Sunday, June 1, 2014

Day One: Be Pressed, Be Chic.




‘I love ironing’.

This is the mantra has helped me get over my lifelong aversion to ironing.  If I could choose something to wear that did not require ironing, I would.  Even though I love wearing a fitted and crisp cotton shirt with jeans or wide-leg pants I just couldn’t stand ironing in the morning.  And I told myself that my shirts would get crushed and wrinkled in the wardrobe if I did them ahead of time, but really that was a big fat excuse for my laziness.

One day on my day off work I set up the ironing board with an audiobook playing and set to it.  I ironed every one of my shirts and hung them like in a boutique buttoned at the neck.  I was so proud of my wardrobe and getting dressed the next day was very exciting.  Everything felt so new!  And I was finally wearing and enjoying all my lovely shirts.

After that it was a simple matter of ironing a handful of shirts a week.  Every so often I’ll get behind but then I’ll just have another big ironing afternoon with a good (audio)book.  I don’t have the ‘they’ll get crushed’ problem anymore now either.  Because there are less clothes in my wardrobe they have room around them to breathe and stay nice.

What really cemented my newly created mindset of ‘I love ironing’ was that one of my most slender, stylish and elegant friends who went on a Scandinavian cruise last year told me she asked for an iron to be brought to her cabin because she irons everything, absolutely everything she wears - she just cannot not iron her clothes.  I found that really cute, and if her ironing OCD is how she always looks so polished, I’ll take it.

5 comments:

  1. Day 1: well I agree on both counts, I hate the ironing but love the results.

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  2. A girl I went to school with ironed everything she wore every day, including the ribbons she wore in her hair. She did look extremely presentable all the time. My mom does all her ironing at once and also, looks very crisp all the time. I've switched to steaming because it's never been my favorite chore. I think the audiobook idea is a great one. It makes the task seem much more enjoyable.

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  3. I actually have discovered my love for ironing since retiring! Linen tea towels, napkins and all my white tee shirts and shirts everything looks better sans wrinkles.
    The linen shirts get wrinkled with wear but that is just part of their charm.
    Great to see you back on the blog.

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  4. I don't even own an iron or ironing board! Eeek!

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  5. My mother always ironed everything, and it always made her clothes - bought on sale a bargain shops - look fresh and expensive. I wish I could muster to do all the clothes but I loathe ironing, so I stick to just a few things: pillowcases, napkins, button front shirts, and my silk pajamas. Obviously I prioritize bedtime for looking good! :)

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Merci for your comment. Wishing you a chic day!