Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Why some clothes shrink in the wash and how to unshrink them

swinburne.edu.au

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

271–280 of 287 posts

Re: Why some clothes shrink in the wash and how to unshrink them

#271

Post by 542354234235 »

abdullahkhalids wrote: post #104
Xenoamorphous wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's probably not the washes but due to wear.

If somebody wants to wear tight jeans, how can they do that, if the jeans that were tight in store expand afterwards? Surely you can't buy a size smaller because then you can't wear them to break them.

70s and 80s movies come to mind where girls would be getting ready and lie down on the bed and suck in to get the button buttoned. Dazed and Confused comes to mind where they literally use a pair of pliers to put up the zipper because its so tight. Until you break it in, you are just having to suffer. Once they put elastic into jeans, people jumped on it because its just easier. I love my old-style selvedge denim, but it is more work and care than throwaway stuff.

Re: Why some clothes shrink in the wash and how to unshrink them

#272

Post by scaradim »

CurleighBraces wrote: post #10

Me and the wife have so many discussions about this :) We have a lot of "shrinkage" in our house, that I am convinced is more due to both of us uhh "growing" rather than the clothes shrinking ;) You can imagine, it's a delicate subject

funny & true :-)

Re: Why some clothes shrink in the wash and how to unshrink them

#273

Post by leviathant »

irishcoffee wrote: post #208
helterskelter wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

$.02: - American Giant is pretty good for their pullover hoodies. They'll wear out at the cuffs first, but I've kept a single hoody in use for like five years with some repair stitching. - Standard Issue makes good waffle knit shirts. They'll last a few years depending on how often you wash them. - Duluth Trading makes some good cotton shirts and boxers. Quality has declined slightly, but they're the best plain cotto…

> Carhartt makes some okay dressy dungarees. Their work pants are worthless these days though (in my experience). They've been pivoting to lifestyle for a few years now. Carhartt are the most durable clothes I own. Whatever Levi’s did, their jeans went from lasting years to literal months before they would rip. Had the same 3 pairs of Carhartt work pants for half a decade with no end in sight. Maybe something changed…

>Whatever Levi’s did, their jeans went from lasting years to literal months before they would rip.

Before they went public, the trick with Levi's was to basically shop with two things in mind: price point, and finish. I personally stick to non-stretch 501s. If you were sorting price low to high, you were buying low quality 501s. If you sorted price high to low, there were a bunch of "fashion" 501s at the top of the list, but when you got a pair of expensive 501s in "rigid" or some other simple wash, that was where the quality was. They used to publish the weight of the denim on the product detail page. Bonus points if they're Shrink to Fit.

Pre-IPO they'd also do much more experimentation. I have a pair of 501s made of Dyneema that I have been abusing for about a decade, and only just this month has one pocket needed to be repaired. I wish I'd bought multiple of these, but I got it on a blowout sale.

Post-IPO, there was more branding hierarchy: Levi's Vintage Clothing, Made & Crafted, Premium, and then everything else.

It looks like it's a little different now, but I haven't had to buy a new pair of 501s in several years. There are still quality jeans to be had from Levi's, but you have to spend more and avoid gimmicks.

Re: Why some clothes shrink in the wash and how to unshrink them

#274

Post by mynameajeff »

vaindil wrote: post #222
FuriouslyAdrift wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or get shirts made for people with longer torsos... YMMV https://www.landsend.com/shop/mens-tall-t-shirts-tops-tees/S...

I'm 6'9" / 206cm, and I've struggled my whole life to find clothing that fits, since I'm slim. If we're sharing links, the two I've been buying from lately are https://tallslimtees.com and https://www.2tall.com . The latter has a large selection of knitwear, which I've never found anywhere else, it's been a game changer. (Most tall sizes are both bigger and taller, so they don't fit correctly. These sites sell taller…

If you don't mind me asking how do they fit around your shoulder to bicep area? I tend to need to size up a lot not just for height but for space in that area for myself. A lot of more slim fitting stuff fits me nice overall but basically strangle my armpit and surrounding area. I've resorted to an extremely baggie style to get better space around the sleeve, especially on t-shirts.

Re: Why some clothes shrink in the wash and how to unshrink them

#275

Post by FuriouslyAdrift »

vaindil wrote: post #222
FuriouslyAdrift wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or get shirts made for people with longer torsos... YMMV https://www.landsend.com/shop/mens-tall-t-shirts-tops-tees/S...

I'm 6'9" / 206cm, and I've struggled my whole life to find clothing that fits, since I'm slim. If we're sharing links, the two I've been buying from lately are https://tallslimtees.com and https://www.2tall.com . The latter has a large selection of knitwear, which I've never found anywhere else, it's been a game changer. (Most tall sizes are both bigger and taller, so they don't fit correctly. These sites sell taller…

Custom tailored is another option (last time I had shirts made it was around $80 -100).

It's a luxury but you'll never have a better shirt.

Re: Why some clothes shrink in the wash and how to unshrink them

#276

Post by vaindil »

mynameajeff wrote: post #274
vaindil wrote: post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm 6'9" / 206cm, and I've struggled my whole life to find clothing that fits, since I'm slim. If we're sharing links, the two I've been buying from lately are https://tallslimtees.com and https://www.2tall.com . The latter has a large selection of knitwear, which I've never found anywhere else, it's been a game changer. (Most tall sizes are both bigger and taller, so they don't fit correctly. These sites sell taller…

If you don't mind me asking how do they fit around your shoulder to bicep area? I tend to need to size up a lot not just for height but for space in that area for myself. A lot of more slim fitting stuff fits me nice overall but basically strangle my armpit and surrounding area. I've resorted to an extremely baggie style to get better space around the sleeve, especially on t-shirts.

Everything I've gotten from 2tall has fit a bit differently, some are a bit roomier there and some are a bit more restricting. I have to order two different sizes of each top I get, because some will fit better in the smaller size and some fit better in the larger. Tall Slim Tees has a smaller selection, but their sizing has been much more consistent for me.

I've never had an issue with feeling restricted in the shoulder area like you're saying though, so I'm probably not the best person to judge that, unfortunately.

Re: Why some clothes shrink in the wash and how to unshrink them

#277

Post by Newhouser »

vyaa wrote: post #96
jazzyjackson wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's still good fabrics out there you just have to pay for them. I've mostly replaced my wardrobe now with natural undyed cottons and wools from the likes of "unbleached apparel" and "industry of all nations". There is cotton grown in new mexico, socks spun in north carolina. "Filson" makes a few things in Seattle. Don't skip the stuff made in Peru or India neither.

Do you have any brand recommendations?

Outdoor brands (Patagonia, Outdoor Research, Fjällräven, etc.) surprisingly have some high quality items, especially when it comes to trousers and t-shirts. There will be limited choices but I've found that my purchases from those brands have lasted way longer and took more abuse than your regular retailer products do/did.

Re: Why some clothes shrink in the wash and how to unshrink them

#278

Post by glemion43 »

fpoling wrote: post #231
ravenstine wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can confirm that you really don't want to breathe in any of that crap. A year and a half ago I developed symptoms of what was some form of bronchitis. Lots of mucus, constantly coughing, etc. I was pretty freaking sick. I tend to wait some things like this out, but it wasn't going away so I went to a doctor and got some medications including albuterol and some kind of steroid (prednisone, I think). It got a little…

We have a washing machine that also has a drier function. It dries much slower than a standalone drier as it consumes water during the drying circle to cool and condense the hot air from the clothes. But the big plus is that it works in mostly closed cycle reusing the air. And there is no need to clean the filter, just unclog the sink pipes once in few months.

That's what he should have gotten. .his setup sounds borderline fishy

Re: Why some clothes shrink in the wash and how to unshrink them

#279

Post by dredmorbius »

userbinator wrote: post #248
ravenstine wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can confirm that you really don't want to breathe in any of that crap. A year and a half ago I developed symptoms of what was some form of bronchitis. Lots of mucus, constantly coughing, etc. I was pretty freaking sick. I tend to wait some things like this out, but it wasn't going away so I went to a doctor and got some medications including albuterol and some kind of steroid (prednisone, I think). It got a little…

Inhaling large quantities of any type of fiber is not good, cotton included: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byssinosis But if anything I'd think plastic fibers are less likely to have any effects, because they're inert.

Silica dust, PM25, and asbestos are all largely inert, and cause significant health issues.

Radon is one of the noble gasses, and is chemically inert, but harmful.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicosis>

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particulate_matter#Health_effe...>

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbestosis>

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radon#Health_risks>

Re: Why some clothes shrink in the wash and how to unshrink them

#280

Post by loco5niner »

enobrev wrote: post #144
taeric wrote: post #6

It has been ages since I had clothes shrink on me. To the point that I had assumed something must have gotten better in modern dryers. Is that not the case? Edit: Quickly searching, this appears to be the case? Specifically modern moisture sensing dryers that stop appropriately goes a long way to never having something shrink on you.

I can only wear tall-size clothing, and generally I've found that none of my t-shirts shrink "in", but they _all_ shrink "up". I can make them last longer washing them delicate and "air-drying" (in the dryer, light or no heat), but eventually they all get shorter. I have to replace most of my undershirts annually, and I rarely bother with t-shirts anymore.

I have that same problem but I attributed it to gaining weight. I'm sure it's the shirts.
Post reply on HN