Care for gabardine shirts?

[Jay]

Howdy gang-

I just got one of those NOS flap-pocket gabardine shirts but the trouble is the tag has been cut off at some point. I'm assuming one of you out there know the proper way to care for these things? It fits perfectly at the moment and I'm afraid washing wrong will shrink the hell out of it.

Handwash?

Dry Clean?

Thanks in advance.

 

[repeatclicks]

Hand wash cold or dryclean. Your choice. Iron while mildly damp on low setting only!

 

[DoubleXX]

I've been dry cleaning my gab jkt's & shirts for years with no problems...

 

[Guttersnipe]

I dry clean also, just find reputable place and you'll be fine.

You definitely do have to be cautious if you wash gabardine, most vintage gabs are prone shrinking. The method repeakclicks describes works really well, but it's important to iron when the garment is still damp, don't wash it and then forget about it.

In general, if you want to get rid of wrinkles steaming is best, but if you don't have steamer, you can use an iron too. When I iron gabardine, especially if it is a rayon blend I ALWAYS use a damp pressing cloth. Rayon gabs get iron shine (e.g. melt) really easily.

 

[Jay]

Thanks for the help fellas. I think I'll send it off the the cleaners first, since it has some spots I've just noticed. They seem to take care of my other stuff fine. Well see, though.

 

[repeatclicks]

When I iron gabardine, especially if it is a rayon blend I ALWAYS use a damp pressing cloth. Rayon gabs get iron shine (e.g. melt) really easily.

Definitely use a damp cloth! Any direct contact with the fabric on a rayon blend will make it shiny. I usually just put the iron on high steam and hover it above the shirt to take the wrinkles out.

 

[Guttersnipe]

Definitely use a damp cloth! Any direct contact with the fabric on a rayon blend will make it shiny. I usually just put the iron on high steam and hover it above the shirt to take the wrinkles out.

There is actually a way to get iron shine out - to some extent and only sometimes - but it's a massive pain! You mix up a batch of 1:5 white-vinegar/water, wet a pressing cloth in the solution, and then steam the hell out of the shirt by ironing it through the damp cloth.

Needless to say, after doing this, you have to dry clean out that awful vinegar smell!!! I did it once on a super cool 40's gab shirt, and it worked really well.

 

[Richard Warren]

Isn't gabardine a weave, not a fiber?

 

[Guttersnipe]

Isn't gabardine a weave, not a fiber?

Yeah it is, but from the early 40's though the 60's lightweight gabardines (like you see in shirts, slacks, and casual jackets) were typically woven in a few pretty standard blends that usually included rayon and wool, which require specific care. Also, the diagonal weave of gabardine lends itself to shrinkage very well. Hence the fairly uniform care requirements for such a broad category of cloth.

 

[repeatclicks]

Isn't gabardine a weave, not a fiber?

Yes, it is, but everyone here knows that Jay is referring to a 1940s or 50s rayon/rayon- blend gabardine weave shirt. Although many of these shirts said 'Washable' 'Guaranteed Washable' or 'Do Not Boil', they are notorious to shrinkage and distortion if washed in warm water and tumble dried.

Consider the hair now split.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

No tumble dry. I wash them in a standard colour wash in the washing machine in a protective net bag. Yes, iron when damp.

DO NOT DO THIS IN AN AMERICAN WASHING MACHINE! THOSE THINGS ARE THE WORK OF THE DEVIL. THAT CENTRAL AGITATOR IS THE WORST CONTRAPTION EVER INVENTED. THE DAMAGE OF CLOTHING, PARTICULARLY VINTAGE, IS ALMOST BEYOND BELIEF; WHY DO YOU STAND FOR IT? IF YOU ARE IN THE UNITED STATES, HAND WASH YOUR VINTAGE SHIRTS!!

bk

Sorry to shout, but i ruined a few very nice shirts in those crappy american washing machines. It doesn't have to be that way! Better washing machines have been invented! Just like better, more efficient, internal combustion engines!

 

[docneg]

No tumble dry. I wash them in a standard colour wash in the washing machine in a protective net bag. Yes, iron when damp.

DO NOT DO THIS IN AN AMERICAN WASHING MACHINE! THOSE THINGS ARE THE WORK OF THE DEVIL. THAT CENTRAL AGITATOR IS THE WORST CONTRAPTION EVER INVENTED. THE DAMAGE OF CLOTHING, PARTICULARLY VINTAGE, IS ALMOST BEYOND BELIEF; WHY DO YOU STAND FOR IT? IF YOU ARE IN THE UNITED STATES, HAND WASH YOUR VINTAGE SHIRTS!!

bk

Sorry to shout, but i ruined a few very nice shirts in those crappy american washing machines. It doesn't have to be that way! Better washing machines have been invented! Just like better, more efficient, internal combustion engines!

Your internal combustion seems to be working just fine, Baron!
Seriously, thanks for the good advice.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Just add beer …

Your internal combustion seems to be working just fine, Baron!