Today we'll discuss how to press trousers
or iron dress pants. So how do I iron pants? It all starts with a prep work. I suggest to invest into a sleeve board with
a wider end and a slimmer end. A spray bottle, a cloth as well as a clapper
which is a wooden block. In addition to that you can add a tailor's
ham which looks like a cushion but is actually filled with sawdust. It's very stiff and it helps to get the round
areas on the garment ironed perfectly. You can also invest in a Teflon under sole
and that way you don't have to use the cloth and it's much easier to iron that way because
you're going to be more accurate because you can only see what's going on. To learn more about all the equipment I use
and where you can find it please check out our first guide here. When it comes to pants, wool is much more
wrinkle resistant than cotton. So if you're just starting out I suggest to
start with wool first. Typically I start with the top part of the
trousers which is also known as the rise. For best pants ironing results you want to
iron as few layers as possible. Simply because when you iron, the steam is trapped at the bottom layer which
creates wrinkles there. So it's kind of a never-ending cycle of ironing
on the one side and getting wrinkles on the other. If you just have an iron board use the waist
of your pants and pull it over the board. That way you have a roughly flat surface and
it's easy to do the detail work. As you can see you get a little waves in the
fabric and you have to constantly stretch with your left hand when you iron it with
your right. Now if you want to make it easier on yourself
and get even better results use a sleeve board because that helps to drape things around. On top of that you can use a so-called tailor's
ham and that has a rounded shape just like your body and because of that it's very easy
to iron because you don't have that excess fabric of waves and the result is stunning. A sleeve board just cost about 20 bucks and
the tailor's ham about 10 so it's really a wise investment in my opinion. If you have pleated pants you want the creases
to be really sharp. To achieve that you want to use a so-called
clapper. It's nothing but a piece of wood usually oak
that is not varnished and not stained and doesn't have sap. It helps to remove the excess moisture and
simply creates a very smooth crisp result. You can also use it in areas where you see
wrinkles or waves because there's simply too much steam. If you're concerned about ending up with shiny
trousers always add a damp cloth in between. Once I've made my way around ironing one pant
leg, I pull over the other one and finish all the way around. The areas on your belt loops I just iron it
with the tip and you have to be very delicate. Just lift your iron many times and don't have
continuous motions. With a little practice you'll be an expert
in no time especially if you invest in a sleeve board and a tailor's ham. Once your done with the top part of the pants
it's time for the legs. First of all I lay down the pants with the
hems facing my iron. I'm trying to find the existing crease and
iron over it again. I also want to make sure the bottom layer
of the pant leg is laid as flat as possible. You may have to wiggle it around a little
bit and find the perfect crease so it's exactly where it was before. Now I start with the bottom. I use a damp cloth and a regular iron or if
you have a professional iron you can just use a Teflon sole without the cloth. Again in order to get that perfect crispness
you want the clapper. Once done with the front pleat of the pant
leg I iron the middle part of the pants very carefully because I don't want to create any
wrinkles on the outside or the backside of the pant leg. Once I'm done with that and everything is
flat I can look at the back crease. This one is a little more difficult because
there's no pleat on top. Again I use the same steps, iron and press
then clap. Once I'm done with a pant leg I unroll the
top layer and flip the pants around and repeat the procedure. First iron the front pleat of the other pant
leg. Depending on where it's sewn inward or outward
I sometimes also start in a different way so I can easily get that crease started well. Really getting that crease right is probably
the most difficult thing but once you have a clapper you get it really crisp and by moving
the fabric around and using your hand to assist your ironing hand you'll always get the exact
same line. Of course cotton is much more prone to wrinkling
than wool and because of that it's harder to iron especially as a pair of pants. Also it's more difficult to iron a dry pair
of cotton pants instead of a wet one. Of course you don't want it to be too wet
and if you have a dry pair of pants simply spray it with water put it in a plastic bag
for 10-15 minutes and then iron. It will make life much easier for you. So what do you do if let's say your chinos
do not have pleats but you want them? Well first of all keep in mind there must
be enough fabric because pleats use up more fabric than flat front pants. If there's enough fabric I suggest you fold
the pants based on the hem. Usually you can line up the inside side seams
of the pant legs with one another on each pant leg and that gives you a very good idea
of where the crease has to be because ideally you want it in the middle of the front kneecap. Honestly the steps are the same. First, I lay out my pants. I fold up one pant leg so I just have one
in front of me and I start ironing the front crease. If your pants have cuffs, I also press those
and I get the pleat in there too. Ideally you want the sleeve board and a tailor's
ham because it makes it easier to iron around the rise. Make sure to pull everything nice and flat
before you iron over it because if you don't you will end up with a wrinkle and it's harder
to remove them. If you encounter a wrinkle, either spray the
fabric directly or spread a damp cloth and then go through with your iron. Make sure to stay on there longer so the water
can evaporate, create steam and release the wrinkle or crease. If the crease is just in a small area, I suggest
to try to use your sleeve board to get to it so you can ideally just iron one layer
and not two otherwise you may end up with ironing out one wrinkle and getting another
one on the other side. Try not to sweep back and forth in fast motions. Have short motions, controlled motions and
always go in a direction of the point of your iron. If you just have a regular ironing board I
suggest not to over steam because otherwise it will get ripples and wavy areas on the
other side of the pants that you were just ironing. Again you don't have to worry about that if
you have a vacuum board because it sucks away all that moist there. Always remember, press as few layers of fabric
as possible. Always bear in mind thicker fabrics are easier
to iron than very thin and flimsy ones. So when you start try to use a thicker wool
fabric. Once you've mastered that you can move on
to the thinner fabrics that are much more prone to wrinkles. While the crease is relatively easy to achieve
on a thin flimsy fabric the middle part of the leg is very hard to iron. So if you have a vacuum board sometimes you
can get away with just stretching and using the steam function. If you don't have a vacuum board that's not
an option you have. Instead just lower the steam setting and try
to gently and carefully press the center part of the pant leg. With a little practice I'm sure you'll end
up with dress pants that are wrinkle free, very stylish with a very sharp crease. If you haven't already done so you may want
to check out part one about all the ironing equipment as well as part two about how to
iron a dress shirt. Also stay tuned for part four about how to
iron a sport coat or a suit jacket.