J. Crew cashmere: shrink to fit?

Angie's post yesterday about tumble-drying clothes to adjust fit came to mind today as I received a J. Crew 100% cashmere sweater from Nordstrom. The fit is not quite right because it is a misses' size and not a petite size (there were no petites in this style). Therefore, the shoulders are slightly too wide, the length is maybe an inch too long, and there is a bit of excess fabric in the waist area.

The fabric care label says to hand wash cold and dry flat. I'm wondering what would happen if I hand washed in warm or hot water instead. For those of you who have J. Crew cashmere, does it shrink much when washed? Or does it shrink only in certain dimensions and not all around?

(Note: I linked to Angie's post about using the dryer to adjust fit, but I think that using that kind of heat on cashmere would be too much. I'm thinking that adjusting the temperature of the water for hand washing would be enough.)

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J.Crew J.Crew Leopard Heart Everyday Cashmere Sweater (Regular & Plus Size) | Nordstrom

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6 years ago

Sheryl

Active Member

I have found that handwashing the J. Crew cashmere causes it to shrink all around, and that is in cold water. The risk with hotter water is that the dye may run/bleed unevenly. You may want to try handwashing in cold water, then putting it in the dryer briefly if needed. Measure the sweater before washing, then after, so see how much it shrank from washing alone. Cute sweater!

Gigi

Veteran

Thanks for the help. I hadn't thought of measuring the sweater right after washing to see if I need the dryer. That is a good tip.

karen13

I have successfully shrunk a non j crew cashmere from a medium misses to a small petite. Definitely measure first, and know what measurement you are aiming for. Tracing its outline on a paper bag is another way. Wool (and cashmere) shrinks from either agitation or abrupt changes in water temp cold/heat. So measure, start with a cold wash and check measurements again. If more is needed. Dry on very low heat for 5 minutes and keep checking. And turn the sweater inside out. If you overshoot a bit, while it is still damp, stretch it hard to the desired shape. And be prepared for a change in texture, it may or may nor thicken a bit. Good luck

luxymom

(website)

I can speak from experience on this! I accidentally shrunk a gorgeous J.Crew cashmere sweater by unintentionally mixing it in with a regular load of wash. It went through the washer and dryer, and it shrunk from a women's size extra small to about a size that would fit a 1 year old. It also did completely change in texture as well. So personally, I'd avoid trying to shrink it. I hope this helps!

karen13, thanks for the detailed instructions. I hadn't thought of using a paper bag. And good idea to turn the sweater inside-out.

luxymom, I'm really sorry to hear about your sweater! I'm hoping that since I want to shrink the sweater only a little bit, the texture won't change too much. I'm still thinking about whether I want to try this or not...

Well, I tried shrinking the sweater, and things went really well. I measured the garment first (thanks for this tip, Sheryl and karen13!). I used warm water with some Eucalan so that I wouldn't have to rinse. After I put the sweater in the water, I checked to see if there was any bleeding, and there was not, so I figured it would be safe with the higher temp.

I let the sweater sit in the warm water for 5 minutes, and then I squeezed most of the water out and rolled it up in a towel to remove the rest. I measured it, and it was still slightly large for my target, but since I didn't want to overdo it, I just let it air dry at that point.

After air drying, the sweater looked great. No uneven bleeding, and everything seemed to have shrunk evenly. The texture is still good. Next time I wash it, I will probably use cold water and see if the sweater will shrink that last little bit.

Thank you all for your advice! It was a life saver. Since I pretty much always have to wear petite-sized tops due to my short stature and narrow shoulders, I'm often missing out on interesting items. Being able to shrink stuff to fit helps expand the possibilities for creative dressing!

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