Women wear the trousers and men iron them
Sharp suited role models like the cast of Mad Men have helped inspire more than one in three men to do the bulk of ironing in their home and a fifth of them do it in the nude!
...according to research by Russell Hobbs.
Both male and female Brits hate ironing in equal measure, but few now see it purely as ‘woman’s work’ said the study of 1,000 adults. The survey revealed that 35 per cent of men claim to do the lion’s share of ironing in their household. They are still in the minority though as 48 per cent admit their wife or girlfriend does it for them, and seven per cent still get their mum to do it!
What’s more, half of all women (50 per cent) now think that men are better at ironing. With the current Mad Men inspired fashion for crisp, formal shirts and ties, many men may be doing their own ironing to make sure they get the right look. Six in ten men and half of women think that the Don Draper look of a nicely pressed shirt and smart suit is the best one for a modern British male. Only 7 per cent thought casual and creased was a better look.
But being so fussy over ironing does have its drawbacks as 16 per cent of Brits admit they argue over ironing, usually because someone else has not done a good enough job!
What is also equal between the sexes is the fact that ironing is one of the least favourite household chores, with 59 per cent of woman, 58 per cent of men and 36 per cent overall saying it is in fact their most dreaded chore.Which may be why so many try and find ways to make it more interesting – including wearing nothing while doing it! Among men, 18 per cent admit they have ironed in the nude, compared to just eight per cent of women. And it is the adventurous 30-44 year-ole age group which is most likely to do so, with 20 per cent of them happily shedding their clothes, and inhibitions! Other ways to relieve the drudgery of pressing blouses to trousers include watching TV, singing and chatting on the phone at the same time.
