As the creative director, I was one of the first to realize that clothes are not just about appearance; they are a form of communication.
Throughout my career, I have felt “judged” on an almost daily basis.
It is not judged by aesthetic standards, but by standards of trust.
As a creative director, I often find myself in meeting rooms, on set locations, and at the desks of brand proposals. Sometimes I sit across from a CEO, and sometimes I face an entire marketing team that has little patience to spare.
In such situations, no one will say it outright, but everyone quickly does one thing in their head: judge whether you are worth listening to.
Many people think that the creative industry is a place that doesn't care about appearances.
I used to think so too, until I discovered —
The more an industry prides itself on “not being bound by conventions,” the more sensitive it becomes to details.
The first time I lost points for “clothing condition” was in Los Angeles.
That was a brand visual proposal.
I was fully prepared, with no issues in terms of logic, examples, or market insights. But that morning, I wore a shirt that had been pressed in the suitcase overnight.
It wasn’t the kind of obvious wrinkles, but the kind Americans are most likely to notice: the shoulder line was sagging, the front was uneven, and the whole thing lacked vitality.
Halfway through the proposal, I could clearly sense that:
They were listening, but not fully engaged.
It's not because of the content, but because of the overall state I'm in. It wasn’t on the same level as what I was saying.
After that day ended, on my way back to the hotel, I thought for a long time.
It wasn't about reflecting on the plan, but rather about reflecting on a more fundamental issue —
Why did I allow such a trivial mistake to happen?
The reality of a creative director's job:You don't need to be perfect, but you must be “trustworthy.”
The image that many people have of a Creative Director comes from magazines, advertisements and social media.
Reality is much simpler but also much harsher.
The core of this profession is not “creativity,” but rather three things:
1.Could you make your judgment easy for others to understand?
2.Could you provide a clear direction for the complex issue?
3.You — are you reliable or not?
And clothing is the third most obvious amplifier.
I don't need to dress extravagantly, but I must look stable, clean and controllable.
It was precisely after that that I began to take seriously a small tool that I had previously overlooked — the steam iron for clothes.
Why did the steam iron become a part of my workflow?
I'm not a lifestyle blogger, nor an enthusiast of home appliances.
I keep something because of only one reason: it really helped me solve a problem.
First, it is in line with the pace of the creative industry.
The life of a creative director is fragmented:
- An internal meeting in the morning
- The shooting scene at noon
- Remote proposal in the afternoon
- Evening meeting with a temporary client dinner
I don't have the time to set up the ironing board and slowly press the lines.
The logic behind a steam iron is straightforward: to quickly restore the clothes to their original state, rather than striving for “perfect creases.”
This point is extremely important to me.
Secondly, it does not compromise the “design” of the clothes.
Many of the clothing items from creative brands were not originally designed for traditional ironing machines.
Blended fabric, structured fabric, loose cut. If pressed, it's very easy to “kill” the design.
The steam iron for clothes merely relaxes the fibers without altering the original shape of the garment.
This is a very intuitive difference for someone who deals with clothing and visuals on a daily basis.
In my work, when exactly would I use a steam iron?
Not all clothes are worth ironing.
However, there are certain occasions where I never skip this step.
1.Before submitting the proposal to the outside parties
Whether it's online or offline, as long as it's “the first formal communication,” I will definitely handle the clothes.
Because I know that what they were judging wasn't my outfit, but rather —
whether I respected this collaboration.
2. Shooting or Brand Event Location
The role of the creative director on the spot is quite subtle.
You are neither a model nor an executive, but everyone will unconsciously look at you.
When your clothes are neat, it will make your presence seem “professional”;
When your clothes are messy, it will only make you look like “someone with many opinions.”
3. Business Trip
This was the time when I relied most on the steam iron for ironing clothes.
The uncertainty of the hotel's iron is too high.
But all I need is a plug, and I can get my routine back on track the next day.
It was also at this stage that I began to notice brands like Nesugar that had a more lifestyle-oriented approach. Not because they did a lot of promotion, but because in some details, it was clearly “designed for those who truly know how to use it.”
Many people underestimate the impact of “properly ironed clothes” on career judgment.
In the workplace culture of the United States, no one will remind you of this.
But I can confidently say this:
The condition of your clothes will directly affect how others trust your judgment.
Especially in the following occupations:
- Creative Director
- Brand Manager
- Marketing Manager
- Consulting and strategy roles
You don't win by your appearance, but you mustn't let your appearance hold you back.
The purpose of a steam iron is never to make you look refined; rather, it is to —
prevent you from losing points where you shouldn't.
In conclusion: This is professional experience, not life advice.
I wrote this article not to emphasize how important “ironing clothes” is.
On the contrary.
What I want to say is:
The truly mature professional state is to allocate significant energy to making important judgments, and to entrust the details to the appropriate tools.
For me, a steam iron for clothes is just such a tool.
It doesn't change who I am, but it helps me ensure that —
Whenever I enter any space, I won't be underestimated because of trivial details.
This is already sufficient for a creative director whose core asset is “judgment.”
