The Demise of the Iron

There have been some pretty big stories in the news this week so you may missed the one concerning the game Monopoly.  The iron playing piece has been retired and a little cat is its replacement. To read or listen to this story, go here. It seems that this iron icon and the act of ironing are becoming unpopular, at least in the United States.  Though I love cats, I feel a bit sad about the iron.

I liked the Monopoly iron for it represented a time in which people pressed their clothing regularly, making it look like they cared about their appearance. My mom was very big on ironing when my brother and I were growing up. She would say we looked "slovenly" if we put on wrinkled clothing. More than once I had to come back inside the house to have her press a garment I had hastily donned. When my girls were very small, they had a number of astonishingly adorable dresses, tops, and skirts. My mom did not like to see these clothes in a wrinkled state and used to iron them for me since ironing was not really in the cards during those busy days.

Over the years I have become quite lax about ironing, but this does not mean I do not appreciate a well pressed garment. It is just that I have chosen not to purchase much clothing that requires ironing. When I do iron, I try to do everything at once. My husband regularly irons his own shirts and pants and will iron a skirt or top for me if I ask. He likes to watch TV shows or movies while he irons.

If you know you do not like to iron, follow my lead and stay away from clothing that requires it. And by requires I mean that the clothing looks its best--the way the designer wanted it to look--ironed. Men can find shirts and pants that are "wrinkle free," and there are shirts for women like this as well. The chemicals they treat such items with causes me some alarm, but you can decide for yourself whether or not to wear them.