A Pressing Matter

When Whirlpool conducted a national study on household chores last year, the company found that almost one third of Americans would rather go to the dentist than do their ironing. Only cleaning the bathroom was a more hated domestic task. As Father's Day approaches, what better gift that to relieve dear old Dad from such dreaded drudgery?

This spring, Brooks Brothers came out with a dress shirt that the company claims needs no ironing at all. The shirts are the first sold in America to be made with Dow XLA fiber, a stretch material that, unlike most other elastic fabrics (including spandex), can withstand the harsh processing necessary to become permanently wrinkle-free. The two-ply shirts sell for $75 at Brooks Brothers stores. Some Calvin Klein dress shirts also use the Dow technology.

The Brooks Brothers shirt comes in women's styles, too, so by the time Mother's Day rolls around next year, it may be time to toss the ironing board altogether.