Why do nice/expensive shirts not shrink?

[spidey07]

Without fail all of my nice tommy or nautica shirts last years without shrinking. But the cheap ones I buy at kohls after only a couple of months they have shrunk so much you can't wear them - sleeves too short, shoulders too tight, won't stay tucked in. These are 100% cotton shirts.

Is it the weave? Is it "pre-shrunk" cotton? I wash them in cold, low heat dry.

 

[RKS]

The tags and logos have a special chemical additive; when washed/dried this chemical helps the cotton retain its original size and shape. If you add in a couple Kohl's shirts, you'll notice that they don't shrink as much either just because they are basking in the glory and greatness that is Nautica and Hilfiger.

 

[LS21]

ive never had anything shrink after the FIRST wash

 

[boomerang]

I don't know the answer to your question, but you are not alone with what you are experiencing. I'm a cheapskate when it comes to clothes, but there is what I would term a false economy in buying cheap shirts. You don't get as many wearings out of them.

I've got to believe the fabric is pre-shrunk or just made out of a higher quality Cotton. I would think Cotton is Cotton, but what do I know?

 

[LS21]

Originally posted by: boomerang
I don't know the answer to your question, but you are not alone with what you are experiencing. I'm a cheapskate when it comes to clothes, but there is what I would term a false economy in buying cheap shirts. You don't get as many wearings out of them.

I've got to believe the fabric is pre-shrunk or just made out of a higher quality Cotton. I would think Cotton is Cotton, but what do I know?

i really dont at all trust the "pre-shrunk" label.

the way i approach clothes is to feel how "stretchy" they are. stretchy = higher tendency to shrink. 95% of the time.

then on the first wash & dry , i deal with it accordingly -- hot cycle if i WANT it to shrink or cold if i dont.

so usually, i buy normal cotton tshirts and things just a tad larger than the fit at the store. wash them hot at home and they fit perfect.

sweaters usually have a different body:sleeve length ratio, so i make sure they fit initially, then always keep it on cold. shrinking will fuck up the sleeves for me.


after the first wash, it really doesnt matter that much. everything goes warm.

 

[OutHouse]

i agree. my Izod button down shirts that i have had for over a year have not shrunk at all but the cheaper ones that my wife got me a few months ago are unwearable due to shrinkage. the labels on both says preshrunk 100% cotton.

 

[randay]

D. all of the above.

 

[sdifox]

I always wash cold

 

[tefleming]

Originally posted by: sdifox
I always wash cold

IIRC drying plays a significant role in shrinking. Dry for the bare minimum on low/medium heat (can even remove slightly damp and hang dry).

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: tefleming

Originally posted by: sdifox
I always wash cold

IIRC drying plays a significant role in shrinking. Dry for the bare minimum on low/medium heat (can even remove slightly damp and hang dry).

I wash all my stuff on cold and it still shrinks. Maybe that's my problem then. I guess I gatta dry them on low heat.

 

[Deviant Grasshopper]

As telfleming said, drying has a lot to do with it. However, I notice the same thing (that cheap shirts and pants tend to shrink more)

 

[Mo0o]

My Lacoste shirts have to be hang dried or tumble dry only or they will shrink.

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: spidey07
Without fail all of my nice tommy or nautica shirts last years without shrinking. But the cheap ones I buy at kohls after only a couple of months they have shrunk so much you can't wear them - sleeves too short, shoulders too tight, won't stay tucked in. These are 100% cotton shirts.

Is it the weave? Is it "pre-shrunk" cotton? I wash them in cold, low heat dry.

I know exactly what you mean. I bought a few nice looking shirts at Kohls... after 3 or 4 washings they were not only significantly smaller, they had already started to fade. I hate buying expensive clothes because I'd be more upset if this happened to a $60 shirt than a $15 shirt.

Hanes t-shirts ftw.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: tefleming

Originally posted by: sdifox
I always wash cold

IIRC drying plays a significant role in shrinking. Dry for the bare minimum on low/medium heat (can even remove slightly damp and hang dry).

I hang dry

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Deviant Grasshopper
As telfleming said, drying has a lot to do with it. However, I notice the same thing (that cheap shirts and pants tend to shrink more)

Right, so even if they are washed/dried the same what's the real difference? We have empirical evidence and a few hypothesis.

 

[newnameman]

Placebo effect.

 

[Parasitic]

Probably because the more expensive clothes have some amounts of spandex or rayon in them and if they're < 1% they probably didn't bother to print on the label.

 

[BoomerD]

Quality of fabric.

The more spendy shirts use a GOOD quality cotton fabric, whereas the cheaper shirts...yep, cheaper quality fabric.

Cotton garments should shrink 1-2% in the first couple of washes, but not after.