Overview
Silk taffeta is a swanky, silky fabric usually reserved for the most upscale dresses, such as black-tie gowns, bridal wear or ultra-authentic historical costumes. If you have a fancy frock made with light and flowy silk taffeta, chances are it's not a dress you wear frequently. So when a special occasion strikes and you dig your taffeta shift out of the back of your closet, your dress is going to have at least a few wrinkles, no matter how gently you stored it. The good news is that you can iron silk taffeta. Just tread carefully and you won't do any major damage to your fancy gown.
1.
Pull out your dusty old ironing board and cover it with a soft ironing board cover. Make sure the cover is completely clean to avoid getting dirt dust on your fancy taffeta dress. Lay a clean, fluffy towel over the ironing board if you don't have a suitable cover.
2.
Set your iron to the lowest heat setting possible, let it warm and gently run the iron over your dress to rub out those irritating little wrinkles. Work pleats from top to bottom to avoid adding creases to your dress where you don't want them. Move the iron quickly as you work to avoid getting too much heat in one spot and damaging the taffeta.
3.
Slip your ironed dress onto a clothes hanger to let it cool immediately after you're done smoothing all the wrinkles out of the taffeta. Hanging it helps you avoid adding more wrinkles and giving yourself a migraine before the big event.
Iron the back of the dress first, then flip to the front, so you can make sure the front of your dress is princess-perfect.
Drop it if it's hot. Using an iron that is cranked up too high can burn and damage silk taffeta.
Skip on your iron's steam setting for now. Steaming taffeta could cause permanent water damage to your gown.
