How to Iron a Sports Jacket

Easy tasks, ironing and steaming keep sports jackets sharp and stylish.

Available in a number of materials from cashmere to camel hair, the sports jacket may be worn on a daily basis for a refined, yet informal look. Sophisticated and stylish, a sports jacket or blazer is an essential addition to every man’s wardrobe and must be cared for properly to extend the garment’s life despite repeated use. Steaming and ironing, although they may seem laborious, are easy tasks anyone can perform to keep these classy garments smooth and wrinkle-free.

Things You'll Need

• Iron
• Ironing board
• Sports jacket
• Handheld steamer (optional)
• Wide-shouldered hanger

Instructions

1. Hang the sports jacket on the back of the bathroom door while showering to allow the jacket to be steamed or use a handheld steamer. Most wrinkles can be smoothed out by steaming. Camel's hair and cashmere jackets should be steamed regularly as the material needs to be infused with moisture to counteract the dryness in the air. Cashmere jackets are susceptible to scorching, and gabardine will be damaged by the heat of an iron. Jackets made from these materials should not be ironed.

2. Allow the jacket to dry after steaming. Should wrinkles still remain, set up the ironing board and set the iron to the correct setting corresponding to the material being ironed, as indicated on the iron’s dial. If there are no settings for specific materials, set the iron to the “steam” setting. Do not use any starches or other chemicals.

3. Lay the jacket over the board so that the sleeves dangle over the sides and the back of the jacket is facing toward you. Move the iron over the back of the jacket. Do not apply the iron to the material but rather, allow the steam from the iron to smooth out the wrinkles.

4. Allow the jacket to cool after ironing each section. Moving the jacket before it cools will cause the material to re-wrinkle.

5. Reposition the jacket so that the sleeve is lying lengthwise along the board. Move the iron over the sleeve slowly, just as with the back of the jacket, to smooth out wrinkles. Apply steam as needed.

6. Repeat the process for the second sleeve. Use the same technique for the back of the sleeves as well.

7. Turn the jacket over and apply steam to the pockets. Rotate the material slowly, applying steam to the collar as well as both sides of the lapel, moving the iron over the material just until the material is smooth.

8. Hang the jacket on a hanger with a wide shoulder area so as not to wrinkle the shoulders. A hanger with a wide shoulder will also keep the shoulders squared rather than flattening them as a wire hanger would. Over time, wire hangers will also damage the padding in the shoulders of the jacket.

Tips & Warnings

• Have suits pressed by a professional dry cleaner whenever possible.