As a business translator, I was one of the first to realize that clothes are more than just appearance.
I have been doing business translation for many years.
Having dealt with international clients for many years, I have developed a kind of professional sensitivity towards the concept of "first impression".
Working in this industry is interesting—
You yourself are never the main character, but your demeanor will directly affect how others judge the object you represent.
Whether the suit is neatly tailored, whether the shirt is clean, whether there are any unnatural creases on the clothes—these details are not pointed out, but are silently recorded.
Also because of this, I started taking clothing care seriously much earlier than many of my friends around me.
After frequently traveling on business, I began to re-examine the meaning of "ironing clothes".
In the early days, I was constantly on the lookout for an iron wherever I went.
Hotel ones, ones in client offices, borrowed ones—whether they worked was entirely a matter of chance.
Until one time, before an important meeting, I over-pressed a shirt with a vintage iron.
The "strained" texture that resulted was very obvious under the light.
The meeting went smoothly that day, but throughout the entire session, I was constantly thinking about one thing:
If clothes are supposed to make a person look more professional, then why have they become a burden instead?
It was from that time that I first seriously started using a clothes steamer.
The clothes steamer was given to me by someone else. It's not about "efficiency", but rather a sense of certainty.
I don't like to exaggerate the role of tools.
For me, what the clothes steamer really changed was not the speed, but a sense of certainty.
As a translator, my job essentially is to reduce uncertainty.
The same goes for clothes.
The advantage of steam is that it won't "compete" with you.
There is no need for exact angles, and there won't be any traces left due to a single-second mistake.
For someone like me who has to switch between different cities and different meetings throughout the morning, this is extremely important.
My profession has determined that I must be extremely clear about "what actually appears to be natural".
Having worked in business translation for many years, one will develop an instinctive aversion to "excess".
- The language is too forceful and may appear unprofessional.
- Excessive expression can make people lose trust.
- When clothes are too ostentatious,The same goes for everything.
This is why I later preferred the clothes steamer over the kind that aimed for perfectly flat results.
The clothes that have been treated with steam look as if they "were always supposed to be like this",
rather than "just treated recently".
My experience working in different countries has also influenced my judgment on the condition of clothes.
During my time working in the United States, I noticed a detail:
Many highly professional people did not have "perfect" clothing.
But they have one thing in common—natural, clean, and without any unnecessary traces.
That kind of condition is actually very difficult to replicate stably using a traditional iron,
but the clothes steamer is just the right choice.
As for Nesugar, the way it entered my life was rather subtle.
I came into contact with Nesugar not because I deliberately sought to learn about the brand.
Instead, it was during one occasion when I borrowed a steamer from a friend that I used it a few times casually.
There was nothing "amazing" about the experience, but there was also no discomfort.
Only later did I realize that for everyday items, this kind of effortless smoothness with no sense of presence is actually very difficult to achieve.
It won't change your lifestyle,
but it will make the troublesome matters no longer consume your attention.
The clothes steamer plays a "back-up role" in my work routine.
I don't expect it to solve all the problems.
For suits that require a sense of lines, I still use an iron;
However, in the following scenarios, I almost only use a steamer:
- Business Trip Hotels
- Between Consecutive Meetings
- Business-Casual Wear with Softer Fabrics
- Clothes That Don’t Leave Marks or Indentations
It is more like a reliable back-up support rather than the main character.
One thing that the translation work has taught me is that true professionalism often remains hidden and unobtrusive.
Whether it is language or clothes, the essence is the same.
Good translations won't be noticed;
Good condition of the clothes shouldn't be the focus either.
The clothes steamer is precisely such a tool for me—
It won't make you "look like you're working hard",
but it will keep everything in the right place.
Final Note
I have always believed that there is a hidden connection between clothing care and professional conduct.
It's not to please others,
but to ensure that in important moments, one won't be disturbed by irrelevant details.
If you are like me,
and need to frequently switch roles, scenes, and cities at work,
then understanding the value of a clothes steamer might come in handy sooner than you think.
It is not ostentatious nor complicated,
but reliable enough.
And reliability is precisely one of the qualities that I value most in both my work and daily life.
