The Importance of Being Ironed

I have heard people boast quite proudly that they never iron anything. (Women, that is to say – men I never hear mention ironing.)

For some reason, these women see this laziness as a badge of honour. They have conquered their mother’s slavishness to the tyranny of the iron, and surpassed their sisters who are still foolishly clinging to the old ways.

This is wrong. (See picture above for abject example of said wrongness.)

There is also an urban myth that fashion magazines just love to bandy about. To placate those women liberated from the ironing board, fashion editors suggest you hang your wrinkled garments in the bathroom while you are having a shower. The steam, they say, will magically smooth out those wrinkles. You won’t have to lift a finger!

Wrong again.

Maybe this would work in a Swedish sauna after an hour or two, but in a domestic bathroom? No. It doesn’t. Take it from me: I have tried it.

Why iron? … Why bother trying to look chic, and stylish. Give up. Go polyester.

Why iron? I may as well ask why bother wearing nice clothes made from pretty fabrics such as silk. Why bother trying to look chic, and stylish. Give up. Go polyester. Polyester is such a comfy, sexy fabric. You can just chuck it in the machine, drip-dry it on the line any old how, fling it on straight after and look a million dollars.

I agree, ironing is one of the most fatiguing of household chores, but it must be done. Invest in a good-quality iron and solid ironing board – don’t bother with those cheap versions; it’s false economy. You will end up cursing its flimsy construction. A nice, padded ironing board cover is a necessity too, unless you wish to press in grill patterns onto your clothes. (If you can afford a professional steam iron, I am green with envy.)

See how pretty this silk tee looks now, ironed?