A t-shirt is an article of clothing that is unlike many other garments. The more worn it feels, the more comfortable the t-shirt will be. Like a worn pair of jeans, there are few things that are quite as comfortable as a t-shirt that feels nice and worn. The t-shirt can be made to feel more worn than it is in a number of ways. It can also be made to feel less stiff by avoiding some types of garment care.
If a t-shirt feels stiff, it might be getting the type of care that makes clothing feel less worn. This may include spray starch and ironing. If you want the t-shirt to feel more worn, don’t iron it and throw away the starch. Starch has never made anything feel more comfortable.
And as far ironing: don’t. Most t-shirts don’t wrinkle anyway. If they do happen to have a few wrinkles, they will smooth out as the t-shirt is worn. Ironing a shirt makes it feel a little stiffer and not as if it was well worn. Washing and drying is all the care that a t-shirt really needs most of the time.
For a little extra comfort, always use fabric softener when you wash your t-shirt. This gives it an overall softer feeling and makes it feel as if it has been worn many times. Some washers have an area where a liquid fabric softener can be added and released slowly over time. There are also liquid fabric softeners that can be poured directly into the washer along with the detergent.
For the dryer, use a fabric softener sheet. These are placed in the dryer with the wet clothes and thrown away after the clothes are dry. A dryer sheet will leave the t-shirt feeling soft and comfortable every time you use it.
To keep the t-shirt feeling soft, also be sure to use the correct amount of detergent. Using too much can leave a heavy film on the clothes that will make them feel a little heavier and not as soft. A shirt that is clean but not full of soap has a much nicer feel.
Some people like to stone wash their t-shirts. This can be done by actually washing it with a rough stone, but more often it’s actually done with sandpaper. Rubbing the t-shirt with large-grain sandpaper will very quickly make it feel worn. Simply lay the t-shirt flat and rub it in an up-and-down motion all over the t-shirt.
Perhaps the most effective way to make a t-shirt feel worn is to wear it. Wearing it often, even under other clothing, will make it worn and comfortable in no time. Wear it, wash it and throw it in the dryer and it will become more worn than if it were worn rarely and kept in a drawer. And, the great thing about a t-shirt is that the more you wear it, the more comfortable it is. So don’t leave it in a drawer- get out there are wear it.