Job-Hunting ID Photo Essentials: How to Keep Your Dress Shirt Clean and Well-Cared For

Hair, Makeup & Outfits #Job-Hunting ID Photo #ID Photo #Outfit #Job Hunting

July 15, 2022November 10, 2026 Chiharu

Almost everyone wears a dress shirt for their job-hunting ID photo (shukatsu photo, the photo attached to job applications in Japan). Some people reuse the one they wore to their university entrance ceremony, while others buy a new one.
With the right washing and care, a dress shirt can stay in good condition for a long time.

In this article, we'll share how to keep your dress shirt clean and fresh for longer, an essential item for your job-hunting ID photo!

Use laundry starch to prevent stains and keep its shape
Prevent collar stains with baby powder
Anti-stain tape for clothing
Summary

Use laundry starch to prevent stains and keep its shape

Laundry starch gives a dress shirt a crisp, firm texture.
If you use it when ironing, your shirt will stay neat and freshly pressed for longer.

Be careful if you wear a "wrinkle-free" shirt (called keitai antei shirts in Japan, treated to resist wrinkles). Starch can reduce the wrinkle-resistant finish, so it's best to avoid using it on these shirts.

There are two types of laundry starch: natural starch and synthetic starch.

Natural starch is made mainly from plant starch. It has the advantage of being gentle on the skin, but the downsides are that it can't be used in a washing machine and that, if a starched shirt is stored for a long time, it is more likely to attract insects or deteriorate.

For this reason, synthetic starch is easier to handle, and we recommend it.

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This is a spray-type starch that's easy to use.

If you spray it on the collar and cuffs before ironing, it not only helps the shirt keep its shape but also makes stains less likely to stick.

Prevent collar stains with baby powder

Baby powder is easy to find at drugstores and inexpensive.
It turns out to be useful for keeping your dress shirt from getting dirty.
If you dust it on the collar and cuffs beforehand, it absorbs sweat and oil, making sebum stains less likely to set in.

It also dissolves easily in water, so you can wash the shirt as usual. The powder is rinsed away along with the dirt it has absorbed, so no special care is needed.
Simply dusting on some powder before you wear the shirt is a convenient way to prevent stains.

Anti-stain tape for clothing

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Another option is tape that sticks to your clothing to guard against sweat and stains.
With this product, you can cut it to any length you like and stick it on and peel it off easily, which is great.
It's a handy item that works on more than just dress shirts.

Summary

In this article, we introduced ways to keep your dress shirt looking clean.
A dress shirt gets a lot of use during job hunting, starting with your ID photo shoot.

It feels good when your shirt stays fresh and clean for a long time! We hope these tips are helpful.

Chiharu: Loves writing articles and is studying copywritingI love writing and I'm currently studying copywriting. I turn the questions our guests often ask and the things I notice in the studio into easy-to-read articles about job-hunting and ID photos, so that even first-timers can understand them.