To Starch or Not to Starch?

Photo: Davies + Starr

Crumpled and Cool
The lightest cotton makes wearing Virginia Johnson’s trapeze effortless ($276 at Erica Tanov, 204 Elizabeth St., nr. Prince St.; 212-334-8020).

Photo: Courtesy of Mary's Gone Crackers

Warning: They’re Addictive
They read healthy but deliver seriously tasty crispiness (Mary’s Gone Crackers, $4.69 at Perelandra Natural Food Center, 175 Re msen St., nr. Court St., Brooklyn Heights; 718-855-6068).

Photo: Davies + Starr

Artfully Distressed
These crinkled porcelain cups pay artsy homage to disposable plastic ($12.15 to $20 at Clio, 92 Thompson St., nr. Spring St.; 212-966-8991).

Photo: Davies + Starr

Burnt to a Crisp?
Shea butter and aloe vera soothe overexposed skin (Bath Aquatics Body Balm, $11.50 at H2O+, 511 Madison Ave., nr. 53rd St.; 212-750-8119).

Photo: Davies + Starr

Tousled is Better
This Rugger Collection buttondown’s cotton gets softer and more appealing after a spin in the dryer ($99.50 at Gant, 444 Madison Ave., nr. 50th St.; 212-813-9170).

Photo: Davies + Starr

A Quick Refresher
It takes less than a minute to brighten a room with paper garlands ($3.95 for thirteen feet at Pearl River Mart, 477 Broadway, nr. Broome St.; 212-431-4770).

Photo: Davies + Starr

Hot and Heavy
Black & Decker’s Classic Iron busts wrinkles ($34.99 at Gracious Home, 1220 Third Ave., at 70th St.; 212-517-6300).

Photo: Davies + Starr

Clean Up the Table
Vinyl place mats are sharper than fussy linens ($15.75 each at Sprout Home, 44 Grand St., nr. Wythe Ave., Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-388-4440).

Photo: Davies + Starr

Looks Sharp, Feels Good
Barbara Feinman’s Panama-straw fedora gives natural ventilation ($185; 66 E. 7th St., nr. First Ave.; 212-358-7092).

Photo: Courtesy of Sennheiser

Get the High Tones
Sennheiser’s D.J.-grade HD 280 Pro headphones deliver Bach or Beck at their crispest ($79.99 at J&R Music, 23 Park Row, nr. Ann St.; 212-238-9000).

Photo: Davies + Starr

Flawless, Without the Work
In broadcloth, houndstooth, or pinstripe, non-iron buttondowns benefit the chore-averse ($79.50 at Brooks Brothers, 346 Madison Ave., nr. 44th St.; 212-682-8800).

A Professional’s Guide to Rapid Ironing

Gerri Young, founder of the pick-up laundry service Allo Laverie (212-717-9920), describes how to get a flat-pressed shirt in a minute (or two).

Photo: Kagan McLeod

Step 1: Hand-Wash
Gentle, old-fashioned scrubbing creates fewer wrinkles. Drying shirts “flat will ensure a crisp finish.”

Photo: Kagan McLeod

Step 2: Don’t Overdry
Stretch the wet shirt and let it dry slightly. “It’s best to start ironing with a damp shirt,” she says.

Photo: Kagan McLeod

Step 3: Use Steam
“A touch helps get out stubborn wrinkles or remove any mistakes,” she says. Your iron doesn’t have steam? Use a spray bottle.

Photo: Kagan McLeod

Step 4: Be Methodical
“Press a shirt following this order: collar, yoke and shoulder, cuff, then sleeve and body. Start on the left if you’re right-handed, and on the right if you’re left-handed, then work around.”

Photo: Kagan McLeod

Step 5: Finish on a Hanger
Hang the shirt and gently crease the collar down with your hands. Button the top two buttons to keep that nice, crisp fold.

Photo: Davies + Starr

The Best Bet
People have been charting routes through New York for centuries; witness this well-worn street guide to lower Manhattan printed in 1860 ($100 at the Old Print Shop, 150 Lexington Ave., nr. 30th St.; 212-683-3950). Starting here, we plot ten modern city maps for personalities of all stripes, from cheapskates to hedonists.

To Starch or Not to Starch?