Incredible shrinking bathrobe
Lndh777
I hate it when I decide I need another one -- usually terry cloth.
I buy the thing for $60-90. I love it in the store it is huge and makes
me feel tiny and warm inside it -- then the first time I wash it IT SHRINKS!!
Can anyone else relate? I wanted a cotton robe -- terry cloth and I SHOULD Be
able to treat it like a towel. And in case you want to know I have an agenda
AND a solution -- I'm biased here but bear with me. I really need some tall
feedback.
If this has ever happened to you I'd like to know. Heck. Maybe its just me??
Seems like it would happen though even if you weren't tall -- right??
anyway...
L
LrdLeoLido
First off, don't get thin terry cloth, get the thick plush towel material. It
lasts longer and feels better. Second, was only in warm water with a cold
water rinse, then line dry, or drape over one of those plastic patio chairs in
the backyard.
I'm 6'4" and my bathrobe (which fits) has never shrunk. The only problem, in
fact, is that a seam on the belt has frayed.
Same thing holds true with jeans. If you want them to shrink, put them in the
dryer. If you like the size they are, line dry them.
Kevin
Lndh777
The biggest problem with purchasing bathrobes off the rack --any grade of
terrycloth is that the manufacturers are doing what any businesses might --
squeezing every dime from every inch of fabric. Rather than pre-shrinking the
fabric that comes from the fabric manufacturer or off the loom or whatever--
they cut it out and construct the garment with the fabric just as it came off
the fabric production line.
That way they don't suck up the cost of losing that 1/5 of a yard or so of
cotton. The soon to be dissapointed consumer bites it.
Personally I think you should be able to wash it just like your bath towels.
Here is the last step up on my soap-box.
My terry robe is longer than my arms and comes down to my ankles because I made
it 3 years ago. Before I cut it out I washed the terry cloth in hot water and
threw it into the dryer. THEN I made my robe. I launder it alone (because of
all the fabric its a med/large sized wash load). Since I pre-shrank itt, I can
wash it in hot warm or cold water. I throw in in the dryer on any temp setting
and its ready to go! Its big and sloppy and I made the arms extra long and
floppy so that I can dry my hair and STILL not have a wet drippy "thing" on me.
I can still sit down for 10 min or so and get dry and warm.
Its not too hot in the summer and its perfect in the winter for leaving the
shower --ya know?
Ok here is the pitch, I was thinking of offering them for sale in my area.
I know lots of tall folks who get bit with the same aggrivation. I started
this thread because I really do need some objective feedback. I KNOW that this
is going to hack off some readers -- thinking that this is an advertisement --
well it isn't. I have no intention of selling anything HERE, but in my local
area. This query does have to do with tall issues. Heck! All the
average/shorter folks have to do is buy an extra-large robe and call it done --
even if it shrinks, it still fits them. With us, we have to take precautions
and still HOPE that it doesn't shrink.
So anyone who might, please tell me what you think? Would this be a good thing
for tall and large folks? Would you pay $90 for a cotton robe of the nature I
described? A 3-month replacement guarantee for shrinkage and a 90 day guarantee
on workmanship. Thats better than any promise/return policy that ANY store
offers.
If you don't feel comfortable talking about this in the group, please e-me and
tell me what you think?
Thanks Bunches
Linda
LrdLeoLido
>thing
>for tall and large folks? Would you pay $90 for a cotton robe of the nature
>I
>described? A 3-month replacement guarantee for shrinkage and a 90 day
>guarantee
>on workmanship. Thats better than any promise/return policy that ANY store
>offers.
$90 is a touch steep if you can find one that fits you and you don't have to do
any special care other than line drying it. Admittedly, I live in the suburbs
in California, and with the exception of rainy days, I can line dry whenever I
want. Someone in a city or a colder area would have more trouble.
It would also depend on the feel fo the terrycloth. The way I choose beach
towels is to go at the rack blind and only look at those towels that FEEL
right. There's plenty of scratchy or overly thin towel material out there.
Kevin
Margaret
>So anyone who might, please tell me what you think? Would this be a good thing
>for tall and large folks? Would you pay $90 for a cotton robe of the nature I
>described?
Nice *thick* terry? Nice color? Wrap style with
tie-belt, maybe a pocket?
$90? You bet! I'll take 2! When are you going to
start taking orders? :-)
Margaret
MKerchner
than fair for what you are proposing. I sew myself so I know what is involved
in what you are considering! Good luck. I bought a cotton terry robe from
Penney's catalog several years ago and I bought it too large for the very
reasons that were discussed before...well, it never shrunk in washer or dryer
so I still have a wonderfully long comfy robe. This is the only time that has
ever happened for me.
I'm here to tell you that Kevin must have bought his last robe several decades
ago or he is not all that tall, or he doesn't care if his robe is floor length.
Maybe it is not as important for men to have a robe that hits the floor so
when we curl up on the couch we can keep everything from toes to nose covered.
That's why I want mine so long.
Mary in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Lndh777
Ya' know? I thought for sure that you would mock or scorn me for bringing up
the topic. Thank you so much for the feedback!
Margaret, I don't know if you were joking or serious, but since I said I
wouldn't sell in this newsgroup I can't take any orders.
It was REALLY sweet of you to ask though :)
However, when I do start I will let you all know where my web site is etc.. I
will take down the names of those who responded and give you a few bucks off
too!
Linda
P.S. Its as thick as a moderately priced bath towel -- don't want it too HOT;
lots of diff colors (orange, yellow, 2Xgreen, white, black, dkblue, red,
--sometimes a nice plum-purple, and all the standard pastel colors), extra long
tie -- wraps around :) two deep pockets - Kimono style collar.
Margaret
>Ya' know? I thought for sure that you would mock or scorn me for bringing up
>the topic.
Goodness no!
>Margaret, I don't know if you were joking or serious, but since I said I
Linda, I was 'serious as a snakebite', as they say in
West Texas!
>wouldn't sell in this newsgroup I can't take any orders.
Dang, I thought you only meant you wouldn't sell them
to folks here unless we asked you to. You really
won't sell them to us *at all*??
> However, when I do start I will let you all know where my web site is etc.. I
>will take down the names of those who responded and give you a few bucks off
>too!
Oh how nice, thank you!
...and you're going to start soon, right? :-) :-)
>P.S. Its as thick as a moderately priced bath towel -- don't want it too HOT;
Perhaps in 2 different weights? Just a thought.
Speaking only for myself, of course, I'd prefer thick,
even were it more money -- where a bathrobe is
concerned, I'd sooner deal with too hot than too
chilly.
>lots of diff colors (orange, yellow, 2Xgreen, white, black, dkblue, red,
>--sometimes a nice plum-purple, and all the standard pastel colors), extra long
>tie -- wraps around :) two deep pockets - Kimono style collar.
*swoon*
I'm in for the plum, and would also go for either a
nice strong, dusty rose or a rich claret, if you
haven't completely settled on the colors yet. :-)
Margaret
6'0/1.84m
LrdLeoLido
knees and the cuffs are four inches above my wrists, so it certainly is on the
short side, but it's fits in the shoulders and body, which is the most
important. And it has been a long while since I bought a new one, so $90 isn't
out of line so long as it's floor length and everything.
Then again, I suppose I'm kind of use of drapy things hitting me mid-calf at
best. Made a cloak years ago and ran into the problem that the pattern I was
using had the max length being the width of the fabric, which is 5' even. You
can get longer, of course, by making it in panels, but if you don't want a
seam, you take what the mills give you. But I still love the cloak.
Dave Rasmussen
Drat, and here I thought the subject was something more like the pen I have
where the bathrobe "shrinks" and reveals....
MKerchner
writes:
>Drat, and here I thought the subject was something more like the pen I have
>where the bathrobe "shrinks" and reveals....
Dave,
I think you have too much time on your hands!! LOL Maybe we could sign you up
to volunteer for some of these Marfan projects I'm starting to get letters
for!!
Mary Kerchner
Pittsburgh, Pa, USA
Heather
> Ok here is the pitch, I was thinking of offering them for sale in
> my area. I know lots of tall folks who get bit with the same
> aggrivation. I started this thread because I really do need some
> objective feedback.
Go for it! As a fellow sewer, I've often thought of offering this kind of
service too. When I buy a pattern, it goes through a lot of changes to fit
my tall body. Once all those changes are done, I could easily make the same
thing for another tall person.
Were you thinking $60-$90 US or CND? Housecoats aren't that labour
intensive to make - just a few straight seams. The weight of fabric you're
talking about about (still wearable in the summer) doesn't sound too
heavy/expensive either. So, I'd say stay closer to $60.
--
Heather
hbad...@yahoo.com
6' Ottawa, Canada