Out damned wrinkle!

July 25, 2011 3:33 PM

Are there ways to make garments less wrinkle-prone?

I recently bought a dress that gets creases in the hip area when I've been wearing it for just an hour or so, especially when I'm sitting down. Are there any tricks to make fabrics more wrinkle-resistant? Some sort of fabric spray, perhaps?

posted by oceanview to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (2 answers total)

Best answer: I am guessing it's a cotton or linen dress? Starch while ironing helps ward off wrinkles for longer. There are also "wrinkle release" sprays for after the wrinkles have formed. Or you can wear a full slip underneath the dress, and that will help prevent wrinkles, too.

Cellulose fibers like linen and cotton wrinkle because their polymer bonds are very weak—body heat, moisture, and agitation will all break the bonds down. They then re-set in a different way, and you have a wrinkle (conversely, ironing is using heat and moisture to break the bonds down and then reset them the way you want them). The key to wrinkle prevention is to protect the fabric as much as possible from stuff that disarranges the fibers - that's why a slip helps so much, it protects the fabric from your body's heat as well as sharp creases from movement and bending.
posted by peachfuzz at 3:41 PM on July 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: thanks peachfuzz...never realized that slips existed for that purpose! I'll make sure to wear one with wrinkly dresses from now on. Thanks!
posted by oceanview at 9:00 PM on July 25, 2011