How to iron a suit jacket at home

Knowing how to iron a suit properly should be a concern for any dapper man. I mean, while you may want your suit to stay looking sharp until its next excursion, some day (some day very soon) you will need to smooth out those creases. Alternatively, you could wander around in a crumpled suit like an expectant hobo trying to get his act together.

No? Ok then, let’s crack on.

While most of us don’t relish ironing, there’s certain a satisfaction in seeing those suit creases being pressed out. Along with that, a freshly ironed suit will make you look good, feel good, and will probably enhance how you perform throughout the day.

But how do you iron a suit jacket? What about ironing the suit jacket sleeves? What about the lining? How on earth do you iron jacket sleeves? It’s all good – breath, we’ll straighten you and your suit out in this article.

Step 1 – Find out if Your Jacket is Iron Safe

How you iron your suit jacket will depend on the material its made from. So give that a check, and adjust the iron settings accordingly.

• Linen suit jackets: This type of material can be ironed at hot temperatures. Linen based suits can also take a lot of steam.
• Wool suits: Opt for an iron setting that’s warm and not hot, again a good amount of steam can be used here.
• Synthetic suits: If your suit is completely synthetic leave out the steam function and put the iron on a cooler setting.

Pro  tip: If your jacket’s material can take it, anything involving steam will give you the best results.

Also read: How to Iron a Polo Shirt

Step 2 – Make sure to dampen the suit Jacket.

For the best results when ironing a business suit, the cloth needs to be slightly damp. Most irons come with a spritzing function. Alternately, (and a good way to kill two birds with one stone) hang your suit in the bathroom while you shower, and let the shower steam work its magic.

Step 3 – The Ironing Board

You’ll need an ironing board, obviously, but if you don’t have access to one, a folded up towel placed on a flat surface will do. A towel will also be able to take the heat of the iron, protecting whatever is beneath it.

Pro tip: If you want really professional results, invest in a sleeve board and a tailors ham for the sleeve and lapel area.

Step 4 – Ironing

First, lay the pressing cloth for ironing over the area you want to iron. Begin with the body of the suit, lay the suit jacket over the tip of the ironing board as you would a shirt.

Gently press on the suit wrinkles for few seconds each time. To avoid those unsightly shiny marks, whatever you do, don’t leave the iron in one place for too long, or be tempted to slide the iron across the fabric.

The areas you need to pay attention to are the jacket front, back, and the elbows. I would strongly suggest focusing on these for the best outcome.

For ironing the back, make sure the the jacket is laid flat out on the ironing board. Focus on the creases and start to press them out carefully. .

Want to know how to iron suit jacket sleeves? Simply stay in the middle, that way you don’t create an unwanted crease (on dress shirts this is fine, but not so much on jackets).

Pro tip: Don’t have a pressing cloth? To absolutely ensure your suit jacket doesn’t go shiny when you iron, flip it inside out and iron the suit from the inside.

Most suit pants have inside pocket linings, and while these are not seen, if your pants are closely fitted an impression of the creases may be visible. So pull these out and give them a iron.

Iron the waist band and the top part of the pants. When ironing suit trousers you shouldn’t be doing too much pushing around of the fabric, just iron the fabric and lift to complete another area.

To really make pressing your suit pants a breeze, pull one leg over the thinner part of the ironing board, as demonstrated below.

Pay special attention to any pleats and reforming any folds that were originally in the design.

Pro tip: If your iron does not have a steam function, spritz the fabric with a little water.

#2 How to iron a suit without an iron

The debate about steamer vs iron is still a hot button topic among suit connoisseurs. However, let’s say you don’t fancy ironing your suit (time constraints or simply not being in the mood) you could use a garment steamer.

If you want to save your cash, but still have a smooth and sharp looking suit, there is another way.

You recall I mentioned that shower steam helped to loosen out wrinkles when you need some easy ironing, well you could just stop there and dispense with the ironing. Simply hang your suit in the bathroom while you take a shower. The steam from the shower will smooth those suit wrinkles right out.

Pro Tip: Only steam when you really have to, too much steaming may damage your suit in the long run causing it to lose its shape.

Final thoughts

So I’m sure now you’re pretty clued up on how to iron a suit. As in all things you get what you put in. While ironing is probably never going to become your favorite past time, taking time over ironing your suit will pay off in the long run. You’ll have a suit that keeps it shape, and stays looking fresh for years to come.

There are wrinkle removing sprays out there if you don’t want to iron, but my personal recommendation is to go with the steam option if you want to save some time and money.