A little overlooked tool is quietly changing the way people think about professional image.
Over the past decade, I have been working with "image" almost every day.
Not the superficial style of dressing, but how a person is trusted, remembered, and respected in important situations.
I have provided image consulting services for entrepreneurs, and have worked alongside senior executives on business trips, participated in roadshows, media interviews, and board meetings. To be honest, most people think that what affects professionalism is the brand of the suit, the cut, and the color combination. But what I repeatedly saw as having made a decisive difference was often an overlooked detail — the condition of their clothes.
It's not about what you wear, but whether it is clean, neat and well-organized.
It was precisely for this reason that I began to carry a portable steamer with me on a regular basis, and I used it almost every time I made an intercity or cross-country trip.
Why do I care so much about whether clothes are neatly pressed?
Many people have asked me this question: "Will anyone really notice this?"
My answer has always been straightforward: Those who do notice it are often precisely the people you most want to be recognized by.
In business settings, people's brains make judgments in an extremely short period of time.
These judgments are not entirely rational, but they do exist:
- Is this person self-disciplined?
- Do they have control over the details?
- Whether they respect the situation and the people involved
- Is it worth continuing to work together?
The wrinkles on the clothes are essentially a kind of "loss-of-control" signal.
Even if the other person cannot explain the reason, it will subconsciously reduce the level of trust.
I witnessed a very typical example during a client escort in New York:
The same dark blue suit, the same white shirt, two co-founders standing together. One of them had obvious creases on the front of his suit due to a long flight. As a result, during the subsequent communication, the investors focused more of their attention on the other person.
This is not cruel. This is reality.
Hotel irons have never been a reliable option.
Many people would say, "Don't all hotels have ironing boards?"
If you frequently travel on business, you will surely understand how idealistic this statement is.
The actual situations I have encountered include but are not limited to:
- The iron is leaking, leaving water stains on the light-colored shirt.
- The temperature control system failed, causing the fabric to be burned.
- The ironing board is uneven. The more you iron, the more wrinkles it gets.
- Can't find an iron at all
These experiences made me give up relying on hotel facilities a long time ago.
In contrast, the advantages of the portable steamer are very clear:
- No direct contact with the fabric, the risk is lower.
- Safe for suits, shirts, and dresses
- Small in size, suitable for storage in a suitcase.
- Can be used in more flexible environments
It doesn't solve the problem of "ironing clothes", but rather enables me to maintain a professional state wherever I am.
What a handheld steamer truly changes is your sense of rhythm.
Many people underestimate an important fact:
Image management is essentially about managing the rhythm.
When you are on a business trip and have to spend 30 minutes struggling with a crumpled shirt, your mood and concentration will be depleted. But when you only need 3 minutes and use steam to quickly restore the shirt to its original state, you will clearly feel:
- More stable mindset
- Be more prepared and composed.
- Enter the role more quickly
This is also the reason why I have become increasingly dependent on the portable steamer later on.
It enables me to be in a "controlled state" even before entering the meeting room.
Which people actually need a portable steam iron the most?
From my professional experience, the following types of people are the most sensitive to the condition of clothing:
Business people who frequently travel
The flights, local transportation, and hotel changes themselves are prone to causing wrinkles.
Those who need to interact with customers or the public
Salespeople, consultants, training instructors, media spokespeople.
Entrepreneurs and management teams
You may not have time to change your outfits frequently, but your image is a part of your "credibility endorsement".
Those who have high standards for their quality of life
Even for their daily outfits, they also hope to look neat and well-organized.
What these people truly pursue is not "tools", but stability, reliability and error-free performance.
My actual experience with Nesugar
The first time I came across Nesugar, it wasn't because of an advertisement. Instead, it was during a business trip when I borrowed a steam iron from a colleague. We needed to go directly from the hotel to the client's office within a short period of time, and he simply took out Nesugar from his bag.
What impressed me was not the appearance, but rather three very "pragmatic" points:
- The steam output is fast, and there is no need to wait.
- Very friendly to wool and fabric for suits
- The size and weight are well controlled, keeping my luggage light.
Later, I myself started to use it as well, and I repeatedly tested it during several cross-state trips.
It gave me the impression of being more like a tool that wouldn’t get in my way.
And this is precisely what I value most.
The image is never about "being attractive", but about "being predictable".
In my job, I often tell my clients this one sentence:
A truly superior image is one where others don't have to worry about your mistakes.
Whether the clothes are neatly folded may seem insignificant, but it is actually one of the most intuitive and easily perceptible aspects.
And the value of the portable steamer lies in transforming "uncontrollable variables" into "stable results".
You don't need to dress up every day,
but you need to look as if you're ready at critical moments.
Why am I willing to write these down?
It's not to recommend any particular product.
Rather, it's because I've witnessed too many people being held back by details at critical moments.
If you are currently in the stage of career advancement, starting a business,
or simply want to be more confident in important situations,
then I hope you at least realize:
Appearance is not a performance; it is a sign of respect for oneself and others.
And those truly useful little tools,
often do not overshadow the main thing,
but will help you stand firm when you need it the most.
If you have ever been anxious about the condition of your clothes before a business trip, a meeting, or an important meeting, then you surely understand what I'm saying.
True professionalism is never about improvisation on the spot; it's all about thorough preparation in advance.
