How to Iron a Crease into the Back of a Men's Dress Shirt

According to an article in the "Wall Street Journal," business casual office attire is on its way out. Khakis and open-necked button-down shirts, all straight from the dryer, are no longer acceptable in an increasing number of offices. Shined shoes, a two-piece suit and a tie are rapidly becoming the required attire for business men. This means that your dress shirt will have to look as "together" and sharp as the rest of you--which means ironing it. And, in case you need to remove your suit coat for some reason, ironing includes a nice crisp crease in the back of the shirt.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Spray bottle with water
• Spray starch (optional)
• Iron
• Ironing board

1. Dampen the shirt. If you can pull your dress shirt out of the dryer while it is still damp, so much the better. If not, have a spray bottle with water in it handy and spritz the shirt until it is slightly damp. This will help remove wrinkles and get the nice crisp crease that you want in the back. For an extra-crisp shirt, gently spritz with spray starch before you iron it.

2. Prepare the iron. Read your shirt label carefully and adjust the iron to the appropriate fabric setting. The polyester setting is cooler than the cotton setting, and this is important in order to prevent permanent brown scorch marks all over your favorite dress shirt. Wait until the iron has heated up, and iron the front, the collar and the sleeves as you normally would. Don't forget the cuffs.

3. Iron the back. Most men's dress shirts have a shallow placket where the fabric tucks back into itself for a bit sewn into the upper back of the shirt. This is your guide to ironing the crease. Make sure that the fabric is still slightly damp (with starch too, if you want) and, pressing with your fingers. Continue the small creases that the placket makes halfway down the shirt. Then press the handmade creases with the iron. Make sure not to make the creases any deeper in the body of the shirt than they are at the collar. Your shirt should now be ready to wear.