How to rid my overcoat of wrinkles? (Wool)

[JosephC]

Recently accidently set my jacket down and it got mega wrinkles on the sleeves, picture shown below. Any suggestions how I can get those out? Need I take it to a dry cleaner to get it fixed up?

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/1285/wrinkles.jpg

I appreciate the help, and was delighted to find a forum dedicated to attire I admire.

 

[Dinerman]

A bit of steam should fix those right up.

 

[OneEyeMan]

Hang it in the bathroom and take a nice long hot shower.
Lenny

 

[Peacoat]

Both of those suggestions should work well. You might also try light spritzing the wrinkles before the shower. An iron, on the steam setting, and held above the fabric--do not touch the fabric--will work. My wife has a steamer. Takes the wrinkles right out. That's simpler than using the steam from a kettle on the range top and a lot safer. I have tried all of those methods; they all work.

 

[Paisley]

Got an iron and a handkerchief?

 

[VintageBaubles]

A pressing cloth (I'd use a clean dish towel or very short-napped light-colored hand towel) and a steam iron on wool setting (or lower) should work just fine....

 

[CopperNY]

hang it up in the bathroom and take a long hot shower.

 

[Steveb1]

Hang it in the bathroom and take a nice long hot shower.
Lenny

+ 1 for this method, if you don't have a steamer.

 

[Lokar]

A blog post by one of the great tailors that posts on the internet:

http://tuttofattoamano.blogspot.com/2008/11/vital-importance-of-pressing.html

The important bit:

Wool is a hair, like human hair, which can be shaped using heat and steam. Think of a lady putting her hair in curlers and sitting under a hair dryer, or using a curling iron. We use the same principles when building shape into a suit.

First of all, NEVER use a steamer on a suit, and never hang your suit in a steamy bathroom. This bears repeating. NEVER use a steamer on a suit, and never hang your suit in a steamy bathroom.

A steamer will undo all the shaping that was created when the suit was made, and steaming a suit can also make problems appear such as puckering and blown seams, breaking sleeves etc. I know a lot of people enjoy the ease of a steamer or hanging a suit in the bathroom to get rid of wrinkles, but it is really a very bad idea. There is a video on the internet showing someone pressing a suit with far too much steam and without a good understanding of a suit; during the video the person blows one of the seams, which starts to pucker terribly and she is unable to fix it. It is just this sort of mistake I hope to prevent you making.

If it's a cheap (ish) RTW coat then just go for it, but for better quality MTM/bespoke/vintage coats, it's a dangerous game.