What is pre-shrunk denim
Denim that has been pre-treated so that it will shrink less than 3% after being washed and dried. Pre-shrunk denim is also known as sanforized denim.
The pre-shrinking process
Fabric usually stretches during production but shortens back to its original length after washing. But because it is pre-treated beforehand, the fit of pre-shrunk denim will not be altered when it’s washed and will not need to be sized up or down unlike unsanforized denim, allowing buyers to buy in his or her correct size.
The history of pre-shrunk jeans
Hal Burgess first marketed "pre-washed" jeans in the 1970s when there was a flood in the room where Burgess was storing jeans. Burgess discovered that the jeans had shrunk when he tried to wash the flooded jeans in a nearby pool. Burgess decided then to market them as 'pre-washed' jeans and sold them two sizes smaller than they were initially labeled, giving rise to the modern-day “pre-shrunk” denim.