How is lengthwise and widthwise garment shrinkage calculated after washing?
How is lengthwise and widthwise garment shrinkage calculated after washing?
Shrinkage is measured at the same points before and after washing, under an agreed wash and drying method. Lengthwise and widthwise changes are calculated separately, because a garment rarely shrinks by the same amount in both directions.
The shrinkage formula
The same points are measured each time — for example the finished garment length and the chest width — so the before and after numbers are comparable.
Lengthwise example
If the garment length changes from 70 cm to 68.6 cm:
Widthwise example
If the chest width changes from 50 cm to 49.5 cm:
Before bulk: lock the method
MinCharm marks the reference points on the garment before the first wash and records the agreed wash and drying method, then compares the same seam-to-seam distances afterward. A small change is normal — what matters is whether it stays inside the buyer's approved tolerance, not whether it is zero. Because the number moves with the method, the wash condition is fixed up front.
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