Help - My Shirt is too Tight

When you put on some weight, a shirt will usually still fit in terms of arm length and shirt length, however it is less likely to fit around the middle and across the shoulders. So, what should you do when you find yourself saying - my shirt is too tight.

When your shirt is too tight across the middle, it can make you look fatter than you actually are, just because it is ill fitting. This shirt tightness across the stomach area may be more noticeable when sitting down, and can even cause the embarrassing problem of a button to pop undone! No matter what the reason is for your shirt being too tight across the middle, the solution is to widen the shirt midsection. Even just increasing the midsection of the shirt by half an inch could be enough for the shirt to fit more comfortably and give an overall better look.

Similarly, when putting on some extra weight, you might find that a shirt will be tighter across the shoulders, most noticeable when stretching your arms forward, you will feel the tightness across the back of the shirt. The solution to this shirt tightness is to have rear pleats added which will allow extra movement in the shoulder, or adjust the armpit and top arm width, or increase the chest width. Another place on the shirt that it may feel tighter is around the collar. The more weight someone carries, the larger their collar size usually is. Having a larger collar made on a shirt is a straightforward alternation that can make your feel more comfortable.

If you are experiencing problems with the fit of your regular shirts in any of these specific places, then it is a good idea to consider the reasoning before paying for alterations. If it is due to temporary weight gain, then altering your shirts is an expensive and drastic measure. However, if your shape has changed and you have expensive shirts in the wardrobe that have become too tight, then having them altered by a proper tailor is a good solution. Having well fitting shirts is not only comfortable, but they make a better impression on others in work and social situations, and therefore give the wearer a greater confidence.