Preventing Shrinkage?

Struggling_Mudansha · Yellow Belt

Ordered a Shureido gi last week. The representative seemed incredibly concerned with gi shrinkage due to my build, so they recommended the top of the line KC-10. I decided to go with their advice since this is my first Shureido dogi, but I'm concerned with a few things:

The first being the weight and material. The dojo I train at works us really hard and I'm usually sweating bullets by the end of each session (and I only wear a 10oz.) I'm worried about how hot and restrictive it's going to feel.

The second being the shrinkage issue. The representative said it's going to shrink 2 inches in length. I'm really surprised by this because the KC-10 is Rayon and Polyester, with a small amount of cotton. They are also advocating for the KC-10 because they say their cotton gis shrink up to a whopping 4 inches over time, no matter how you wash them.

I'm still going to try the gi, but I may end up sending it back to get something lighter or more breathable. I wash my gis in cold water and dry them naturally and this keeps shrinkage to a minimum. It also extends their rigidity (snappiness) quite a bit.

What are your experiences? Have you ever had a Shureido gi shrink 4 inches? Is there a way to keep shrinkage to a minimum if I decide to go with one of their 100% cotton gis?

Spartacus Maximus · Black Belt

The best idea to deal with shrinking cotton dogi is to buy one size or size and a half bigger than needed. That way it will still fit comfortably even after it shrinks. Personally I have a preference for pure cotton canvas so that is what I do. Also never use harsh detergents and wash in cold water. Avoid dryers and only hang dry. There isn't much else to do to make sure a gi lasts as long as possible.

LLLEARNER · Brown Belt

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JR 137 · Black Belt

My K-10 shrunk quite a bit during the 4 years I owned it. It only shrunk length-wise, not width, for what it's worth.

However, I always washed it warm and machine dried it. Every time. Thinking about it, it may have been 4 inches.

I warm washed and machine dried my K-11 about 5 times when I first got, before alterations. It's still a bit long, which I can live with. When I first tried it on, my wife laughed and said it looked like a dress. She was right.

I now was all my gis cold and hang dry. My wife dried my other 2 gis a few times, and the jackets get shorter every time. Doesn't happen when I hang dry them.

Only drawback to hang drying is the material feels a bit rough. I'm fine with that though. If I want to feel all nice and snugglie, I'll machine dry it for a few minutes. No-heat machine drying might be fine, but I can't be bothered.

Struggling_Mudansha · Yellow Belt

Just got the Shureido gi in earlier today; it was way too long.

The representative put clips on to show how much it'll shrink and I don't think it'll be enough.

I may just have to nuke it in the washer/dryer. However, that's go wear it out some and I like the feeling of a brand new gi, slightly too big or not.

That's why I'm asking if it's possible to prevent a gi from shrinking at all, because I may have to order a custom gi to fit me right.

Struggling_Mudansha · Yellow Belt

Decided to trade the KC-10 back for a K-10. I made this decision so I could possibly get the cotton to shrink enough to my size. After multiple attempts of nuking it in hot water and the dryer on high, the length went from 33 inches to 31 inches and stayed there.

I've decided to sell the gi online since I voided the return policy by washing it. Once it sells, I'm going to call Shureido USA and talk to them about ordering a custom gi (hopefully the process won't be too long or painful).

JR 137 · Black Belt

I have no experience with the KC-10 nor any other blended gi. Every cotton gi I've owned shrunk quite a bit at first, then slowly continued for some time. Most notably the jacket length. I used to think I was gaining weight because the jackets were getting shorter. Thankfully it wasn't the case.

Struggling_Mudansha · Yellow Belt

Nidan Melbourne · KF Sempai

When I ordered my Seishin and it was too long, I went to a seamstress to get it taken up but asked them to provide me with any material they removed in case of this exact type of reasoning.

But it hasn't shrunk in the time i've owned it.

sensei8 · KF Sensei

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