Shrinking a wool coat

[MarshmallowWorld]

I have a wool coat which I love but it's a size too big for me. It needs a wash and I'm wondering about a warm wash and a spin in the dryer in the hope it might shrink a little bit. Is this a terrible idea?

Terrible idea. Shrunken wool feels horrible. You will ruin the coat

Thanks I'll avoid!

I did this recently and out worked amazingly! My coat is unlined. I washed it at 30° on a gentle programme before giving it a fast spin. Then, I laid it out on ironing board and pulled it into shape using my hands as well as an iron (really firmly in places that needed stretched out) on medium heat.
Before I started, I took photographs of a tape measure laid across the coat in several places so I knew how much shrinkage had occurred.
If your coat is lined, the lining won't shrink so you'll need to think about that.

Quite simply, you can’t guarantee how much the coat will shrink.

Risky.
I tried to do this to a hat I knitted once.

First go - hardly shrank at all
Second go - hardly shrank at all
Third go - turned into hat for baby.

If its one size too big, a good tailor should be able to take it in a little bit for you. Have a look for someone local with good recommendations.

I think getting it taken in is a much better idea tbh.

Also very few people are exactly the standard size, there is a good chance that it is actually say two sizes too big in some measurements and less than one in others. So if it was taken in according to your actual measurements you could end up with a much better fitting garment.

I accidentally washed a wool jumper. It was an oversized number.

Csme out of washer as about age 3-6 months. It was very cute.

Terrible idea!