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I bought 2 skirts and a dress on boxing day. However, it wasn't until I got them home, I realised they were a bigger size than what the coat hanger said. (The joys of leaving glasses in the car.)
I'm a size 14 to 16 on skirts. And 18 in dresses. The skirts and dresses were size 20. Because they were clearance sale prices, they can't be returned.
I'm thinking of putting them through a hot wash, and tumble dry them.
Has anyone deliberately done this to shrink clothes, and if so. How did it go?
If the material is synthetic, like rayon or polyester, you probably won't have much luck. If it is a natural fiber like cotton or wool, you might get lucky. I say lucky because there isn't much in the way of controlling the amount of shrinkage. But, what do you have to lose.
You could always have a seamstress take it in.
When I went to a stylist she gave me some really good advice and that every woman should have a good tailor. If you really love the clothing and it’s worth it going to see a tailor to adjust it might make sense. Women’s clothing berries so much that having somebody there to alter or tweak a piece of clothing you like might be worth it if it only cost $10-$15 to do it. Wearing the right clothing or clothing you like can be a game changer in your confidence. The story is that you only wear 20% of your wardrobe 80% of the time. I know everyone’s budget is different but I found myself buying nicer things but a lot less of them and then using someone to adjust them if needed. When I go to my closet I usually pick the things I That I feel most comfortable and in a Tailor. will help that happen.
Carole
@carolcorbett I usually am more judicious in my buying habits. Rivers and Miller's had a great sale. $10 each. And normally their coathangers are right sizes.
I was caught out without having my glasses. They are synthetic fabric. And I don't have access to a tailor / seamstress.
I have in the past sewn some pleats in a dress and skirt that was too large. And both turned out ok.
I find dresses are hard to find, as I'm bigger on top then below. Skirts and tops are easier to work with. Recently I bought a maternity dress from BigW that was on sale. It's made from a stretchy material and it really fits me extremely well. And it looks great (I didn't know at the time it was a maternity dress.) Something to keep an eye out in the future.
If you want clothing to shrink, let my wife do your laundry. 😁
As mentioned above, shrinkage will depend on the fabric. The problem with shrinkage is whether it will be proportional. It may not shrink evenly in all directions. Ask me how I know.
Sleeves may be long enough before shrinking, but may be too short or not big enough around, later.
Your skirts would be the easiest for a seamstress to tighten up. The dresses will be more difficult.
Try to find a very good tailor or seamstress.They can custom fit the garment to you and you will be very satisfied with the results.
I wouldn't attempt to deliberately shrink clothing. As others have said, it's probably not going to work anyway.
I'm running into a similar issue with some of my clothes. Due to illness, I have lost a significant amount of weight and some of my clothes are loose, some to the point of falling off.
I wouldn't try to alter a dress, it just wouldn't look right. I have some skirts that I'm just going to give away. But there are a few that I like and would try to alter them myself. A lot depends on your comfort level at sewing.
One skirt I am going to add belt loops. It is a black satin skirt with a zippered back and no give in the waistband. I will take some black ribbon, cut strips and turn the ends in and machine sew it (to avoid fraying), and hand stitch the loops onto the waistband.
I have a few skirts that have an elastic waistband. There are two possibilities. If the elastic is free in the waistband (not stitched to the waistband), you can take a seam ripper and open the back seam. Then you can pull the elastic tighter and sew it to itself to shorten it, and restitch the waistband.
The other way is a bit easier. Pinch the skirt at the side seams until it fits you. You can test out the fit by holding these in place with a safety pin. If this looks OK, or you plan to wear the skirt with a top that will cover the waistband, you can sew up a triangle from the waistband to the side seam. You may have to iron it to flatten it out as well. Do this evenly on the two sides and it should fit better.
Check out youtube for hints to alter a skirt to a smaller size.
I know where I live, many of the dry cleaners have a tailor associated with them. (If it is a family business, the wife may know how to do alterations.) If that is the case, find one "near" you (near enough to go to but far enough to chance meeting with someone you might know) and see if they will alter the clothes. You will have to really love what you bought, because this will probably cost more than the item originally did.
