Stretchy Pants?
 

I've noticed that some stretch denim does seem to have an endless "shrink" factor. Sometimes you can almost guess before buying (it's hard to describe, but if you pull on the fabric in the store, and it seems to have an almost "heavy" kind of stretch - like the fabric is more elastic than fabricky, those seem to be most likely to have the everlasting shrink factor). Often though, you can't tell until after you take the garment home and wash it a few times.

I had a pair of stretch jeans that appeared to have a very subtle stripe, but a fairly smooth feel to the denim, and a loose boot cut when I tried them on. The way the jeans shrunk after washing and drying, they shrunk in such a way as to create a corduroy texture - and a "legging" fit, that was really weird.

I've noticed the same thing. I hate it because it makes me feel like I don't even fit into my clothes!

I hang my pants to dry that I don't want to shrink. It helps a lot.

I think all pants have this to some extent. When I was overseas for work, the hotel they put us in washed our clothes, and hung them on a line to dry. (This was totally normal, no one in that area had clothes dryers.) All of us noticed our pants getting larger. The first time I washed and dried my pants after I got home, they were back to normal.

With stretchy jeans its BAD to dry them in the dryer! It basically fries the elastic in them, and eventually they will just permanently stretch out. So if you can just hang them to dry, and the occasional time in the dryer should be okay.

-Aimee

Jeans with stretch are tricky. A little bit makes them so much more comfortable. But it takes so little to be too much, and then, even if they're tight when you first put them on, they'll be sliding down in a few hours. I have the best result with just the smallest touch of Lycra.

I have the same problem. I end up having to stretch them back out before i put them on, I hate it! Then once I wear them the ones that seem to fit ok tend to be falling off by the afternoon! haha

I always dry my trousers hung up and they still shrink a little. But my main reason for not putting them in the dryer is the HUUUUGE amount of electricity those things use (I'm not a hippy, just broke :))

I dry practically nothing. My clothes last longer and look neater this way. My blouses, jeans, and slacks all get hung up....Unless they are waaaaay too big and must be dried for a little shrinkage. BUt unless they are lounge clothes or gym clothes I don't dry them.

Same here! This is the first time I've actually lived in a place with a drier, so it's a bit of a novelty to me. If it's winter, I sometimes put a really short cycle on to dry underwear (not including bras) and maybe the most basic plain vests - this is mainly because there isn't enough space in my flat to dry a whole load of washing! Whatever the time of year, pretty much everything else is air dried, other on a line outside or by hanging in my airing cupboard. I feel the clothes stay in a much nicer condition and I don't experience any problems with shrinkage. I also tend to avoid tumble drying because dryers are an expensive appliance to run (and they are not so great for the environment, but I can't pretend I'm massively environmentally conscious!).

When I wash at 40 degrees C, I find that this temperature sometimes seems to make clothes shrink a bit and feel a little bit tighter, but they stretch out again within a few hours of wear. To be honest, any reasonable degree of heat/agitation tend to break down the bonds in the clothes and make them shrink, so just be careful with things you really like (or that will not fit if they shrink any further!).

My jeans are always tight after coming out of the drier. I have a couple pairs from ten pounds ago, and if I put them on in the morning they stick to my legs like the skin on a potato...but halfway through the day they're practically falling off my hips.

I hang my jeans. The dryer is too traumatic for me. ;) (and the pants last longer...)

I've never even thought to hang my jeans. How long does it usually take to dry them?

one thing that i have heard that works to stop shrinking is after you wash something put it in the freeze for 24 hours, take it out and let it thow out usually 24 hours then dry it then you can wash and dry them like normal every time after the first washing.and then no more shrinking after that because the cotton fibers have been "killed".