Stiff Starch Shirts: The Japanese Method

[Choeki]

After reading the classic method to do stiff starch shirts, I decided to post the "updated" Japanese version of the same method for the sake of posterity. As I have mentioned around the board in various posts; the general sale, wear and treatment of clothing is closer to an updated version of Golden Age techniques in Japan.

I begin with a typical Japanese working class washing machine:

The majority of Japanese homes have some version of this type of machine, which has a small capacity drum and several selection cycles. It can only hold a small volume of clothes at a time, so most Japanese households do laundry every day. Dryers are also quite rare since there is often no space to put one, so nearly all clothing is line dried.

Here is a photograph of Japanese liquid wash-in starch:

This is a different animal compared to liquid wash-in starch that can be purchased in the US (ex. from Walmart). One of the specific differences is that it doesn't build up to the point where it interferes with ironing and pressing (ex. it is common to get caking and residue with plain liquid starch when ironing). It is called "Keeping" and is also the name of a spray starch that isn't as strong as the liquid version for some reason.

Water in Japan tends to also be a little on the hard side, but it lacks fluoride so detergent is also a little different than, say US detergent. This happens to be Ariel brand liquid detergent concentrate, which is extremely effective on whites:

I normally like my shirts to be stiffer than normal, but not so much that it's like plywood. Because of this I usually only use one cap full of the liquid starch, but this time I'll be using 2 cap fulls to fully demonstrate the capability of this solution. Also, this is the first time I am washing this shirt after wearing it once out of the store so it needs a good foundation of starch anyway so I don't have to use so much next time I launder it.

Here I am pouring the liquid into the fabric softener/starch receptacle. This stuff smells and looks like a slightly watered down solution of Elmer's School Glue:

Finally, I have a "Clean Soap" stick which is essentially a hard piece of laundry soap. This stuff is made specifically to get sweat stains out of the cuffs and collars of dress shirts:

It's fairly simple to use - you just rub it into any stains you find on the shirt. In this case I am rubbing it on the collar:

And here on the cuffs:

 

[Choeki]

Stiff Starch Shirts: The Japanese Method - Part 2

If the shirt is discolored in any way or there are any tough stains, it is possible to weaken them by soaking the shirt in the washing machine overnight in the detergent. In this case, there aren't any to worry about, so I begin the normal wash cycle:

The normal wash cycle is about 15 minutes long, so once it's finished I simply remove the shirt from the machine (I did three other shirts at the same time):

When using the Japanese version of liquid starch, it is generally a better idea to iron shirts immediately out of the wash. The reason for this is that if left to dry, the shirt is usually too hard to work with and can take much more time than normal to properly press. So the other shirts are left in the washing machine and are only taken out one at a time so that they can remain moist.

The shirt is first shaken out to work out any kinks in the material from the wash:

It is then introduced to the Japanese style long ironing board:

Notice that the front and back of the ironing board are the same shape. The reason for this is the small accessory ironing board meant for detail work. It is important to note though that ownership and use of this type of ironing board is comparatively rare in most Japanese households. Typically a board about half this size with 20cm legs (and no accessory board) is used by placing it on a tabletop or on the floor.

First on the agenda is to properly iron the shoulders. This is most easily done on the accessory board:

High heat and steam (cotton setting) is best, but one thing I have noticed about inexpensive Japanese irons verses ones sold in the US is that the maximum temperature is still in a safe zone to prevent scorching:

The shirt dries quickly when high heat and steam is applied, so it is important to work quickly. Next is the collar:

Shirts purchased by working class Japanese people usually have plastic collar darts sewn into the collar points. However, they are typically made of a thermo-set plastic so there is very little chance to melt or distort them (the shirt would start on fire first).

Again, high heat and steam is used to ensure that all possible wrinkles are worked out:

 

[Choeki]

Stiff Starch Shirts: The Japanese Method - Part 3

The next step in this process is to iron the shirt body panels in quarters beginning with either the left or right side (in this case the right):

Next the left part of the rear panel:

Then the right rear panel:

And finally the opposite front panel:

The final portion of the shirt to be ironed is the sleeves, which should be started at the cuffs, again using the accessory ironing board:

Again, the highest heat setting and steam should be used:

 

[Choeki]

Stiff Starch Shirts: The Japanese Method - Part 4

After the cuff is completed, the trunk of the sleeve can be tackled easily:

It is recommended to line up the bottom seam of the sleeve first:

Then to line up the crease on the top of the sleeve near the shoulder second:

Then it is simply ironed flat on the front (or back) near the shoulder:

And then down to the cuff, making sure to carefully line up any pleats if they are present:

This is how the shirt sleeve should appear once one side is completed:

The reverse side of the sleeve should then be ironed using the same method:

Careful attention should be made towards that fly area located near the cuff. Sometimes it may have wrinkles ironed in due to the efforts of the other side.

In this case it is unmarred, so it is simply pressed normally:

The final result of pressing the fly area of the cuff:

 

[Choeki]

Stiff Starch Shirts: The Japanese Method - Part 5

Finally, the last thing that should be done is to hang up the shirt to dry out completely:

The majority of Japanese people hang their laundry on lines outside of their homes, but I only hang my laundry indoors all year round. The reason for this is that as I live alone, I have no way to protect my laundry from being blown off the line by wind, rained on, or being soiled by bird lime. Also, the air in my area is dusty and has a mildly malodorous miasma about it...

I use a portable room dehumidifier to prevent the generation of mold and generally leave my laundry to dry overnight.

The next day, the shirt is ready to wear and the level of stiffness is demonstrated here:

In this case, the shirt can stand on its own but still has a little flexibility in it. Part of the reason for this is that this shirt happens to be a polyester/cotton blend. In the case of a 100% cotton shirt the results are more dramatic, but I'll post an image of one that is a result of this technique later as I no longer wear 100% cotton shirts.

Total time taken for this method per shirt is 10 minutes.

 

[Tomasso]

Excellent treatise!

Total time taken for this method per shirt is 10 minutes.

You're fast, I'm lucky if I time in under 25 mins. [huh]


BTW, if you haven't already, check out Scotrace's equally fine piece on the Golden Era method.

 

[Choeki]

You're fast, I'm lucky if I time in under 25 mins. [huh]


BTW, if you haven't already, check out Scotrace's equally fine piece on the Golden Era method.

Yep, I read it. That's why I posted this - I generally stay away from real starch now because of the problems involved with sticking, caking, and residue that makes it very laborious to work with if you have to economize your time. As much as I like the style of the golden age, I do believe modern technological innovations have their place along with good old-fashioned elbow grease as long as the results are pretty much the same in the end.

 

[dr greg]

bravo

I am a keen ironer myself, but that is a tour-de-force lecture on the matter, I beleive that the use of starch originated as a protection against dirt, which would be washed out with the starch, but some say the starch destroys the fibres and shortens the life of the garment...a two-edged sword perhaps!

 

[cookie]

Choeki vs Scotrace

I don't know how to say this nicely after seeing Choeki's tutorial but here goes ...Scotty mate... son..me old China plate ...I said pet.. I said love.. I said mate ...you are SACKED as Head Starching Coach. Sorry about that... there is not easier way to say this... you have been displaced ..your services are no longer required ...pick up your check at the door.... ADIOS AMIGO...

 

[jgilbert]

This was great! Thank you

You state you can leave the balance of the shirts in the machine until ready to wear. How ong is that one - two days?

 

[jamespowers]

My method takes a few days but is much easier.
I take it to the dry cleaner and pick it up in a few days.

 

[CdnDandy]

Your attention to detail is very impressive! I only wish my ironed shirts came out looking that nice!

 

[dakotanorth]

Results when ironing?

A big factor in getting good results from ironing is, the IRON!!
A _good_ iron makes a huge difference; hotter temps, more steam, heavier weight, bigger soleplate, etc. I almost lose my mind when I borrow someone's iron that cost $12 from Wal-Mart and it weighs a whopping 10 ounces.
If you guys are looking to step up in irons, I recommend the Rowenta Commercial Professional. It runs about $90 at Lowe's- it is a GREAT unit.

 

[Weston]

Choeki, a simply fantastic tutorial. I recommend this for "sticky" status! Absolutely top notch. I may print it out and keep it in my dressing-room!

 

[Tomasso]

some say the starch destroys the fibres and shortens the life of the garment.

True. You'd be hard pressed p) to find a shirtmaker who would recommend the use of starch.

This shirtmaker's dissertation on the proper care of shirts is unparalleled.

 

[jamespowers]

True. You'd be hard pressed p) to find a shirtmaker who would recommend the use of starch.

This shirtmaker's dissertation on the proper care of shirts is unparalleled.

Uh yeah, if I had three days to spot wash, wash and iron the shirt myself then I might actually do it. :eusa_doh: Like anyone is actually going to use soap, put it in a bag wet overnight and all the other yada yada.
My shirts last me years by simply sending them to the dry cleaner to be cleaned and pressed with heavy starch. If a shirt won't last 6 months with this treatment, I don't want it. [huh]

 

[scotrace]

I don't know how to say this nicely after seeing Choeki's tutorial but here goes ...Scotty mate... son..me old China plate ...I said pet.. I said love.. I said mate ...you are SACKED as Head Starching Coach. Sorry about that... there is not easier way to say this... you have been displaced ..your services are no longer required ...pick up your check at the door.... ADIOS AMIGO...

I am indeed! Now I have a new method to try.










JamesPowers'

 

[jamespowers]

I am indeed! Now I have a new method to try.










JamesPowers'

Works everytime. Comes guaranteed just take it back and get it redone if you don't like it.

 

[Choeki]

Thanks for the compliments everyone! I suppose I am a bit of a perfectionist, but it's nice to see that it's appreciated.

This was great! Thank you

You state you can leave the balance of the shirts in the machine until ready to wear. How ong is that one - two days?

At the most, I've left it in the machine overnight and finished the rest the next evening. However, I would not do that during the summertime in Japan as it would probably get moldy. During the wintertime is all right though.

I would like to add thought that everything I used in the tutorial was rather inexpensive, working class level appliances and clothes for Japan. The iron was a $10 USD supermarket brand, the shirt a $5 USD working class suit store shirt and the liquid starch and detergent cost about $2 USD each. The ironing board was probably the most expensive thing, but I managed to get it at a fraction of the normal price as one that size usually goes for around $35 to $40 USD in Japan ($16 USD used).

Basically, as I have stated on earlier occasions there is an expectation for nearly every man not involved in the general service industry or construction to be in a suit in Japan. It's been this way since the occupation and SCAP under Gen. MacArthur so the Japanese typically have not done anything major to change how things are done - and therefore a "tradition" is born. They keep updating the materials and appliances, but keep the general methods the same.

Not to say that there aren't expensive things available such as $2500 USD washing machines with larger drums and built-in drying units, $300 USD microprocessor controlled cordless irons and $120 USD Egyptian cotton shirts for sale - it's just that all of that kind of stuff is outside of the typical working class Japanese person's budget.

One last thing though - ironing, washing and sewing are still considered to be typically the work of housewives in Japan. Men that can do all three of these as well as other domestic tasks (such as cooking and cleaning) are very rare and generally considered very odd indeed. For example, it's not uncommon for a Japanese man to have his mother move in with him after he gets married so that she can continue to do his laundry, cook his food, etc. if the wife cannot replicate the efforts of the mother in his eyes.

 

[jamespowers]

One last thing though - ironing, washing and sewing are still considered to be typically the work of housewives in Japan. Men that can do all three of these as well as other domestic tasks (such as cooking and cleaning) are very rare and generally considered very odd indeed. For example, it's not uncommon for a Japanese man to have his mother move in with him after he gets married so that she can continue to do his laundry, cook his food, etc. if the wife cannot replicate the efforts of the mother in his eyes.

Same thing here. If the wife can't do it and the mother isn't around then we just dock the wife's allowance for the cost of having someone else do all these things.