Maybe it shrunk, did you put it in the dryer or did you hang dry it?

Dryer.

yeah, that'll shrink them like crazy. You might want to consider washing cold/hang drying next time, or if possible buying a size bigger than you think you need. I have this problem, too. All of my shirts are much shorter now.. which I don't like, since I have a short torso to begin with.

I wear 2XL, so I can't go up.

Thanks for the help.

no problem! In that case.. definitely go the no-dryer route!

One last question... is there any way to...unshrink it?

they shrink like a mofo. No there is no way to unshrink it im afraid =/ not without technically ruining the tee anyway.

Basically just dont use a dryer in future if you cant get a bigger size.

Thanks.

so if i want to shrink a shirt, ie, the motive becuase its feckin huge on me, do you think i should put it in the dryer. im just scared cause i dont wanna wreck its print. so if i put it on high heat while its inside out, will it wreck the design?

Inside out won't be too bad. But be aware that the shrinking may not be entirely consistent.

I love the quality of the AA tees, but hate the sizing. :(

^ Yeh just put it on a hot wash then tumble dry. It shouldn't effect the design. It won't shrink perectly.. maybe a little warped.

i tumble dry my stuff all the time. as far as im concerned if my tees cant handle a little rough treatment then how good can they be?

I have this problem with all my clothes--jeans, t-shirts, etc. I can't put anything in the dryer, because the length on pants shrink, and then I have high-waters, or the t-shirts shrink, and are too short. That's why I buy girlie larges, even though they're a tiny bit bigger than I really want the fitting to be. I have a long torso, so a girlie medium is too short (except for a few of them), I have to layer it over something, like a tank top. Also, if you air dry, it will preserve the color of the t-shirt better--dryer drying really fades a shirt. Although, all the air-drying makes doing laundry a 24 hour odyssey, which kind of sucks.

it may be that they shrink more but they are also a much slimmer cut that FOTL shirts. FOTL favor boxy cuts where the length and width are almost the same and the sleeves are quite large and long while AA favors long skinny shirts with smaller sleeves.

This is so stupid....

I wish I knew all this before I ruined my shirt.

I avoid the dryer at all costs with all of my t shirts!!!!!!

I was able to stretch it out by stretching the sleeves over my head. It sounds weird, but it worked...

small and tight is the trend.

I made the dryer mistake one time... my Mom told me to just wash the shirt again and then gently stretch it out while it was still wet, then hang dry it. It did help make it bigger again, though never as big as before I put it in the dryer. Hope that helps!

Hmm... personally, I like the AA shirts better because they just fit me better. I suppose its just because of my body type that I prefer the "fitted" style.

Each to his or her own I guess.

As for restretching it, as frab said try laying it out while wet and pulling it out slightly and let it dry that way.

I used to buy large then deliberately put them in the dryer to shrink them. Some never needed shrinking, but the light colours were always ma-hu-ssive! I just buy medium now but I have to make sure I only air dry them!

Blimey it gets confusing...

as a fellow big guy...i say lose weight. it helps leaps and bounds above buying larger shirts, which cost more money, and make you look and feel even larger.

unless its a medical problem like thyroid, diabetes, etc.

and do not take offense. i used to not fit in 2XLs pre-wash. just lose some weight, and the shirts will fit nicely.

i think american apparel shirts are supposed to be worn tight. this means they make them smaller than other companies with the same sizes

I just learned the hard way that AA white/natural shirts are bigger than their regular corresponding sizes (in dark colors). Grrrr...I had to return Poet Trees because the design ended up hanging around my bum. Weird. Oh well..

i wear a men's L and i like it. you might try the men's with one tee to see if you like the cut.

pwaulie, congrats on losing weight, but not everyone can do it in time to order their next shirt. i don't know many people who are big by choice.

check out this drier:



that upper cabinet lets you lay things out on racks and dry them slowly. that'll stop the shrinkage!

^^^Kind of like...line drying....

ack, forgot this was a select tee. please ignore my previous comment.

Yes, BrewHaHa. Just like line drying.

When you start taking over the laundry duties from your mom, you'll find that the ability to do some of these chores with machines, inside the house, is a real convenience.

Putting shirts on delicate cycle usually won't shrink them. It might not dry them completely either, but it helps speed things up and gets the wrinkles out.