Who Irons Anymore?

I remember ironing all of those white shirts as part of a uniform in grade school and high school. Then there were the white nursing uniforms. Eventually I grew out of the ironing phase as fabrics changed - many of them requiring dry cleaning. We had a lovely laundry room in the Midwest. On Capitol Hill we had a table top ironing board because we lived in 500 square feet and had no space. We kept that ironing board when we moved to northern Virginia and I think I used it once - until yesterday when I decided it was time to wash all of the white blouses I have that have not been worn for years. My wardrobe changed big time during the pandemic, and before that  LLBean garb became the clothing of choice for morning walks. Since we haven’t been on any trips I haven’t bought any new clothes - which was one of the reasons to do so. As we start to resume some normal activities I thought it would be a good time to see what even fits anymore. So yesterday all of the white blouses and jackets were thrown in to the washing machine in bags on a delicate cycle. They air dried in the bathroom and then were ironed. What a pain in the neck is that! Then I tried them on and asked my husband to judge what should get tossed. It ended up one got tossed, one got a new button put on, and an assortment of other non white blouses were tried on to see if they were worth keeping. I used to love buying clothes for work and otherwise. Everything fit so much better then. Now I don’t care anymore. All I know is that if anything requires ironing now I am not interested. 

Who Irons Anymore?

When we walked in the mall on rainy or icy days, I noticed a green striped shirt that looked nice to wear for everyday types of errands. I haven’t bought any clothing for over two years. My wardrobe has been shorts and a t shirt at home and LLBean wear for morning walks. So I ordered the JCrew shirt and it arrived folded in a plastic bag - like men’s shirts. It’s probably a size too large. But it is meant to be an oversized shirt with dropped shoulders. But I thought it needed to be washed to soften it a bit - but that would mean I would have to iron it because it was cotton. I haven’t ironed in centuries! So after washing and drying the shirt it was wrinkled. We have a very small ironing board that needs to be placed on a table. The iron is pretty standard. I just knew I needed to add water so it could be steamed. Doing this exercise reminded me of the days when everything had to be ironed - especially the white uniform shirts for school. I remember my mom rolling things up and putting them in the refrigerator. It’s a pain to iron but more of a pain when you don’t really have the right set up. The shirt did look better after the wash. But I’m not sure I like the idea of the upkeep. So much for wanting a cotton button down shirt. Maybe cotton and polyester blend is a better idea. 

When Was the Last Time You Ironed?

Since I retired three years ago my wardrobe changed. It is now filled with LLBean hiking shorts, pants, and shirts, along with shoes for walking. I donated most of my work clothes and heels and kept just a few things for the unlikely event that might require them. We were invited a while back to go to a fairly upscale restaurant last evening in Great Falls. I didn’t give the matter any thought about what I would wear - until yesterday afternoon. I have a lot more “nicer” clothes for the colder months and not much at all for warmer evenings. So it was a struggle to pull something together. My husband doesn’t even own a sport jacket or casual laced shoes- just two suits and two ties that are tucked way back in the closet. To make matters worse, what I found to wear was so wrinkled it needed to be ironed. I can’t remember the last time I ironed. But we do at least own a miniature ironing board and iron, so I set it up on the kitchen peninsula and did the best I could. After I put the equipment away I realized I preferred another shirt thst would work better but it also needed ironing. So I set the ironing board up again in the bedroom. Neither my husband or I are really in to “dressing up” anymore. Goodness knows we did enough of that! We do prefer a much more casual lifestyle. As for the dinner date? The company couldn’t have been better and it was a delightful experience. But we will take the no fuss approach any time. 

Neighborhood Iron Works and Charming Sights

Since we are STILL snowed in, and our car is far from free of getting out of a street parking space, our usual Saturday routine of brunch in McLean was impossible. But living in a walkable neighborhood with restaurants and shops within walking distance is a plus - even though we feel trapped here without getting in to our car and driving to the wide open spaces. So we walked down to Tortilla Coast for brunch and then took a short walk around the neighborhood before returning home. What stood out today were all the ironworks - the black gates and fences really were showcased against the now tiresome white - and dirty snow piles. They come in all shapes and sizes - rounded, pointy, intricate, simple, broken, well maintained. But I liked the cat in the window staring out at us and the outside, and all the birds devouring the feeder filled with delectable foodstuffs. Little round lights on a tiny tree were masquerading as snowballs behind it's iron entryway. It was bright and sunny and almost warm - but still not enough to melt that disgusting ice surrounding our car. I suppose blizzards and storms are good for the soul? I'll take the heat and the sun any day!