<p>About a month ago I bought a pair of linen pants through Banana Republic, a color I love, and they fit fine then, though too long, am going to need to hem them up some, but not much. They say dry clean only. The linen is crisp. I prefer soft, washed linen. They are too big now, probably could go down a size, but recent weight loss from a virus will probably return. So, the question is…dare I wash them? I want them to shrink. I want them smaller and shorter. I called customer service and asked if they would fall apart if I washed them, and they said they did not think so. How much will linen shrink? Any ideas?</p>
<p>Hard to predict, but you could try washing in stages. First, cold water and line dry will do the least. If they fit then, stop and hem up any excess length (sometimes things will shrink in width more than in length). If not enough you could try hot water, line dry. If you put them in a dryer, be prepared to see max shrinkage. I like linen, and I have a rule not to dry clean anything, so I wash mine in cold water all the time.</p>
<p>wow…thought this thread was headed in a TOTALLY different direction ;)</p>
<p>Me, too!!! ^^^</p>
<p>Linen is a VERY durable fabric. washing them may shrink them IN a bit but not up. unlined linen also stretches out as you wear them. You will need to shorten them if you want them shorter.</p>
<p>LOL…I just got it, 1down12go and Youdon’tsay, and holding up is wishful thinking…sigh. </p>
<p>OK, I washed them on delicate/warm, dried them for 20+ minutes low, hanging them for the rest of the drying. I do like the softer texture after some time in dryer, but they will need to be ironed to settle the seams. They look like they shrunk lengthwise quite a bit…may be just about right. In that case, in the future, I will soften them only 5-10 minutes on very low, then air dry them.</p>
<p>Definately not what I thought this thread was about either!</p>
<p>George Costanza will forever be my image when I hear the word shrinkage.</p>
<p>I have linen pants that I wash regularly and when they dry they are too short but when I iron them, they get long again. With all my other linen clothes, I do that short stint in the dryer and then hang them dry.</p>
<p>Another one who thought this was going to be on a totally different topic… but maybe that’s because I was a retail executive in another life.</p>
<p>IMO, tons of garments now say Dry Clean Only, when that is neither needed nor necessarily even the way to get best results.</p>
<p>Glad yours worked out.</p>
<p>I thought this was going to be a thread on Seinfelds topic of “shrinkage”. Oh well good luck with the linen…and hope they don’t shrink too much…lol!</p>
<p>LOL, thread title of the day 
I’m not a fan of linen, so can’t help you, but I agree with others who said that many dry-clean only clothes can be safely washed. I routinely wash all my cashmere (cold water, handwash cycle) and stretch on a towel to dry.</p>
<p>yup, another reader totally mistaken by the title of this thread :)</p>
<p>Hahaha…me too.</p>
<p>“I was in the pool! I was in the POOL!” - George Costanza</p>
<p>When I saw the title, it’s the first thing I thought of. LOL!</p>
<p>I now see I’m not the only one who immediately thought of Seinfeld.</p>
<p>I am terrified of linen clothing. It’s almost a phobia. It looks gorgeous when I have bought items, and then, not so much. Too much time in the dryer and shrinkage. Dry cleaning is a dirty word in my house. Ironing! Ha! Not a chance. It’s always going to end badly for me, so I have given up and been defeated by a textile.</p>
<p>I wash linen all the time. I even bleach it. It’s a very strong fiber, much more so than cotton. I have some seventy year old pillowcases from my sister’s MIL that are still going strong. In my experience, it will shrink once (when you wash it in hot water and throw it in the dryer until toasted) and then never again.</p>
<p>I love linen clothes. I can wear it in the hottest weather and be very comfortable when everyone else is dying. It needs to be loose, however not tight. If it is soft, it does not need to be ironed. Be brave…you will be glad.</p>
<p>Me, too (with my mind in the pool or ocean or whatever it was …).</p>
<p>I don’t care for linen, as I am wrinkly enough myself without any help from my fabrics. But I do sometimes hand wash dry clean only fabrics on delicate cycle & lay flat to dry. I have only had one mishap as a result (and D wears that sweater now).</p>
<p>In the medieval history of linen, some cultures would weave the cloth and it would come out very coarse and gray. They would then leave it outside all winter, laying on top of the snowy fields. The freezing and thawing would soften the fabric and the constant sun exposure would lighten it.</p>
<p>Darn - I thought this was a naughty thread. Nevermind.</p>