How To Make ANY T-Shirt Slim Fit (EASY TUTORIAL)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- 🔴 Blog Tutorial - www.stylishdta...
I’m going to show you the ultimate trick to make literally any t-shirt fit you perfectly, no matter the brand or size. Forget that stupid ineffective safety pin method; I’m teaching you my fail-proof technique that I've used for years now using sewing pins that you can replicate on any t-shirt.
We’ll place pins strategically along the side seams, and I'll guide you through adjusting them to flatter your body perfectly. It doesn't matter if you're in shape or if you have love-handles. You will make the fit specific to YOU.
By the end, not only will your t-shirt look custom-made, but you’ll also have the measurements to tailor ALL of your shirts to fit the exact same way!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
🔴 Sewing machine settings:
Straight Stitch
Stitch Length - 2.5
Stitch Width - NA
Stitch Tension - 3-4
🔴 Zigzag Stitch
Stitch Length - 2.5
Stitch Width - 5-7
Stitch Tension - 3-4
**You can use whats called a narrow zigzag stitch instead of a straight stitch if you're worried about the structural integrity of the side seam. I've used a straight stitch about 532 times and have only torn a side seam maybe 3 times. Nonetheless a narrow zigzag stitch will be able to stretch a bit making a more versatile side seam. The settings will be the same except for the stitch width, you will set that to between 1-2 instead of 5-7, and sew just like you would a straight stitch instead of trying to overlap the edge like a regular zigzag stitch. I hope that makes sense...
Universal Needle
Polyester Thread (both of which are $5 at Walmart)
🔴Remember, whatever measurements you come up with WRITE THEM DOWN or keep them in a Notes App so you can skip the measuring step next time! That way you can go and buy the same or similar shirt and just plug those same numbers into it and start sewing. I honestly don't remember the last time I used the sewing pin method, it's been YEARS. I just plug and sew, thats it.
Oh and lastly the sewing pins seriously don't hurt if they poke you, but you can avoid it all together by making it so the ball of the pin is facing down. That way when you slide it on it can't poke you no matter what. Just stretch it a bit when taking it off to avoid the pins on the way back up.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
🔴 Beginner's course and DIY tailoring tutorials 🔴
stylishdtailor...
📣 Say THANK YOU with a donation, it's greatly appreciated! 📣
ko-fi.com/styl...
Twitter - @Stylishdtailors
Insta - @Stylishdtailors
🔴 Business inquires ONLY 🔴
Business@Stylishdtailors.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISCLAIMER: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
👊🏾GREAT All Around Beginners Sewing Machine
amzn.to/3WF2mIG
👊🏾DIY Hand Sewing Kit
amzn.to/3fGx39G
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brush patterns and shapes were provided by www.brusheezy.com
🔴 Blog tutorial - www.stylishdtailors.com/diy-tailoring-tutorials/tailor-any-t-shirt-yourself-to-fit-you-perfectly
Another great video - th-cam.com/video/roK1HKBDXsk/w-d-xo.html
I'm 6'6", wide shoulders but trim... Finding s t-shirt that's long enough that doesn't fit like a tent is tough... but altering an XXL is game changing. Thanks for sharing this wisdom, SD!
You're welcome, awesome to hear that you took the plunge and tried this out! It's game changing thats for sure!
Baggy shirts have become such an enormous pet peeve of mine that I'm ready to learn how to use a sewing machine just to do this technique. Such a good vid - this is what TH-cam should exist for
A really novice Sewer here. Thanks so much for this tutorial 5 tops later I am one happy kiwi 👍
Oh Gawd! This is great advice!! Truly! But the professional seamstress in me died a little when you said "let the machine do the work" 😂 it took me YEARS to perfect my ability to manipulate the fabric and not let the machine dictate the stitch. FR tho, this really is a great way to tailor your own clothes.
Thanks for the kind words! And I should have clarified, I should have said the machine does the moving, NOT your hands. Its easy to think that you have to push the garment through.
@@StylishDTailors nah you made perfect sense to the people this is meant for. I love it!
I watched this whole video knowing damn well I’m not about to do any of this
Whaat? Why not it's SO EASY!
@@StylishDTailors I just know I’m not 😭 great video btw.
Love me some pinking shears. My machine is a bit fancy so I have also used an overlock foot/stitch on seams, but it CAN get a bit thick and uncomfortable depending on the fabric/location of the seam.
Yeah pinking shears are great, I just have to keep reminding my kids to not steal them for their art projects...
Always a good day when SD uploads! Could you do a video on tailoring t shirt sleeves with a sewing machine?
I appreciate that dude! And I made two, one on shortening a t-shirt sleeve and one on making the sleeve tighter. Both are in the playlist that this video is on, here ya go!
th-cam.com/play/PLlIieQ1fBIpqEwjnby1kQOpBOrVaNjRhQ.html
How to shorten the length
hey. thanks. newb question here. if I have a tailored shirt, could I simply overlay that shirt over the shirt I want to get tailored, and then use chalk to trace around the outline of the tailored shirt? that seems easier than using a ruler for measurements.
This is a fantastic video. So well explained. When I wake up tomorrow I’m gonna try this. You’re a god
I honestly hope you do! Reach out if you need any help on IG
I've only recently been aware of just how much better I look in slimmer fitted/tailored clothes than off the rack clothes. I guess I just never really thought about it, but now I can't help but notice how sub-par my old clothes fit. My question after watching a few of your videos is….is sewing (specifically "using a sewing machine") really as simple as you make it seem? If I were to buy a sewing machine and learn to tailor my own clothes, about how many hours of practice does it really take to get good results? Mostly for my casual clothes, I just want to take in the torso and sleeves on shirts & tees to make them slimmer, taper pants legs, shorten excess length on jeans, and take in the waist size on some jeans. Also, which of those are most easy to DIY, vs. just taking to an alteration shop? Thank you.
It's crazy isn't it? You don't notice how bad your and everyone else's clothes fit, but once you do you can't unsee it at all.
And I'm not exaggerating at all (I know it kinda seems like I am), but when it comes to learning the basics you'll get those down in a weekend. Seriously, sewing machines can do a TON of things and that's what makes them intimidating. But we just use it for 2 stitches, that's it!
So much of mens store-bought clothes are just horribly fitted imo, especially these days. I feel like a lot of brands, sellers, and particularly any fashion online get away with it easily because most men in America learn from an early age that they shouldn't care about their clothes, the quality of fabric or how things fit. It just sucks for the rest of us who actually do care & gotta sift through an ocean of junk to find anything good.
Last piece of clothing I bought was from a Philly street vendor who was from Nepal, handmade everything, and sold all her clothes as pre-washed (which I didn't even know what that meant at the time). Made me wonder real hard why nothing else is sold like that in America unless you wanna go spend an obscene amount of money at custom-tailored stores.
Thanks for the pin spacing tip 👍
PS. To the absolute beginners: make sure your tshirt is inside out before you stitch 😂.
I finished editing, uploading, and I said to myself...
*I forgot to say that the shirt needs to be inside out...*
Hi SD, i really like your videos because it's simple and really informative. I have some requests if you don't mind sharing how to alter shoulder size for shirts? Thanks!
Sure I will, I've got it coming up on the agenda!
Pure awesomeness.
Thanks man I appreciate that!
D, got any tips for preserving/restoring favorite old tees? Stretched collars, holes, tears, that kind of thing?
To be honest I wear them just the way they are, gives them character! But as far as collars go that can be tough to fix, I'm assuming you mean the bacon collars?
@@StylishDTailors Yeah! And that's fair, maybe it's for the best to let them live out their natural 'lifespan' and retire them... I don't want someone patching me up just to keep working when I'm old and worn out, lol.
using the same measurements would have to involve the spacing between the center of the shirt and where you want the new side seam to be, not seam to old edge, unless you’re confident that all shirts you ever buy are going to be cut exactly the same
Great vid!
Is the same when fixing sport shirts/stretchy fabric? 😊😬
Sure is, you just want to use a jersey needle for stretchy materials and a narrow zigzag stitch instead of a straight stitch. Otherwise everything is the same.
my dad wants his t-shirt collars to be on his neck not his shoulders. How do I fix that for him, with out it looking gathered?
Great tutorial. I bought that same sewing machine on Amazon and am getting ready to practice on an old shirt. Does this technique also work on polo style shirts? If so, are there any changes needed such as settings, thread type or stitching?
Awesome to hear you're gonna give it a shot! And the technique works exactly the same on polo shirts as well. You have two options of either stitching together the split at the bottom or starting your stitch just above that slit. Either option works, I've done both and been happy.
@@StylishDTailors perfect, that is exactly what I needed to know. I forgot about the little slit lol. Will probably eventually try both techniques as well 🎸🕺
If you start above the slit you’ll want to be more conservative with how much you take in, otherwise it will be tighter in the hips and the slit will make it wide, giving it kind of a weird hourglass shape. Ask me how I know lol…
@@StylishDTailors Yikes! That would not be a good look for my 50 yr old boyish hips 😂. Sorry you found out the hard way, but I'm sure you managed to fix it somehow 🪚
This works great for the sides and getting it so that it's not too tight at the chest and is slimmer down around your waist. But what about the shoulders being too wide? I have to buy extra large shirts otherwise they're too tight across my chest, but that means that the shoulder seems hang down past my shoulders. That's the part I can't figure out, do you have a video that addresses that?
I've got an upcoming tutorial on how to adjust the shoulders of a t-shirt, it's not SUPER complicated but a little bit past beginner level.
@@StylishDTailors Thanks! I'm guessing mark arcs on the neck side of the existing shoulder seams, rip the existing, cut and re-sew?
hi SD, may i do it on a synthetic shirts?
Ya absolutely, same concept just be mindful of the stretch so that you don’t make it too tight
شكران
i lost weight and have wide shoulders. what else do i have to tailor to make it fit besides sleeves
Congrats on the weight loss! Definitely find the right fit in your mid-section. Since you have broader shoulders anything that fits in the shoulders is going to be way too big in the waist. Slim it down for a nice tapered look.
you are the best, my closet is getting revamped
Heck yeah, awesome to hear you're gonna try it out! You won't regret it!
man, half an inch is about 15mm, not 12.7mm. Nobody measures seams to 2mm accuracy, let alone .3mm. Love you.
Fair enough! I'm learning more and more about the metric system as I go along haha!
Do the alteration with your serger.
That's assuming you have one, which is
an expensive non-essential.
Pretty much the reason why never use them in my videos, most people don't have a sewing machine let alone a Serger.
I need some girls to tell me they like #2 more because I really don’t like it as much as #1
CCW holders hate him! Jk great video 😂
I was super confused until I Googled it, that makes sense haha!
Yass !
DEUCES!
Yeah buddy! Have a good weekend!
armpits look weird, please send help
Be honest SD, you race home after an extended arm's session at the gym to film videos co-staring your guns. 🦾
These were taken first thing in the morning when these puppies were cold so I'll take that as a compliment haha!
@@StylishDTailors: I gotta go along with SpamMouse, I'm
envious as Hell. You're a rock. 😁✌🖖