Need to Shrink a Shirt? Here Are 4 Effective (and Eco-Friendly) Ways to Do So

Perhaps you stumbled upon the perfect thrift shop find, only to discover that the beautiful top you found is a size or two too large. Maybe you found a great sale from your favorite sustainable fashion brand, but they only had larger sizes than you needed.

Luckily, these scenarios need not stop you from making a purchase. There are multiple methods to shrink a shirt — depending on its fibers.

The next time you identify an attractive top that is too large, refer to the ideas below to learn how to shrink your shirt. Some strategies may be more successful than others, especially if the clothes are made from unique materials, like recycled ocean plastic.

One warning: you should always read the care instructions for each shirt to ensure you don't accidentally ruin your clothes!

According to Vogue, using a garment steamer on shirts composed of delicate fibers is a smart way to reduce the size of the top. For example, if you have a favorite summer shirt made from biodegradable linen, this is considered a gentler fiber that could be shrunk with a steamer.

Per Vogue, if you only need to shrink a portion of the shirt, rather than the whole thing, the steaming method can aid in spot reduction.

While materials from animals, like wool, are not sustainable (let alone cruelty-free), family members may have passed down wool clothing over generations or from thrift shops. If you have a wool top, the steaming method may prove helpful to reduce the size of such a shirt as well.

Because some models of older washing machines can be energy vampires and use an exorbitant amount of water, you may want to avoid using one to attempt to shrink a shirt. Instead, try this method proposed by MasterClass: boiling the shirt in a large pot for five to 20 minutes.

The longer the shirt remains in the pot, the more dramatic the shrinkage. Some videos recommend putting the shirt in an actively boiling pot of water, while MasterClass recommends turning the heat off once the water has reached a boil.

You can then choose to dry the shirt in a dryer on high heat or hang your shirt on a line for a more eco-friendly drying method.

While this method utilizes more energy than others, the concern may be mitigated with an energy-efficient dryer. As Southern Living suggests, heat helps shrink stubborn shirts.

After you have either boiled or washed your shirt in hot water, toss it in the dryer on the hottest heat setting to put the finishing touches on the shrinking process.

Of course, this is one instance where disregarding the label on your clothes is warranted. However, if your clothes contain delicate fibers, just keep an eye on the drying process so as not to shrink the shirt to an unwanted size that goes too far beyond what you intended.

Believe it or not, eco-friendly dry cleaners exist, and if there are locations near you, they can be consulted on the best way to shrink your shirt intentionally.

Be sure to communicate any concerns with the dry cleaner, as well as how small you hope the shirt to shrink. Utilizing eco-friendly materials, the dry cleaner will do its best to accommodate this request and shrink the shirt to a more manageable size.