Why I Can’t Live Without a Cloth Steamer: A Real-Life Experience of an Independent Artist
As an independent artist who has lived and worked in the United States for a long time, I have an almost obsessive sensitivity toward the issue of “clothing condition.” It's not because I want to appear overly refined, but because I am well aware that the condition of your clothes often determines the first impression others have of your professionalism.
I don't always show up in galleries or formal exhibitions. More often, I move around in my studio, participate in temporary creative exchanges, chat about projects with strangers, or carry my works to a space with a completely unpredictable atmosphere. For this reason, I can't possibly dress as neatly as a lawyer every day, nor can I make my clothes look so casually “as if I haven't slept yet.”
For a long time, I kept going back and forth between traditional irons and dry cleaners until I finally started using a cloth steamer.
The iron is not suitable for real life, while steam is closer to the pace of modern life.
If you, like me, have lived in the United States for a long time, you will gradually come to realize a reality:
“Putting an entire outfit on an ironing board” — this isn’t very typical of American life.
An iron requires space, time and an absolutely flat surface. But my life is just the opposite:
- My apartment is not very large.
- Time has been sliced very finely.
- The fabrics are diverse (linen, cotton, silk, blends, stage fabrics).
The emergence of the cloth steamer can be seen as a product that responds to this reality. It doesn't require you to “prepare a ritual,” but allows you to quickly restore the condition of your clothes in real life.
For me, it doesn't address the “wrinkles,” but rather the mental load that comes before going out.
The first time I truly realized the value of steam ironing was before a failed exhibition.
Once, I was going to participate in a small group exhibition. The space was quite casual and there were a lot of people there, including curators, buyers and people from art schools. I was so busy the day before that I didn't even sleep until the early hours of the morning. When I woke up the next day, I realized that the black linen shirt I had planned to wear was completely wrinkled.
At that time, I had no time to iron and couldn't change my clothes either. My friend handed me a cloth steamer, and I was half skeptical and half hopeful before giving it a try.
In less than two minutes, that piece of clothing regained its original shape.
At that moment, I suddenly realized:
A good tool is not something that makes your life “more strenuous,” but rather something that makes life less difficult.
What kinds of people are truly suitable for a Cloth Steamer? My actual observation
Over the years, there has been an increasing number of people around me using steam irons, and it has become pretty common:
Creative professionals
Designers, artists, photographers, stylists. We want the clothes to “seem stylish” rather than “excessively formal.”
Freelancers & Remote Workers
They use them for the first five minutes of a video call. Shirts, T-shirts, knitted jackets — all can quickly restore your dignity.
People who often wear natural fabrics
Linen, cotton, silk — these materials are inherently not responsive to irons but are very receptive to steam.
People living in small spaces
Apartment, studio, shared housing. A steamer takes up almost no space.
I even discovered that many people who truly “understand clothing” have actually become less attached to the traditional iron.
Steam is not being lazy; rather, it treats the clothes more gently.
This was something I only realized later.
The iron is a forceful tool, demanding that the fabric yield to temperature and weight;
Steam, on the other hand, is more like a “communication,” allowing the fibers to relax naturally.
I have several old clothes that I cherish very much. One of them came from an independent brand that has since closed down. Before, I never dared to iron them and had to send them to a dry cleaner. Now, using steam treatment, I feel much more at ease.
Clothes retain memories over time, and steam does not destroy these memories.
Regarding Nesugar, my stance is quite straightforward.
The first time I came across Nesugar, it wasn't because of the brand itself, but because of a friend's recommendation. This friend is also engaged in creative work and is extremely picky about tools.
Later, I gradually realized that a good brand usually has one common feature:
It doesn't try to change your lifestyle; instead, it exists in line with your lifestyle.
I don't care about the parameters or “multiple specialties.” All I care about is one thing —
Whether it makes my life easier in real life.
At least up to now, it is.
Over the years of using the Cloth Steamer, I have come up with several practical suggestions.
These are not the words from the manual, but rather the experience I gained after falling into similar traps myself:
Don't wait until your clothes are “so wrinkled that they can't be worn” before using steam.
A gentle treatment is actually quicker and more time-saving.
The hanging state is crucial.
The clothes hang naturally straight, more in line with the logic of steam than any ironing board.
Not all wrinkles need to be “eliminated.”
Some wrinkles are part of the style, especially for artists.
Steam is also reshaping your definition of “tidiness.”
It's not perfection, but rather relaxed, clean and well-proportioned.
Final Note: Tools do not define you, but they can magnify you.
I have always believed in one thing:
A truly excellent life tool will gradually fade into your daily routine.
You won't think of it every day, but when you need it, it will definitely be there.
The cloth steamer is like this for me. It doesn't make me a more “refined” person, but it gives me a bit more room to maneuver between the chaos, creation, movement and reality.
If you are also living in this kind of fast-paced life, perhaps you will understand why I am willing to take the time to write these down.
It's not about recommending anything, but rather sharing a changed lifestyle that has already occurred.
——
An independent artist who is still constantly pulled between clothes, creation, and reality every day.
