[Amethyst]

It was pouring raining when I came out of the train station this morning and just walking the two blocks to work, my pants became soaked from the knees down and I had on a long raincoat too!

Now my pants look like they've shrunk about a inch!

Do you think the dry cleaners can steam them and stretch them back to their normal length?

I'm so pissed! Tomorrow I'm wearing jeans or workout pants and changing when I get to work. I'm not ruining any more clothes in this weather.

[phoenix461]

Amethyst - I hear you on this. It is still coming down here. Where are you?
I got lucky as I wore rain boots this morning and tucked my pants in. I hardly think my umbrella was big enough though!

[Little_Lisa]

Originally Posted by Amethyst

It was pouring raining when I came out of the train station this morning and just walking the two blocks to work, my pants became soaked from the knees down and I had on a long raincoat too!

Now my pants look like they've shrunk about a inch!

Do you think the dry cleaners can steam them and stretch them back to their normal length?

I'm so pissed! Tomorrow I'm wearing jeans or workout pants and changing when I get to work. I'm not ruining any more clothes in this weather.

Omigosh! I'm sorry that happened. I don't know if they can be steamed and stretched back. Have you tried calling the dry cleaners and asking them?

[Amethyst]

I work in NYC & its pouring again and supposed to rain until Sunday.

Ya know, I have a pair of those wellies rainboots that I bought last year at Payless in two sizes larger because I had broken my toe and I needed a pair of boots that fit for the bad weather.

I should have worn them today with three pairs of socks and did what you did - tuck my pants in them. Meanwhile, now I have a pair of ruined dress pants.

Or....I should just buy another pair that fit. J. Crew has a cute leopard print pair of rain boots.

I'm going to try to see if the cleaners can fix my pants, otherwise I'll have to cut them down to cropped ones for the summer.

[Amethyst]

Originally Posted by Little_Lisa

Omigosh! I'm sorry that happened. I don't know if they can be steamed and stretched back. Have you tried calling the dry cleaners and asking them?

No..but I'll bring them in when I go home. I'd rather explain in person. These were my favorite Banana Republic pants and ironically just came back from being dry cleaned - now I got "highwaters" or "floods" as they call them.

[jennycateyez]

Oh Man That Sucks! I Live In New York To And Its Horrible Outside, So I Know What U Mean, I Hope The Dry Cleaners Can Help You

[SamanthaBNYC]

most likely, yes. Since you said you wore your pants after you got them back from the dry-cleaners, that means all the "sizing" (chemicals that manufacturers put on clothes right after they're made so that they can steam/press them to meet specs--you worked in apparel, so you know what I'm talking about) has been removed, therefore the pants won't shrink significantly. If the fiber content contains any wool or spandex, it's most likely that the fibers "contracted" due to humidity, and will "relax" when the weather is more aarid (sp?). If they're not too dirty, you can probably use a steam iron and make sure to press them going in downward motions, to stretch out the length. I pressed a pair of cotton pants 2" longer one time (helped that I was using a Naomoto iron).

[Amethyst]

Thanks Samantha! I should try that tonight. I didn't make it in time to the cleaners last night.

My iron is a Rowena --- the kind of iron you have, is it for special cir***stances? If so, I want one!

[SamanthaBNYC]

I used that Naomoto Iron when I used to do alterations (it was in an alterations shop that I worked at). I think they're called "gravity irons" sometimes. Those are the irons that have the tank of water hanging from the ceiling and the water is fed through cords to the iron. The temperature of the iron gets hotter than the average home steam iron. I'd love to have a Naomoto, but they take up a lot of room (and require special water/chemicals) and I live in a studio apartment, so I use a basic steam iron at home. My work has one and I'll sometimes bring in pants I've hemmed and set the hem with the Naomoto. Rowentas are probably the best home steam irons on the market.