London shrunk

The '''London shrunk''', or '''London shrinkage''', process was an 18th-century textile finishing process designed to preshrink wool fabrics and minimize their tendency to shrink before being used for making garments.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Kadolph |first=Sara J. |url=https://archive.org/details/textiles0010kado/page/362/mode/2up |title=Textiles |date=2007 |publisher=Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Pearson Prentice Hall |via=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-13-118769-6 |pages=363–364}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Evans |first=Mary |url=https://archive.org/details/guidetotextiles0000unse/page/60/mode/2up |title=A guide to textiles |date=1939 |publisher=New York, J. Wiley & Sons, Inc.; London, Chapman & Hall, Limited |via=Internet Archive |pages=60}}</ref> When compared to the traditional steam shrinking method of controlling shrinkage, London shrinkage provided more permanent results in terms of reducing the likelihood of fabric shrinkage.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MJf1wGZ36pIC&dq=London+shrunk&pg=PA264 |title=Miscellaneous Series |date=1916 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |pages=264 |language=en}}</ref> London shrunk was found to be effective for fine worsteds, it was not typically used for woolens.<ref name=":0" />

The term London shrunk originated from London's garment industry.<ref>{{Cite book |last=American Fabrics Magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/afencyclopediaof00engl/page/113/mode/2up |title=AF encyclopedia of textiles |date=1960 |publisher=Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Prentice-Hall |via=Internet Archive |pages=113}}</ref> The practice of London shrinking was alternatively known as '''sponging'''.<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/fairchildsdictio0000unse/page/326/mode/2up |title=Fairchild's dictionary of textiles |date=1959 |publisher=New York, Fairchild Publications |via=Internet Archive |pages=327}}</ref>

== Shrinkage resistance and preshrink == {{Quote box | title = Glossary: ''shrinkage resistance'' and ''residual shrinkage'' | quote = Shrinkage resistance is the ability of a fabric to retain its original dimensions throughout care. It is related to the fabric's reaction to moisture or heat. Items that shrink may no longer be attractive or suitable for their original end use. Residual shrinkage refers to additional shrinkage that may occur after the first care cycle. | source = ''Textiles'' by Kadolph, Sara J<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|page=29}} | width = 300px }}

Preshrinking is a process in which fabric is intentionally shrunk before it is cut and sewn into a garment or other textile product.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Lampe |first1=Clotilde |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7VEIyN-wNSkC&dq=preshrinking+fabric&pg=SA1-PA6 |title=Clotilde's Sew Smart |last2=Yurick |first2=Clotilde |date=2004 |publisher=DRG Wholesale |isbn=978-0-9748217-0-2 |pages=1–6 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Stauffer |first=Jeanne |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8_-NkR8TEyEC&dq=preshrunk+wool+london+shrunk&pg=PA89 |title=Sewing Smart with Fabric |date=2004 |publisher=DRG Wholesale |isbn=978-1-59217-018-0 |pages=89 |language=en}}</ref> Manufacturers use the term "pre-shrunk" to describe fabric or garments that have undergone processing, which is expected to limit shrinkage to less than 3% in either direction during standard wash tests or laundering.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Picken |first=Mary Brooks |url=https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofcost0000pick/page/262/mode/2up |title=A dictionary of costume and fashion: historic and modern: with over 950 illustrations |date=1999 |location=Mineola, NY |publisher=Dover Publications |via=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-486-40294-9 |pages=263}}</ref> Woolen fabrics have a natural tendency to shrink, which can lead to deformation in the final garments. To prevent this, the London shrunk process was applied to specific woolen materials, resulting in fabrics with enhanced dimensional stability and improved resistance to shrinkage.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Panda |first=H. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gYNGAQAAQBAJ&dq=London+shrunk&pg=PA84 |title=The Complete Book on Textile Processing and Silk Reeling Technology |date=2010-10-05 |publisher=Asia Pacific Business Press |isbn=978-81-7833-135-5 |pages=84 |language=en}}</ref>

== Method == The London shrunk method involves a three-step process where the fabric undergoes dampening, drying, and pressing. The method includes layering the fabric between moist blankets and adding weight for 12 hours. Subsequently, the fabric is dried without any tension and pressed during the final stage.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Choudhury |first=Asim Kumar Roy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p_9PCwAAQBAJ&dq=what+is+london+shrunk+method&pg=PA48 |title=Principles of Textile Finishing |date=2017-04-29 |publisher=Woodhead Publishing |isbn=978-0-08-100661-0 |pages=48 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

The principal objective of this technique was to pre-shrink the fabric and eliminate any tension or strain that could have arisen during manufacturing.<ref name=":0" />

=== Alternative method (steaming) === Steaming is a cheaper alternative to make clothes preshrunk, however, it is not as effective as London shrinking. The method has American origin.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fn8JWWoJGMoC&dq=London+shrunk&pg=RA3-PA56 |title=The Clothier and Furnisher |date=1903 |pages=56 |language=en}}</ref> In the steaming method, the cloth bolt is wound around a perforated roller, steamed for approximately 80 minutes, and then left to air dry.<ref name=":2" />

== Advantages and disadvantages == === Advantages === The London shrunk process was used to improve the hand feel of processed fabrics, resulting in a refined texture and an overall improvement in quality.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eWZYAAAAYAAJ&dq=London+shrunk&pg=RA1-PA279 |title=America's Textile Reporter: For the Combined Textile Industries |date=1905 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Linton |first=George Edward |url=https://archive.org/details/appliedbasictext00lint/page/234/mode/2up |title=Applied basic textiles; raw material, construction, color, and finish, fabric analysis, chemical and physical testing of textiles, spot and stain removal, and care of clothing |date=1966 |location=New York |publisher=Duell, Sloan and Pearce |via=Internet Archive |pages=235}}</ref> Garments made from London shrunk materials had more stable shapes than those made using normal steam shrinking methods. This resulted in a reduced need for ironing, as steam-shrunk garments typically required ironing twice a week, while London shrunk garments could go for several weeks without needing ironing.<ref name=":1" /> This was because London shrunk materials were already shrunk and thus retained their shape, making them more resistant to wrinkles. Steam-shrunk fabrics can shrink again with wear, causing them to lose their original dimensions and shape.<ref name=":1" /> It provides uniform shrinking of the fabric compared to the steaming method, where the inner and outer layers receive non-uniform steam and shrinking.<ref name=":2" />

=== Disadvantages === London shrunk fabric requires longer processing time and more handling during the finishing process, which also results in additional costs.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eWZYAAAAYAAJ&dq=London+shrunk+replaced+with&pg=RA1-PA279 |title=America's Textile Reporter: For the Combined Textile Industries |date=1905 |language=en}}</ref> The cost of implementing the London shrinkage method was three times higher than that of the regular steam shrinking method.<ref name=":1" />

== References == <references />

Category:18th-century inventions Category:Textile arts Category:Textile treatments Category:18th century in London Category:Industrial history of London