Shirt care advice needed!

[buckyd]

So . . . I purchased 2 tuxedo shirts from Ledbury - love them. Care instruction as follows:

Machine or hand wash in cold water. Hang or lay flat to dry, as machine drying can cause shrinkage. Remove collar stays before laundering. Avoid excessive heat and use little to no starch to prolong the life of the shirt.

I did all the above and they just don’t look as crisp as they did when I unwrapped them and wore them for the first time. Should I risk taking them to the cleaners? No starch! Low heat? What should I tell them to cover myself?

Any advice from the experts out there would be greatly appreciated - thanks!

 

[maxalex]

Like lawnmowers that warn you not to stick your hand into the moving blades, a lot of clothing labels seem to be written to protect the manufacturer against liability from the dimmest of consumers. Some of their advice can safely be disregarded.

I personally do not starch my shirts but many people who do report the old canard that starch shortens the life span of a shirt is exactly that. At any rate it would take a lot of tuxedo use to wear out the shirt from starching. Life is short: starch away if you prefer that look and feel.

Do avoid putting shirts in the dryer. When it comes to ironing, low heat is not really an option with cotton shirts; you won’t get the wrinkles out. I prefer the hottest linen setting—but always with a spray water bottle. In this way I get a very acceptable pressing.

Taking shirts to the cleaners (not dry cleaning but a regular shirt service) will shorten the life span because they use big industrial washers and massive hydraulic pressing machines. They also tear stuff. Often. And crush buttons. More often. However if you want absolutely the stiffest, crispest look, take your tux shirts to the cleaner and specify extra starch.