Knowing how to fit your leather jacket stylishly is key to fashioning versatile attire, either when you desire a casually chic look or an outfit that vibes with your leather jacket stunningly. Whenever you find yourself in such a situation where you want your leather jacket to fit perfectly because of being too loose or oversized, know that the best solution at that moment is shrinking your leather jacket.
Although this solution is highly recommended, but you would definitely wonder how to shrink your leather jacket without damaging the texture or quality of the leather. Fortunately, we bring to you several effective techniques that you can utilize to shrink a leather jacket without causing any damage to the overall quality, texture and look. This step-by-step guide will walk you through them.
You can get your ideal and perfect fitting leather jackets from Leather SCIN. Recognized for its exceptional quality real leather jackets, the company offers a huge range of men’s leather jackets and women’s leather jackets, including bomber leather jackets, leather puffer jackets and many more. But can you shrink a leather jacket and what happens if you want to shrink a leather jacket to adjust the fitting? Read through the blog to explore the answers to these questions.
Can You Shrink a Leather Jacket?
When thinking of shrinking a leather jacket, the first question that arises is: do leather jackets shrink? The answer is yes. You can definitely shrink leather jackets. But the process to shrink a leather jacket requires extreme caution. Because leather is a material that is derived from nature i.e. cowhide or sheep hide, hence it reacts differently when exposed to water, heat and pressure compared to synthetic materials.
For instance, too much heat can damage the structure and texture of the leather jacket. Although many leather jackets are highly durable, excessive exposure to heat or moisture can cause huge damage to the jacket, leading to wear and tear, cracking or warping.
To answer the another most obvious question, “how to shrink a leather jacket,” the answer is that there are many methods, some of them are listed below, but each of those methods require you to pay utmost attention to safeguarding the material. In particular, real leather jackets tend to be more sensitive and react highly to shrinking than other synthetic outerwear like faux leather jackets. Therefore, you will need to be a bit more careful when identifying and choosing the right method for shrinking a leather jacket.
4 Ways to Shrink a Leather Jacket
You can successfully find and buy yourself the perfect real leather jacket from quality brands, like Leather SCIN. But because the leather jackets stretch overtime and look very loose and baggy, you definitely need it to adjust and fit more comfortably and give a stunning look. Here are the 4 most effective ways to shrink a leather jacket:
Soaking in a Tub of Water
One of the common ways to shrink a leather jacket is by submerging it in a tub of water. But this method requires a highly gentle approach and patience. To shrink a leather jacket with the use of water, just fill a tub with comfortably warm water. It should never be hot, because excessive heat could cause permanent damage to the leather jacket. Gently and smoothly submerge your leather jacket in the tub for about 15-20 minutes.
Just make sure it gets fully soaked and not drenched.
After soaking your leather jacket, lay it out on a surface to let it dry naturally. As the leather dries up, it will continue to shrink and tighten. Remember, that this approach works best for jackets that are made from natural real leather, such as the leather found in Leather SCIN’s store of men’s leather jackets and women’s leather jackets.
Shrinking a Leather Jacket in a Washing Machine
Shrinking a leather jacket using a washing machine is possible, but this approach is not the most recommended one. Still, if you have decided to take this route then you need to be extremely careful of some things. To minimize the risk of leather damage you can use a gentle washing cycle with slightly cold water. You must, at all costs, avoid using any detergents, as it could cause irritation to the leather fibers.
If you are going to shrink a leather jacket this way, it is vital to remember that heat from the dryer and/or washer can cause the leather of the jacket to become brittle or stiff. To safeguard your leather jacket’s quality, always remember to air dry it after the wash. Do not ever use a machine for drying your leather jacket, because the excessive heat can distort or disturb its texture, structure and overall quality.
Shrinking a Leather Jacket through Bottle Sprayer
Using a bottle sprayer to shrink a leather jacket can have wonderful results. This is especially recommended for those who want a more controlled approach to shrinking a leather jacket. By this approach, you can target particular areas of your jacket that you wish to shrink. To execute this efficiently, simply fill up a spray bottle with water of normal temperature, then slowly and lightly mist/spray on the leather, specifically on the areas that seem too loose or baggy.
Once the jacket is moist enough, gently use your hands while you try to stretch and mold the leather of the jacket to your desired fit. Leave your leather jacket to dry in air naturally, as this will allow the shrinking of leather fibers while also maintaining their original structure and texture, keeping the look alive.
Get The Jacket Altered
You can consider taking your leather jacket to a professional tailor to get it fitted and adjusted. This approach is recommended for those who are not confident in shrinking their leather jacket by themselves. It is true that leather jackets can be difficult to shrink on your own, especially if you wish to avoid any sort of damage to the leather and the overall structure and quality.
An experienced tailor who has worked on leather can easily, professionally handle the seams, alter the jacket’s fit, and give you the perfect jacket’s size that you desire.
Jackets from Leather SCIN’s exclusive collection, can be easily altered by a professional tailor or through their customization option to fit you perfectly, without causing any damage to the overall texture, look and quality.
Is it Possible to Shrink Any Type of Leather Jacket Without Damaging It?
Although shrinking a leather jacket is possible but it won’t guaranteed that all types of leather will give the same result. Real leather jackets, most often shrink efficiently with the right approach. Others, like faux leather jackets for instance, do not always react positively to different shrinkage methods.
The success depends largely on the leather jacket’s material and manufacturing, and when you are trying to shrink a leather jacket.
For instance, compared to a structured bomber leather jacket, a leather puffer jacket shrinks more steadily and without any damage when exposed to controlled temperature of heat and quantity of water. The quality of the leather used in the jacket also plays a vital role. The premium quality leather jackets from Leather SCIN, known for their exceptional manufacturing, may shrink more readily with no compromise on the overall look and integrity of the jacket.
To have assurance that your leather jacket will not get damaged during the shrinking process, it is advised to always test the shrinking method on a small, trivial area of your leather jacket before proceeding with the whole garment.
Common Mistakes to Avoid while Shrinking Leather Jackets
There are several mistakes that can happen, while shrinking your leather jacket. The shrinking process does seem like a quick and easy method to adjust the ill-fitting of the jacket but you should try to avoid certain mistakes at all costs. Your leather jacket can have some irreversible damage because of these errors, which may leave it permanently stiff and deformed, damaging the overall look.
One of the most common mistakes when someone tries to shrink leather jackets is exposing the jacket to excessive amount of heat. Your leather jacket could be in the dryer, or in the hot tub of water and/or could be exposed to the sunlight directly, excessive exposure of heat can cause the leather fibers to dry out and start to crack. This can be seriously damaging for real leather jackets, as the leather fibers can break down and lose their original texture, deforming the overall look.
Another common mistake is while shrinking the jacket is soaking the leather jacket for too long. To shrink leather jackets using water, it is advised to just soak it in a tub of water and not drench it up completely. Leather is a natural material, it needs to breathe, and soaking it for too long can weaken the leather fibers. Remember to always follow the recommended soaking time as per the method you choose to shrink your leather jacket, i.e. 10-20 minutes max.
Lastly, you should never ever use harsh detergents or chemicals on your leather jacket. Various washing detergents and chemicals can take out the natural oils from the leather, which make it dried up and prone to getting cracked and stiff. Consider using clean water and nothing else for shrinking your leather jacket or buy specialized leather care products that give a guarantee.
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