# Brooks Shirts: shrinking size scale



## Galt (Oct 4, 2008)

All my shirts hit the dryer at some point, and I've found that different styles of Brooks' shirts shrink differently (Oxford, pinpoint, non-iron). Has anyone else found this? If you only dry clean your shirts or always hang to dry, I doubt this is an issue, but for those of us who use our dryers, I'm interested if you buy different sizes based on the style/ fabric. 

I measure a 15/33. Here is my scale... 

Non Iron- 15/33-- No shrinkage
Pinpoint- 15.5/33-- some shrinkage (fits causally out the dryer & from the dry cleaners)
Oxford- 16/33-- high shrinkage (I only wear causally straight out the dryer)

PS-- I'm not a fan of non-irons, but having a few is a necessary evil for me.


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## CornoUltimo (Mar 8, 2015)

I think tighter woven fabrics would shrink less. The non-iron treatment probably has something to do with this. Looser and open fabrics like Oxford have more room to shrink, so they would shrink the most. I assume this is what happens, but I could be wrong, I'm no expert.


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## Old Road Dog (Sep 4, 2015)

The worst shirt shrinkage I have experienced was with the BB American-made OCBDs, just a few years ago. I won't go into details since I posted on it in another thread. There is really no excuse for this. The customer should not be held responsible for the maker's quality control. I've had a lot of OCBD's in my long life that did not have this problem. A shame, too; because the the quality construction points are there in the shirts from BB, along with the right aesthetic and styling.

I saw some other posts regarding drying shirts in the air rather than by machine. Guys, the majority of dress shirt wearers use commercial laundries. Shirts should be on spec after they are machine washed and dried. This is oxford cloth, not silk.


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## SG_67 (Mar 22, 2014)

Why do you put them in the dryer. 

I use a drying rack. I've never suffered that type of shrinkage regardless of the make or the fabric weave.


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## FLMike (Sep 17, 2008)

SG_67 said:


> Why do you put them in the dryer.
> 
> I use a drying rack. I've never suffered that type of shrinkage regardless of the make or the fabric weave.


This reminds me of those DirecTV commercials. "We're settlers, son. We settle for things. Now go put my shirts on the drying rack!"


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## SG_67 (Mar 22, 2014)

^ And give me my privacy!"


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## Old Road Dog (Sep 4, 2015)

"We're settlers, son. We settle for things."

Hilarious.


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## Tempest (Aug 16, 2012)

Galt said:


> Non Iron- 15/33-- No shrinkage
> Pinpoint- 15.5/33-- some shrinkage (fits causally out the dryer & from the dry cleaners)
> Oxford- 16/33-- high shrinkage (I only wear causally straight out the dryer)


The non-iron stuff, as I understand it, is impregnated with goop that bind the warp and weft yarns, preventing the sliding necessary for wrinkling, shrinkage, comfort. The fibers are essentially locked in place against each other. The pinpoint is tightly secured, the oxford less so, with more wiggle room.


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## SlideGuitarist (Apr 23, 2013)

I'm annoyed at myself for not following SG_67's model, but I can't blame Brooks Bros.' quality control for this. No one would expect jeans not to shrink in the dryer. I'm wearing a 17-34 white OCBD right now, and I don't think I want to button this one up all the way.


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## Orgetorix (May 20, 2005)

Tempest said:


> The non-iron stuff, as I understand it, is impregnated with goop that bind the warp and weft yarns, preventing the sliding necessary for wrinkling, shrinkage, comfort. The fibers are essentially locked in place against each other. The pinpoint is tightly secured, the oxford less so, with more wiggle room.


It's more that the non-iron process involves application of heat, which pre-shrinks nearly all of the potential shrinkage out of the fabric.


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## gamma68 (Mar 24, 2013)

The bottom line is Brooks Brothers non-iron shirts will never shrink, no matter how long they tumble in the dryer.

I almost always opt for a must-iron shirt anyway. The cloth just has a nicer hand.


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## orange fury (Dec 8, 2013)

Brooks Oxford cloth: 15.5/34 in Milano/Extra Slim fit
Brooks pinpoint: 15/35 in Milano/Extra Slim fit

i hang dry both and haven't really experienced shrinkage, but I have no idea why the Oxford fits differently. Both are the best fitting shirts I own though.

also, fwiw, I can't wear Brooks alpha sized shirts- the small is too short in the sleeves, the medium fits too big in the body (and fits awkwardly enough that tailoring would be too expensive).


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## Virtue Aesthetics (Jul 31, 2013)

SlideGuitarist said:


> I'm annoyed at myself for not following SG_67's model, but I can't blame Brooks Bros.' quality control for this. No one would expect jeans not to shrink in the dryer. I'm wearing a 17-34 white OCBD right now, and I don't think I want to button this one up all the way.


The problem of course is when we strictly adhere to the tagged laundering instructions and still the shirt shrinks and no longer fits right


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## Color 8 (Sep 18, 2015)

I have a few MTM shirts that I hang-dry and iron myself, but my work schedule usually forces me to send my shirts out.

For that reason, I don't care how my shirts fit the day I buy them; it's only important that they fit properly after they've been sent out a few times.

I've bought enough Brooks shirts over the years to know what size I need to buy for that, so that's what I buy.


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## rl1856 (Jun 7, 2005)

BB heavier gauge oxford cloth does not shrink; at least I haven't noticed any shrinkage. Their pinpoint fabric does not shrink either. I have a few of their newer made in the USA unlined shirts. The cloth is noticeably thinner and less substantial than previous shirts so I wonder if this fabric will shrink over time.


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## Ungentleman (Dec 8, 2018)

My new thin BB OCBDs do shrink a little bit. I mostly noticed because I moved the cuff buttons on a few shirts to fit more snugly around my wrists. After a few wash-dry cycles they are too tight and I need to move them back. I can still button them—so the shrinkage isn’t extreme. They are just too tight for comfort.


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## Himself (Mar 2, 2011)

Note: I don't have any of BB latest OCBDs, with a different fabric, which may not act the same.

I've been wearing the classic ones since the 80s. They've always shrunk, dryer or not. I buy them half a size big to compensate, and that works. I hang to dry so they last longer, but may throw a new one in the dryer to shrink it a bit. I buy other BB shirts true to size.

Lands End and LL Bean ones have always fit true to size, without shrinking too small. They seem to have figured out how much bigger to make them, and/or use very prewashed/preshrunk fabric, which doesn't last as long!


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