covered my watch without being snug and didn't ride up. The seams haven't puckered after multiple washes. The cuffs "crowned" much less than Brooks Brothers, but two or three "points" are always visible. It feels smooth and very cloth-like. The cufflink holes on one of six shirts I bought were misaligned. Washed per directions, it is wrinkle-free.

Lands' End.

I'd say this is the Van Heusen at twice the price. To begin with, the collar seemed very weird. It looked like a short button-down collar with the buttons left off. The holes for cufflinks didn't match, leading to a struggle to fasten them and a bad look when victory was achieved. The left cuff will barely cover the Seiko. The fabric is not as scratchy as the Van Heusen, feeling more like 400 grit sandpaper, so that's the value for the extra $$$. Washed per directions, this shirt came out full of wrinkles and was not wearable.

Mytailor.com

Unlike the foregoing shirts, the Mytailor.com 60/40 blend is not treated with chemicals to prevent wrinkles. But I've found that if you use some fabric softener, and tend the dryer carefully (usually finishing with hang-drying over the cold air return), this shirt is as wrinkle-free as any of the above. Since it's made to your measurements, the fit is very good. There are several options for cuffs and a large array of collar combinations. The fabric selection is, in this league, top notch -- stripes, colors galore, checks, etc.

Van Heusen

For $20.00 at an outlet mall, this was by far the cheapest shirt. You definitely get what you pay for. Van Heusen apparently keeps the price down with tight measurements. The left cuff can't be fit over the Seiko, and remains permanently tucked behind the watch. The collar is much narrower than any other makers' shirts. I wore it once with a Four in Hand tie, and the middle part of the tie was wider than the collar, i.e., you could see the edge of the tie emerging from the back of the collar. The body fits like a wet suit. The shirt has the texture of 300-grit sandpaper. Washed per directions, it is wrinkle-free 300 grit sandpaper.

*Conclusions*​
The worst shirt was Lands End, which managed to underperform the abysmal Van Heusen shirt by being even more wrinkled after washing than it was out of the bag, and at twice the price. I'd wear the Enro cotton/poly before either shirt, and at $39.90 from dress-shirt.com the Enro is really a bargain. (In fact, I can cheat a bit here and mention by old barrel-cuff Enro 100% Cotton No-Iron shirts, which priced nearer JAB and CT and performed in that range too).

At $79.50 excluding shipping, the Brooks Brothers shirt just isn't worth the money. At $75.00 plus shipping ($124.50 for 2 on sale), the JAB is a much better deal. After buying one of each kind listed, I now have 6 JAB shirts in white and blue and am very satisfied with them.

Due to its English styling, and the availability of multiple colors, the CT shirt is in a class of its own. At $79.00 bucks each, it's worth a different look with multiple colors, although Mytailor.com gives it a run for the money, since there are more colors patterns available with the opportunity to duplicate the CT's English look.

For a combination of price, options, and fabrics -- and assuming you can do the same kick-the-box routine when washing that I can -- Mytailor.com is the best choice. Mytailor.com shirts cost $73.00 each, including the import tax.


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## Cordovan (Feb 1, 2008)

Interesting - I hve BB, Lands End, and CT. Of the three, I like CT the most (sometimes need to be touched up - but come out looking the most natural-like), then Lands End (so far so good), and lastly BB which come out looking a little poly blend like IMO.

Cordovan


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## marlinspike (Jun 4, 2007)

If anybody knows how to get rid of the crowning in non-iron french cuffs I'm all ears. Quite frankly, I've only bought non-iron ones when they're 3 for $199 knowing that this would happen, though I think even at an enticing price I'll buy no more (I iron anyways).


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## Cordovan (Feb 1, 2008)

I'm just waiting for Sir Kabbaz's ironing demonstration (which as stated previously on this forum - many of us could use a video) at the CSE.

Cordovan


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