What is Fabric or Garment Shrinkage? Why Does Fabric Shrinkage Occur?

After washing a piece of fabric or an apparel product, the cloth or apparel product's dimensions are reduced from their original size. Shrinkage is the term used to describe the process of a fabric shrinking from its initial size.

Increased shrinkage has a negative impact on the quality of the clothing. A garment constructed from a knitted or woven fabric that has not been pre-shrunk will shrink to some amount as the fabric has not been pre-shrunk.

Reason of Fabric Shrinkage

Mainly fabric get shrunk for stretching. The yarns are stretched during the knitting and weaving processes, resulting in a high level of tension in the fabric. Machine stretching and increased strain in the fabric are unavoidable during the Dyeing, Printing, and Finishing production processes. As a result, when fabrics are washed, the cloth returns to its original state of stress, resulting in the shrinking of the fabric.