Best way to shrink linen

[Geoff Gander]

I bought a 100% linen shirt at a great price ($10, BNWT), but it's a tad too blousy. It's been washed, but not put in the dryer. If I do stick it in, do you think I'll get a decent amount of shrinkage, or will I have to tailor it?

Geoff

 

[centrix]

might as well tailor since the price of the shirt is already so low

 

[Cary Grant]

Tailor.

 

[hws]

Put in wash maschine hot water little soap, two wash cycle. Then hang for dry (do not put in dry maschine!), and iron.

 

[SuperSaiyan3]

Originally Posted by hws

Put in wash maschine hot water little soap, two wash cycle. Then hang for dry (do not put in dry maschine!), and iron.

agreed. Why would you tailor if it costs little?

 

[Cary Grant]

Originally Posted by SuperSaiyan3

agreed. Why would you tailor if it costs little?

So that you can control exactly the nature of the alterations you want.

"Blousy" I find is seldom cured by shrinking cottons and linens; what you mostly get is "shorter".

What if you don't want the sleeves shorter or the length? Or the collar tighter?
So it cost ~$18 to have the sides trimmed. You're still only in for ~$30 total.

But hey, it's your nickel.

 

[hws]

With clothes it is possible win little size always by stretching items after wash and dry, for example pull jeans legs after wash and dry in air. Also when iron shirt it is stretched little when make iron to preserve size.

 

[hws]

Originally Posted by hws

With clothes it is possible win little size always by stretching items after wash and dry, for example pull jeans legs after wash and dry in air. Also when iron shirt it is stretched little when make iron to preserve size.
But never stretch clothes fabric in bias direction!

 

[MDLimey]

If you washed the shirt in warm or hot water then try drying it on a lower temp setting such as "delicates" or "knits". then work up to "Cotton" setting. In general Linen does not shrink as much as cotton.
Be careful of uneven shrikage - your shirt could have cotton interlinings in the cuff and neck, which could look awful or not fit if they shrank!

 

[Kentishman]

Hopefully it hasn't taken the OP 9 months to get around to this...

 

[VictorC]

Ive bought a pair of linen trousers and the are too big around the waist. They come in 32inch waist and next down is 30inch waist. I am a 32 normally but these 32 linen trousers were very ample in the waist area, whereas the 30 inch pair were just about right in the waist but if washed and shrunk would be too tight.

So i basically just returned them. Worring about whether i got the right size is too stressful to deal with.

 

[sho'nuff]

Originally Posted by Geoff Gander

I bought a 100% linen shirt at a great price ($10, BNWT), but it's a tad too blousy. It's been washed, but not put in the dryer. If I do stick it in, do you think I'll get a decent amount of shrinkage, or will I have to tailor it?

Geoff

a lot of people think mistakenly that a blousy shirt can simply made to look slimmer and more eye-pleasing by a shrinkage through washing.

no.

usually a blousy shirt ,if it will shrink, willl shrink down to a tight-fitting 'blousy' shirt.

meaning, now it doesnt fit, your shoulder, across chest, shorter sleeves, etc, it fits like it is too small ,
but still,
the armholes are still huge, the waist width is still huge, the sleeve width is still huge, etc.


better to tailor.

 

[westinghouse]

Buy a better shirt.