# Light, Medium, or Heavy Starch for Dress Shirts?



## ramair57 (Dec 29, 2008)

When getting my dress shirts tailored, the worker always asks me if I prefer light, med, or heavy starch. I usually go with medium, because I prefer the look of a nice, crisp dress shirt. What do you guys think?


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

Any laundry that starched a shirt of mine would never get my business again. But then, I believe ironing is something that happens to other people.


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## Matt S (Jun 15, 2006)

A crisp dress shirt would be one made of cotton poplin. There's no need for starch.


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## fishertw (Jan 27, 2006)

I used to have heavy starch but learned over time that shirts last longer and do not get as wrinkled during the day when I request light starch. Additionally, for an OCBD, light starch lets the natural roll of the collar occur much better.
Tom


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## sbdivemaster (Nov 13, 2011)

No starch.


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## Hobson (Mar 13, 2007)

Have you tried sizing as an alternative? It gives the shirt body without stiffness.


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## smujd (Mar 18, 2008)

None.


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## Mike Petrik (Jul 5, 2005)

No starch. In truth most laundries do not separate starched from unstarched shirts when laundering, so even unstarched shirts receive some small amount of starch from the starched shirts during the process. I find that this "trace" starch works for me. Good cleaners should ask you if you really want zero starch and will launder those shirts separately if requested. Most gents on this forum probably prefer this option.


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## dks202 (Jun 20, 2008)

I like Med starch. Shirts look better especially the round cuffs. Sure, the life of the shirt is reduced but to me it's just a cost of doing business (or looking good).


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## Gurdon (Feb 7, 2005)

*No Starch*

This is, of course, a matter of personal taste. With the exception of tuxedo shirts, I prefer my shirts to be unstarched. I like the softness, and I think a slightly wrinkled shirt with a non-starched collar looks better than a wrinkled starched-collar shirt does at the end of the day.

Regards,
Gurdon


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## Starch (Jun 28, 2010)

No starch.

(Despite my handle, which actually doesn't refer to the laundry stuff).


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## Ayrton (Mar 4, 2012)

Absolutely no starch.


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## amemovox (Jun 26, 2005)

No starch.


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## PaulTracy (Mar 15, 2012)

I usually work with medium starch. I've used that for the past year and I have not noticed an appreciable decline in the shirts. But, it's relative to the cleaners that you are dealing with try all three (light, medium and heavy)


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## Trip English (Dec 22, 2008)

No starch. Ever. Ever Ever Ever. Looks bad. Feels bad. Ruins the shirt.


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## CuffDaddy (Feb 26, 2009)

Trick question. I haven't trusted third parties with my shirts for years, so I don't ask for anything. If I want starch, I add it myself. I do so very rarely. The one time I do it is when I'm wearing a BD collar with a tie. Those absolutely crumple into a mess if I don't starch them. But I rarely wear BD's with ties, so a single can of starch will last me a couple of years.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

No starch. If your cleaner knows what they're doing and has a good quality commercial iron, they shouldn't need it.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

As a retiree, it's no starch for the shirts (unless the wife get's carried away during the laundry/ironing process). Prior to retirement, my dress shirts were almost always lightly starched.


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## hockeyinsider (May 8, 2006)

ramair57 said:


> When getting my dress shirts tailored, the worker always asks me if I prefer light, med, or heavy starch. I usually go with medium, because I prefer the look of a nice, crisp dress shirt. What do you guys think?


I used to do medium starch, but my neck gets itchy and it's so stiff in the cuffs. Now I have light starch done.


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## KenR (Jun 22, 2005)

Although I know that no starch is the correct way, I prefer light starch.


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## stubloom (Jun 6, 2010)

Shirt care tip: If you use a commercial shirt laundry and you have a preference for starch, insist that they use a natural wheat starch, not a synthetic starch. Your shirts will feel more comfortable and last much longer.

Here's some more information on that subject...

Blog post link: Why you light starched shirts feel stiff

Link: http:www.ravefabricare.com/true-quality-cleaning/2010/8/19/why-your-light-starched-shirts-feel-stiff.aspx


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## tda003 (Aug 16, 2009)

+1 on no synthetic starch. As a note, synthetic doesn't seem to wash out thoroughly in commercial machines, according to the manager of my local cleaner's establishment. Therefore if you DO you synthetic, you should wash them yourself prior to having them laundered. My past experience with commercial cleaners caused me to wash my shirts beforehand years ago. I always opt for no starch. I have found there's always enough residual starch in the press to give a crisp feel to my shirts w/o starch. Of course that's merely my personal experience...


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## ferry1950 (Jul 26, 2006)

No Starch! It will cut the life of a shirt in half.


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## jwa_jwa_jwa (Jul 13, 2010)

+1 for no starch...ever


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## ipse dixit (Apr 11, 2012)

When I first started working, I opted for medium starch, because I wanted the crisp, military look in my shirts. This caused me to go through shirts at an extraordinary rate. The would eventually get holes in them at the creases.

For a number of years I used light startch, which is a compromise between short life and having a crisp shirt.

At the moment I am mostly wearing non-iron shirts from Nordstrom and BB and doing them myself at home--no starch.

I think it comes down to personal preference, but I have found that both starch and commercial laundering, either alone or in combination, are bad for your shirts.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Commercial laundering is only bad for your shirts if you use a sh*tty commercial laundry. Which, unfortunately, most people do. You get what you pay for.


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## dcjacobson (Jun 25, 2007)

I've been a medium-starch guy since 1982. I have not once experienced any accelerated wear (comparing them to my sport shirts, which I have never starched), and not once have I had a shirt "ruined" by starch. (I have had commercial launderers break buttons, but you didn't ask about that.)

Try light, medium, no starch, and see what you prefer.

Good luck,
Don


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Don: Your laundry probably uses the natural wheat starch Stu was talking about, in that case. Even if it is better than synthetic starch, it still makes a shirt stiff. That's not a look I prefer, personally.


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## Bradman (May 28, 2009)

Med starch at the cleaners. I am too old to do my own. I used to get heavy starch and those shirts were like cardboard.


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## Georgetown08 (Oct 5, 2011)

What's the easiest way to determine the quality of a commercial laundry, other than assuming more expensive equals better, or sending shirts there for a few washings and hoping they don't get damaged?


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## stubloom (Jun 6, 2010)

Response to Georgetown08:

Here are 2 "quick read" blog posts to aid you in selecting a true quality commercial shirt laundry....

Blog post: Your shirt laundry bill of rights

Blog link: https://www.ravefabricare.com/true-quality-cleaning/2010/4/20/your-shirt-laundry-bill-of-rights.aspx

Blog post: A true quality cleaner's shirt laundry standards

Blog link: https://www.ravefabricare.com/true-...uality-cleaner's-shirt-laundry-standards.aspx

If you don't find a shirt laundry that meets or exceeds all these standards, go with the local cleaner that meets the majority of these standards.

Warning: Don't take the cleaner at his/her word. First, educate yourself about the specific standards identified above and then -- and only then -- question/interrogate the cleaner (preferably the owner or manager) in person. I'll bet that you'll find that the chasm between the verbal product explained to you and the actual product delivered to you will be as wide as the Grand Canyon.


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## BillyB (Feb 14, 2015)

I know this is an older thread and I am late to the party, but I thought it might be interesting to revive since I am moving toward NO IRON shirts, but have a few that do require ironing, and IMO, starch.

I have a few Ike Behar, one Polo and an older Lands End that I do starch. While I could probably do without in a pinch for the Polo and the Lands End, the Behar's are really dreadful without starch. I've tried lightly starching them, but it does not seem to do the job well enough for a crisp, clean collar and cuff, not to mention the body of the shirt. The collars look awful without starch. I frequently do medium starch on these.

For No-Iron shirts, I have had really great luck with Eddie Bauer, although I do not care for the cut. Out of the dryer, these shirts look like they have had heavy starch.


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