The cold plays tricks on the mind and body. During last week’s deep freeze, for example, we were certain our pants shrank between the bus stop and office. And no, there wasn’t a chocolate chip scone involved.
To prove it, we asked Pat Slaven, a Consumer Reports fabric expert: Does fabric shrink in the cold?
“Technically, yes,” said Slaven, an engineer and a textile chemist. “As the temperature drops, density increases. That means volume decreases. Things shrink.”
There’s a but.
When the temperature is between 68 degrees and minus 10, shrinkage amounts to a 10,000th of a gram. Or, a 20th of a mustard seed. In other words, not enough to make your pants feel tight.
Still, the cold affects our clothes. Satin, for example, feels much colder than corduroy. This has to do with heat transfer. “Fuzzy material traps air,” Slaven said. “The more trapped air, the warmer you feel.”
That’s why those puffy coats really are the warmest choice for a Minnesota winter. As for our snug pants, Consumer Reports says jeans that shrank an inch in the wash return to their prewash state with 20 deep knee bends.
Plus, that counts as exercise.
