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How to Unshrink Clothes: Expert Tips from Jeeves' Zachary Pozniak

other · 2026-09-04

An article in Vogue tackles the frequent issue of clothes shrinking in the dryer, featuring insights from Zachary Pozniak, co-owner of the upscale dry cleaning service Jeeves in New York. The discussion is inspired by the author's own mishap with a Saint Laurent silk shirt, which was mistakenly placed in a dryer despite its "dry clean only" label. Pozniak warns that home remedies for shrunken clothing can worsen the situation and advises seeking professional help. He notes that while slight shrinkage in cotton or silk can often be remedied, significant shrinkage in animal fibers like wool is typically irreversible due to their structure. For minor shrinkage, techniques such as steaming and gentle stretching can be effective. The article wraps up with the author's intention to apply these strategies to her shrunken shirt and share the results.

Key facts

  • Zachary Pozniak is co-owner of Jeeves, a luxury dry cleaning business in New York.
  • The article is prompted by the writer's shrinking of a Saint Laurent silk shirt in a dryer.
  • Pozniak advises against at-home methods for unshrinking clothes.
  • Cotton and silk are easier to salvage than wool or other animal fibers.
  • Minor shrinkage can be fixed with steaming and stretching.
  • Wool requires dry cleaning with conditioning products and blocking on a sweater board.
  • If a garment doesn't respond to stretching, it may be a lost cause.
  • The article is published by Vogue.

Entities

Artists

  • Zachary Pozniak

Institutions

  • Jeeves
  • Vogue

Locations

  • New York

Sources