Wavy neckline problem

[Darkbane1337]

Anyone knows what causes this wavy neckline as in the attached pic, how to avoid it and how to fix it once it's already there?

 

[Phileas Fogg]

It looks like it might be inherent to the particular weave for the collar piece.

 

[breakaway01]

My guess is differential shrinkage of the collar and body fabric, or possibly puckering of the seam itself. In either case, to minimize the risk of this happening do not machine dry on high heat. Either dry flat out of the washer or tumble dry on low/no heat. Once present, there’s probably no good way to fix it. You could try to gently stretch the seam out when the shirt is still damp.

 

[Daniel Hakimi]

My guess is differential shrinkage of the collar and body fabric, or possibly puckering of the seam itself. In either case, to minimize the risk of this happening do not machine dry on high heat. Either dry flat out of the washer or tumble dry on low/no heat. Once present, there’s probably no good way to fix it. You could try to gently stretch the seam out when the shirt is still damp.

I know that, with tee shirts, some brands solve it and others don't. I'm not sure how that is -- maybe they pre-shrink the collar band and the tee itself, separately, so that they end in the same place, but I'm not sure this solution makes sense for wool knitwear.