How to stop cotton shirt waist seam from stretching?

I'm new here and only came here because it seemed like the busiest forum for clothes and I couldn't find one that would suit my question specifically.

Please excuse me if this is in the wrong place - move it wherever necessary.

So I bought these cotton raglan t-shirts to wear as an undershirt (and regular shirt when feeling casual) but I keep running into a problem. These shirts are 100% cotton and fit great when I first buy them, but after one wash the waist seam on the shirt seems to lose all elasticity. I know 100% cotton things don't maintain their shape and fit as well as others but these seems absolutely ridiculous.

I have to be doing something wrong, but I don't know what. This is the only brand I can buy locally that makes raglan t-shirts which I vastly prefer and they only come in 100% cotton. I wash them cold in a "cotton" cycle and line-dry them by hanging them at the middle of the shirt. I hope the pictures illustrate what the shirt does better. Can anybody tell me what I'm possibly doing wrong or make some suggestions? Thanks.

I'm a medium-build guy, excuse the slight love handles in the picture, I used to be 250lbs and have brought that down to around 180 and started weightlifting. The shirt is a size "large" and fits nice and snug at the chest and arms and (before washing) stomach, slight love-handles aside (which I will be losing soon). First picture is brand new, out of the packet, unwashed. Second picture is after first wash. Third picture is showing you how saggy and loose the waist seem is. I'm not using any force at all, a gust of wind would make it blow up and out on both sides like a dress.

Do I need to do something different in the wash cycle or post-wash? Do I need to wash it before I wear it so that the shirt "sets"? Should I try "wool" cycle or something?

It's stretching because your love handles are stretching it. Size up or find a different cut.

Also, find something with a "stretch" material in it. It will help prevent deformation.

You're about as dumb as a brick and as helpful as a yeast infection. There are a dozen reasons you're completely wrong.

When I was 250lbs I had plenty of t-shirts that were 100% cotton which took months upon months to stretch out by me literally pulling the seams outwards daily. My love handles at the moment are adding about 1 inch to the radius of my waist. This in no way could possibly equate to the waist seam stretching to beyond maternity clothes level of looseness. I also wore the shirt for two days straight and it was not until after going in the washing machine and line drying that this occured. If it was going to stretch from tension it would have prior to this and actually reset in the wash. My love handles are soft and provide no tension at all. The shirt fits even snugger at my muscular chest and back and no such stretching occured there.

Not only that, but if you actually looked at the pictures you'd see that I wear the seam of the shirt below my love handles at my hips and around to the top of my glutes where I have very little fat. I specifically described that the hem/seam of the shirt is the part that has stretched which is also visible in the lower picture.

Tell me, how is what you said even remotely possible? Sounds like you're one of those elitists who talks down to anyone with a bit of bodyfat every time they dare interact with you. I used to be obese and have lost 85lbs over the course of my diet and even with a calorie deficit of 500+ for months my stomach/lower back fat just never quite shaved off, instead I was getting horribly skinny everywhere else. I started calisthenics to build up some strength and meat to my frame and have been heavy weight lifting for the past 3 months. My love handle removal efforts will continue when I've added more meat to my frame and can attempt fat loss again, otherwise I'm just going to be skinny-fat (look it up) again.

Unless you're an idiot it's obvious that I'm doing something wrong in the wash/dry process. The integrity of the seam/hem is collapsing or something. I found in google search results people having similar problems were recommended to flat-dry their clothes instead of hanging or tumble drying. I'll try this with my other shirt of the same kind (they aren't expensive).

can't fight destiny.

Dat hourglass figure

I don't see how my post warranted that reaction. I even suggested what to look for in another type of shirt.

It's great that you lost so much weight. I can't imagine how difficult it is. I'm conscious of the fact that I'm blessed with a high metabolism; I'm not going to discriminate because of your weight. I wouldn't have used the term live handles if you hadn't already.

That said, good luck getting any help now that you've gone off the rails.

Wile making it sound like a 5'10 180lbs guy who lifts weights can't wear a Large size cotton shirt after 1 wash or it'll balloon out at the waist seam like a maternity top. I wasn't insulted about it, I was pissed because I thought this forum might actually be helpful and I was proved wrong.

LOL awesome thread!



VeryAnnoyedPers said:

Wile making it sound like a 5'10 180lbs guy who lifts weights can't wear a Large size cotton shirt after 1 wash or it'll balloon out at the waist seam like a maternity top. I wasn't insulted about it, I was pissed because I thought this forum might actually be helpful and I was proved wrong.

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jesus, dude, relax. brad's comment is pretty much all there is to say...nothing remains pristine as the day you bought it, and t-shirts are particularly disposed to shrinking/stretching over time.

adding some spandex to the mix will likely result in the shirt keeping its shape better over time. there isn't any magic spin cycle that keeps shirts fitting exactly as they do over time. otherwise, you just need to experiment with different shirts and see which work best for you.

also, quit acting like such an entitled twat and you're likely to get better responses...nobody here actually owes you anything.

Wow this is the first time I've seen Brad be all nice and get completely **** on. haha

this is why i am never nice

@superego

Except you're ignoring pretty much every word I've actually typed. I've said repeatedly that the shirt is brand new and SEVERELY stretched after one single wash. The shirt has lost 3-4 inches in length and the waist hem has ballooned out like a skirt after one wash. The seam at the waist hem literally looks like it has lost all integrity not simply stretched. In what universe is this due to a few pounds of excess fat and/or wear and tear? Responding with such unhelpful garbage shows me you're not even showing me the courtesy of listening to what I'm saying so why should I show you any respect? You get what you're given.



lesamourai said:

Dat hourglass figure

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VeryAnnoyedPers said:

@superego

Except you're ignoring pretty much every word I've actually typed. I've said repeatedly that the shirt is brand new and SEVERELY stretched after one single wash. The shirt has lost 3-4 inches in length and the waist hem has ballooned out like a skirt after one wash. The seam at the waist hem literally looks like it has lost all integrity not simply stretched. In what universe is this due to a few pounds of excess fat and/or wear and tear? Responding with such unhelpful garbage shows me you're not even showing me the courtesy of listening to what I'm saying so why should I show you any respect? You get what you're given.

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Eat less and exercise more.