With me shrinking over the years I have a job trying to find a house coat coat /dressing gown/robe that is 42 in length and that has big buttons because I cant grip zips and I hate tie ones.When combing the net I found ( 100% Cotton Button Towelling Robe 42 in ) one on the House of Bath website.
I sent for it and its been delivered today.

I was absolutely gobsmacked when reading the label inside the neck........ as seen below.
In all my 88 years on this earth I have never come across that before and I phoned the complaints department asking WHY this was not pointed out on the original advert of it and WHY has it got to be washed.
I was told that its at the customers discretion and they need not do it. I told them that as far as I am concerned if I have bought something new it SHOULD NOT have to be washed before wearing AND ITS A BLOODY GOOD JOB IT IS NOT A FUR COAT..
I will be returning it on principle because my hairdresser phoned me on Saturday saying that she had found one in Marks and Spencers and woud I like her to bring one. I jumped at it and it really is a lovely quilted gown with the large buttons that I was after.
Has anyone else ever had anything like this on any clothing they have bought.?

I've encountered it several times, Maisie and always with strongly coloured 100% cotton items. I think it's because the garment/fabric isn't rinsed adequately after dyeing and "loose" colour tends to lurk in the clothing ready to transfer itself to your skin/other clothing when you perspire.

Suffice it to say that the only time I ever ignored this instruction was with a pair of mid blue jeans and now I have a snazzy pair of pale blue pants plus a white tee shirt with a sort of blotchy blue stripe around it where it was snugged against the jeans' waistband. Colour-run remover has failed to shift it!

Its the first time I have ever come across it Andere.
Did it say it on the label on the garments that you have bought?

I think, in every case it's been on the cardboard garment tag so I saw the instruction and complied. Not certain about those jeans though. I think I didn't see the instruction until I went to wear them and then was too impatient to take them off and find something else to wear! The instruction isn't part of the sewn in washing instructions label so I think it may have been on its own separate detachable tag..

I have always washed new things before wearing them ever since I can remember. Sometimes, particularly when I was younger, fabrics quite often were treated with substances which made them feel stiff until they were washed. Even if they weren't I felt happier wearing newly washed clothes, not to mention sheets, towels etc.

I always wash new night wear & knickers but I wouldn't expect to wash a dressing gown.

Yes I expect it was because of the dye.