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Why aren't all shirts/polos pre-shrunk?

post #1 of 12
5/16/11 at 11:53pm
Thread Starter 
Why aren't all shirts/polos pre-shrunk? Do some manufacturers believe that people like the "guess and check" game of buying, drying, and seeing whether or not the item still fits? Is there a massive customer segment that prefers to break in shirts by not washing them for 8 months to get custom sweat stains?

Seriously, I know I am a genius and all, but surely all the manufacturers would have figured out this sucks for the consumer by now. A few have followed suit but many have not. Wake up, clothiers, it is the 21st century!
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post #2 of 12
5/17/11 at 12:00am
I'm not sure. Maybe prewashing will take away the lustre of a new fabric or something like that and they want it to look as new as possible in store.

Anyways, having recently washed a Lacoste polo it shrunk a ton, and thank god because it fits better now than ever (I'm now an even bigger Lacoste fan). But even with shrinkage I can't see how a shirt post-wash would change the fit so much as to second guess sizing pre-wash.
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post #3 of 12
5/17/11 at 12:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroStyles View Post
Why aren't all shirts/polos pre-shrunk? Do some manufacturers believe that people like the "guess and check" game of buying, drying, and seeing whether or not the item still fits? Is there a massive customer segment that prefers to break in shirts by not washing them for 8 months to get custom sweat stains?

Seriously, I know I am a genius and all, but surely all the manufacturers would have figured out this sucks for the consumer by now. A few have followed suit but many have not. Wake up, clothiers, it is the 21st century!

Most people that buy clothes with nice fabric don't dry them. Therefore, if you wash it on gentle cycle/cold, there will be little to no shrinkage. Seems perfectly logical to me.
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post #4 of 12
5/17/11 at 12:18am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by MSSneaker View Post
Most people that buy clothes with nice fabric don't dry them. Therefore, if you wash it on gentle cycle/cold, there will be little to no shrinkage. Seems perfectly logical to me.

Do I look like a housewife? I don't have time for cutesy drying techniques.
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post #5 of 12
5/17/11 at 12:22am
Probably to achieve consistency in sizing when selling them. I agree it's a pain, though.
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post #6 of 12
5/17/11 at 12:24am
Your shirts are shrinking because you're buying cheap shit. And yes, that includes Lacoste.

Buy higher end shirts and they will shrink very little to none at all! I am not sure if this behavior of many expensive brands is due to pre-washing or not, but it is surprisingly common. I can tell you for a fact that most $100 Lad Musician and wjk tees do not shrink, even when placed in a hot drier.

Your other option buy cheap tees, use cold water in the washing machine, and then hang dry. Even cheap AA tees don't shrink much if you wash them in this manner. But if you use a clothes drier on them they can easily shrink one whole size.
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post #7 of 12
5/17/11 at 12:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroStyles View Post
Do I look like a housewife?
kind of.
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post #8 of 12
5/17/11 at 12:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by macuser3of5 View Post
kind of.

brilliant
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post #9 of 12
5/17/11 at 12:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroStyles View Post
Do I look like a housewife? I don't have time for cutesy drying techniques.

Uhh...you just hang it on a drying rack or hanger. I could train a monkey to do it easier than I could to use a dryer.
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post #10 of 12
5/17/11 at 12:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by BB1 View Post
Your shirts are shrinking because you're buying cheap shit. And yes, that includes Lacoste.

Buy higher end shirts and they will shrink very little to none at all! I am not sure if this behavior of many expensive brands is due to pre-washing or not, but it is surprisingly common. I can tell you for a fact that most $100 Lad Musician and wjk tees do not shrink, even when placed in a hot drier.

Your other option buy cheap tees, use cold water in the washing machine, and then hang dry. Even cheap AA tees don't shrink much if you wash them in this manner. But if you use a clothes drier on them they can easily shrink one whole size.

It doesn't have to do with how much you pay for them, it is simply what they are composed of. 100% cotton will shrink no matter how much you paid.
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post #11 of 12
5/17/11 at 12:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroStyles View Post
Why aren't all shirts/polos pre-shrunk? Do some manufacturers believe that people like the "guess and check" game of buying, drying, and seeing whether or not the item still fits? Is there a massive customer segment that prefers to break in shirts by not washing them for 8 months to get custom sweat stains? Seriously, I know I am a genius and all, but surely all the manufacturers would have figured out this sucks for the consumer by now. A few have followed suit but many have not. Wake up, clothiers, it is the 21st century!
I agree, although it depends on the brand. The Lands End Canvas polos I have don't shrink at all, even after hot drying them, whereas I size up on all AA stuff. Their clothes shrink like crazy after drying them. My Gitman oxford shirts don't shrink at all, even after drying. My epaulet shirts do a tiny bit, and one of mine shrink a lot more after accidental drying. I don't dry my nice clothes, but it would be nice to have that piece of mind.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BB1 View Post
Your shirts are shrinking because you're buying cheap shit.
I've proven this to be false.
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post #12 of 12
5/17/11 at 5:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mfrege View Post
I'm not sure. Maybe prewashing will take away the lustre of a new fabric or something like that and they want it to look as new as possible in store.

Anyways, having recently washed a Lacoste polo it shrunk a ton, and thank god because it fits better now than ever (I'm now an even bigger Lacoste fan). But even with shrinkage I can't see how a shirt post-wash would change the fit so much as to second guess sizing pre-wash.

Since clothing mostly shrinks in length; it's my believe short people say things like this.
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