Do you buy your T shirts a little bit larger assuming they will shrink up some. or has the fabic technology improved so that shrinkage doesn't happen much any more?
one t is heavy cotton, and one is thin soft "vintage"
does washing in Hot help make it shrink up?
duh, what was I thinking about the water, it's the dryer, got it.
can i share the whole story because it's eating at me?
on our trip to Disney DH went crazy at the gift shop, I am not a souvenir buyer but i thought i would treat myself to a Tshirt. they didn't have what i was picturing in my mind. I tried on a couple and in order to get my big boobies in i needed to get the next size up which hung on me everywhere but the chest. of course i made the mistake of showing DH who went on ad nauseum about how i should go 2 sizes up just to be sure because wouldn't i want it loose and don't i know that cotton always shrinks and blah blah blah which might not have meant you are a fat pig but that is what it sounded like to me. I ended up buying the vintage one to make him happy, ( so he could justify all of his purchases) it's ok i can use it as a sleep shirt although i have enough of those. the other I liked the graphic on it better, but it's too long on my torso to wear with out tucking it in and that looks funny. so i actually would love it they both magically and proportially shink to fit me. maybe if i crawl in the dryer too. tx for the Vent, ( haha just reread that and realized I punned, i'm feeling better already, chuckle, chuckle, snort)
I have found if I want a shirt to shrink they will not shrink, if I don't want a shirt to shrink it will go microscopic on me.
you can wash it in hot and put in the dryer, and it will almost certainly shrink.
and it's 100% guaranteed that it won't be in ANY of the places you'd hoped.
enjoy your new sleep shirt!
:) khairete
S.
My shirts always shrink in the wrong places! LOL!
Look at the label and see what kind of lend ou have. 100% unwashed cotton will shrink. It doesn't shrink in the wash....it shrinks in the dryer. If you have a blend like part cotton and part other material, depending on the blend, it may or may not shrink. Rayon, wool, unwashed cottons, and silks are all prone to shrinkage. Pre-washed cotton, distressed or vintage cotton, Lycra cotton blends, or polyester cotton blends usually will not shrink. When in doubt, read the label for care instructions or simply wash but air dry instead of throwing the shirts in the dryer. As long as the shirt is no longer sopping wet, you can throw it in on delicate to dry it all the way and prevent wrinkles. It wouldn't shrink if most of the drying has been done in open air.
The thing is, Cotton, is a natural fiber. And natural fibers, can shrink and do. It is not a man-made fiber. But the gauge of the t-shirt cotton fabric, will vary.
So no matter what technology, 100% cotton fabrics, are still, cotton.
Then, the sizing, that a manufacturer makes their clothing, also varies. So, a size "small" in one brand, may be bigger or smaller, than another brand in a size "small."
And, some fabrics are pre-shrunk.
And, when sewing and buying fabric, it is always recommended to pre-shrink the fabric first, washing it and drying it first, before cutting the pattern out and sewing the garment.
But just because it is pre-shrunk, that does not always guarantee, that it will not shrink further. But, it does help lessen the chances of it.
And, everyone washes their clothing differently per temperature of the wash and drying it.
Try Googling "will 100% cotton t-shirts always shrink."
Or, "how not to shrink a 100% cotton t-shirt."
With thin soft vintage type cotton t-shirts, I would hand wash it in cold, and hang dry it.
Seems like most stuff we buy these days is preshrunk... they did all that hot water washing to the fabric BEFORE making the garment... so the size we buy it is usually pretty much the size I is.
Yeah it's a tough call. The more expensive (usually) the less it will shrink as they are supposedly "preshrunk". Lots of times I find they shrink in length not width too. Then they are boxy and short. My Target ones do that. I started buying Active type Ts made with microfiber because I have not found a good cotton T shirt yet.
