Should a shirt collar shrink?

[BirdofSydney]

I have read, elsewhere, that a shirt collar ought to be slightly (1/4”) loose at first, as it will shrink after washing.

I can’t say I’ve thought too hard about this although on reflection some of mine have gotten tighter over time.

Presumably the fabric does not shrink, so it must be the interlining. But...is this normal, or a sign of an inferior product?

[andy57]

Bespoke shirts are usually made with a shrinkage allowance in all dimensions. How much this allowance needs to be is, I assume, at the discretion of the cutter and to a certain extent the policy of the shirtmaker. I have certainly had shirts where the collar shrank more than the shrinkage allowance and so the shirts became uncomfortable to wear.

Ready to wear shirts should not shrink, though.

[alden]

Cotton shrinks. If your shirts are made of cotton they will shrink. And if they are maintained and cleaned improperly, most notably, from drying at high temperatures, they will shrink down to nothing. Be very careful who you give your shirts to and how they will be cleaned.

I do all my own shirts for a very good reason. I know what I am doing and most cleaners do not.

Wash your shirts, and when they are still wet from washing give the collars a good stretch. Pull to your hearts content, you will not harm the collar, but by stretching them you will return them to their original (pre-shrink) dimensions. Then hang dry your shirts till they are still just a bit damp and iron them.

If you give your shirts to someone who does not know what they are doing, the collars, sleeves and overall length of the shirt will decrease in size like clockwork. And at a certain point you will not be able to stretch them back. But if they are not completely lost, you can always try to dampen them in tepid water and give them a stretch. Sometimes you can pull them back a bit, enough to get some more wear from them.

[arch]

Here, here! Wash at low temperature, do not tumble dry. All cotton shrinks to a degree, usually during the first few washes.