Cotton has a bad rap with shrinkage, for pretty good reason: Some 100% cotton garments can shrink up to a full size after the first wash. Cotton wants to shrink because the natural fibers, which are pulled and stretched during the fabric making process, attempt to return to their natural state when they are wet and heated in your washer and dryer. Because of this, all cotton garments will experience some shrinkage Luckily, many manufacturers now use processes that greatly lessen the amount a garment will shrink after the first wash. Man-made fabrics like poly are guaranteed to wear and wash without experiencing any shrinkage. They are less likely to shrink, stretch or wrinkle.