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Fashion & Textiles vocabulary · Textile Production

Shrinkage

Meaning in fashion & textiles, with examples

/ˈʃrɪŋkɪdʒ/nounCore term

In fashion & textiles, shrinkage means: The amount a fabric or garment gets smaller, usually after washing or steaming, given as a percentage of its length and width.

In Turkish: çekme, boyutsal değişim

How it is used

Labs test shrinkage (also called dimensional stability) after a set number of washes. Buyers usually set a maximum, for example 3% in length and width. Pattern makers may add a shrinkage allowance to patterns for fabrics or garments that will be washed after sewing.

Example sentences

  1. The test report shows 6% shrinkage in length, which is above our limit.

  2. We added the shrinkage allowance to the pattern because the jeans are washed after sewing.

Common collocations

  • shrinkage test
  • shrinkage allowance
  • length shrinkage
  • low shrinkage
  • residual shrinkage
  • finishingTreatments given to fabric after weaving, knitting or dyeing to improve its look, feel or performance, such as softening, brushing or anti-shrink processes.
  • colourfastnessHow well a dyed or printed fabric keeps its colour without fading or staining other fabrics when it is washed, rubbed, exposed to light or sweat.
  • quality controlChecking materials and products at different stages of production to find defects and make sure they meet the agreed standards.
  • cottonA soft natural fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant, and the yarn or fabric made from it; the most widely used natural fibre in clothing.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Textile Production

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