Learn How To Tailor Dress Shirts Step-by-Step Guide

Can you make a dress shirt fit better yourself? Yes, you absolutely can! Learning how to tailor dress shirts lets you fix shirts that are too big. You can make the body smaller, shorten the sleeves, or change the bottom edge. It is a great way to get shirts that look like they were made just for you without paying a lot of money. This guide will show you how to make a dress shirt smaller and fit right. We will cover simple sewing machine shirt alterations that you can do at home. Think of it as a dress shirt sewing tutorial for making your clothes look sharp.

How To Tailor Dress Shirts
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Grasping Why Tailor a Shirt?

Why change a dress shirt? Most ready-made shirts do not fit everyone perfectly. A shirt might be loose around the middle but fit in the shoulders. Or the sleeves might be too long.

A well-fitting shirt makes you look good. It feels better to wear too. Tailoring a shirt you already own is cheaper than buying new shirts. It uses things you already have. It is a fun making shirt smaller DIY project. It helps you fix an oversized dress shirt and make it fit just right.

What You Need

Before you start this project, get your tools ready. Having everything nearby makes the work easier.

Tools and Stuff You Will Need

A dress shirt that needs changing
Measuring tape
Tailor’s chalk or a fabric marker
Straight pins
Sharp fabric scissors
Seam ripper (to take out old stitches)
Iron and ironing board
Sewing machine (or needle and thread for hand sewing, but a machine is much better and faster)
Matching thread

Using a sewing machine will make your work look more like a store-bought shirt. It makes strong, even stitches.

Getting the Right Shirt Fit

Before you change anything, you need to know how the shirt should fit. This step is about fitting a dress shirt to see what needs to be done. Put on the shirt you want to change. Button it up. Look at how it hangs on your body.

Checking Different Parts of the Shirt

Shoulders: The seam on top should sit right at the edge of your shoulder bone. If it goes past, the shirt is too big in the shoulders, which is hard to fix well at home.
Chest: The shirt should feel comfortable across your chest. It should not pull when you move your arms.
Body/Waist: This is where many shirts are too loose. There might be a lot of extra fabric around your stomach and back. You should be able to pinch about 1-2 inches of fabric on each side at your waist. More than that means the shirt is too wide. This is a common area for altering dress shirt body.
Sleeves: Check the length. With your arm hanging down, the cuff should reach the base of your hand, right where it meets your wrist. If it goes past, the sleeves are too long. You might need to shorten shirt sleeves.
Collar: You should be able to fit one or two fingers inside the collar when it is buttoned.
Length: The bottom edge (hem) should cover your belt. It should be long enough to stay tucked in if you tuck it. If it is too long or uneven, you might need to know how to hem a dress shirt.

Have a friend help you pin the shirt while you wear it. Pin the extra fabric along the sides to see how a closer fit would look. This helps you see where you need to take in shirt sides.

Altering the Shirt Body: Making it Smaller

This is the most common change people make. Taking in shirt sides makes the shirt fit closer to your body. This is how you start making shirt smaller DIY. It focuses on tailoring shirt waist and the chest area.

Step 1: Prepare the Shirt

Lay the shirt flat on a large surface.
Turn the shirt inside out.

Step 2: Mark the New Fit

Remember how much you pinched or pinned on each side when you tried the shirt on? This is your guide.
Starting from the armpit area, use your tailor’s chalk to mark a line down the side of the shirt. This line shows the new seam.
The line should start near the original side seam under the arm.
It should curve inwards towards the waist. Make the line curve in more where the shirt is widest and you want it smaller (often around your belly button area).
The line should then curve back outwards slightly as it reaches the bottom edge (hem) of the shirt. You do not want the bottom to be too tight.
Make sure the line is smooth. It should not have sharp corners.
The widest part of the inward curve is where you take away the most fabric. If you want to take off 2 inches total from the body, your line on each side will be 1 inch away from the old seam at the widest point.
Do the exact same marking on the other side of the shirt. Make sure both lines are the same shape and distance from the original seams. This is key for a balanced look when altering dress shirt body.

Step 3: Pin the Fabric

Fold the back of the shirt onto the front, matching the side edges.
Pin along the chalk line you just drew. Put pins close together, about every 2-3 inches. This holds the two layers of fabric (front and back) together along your new seam line.

Step 4: Sew the New Seam

Set up your sewing machine. Use a thread color that matches your shirt.
Choose a straight stitch. A medium stitch length (like 2.5) is usually good.
Start sewing right at the armpit, close to where the original side seam meets the sleeve seam.
Sew slowly and carefully along your chalk line. Follow the pins.
When you reach the end of the chalk line near the bottom hem, sew a few stitches backwards (backstitch) to lock the stitches in place. This stops the seam from coming undone.
Sew the other side of the shirt the same way. Make sure both new seams are the same length and shape. This is a crucial part of resizing an oversized dress shirt evenly.

Step 5: Try It On

Carefully remove the pins.
Turn the shirt right side out.
Try on the shirt. See how it fits now. Does it feel better? Is it still too loose or now too tight?
If it is too tight, you can use your seam ripper to take out the new stitches and sew a new line closer to the old seam.
If it is still too loose, you can mark a new line inside the first new seam and sew again.

Step 6: Trim and Finish the Seam

If the fit is good, take the shirt off and turn it inside out again.
Look at the fabric outside your new seam line. This is the extra fabric you took in.
Cut this extra fabric away. Leave about 1/2 inch of fabric outside the new seam. This is called the seam allowance. Be careful not to cut into your new stitches!
Now you need to finish this raw edge of fabric so it does not fray (unravel). You can do this in a few ways:
- Serger: If you have a serger machine, use it to stitch over the raw edge. This is the neatest finish.
- Zigzag stitch: On your sewing machine, set it to a zigzag stitch. Stitch along the raw edge of the fabric you just cut. Make sure the zigzag stitch goes over the edge to wrap around the fabric.
- Folding: For a cleaner look, you can fold the raw edge under once, then fold it again and stitch close to the fold. This makes a flat, finished edge. This is a very professional way to finish the seams when tailoring shirt waist.

Step 7: Press the Seams

Turn the shirt right side out.
Lay the shirt on your ironing board.
Iron the new side seams flat. Pressing makes the stitches sink into the fabric and gives the shirt a crisp, finished look.

This process of taking in shirt sides significantly changes the fit of the dress shirt body, making the making shirt smaller DIY project very rewarding.

Shortening Shirt Sleeves

Sometimes, the body of a shirt fits, but the sleeves are too long. You can fix this too. This involves moving the cuff up the sleeve. This is how to shorten shirt sleeves.

Step 1: Figure Out How Much to Shorten

Put the shirt on. Button the cuffs.
Have someone help you decide how much shorter the sleeves need to be.
Measure the extra length from the base of your hand up the arm. This is the amount you need to take off.
Take the shirt off.

Step 2: Take Off the Cuff

Turn the shirt inside out.
Find the seam that attaches the cuff to the sleeve.
Use your seam ripper to carefully remove the stitches holding the cuff on. Go slowly. Be careful not to cut the fabric.
Once the cuff is off, you will have the end of the sleeve fabric and the cuff piece.
Do this for both sleeves.

Step 3: Prepare the Sleeve and Cuff

Iron the end of the sleeve flat where you took the cuff off.
Iron the cuff piece flat too.

Step 4: Mark the New Sleeve Length

Lay the sleeve flat.
Measure up from the end of the sleeve by the amount you want to shorten it. Mark a line straight across the sleeve at this point using tailor’s chalk.
Do this for both sleeves. Make sure the marks are the same distance from the end on both sleeves.

Step 5: Cut the Extra Fabric

Cut carefully along the chalk line you just marked on the sleeve. This removes the extra length.
Do this for both sleeves. Now your sleeves are the right length before the cuff is re-attached.

Step 6: Re-attach the Cuff

This is a bit tricky, but follow these steps carefully. You are attaching the cuff to the new end of the shortened sleeve.

The cuff has a right side and a wrong side, and usually a facing.
The sleeve end also has a right side (outside) and a wrong side (inside).
Lay the sleeve flat, right side up.
Take the cuff piece. It is like a loop or has buttons/buttonholes. Find the edge that was originally sewn to the sleeve.
Place the cuff edge onto the raw edge of the shortened sleeve. The right side of the cuff should be against the right side of the sleeve. The raw edges should line up.
Pin the cuff to the sleeve edge all the way around. The cuff edge is usually slightly larger than the sleeve edge because of gathers or pleats on the original shirt. You will need to reform these gathers or pleats. Look at the other shirts you own to see how the cuff joins the sleeve near the placket (the reinforced slit on the sleeve). Create similar small folds or gathers in the sleeve fabric right before the placket to match the cuff size. Pin these in place.
Once pinned, take the sleeve to your sewing machine.
Sew the cuff to the sleeve along the pinned line. Sew carefully, keeping the seam allowance even. This is a key step in the dress shirt sewing tutorial for sleeves.
Sew a few stitches backwards at the start and end to secure the seam.
Repeat for the other sleeve.

Step 7: Finish the Inside Seam

After sewing, you will have a raw seam edge on the inside of the sleeve where the cuff is attached.

If your cuff has a facing (an extra piece of fabric folded inside), fold this facing over the raw seam edge on the inside of the sleeve.
Press the facing flat with an iron.
From the outside of the sleeve, stitch very close to the edge of the cuff, catching the folded-under facing on the inside. This stitch holds the facing down and covers the raw seam. This is often called “stitch-in-the-ditch” (sewing in the groove where the cuff meets the sleeve body) or topstitching.
If your cuff does not have a separate facing, you can finish the raw edge with a zigzag stitch or serger like you did for the side seams. Then press it flat towards the sleeve.

Step 8: Press the Sleeves

Iron the new cuff seam flat.
Iron the rest of the sleeve.

You have now successfully used sewing machine shirt alterations to shorten shirt sleeves.

Hemming a Dress Shirt

The bottom edge of a shirt is called the hem. Sometimes, a shirt is too long, or the hem gets damaged. Knowing how to hem a dress shirt can fix this. Dress shirt hems are often curved and single-folded.

Step 1: Decide How Much to Shorten

Put the shirt on.
Stand in front of a mirror.
Fold the bottom edge up to where you want the new hem to be.
Measure how much fabric you folded up. This is how much length you will remove.
Take the shirt off.

Step 2: Remove the Original Hem

Turn the shirt inside out.
Use your seam ripper to carefully remove the stitching of the original hem.
Once the stitches are gone, unfold the hem fabric. You will have a raw edge at the bottom of the shirt.
Iron the edge flat to remove the fold line from the old hem.

Step 3: Mark the New Hem Line

Lay the shirt flat, inside out.
Measure up from the raw bottom edge by the amount you decided to shorten the shirt plus the amount needed for the new hem allowance. A typical dress shirt hem allowance is about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch. Let’s say you are removing 2 inches of length and want a 1/2 inch hem allowance. You will measure up 2.5 inches from the raw edge and mark a line.
Use your tailor’s chalk to mark a line all the way around the bottom of the shirt at this height. Follow the original curve of the hem.

Step 4: Cut the Extra Fabric

Carefully cut along the chalk line you just marked. This removes the extra fabric and leaves the shirt at the new correct length with the hem allowance ready.

Step 5: Form the New Hem

Dress shirt hems are often a single fold hem. This means you fold the edge up just once and stitch it down. The raw edge needs to be neat first.

On your sewing machine, set it to a zigzag stitch or use a serger. Stitch along the very edge of the fabric you just cut. This stops it from fraying.
Now, fold the zigzagged edge up towards the inside of the shirt by the amount of your hem allowance (e.g., 1/2 inch). The zigzag stitch should be hidden inside the fold.
Pin the hem in place all the way around the bottom edge of the shirt. Make sure the fold is even.

Step 6: Sew the New Hem

Set your sewing machine back to a straight stitch. A slightly longer stitch length (like 3) can look nice on a hem.
Sew the hem down. Stitch very close to the folded edge (about 1/8 inch from the fold). This stitch will be visible from the outside, so use matching thread.
Sew all the way around the hem. Overlap your stitches slightly where you start and stop to secure the seam.

Step 7: Press the Hem

Turn the shirt right side out.
Lay the bottom of the shirt on the ironing board.
Press the new hem flat. Ironing makes the hem crisp and professional.

This finishes the how to hem a dress shirt part of your dress shirt sewing tutorial.

Interpreting the Tailoring Process – Summary

You have learned how to make key changes to a dress shirt.

Alter dress shirt body: Taking in the sides makes the chest and waist smaller. This is good for an oversized dress shirt.
Shorten shirt sleeves: You removed the cuff, cut the sleeve shorter, and put the cuff back on.
How to hem a dress shirt: You cut the bottom edge shorter and created a new hem.

These are the main sewing machine shirt alterations you can do at home as a making shirt smaller DIY project. Fitting a dress shirt first helps you know exactly what changes are needed.

Tips for Great Shirt Alterations

Go Slow: Do not rush. Sewing slowly helps you stay on your marked line and makes neater stitches.
Practice: If you are new to sewing, maybe try these steps on an old sheet or a cheap shirt first.
Use Good Thread: Strong, good-quality thread is important.
Sharp Needle: Make sure your sewing machine needle is sharp and the right type for the fabric.
Press Often: Ironing seams flat as you go makes a big difference in how the finished shirt looks.
Fit, Fit, Fit: Try the shirt on multiple times during the process. After marking, before sewing, after sewing the main seam, etc. This helps you catch mistakes early.
Start Small: If you are not sure how much to take in, mark a line that removes a smaller amount. You can always sew further in later if needed. It is hard to add fabric back!

Beyond the Basics: Other Possible Changes

While altering dress shirt body, shortening shirt sleeves, and hemming are the most common changes, you could potentially do other things:

Taking in the sleeves: If the sleeves are too wide, you can sew a new seam down the length of the sleeve, similar to how you took in the body.
Changing the collar: This is much harder and usually not worth it for a beginner.
Changing the shoulders: Very difficult to do well at home. If a shirt is too big in the shoulders, it is often better to find a different shirt.

Focus on the main areas first. Taking in shirt sides will give you the biggest change in fit for most shirts.

Sewing Machine Settings for Shirt Fabric

Dress shirt fabric is usually a medium-weight cotton or a blend.

Needle: Use a universal needle, size 70/10 or 80/12.
Thread: Good quality polyester or cotton thread that matches the shirt color.
Stitch Type: Straight stitch for seams and hemming. Zigzag stitch for finishing raw edges if you do not have a serger.
Stitch Length:
- Seams (sides, sleeves): 2.5 to 3 mm.
- Hemming: 3 to 3.5 mm.
- Topstitching (on cuffs or collars): 3 to 4 mm.
- Zigzag for finishing: A medium width and length (check your machine’s settings, often around width 3 and length 1.5-2).

Always test your stitch on a scrap piece of the shirt fabric before sewing on the shirt itself. This helps you get the tension and stitch length right.

Step-by-Step Tables for Quick Review

Here are quick steps for the main alterations:

Table 1: Taking in the Shirt Body

Step	Action	Notes
1. Prepare	Turn shirt inside out.	Lay flat.
2. Mark	Draw new seam line from armpit to hem.	Curve in at waist. Same on both sides. Use chalk.
3. Pin	Pin along marked lines.	Pin front and back together.
4. Sew	Sew on sewing machine along chalk lines.	Backstitch at start/end.
5. Try On	Check fit.	Adjust if needed by sewing again or using seam ripper.
6. Trim & Finish	Cut extra fabric 1/2″ from seam. Finish edge.	Use serger, zigzag, or fold/stitch.
7. Press	Iron new side seams flat.	Makes stitches sink in and look neat.

This table covers altering dress shirt body, taking in shirt sides, and tailoring shirt waist.

Table 2: Shortening Shirt Sleeves

Step	Action	Notes
1. Measure	Decide how much to shorten while wearing shirt.	Measure from wrist up.
2. Remove Cuff	Use seam ripper to take off cuff.	Carefully remove stitches.
3. Prepare	Iron sleeve end and cuff flat.	Remove old fold lines.
4. Mark	Draw cut line on sleeve based on needed shortening.	Measure from end.
5. Cut	Cut along marked line.	Remove extra sleeve length.
6. Re-attach Cuff	Pin right side of cuff to right side of sleeve edge.	Match edges, make small gathers/pleats if needed.
7. Sew Cuff	Sew cuff to sleeve on sewing machine.	Use straight stitch.
8. Finish Inside Seam	Fold cuff facing or finish raw edge. Stitch down.	Covers the raw seam inside.
9. Press	Iron new cuff seam flat.	Looks professional.

This helps with shorten shirt sleeves.

Table 3: Hemming a Dress Shirt

Step	Action	Notes
1. Measure	Decide new length while wearing shirt.	Fold up and measure.
2. Remove Old Hem	Use seam ripper to remove old hem stitches.	Unfold edge, iron flat.
3. Mark	Draw cut line based on new length + hem amount.	Follow original hem curve.
4. Cut	Cut along marked line.	Removes excess fabric.
5. Prepare Hem Edge	Finish raw edge (zigzag or serger).	Stops fraying.
6. Form Hem	Fold edge up by hem amount. Pin.	Fold just once.
7. Sew Hem	Sew hem down on sewing machine.	Stitch close to folded edge.
8. Press	Iron new hem flat.	Gives a crisp finish.

This guides you on how to hem a dress shirt.

Why Sewing Machine Alterations Are Best

While you can hand sew these changes, using a sewing machine gives you stronger, more even stitches. Hand stitches might break over time, especially in areas with stress like side seams. A machine makes the job faster and the results look much more like the shirt was made to fit you from the start. This is why this dress shirt sewing tutorial focuses on using a machine. It gives you professional results for your making shirt smaller DIY project.

Finishing Thoughts

Learning how to tailor your own dress shirts is a great skill. It lets you make your clothes fit much better. You can save money by fixing shirts instead of buying new ones. Resizing an oversized dress shirt using these steps means you no longer have to wear shirts that are too baggy. With a little practice and these detailed steps, you can confidently alter dress shirt body, take in shirt sides, shorten shirt sleeves, and hem a dress shirt. Enjoy your perfectly fitting shirts!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: How much fabric can I take in on the sides of a shirt?
A: You can usually take in several inches total (like 4-6 inches total, which means sewing 2-3 inches in on each side at the widest point). However, do not try to make a shirt that is many sizes too big fit you perfectly. There are limits to how much you can change the shape before it looks wrong, especially around the armholes and shoulders. Fitting a dress shirt carefully is key. Start with smaller amounts.

Q: Can I tailor a shirt by hand if I don’t have a sewing machine?
A: Yes, you can, but it will take much longer, and the stitches may not be as strong or look as neat as sewing machine shirt alterations. Use a strong thread and a small backstitch for seams that need strength.

Q: What if I mess up? Can I undo the stitches?
A: Yes! That is what a seam ripper is for. You can carefully remove your stitches and try again. Go slowly to avoid cutting the fabric. It is better to sew, check the fit, maybe take out stitches, and sew again, than to cut fabric you might still need.

Q: How long does it take to tailor a dress shirt?
A: It depends on the changes you make and how fast you are at sewing. Taking in shirt sides might take 1-2 hours for someone with some practice. Shortening shirt sleeves can take 1-2 hours per sleeve because you need to re-attach the cuff carefully. Hemming might take an hour. The more you do it, the faster you get.

Q: Can I make the shoulders smaller?
A: Making shoulders smaller on a shirt is very hard and often does not look right unless done by a professional tailor. It involves changing the sleeve attachment point (the armhole). If a shirt is too big in the shoulders, it is usually not a good candidate for a making shirt smaller DIY project focusing on the body and sleeves.

Q: Should I wash the shirt before tailoring?
A: Yes, always wash the shirt before you start any alterations. Fabrics can shrink, and you want to make sure the shirt is its final size before you change it.

Q: What if my shirt is not cotton? Can I still tailor it?
A: Most dress shirt fabrics (cotton, linen, polyester blends) can be tailored using these methods. Be careful with very delicate or slippery fabrics like silk. Use fine needles and go slowly. Test stitches on a scrap piece first.

These answers should help you feel more ready to start your dress shirt sewing tutorial. Getting a good fitting a dress shirt before you start is the best way to ensure success. Good luck with your sewing machine shirt alterations!