Beware how much dresses from Zara, Next and New Look might shrink in the wash… and the shops to head to if you want to avoid hemline horrors
FINDING the perfect dress for everyday wear can be hard.
Simple, comfy dresses are a staple in many women’s wardrobes, but have you ever noticed that sometimes your trusty favourites seem to shrink even when you follow the washing instructions?
Too many times reasonably priced high street dresses, between the £20 to £30 mark, seem to have their hem-lines creep up after the first wash.
We decided to carry out a shrink test to find out exactly how much six dresses from popular retailers shrunk when washed – and find out advice for keeping our frocks in good nick.
We tested a selection of shirt and shift dresses from New Look, Next, ASOS, M&S, Zara and PrettyLittleThing.com and measured them from the same point before and after they were washed at the temperatures instructed on the label.
All dresses were then allowed to dry naturally – to prevent any additional heat shrinkage.
“This is a kinder option for your clothing, and will clean them without damaging them. It’s also a good idea if you only need to wash one or two items!
“Most good washing machines also have ‘delicate’ cycles and the ability to do a cold wash, both of these will protect your clothing and help stop them from shrinking.
“Generally, the cheaper the item is, the less likely the fabric is to last.
“Rayon is a common fabric, used for underwear, and imitates silk, linen and cotton, and is often mixed with other fibres. Although it is absorbent and stretchy, it has the tendency to shrink.
“Brands use it to imitate silk, linen, and cotton which are more expensive and it isn’t as durable.
“Although natural, super soft fibres like cotton, wool and silk can shrink and fade, if they are not cared for properly, fabrics that are a blend, such as 50 per cent cotton-polyester, are often the most durable.
“Before you wash your clothes, consider how dirty they really are. Many modern washing machines have a quick wash function, which washes clothes effectively.
“When it comes to detergent, opt for a non-chlorine bleach or only use bleach every third wash for whites, as chlorine-based bleach attacks fibres and damaged clothes.
“To help prevent excess shrinking, be environmentally aware and try and wash clothes on the lowest temperature possible.
“Don’t panic if you take something out of the washing machine and it looks slightly smaller than it should be.
“Quite often, you can hang the item up and then iron it which will bring it back to the size that it actually is.”
Previously, we revealed how to beat "first wash anxiety" and how often you should wash your clothes.