How to Iron Western Wear

Have you ever wondered how people achieve those crisp creases in western jeans, or the starched to perfection look in western shirts? You don't need to take your clothes to a professional, you can achieve the same results at home! All you will need is an ironing board, iron, damp wash cloth, and spray starch.

Western Jeans

1. Set up the ironing board.

2. Set your iron to the "cotton" setting, and allow to heat.

3. Turn the jeans upside down and grasp by the legs. You will want to match up the inside seams, by bringing them together at the cuff. Now line up the outside seams the same way, by bringing them all together at the cuff. Now shake and slap the jeans against your legs to flatten them out.

4. Lay across your ironing board.

5. Take the top leg and fold back at the knee - toward the seat of the jeans, then fold again so that you have the straddle of the jeans open, with the bottom leg fully exposed. Check your seam alignment again, make adjustments if necessary.

6. Use aerosol spray starch to spray the jeans and begin to iron in a downward motion, working away from the seat and toward the cuff with the side of the iron against the seam of the jeans.

7. Iron one side of the seam all the way to the cuff, then iron the other side of the seam.

8. Now unfold the other leg onto the top of the leg you just creased.

9. Turn the jeans over on your ironing board.

10. Fold the ironed leg as you did the un-ironed leg and repeat the process.

Western Shirts

1. Set your iron to "cotton", and allow to heat.

2. One end of your ironing board is tapered, this is for you to press shirts on. Allow the bulk of the shirt to hang off the board, and slide only a front panel onto this tapered end.

3. Spray with starch and cover with a damp wash cloth, press until there is no steam coming from the wash cloth.

4. Wet and wring your cloth again, and repeat this for the length of this panel. Make sure pockets are snapped/buttoned, and iron them flat.

5. Next, do the same to the other front panel. Now lay the collar of the shirt flat on the board and press it the same way.

6. Next you'll want to slide the back panel of the shirt onto the ironing board, and press it with the same method as before.

7. You can lay the shirt cuffs flat to press, or snap/button and press, this is matter of preference.

8. The sleeves are a little tricky, and this may require practice. Locate the seam in the bottom of the sleeve, and spread the sleeve flat onto your ironing board using this seam as a guide.

9. Spray with starch, cover with damp cloth, and press as you did the rest of the shirt.

This may take some practice, but once you get the hang of it, you can produce professional results right at home! Just remember to keep the iron moving at all times, and to always use the proper setting on your iron for the material you're pressing.