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Can off-the-rack clothes be tailored?



 
 
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  #1  
Old September 20th 03, 05:15 AM
2obvious
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Default Can off-the-rack clothes be tailored?

I was watching an "X-treme Makeovers" rerun last night, and I saw a
stylist advising a guy to have his tie-dyed T-shirts tailored. I'd
never considered this possibility, but now that it's in my head...

I wear a lot of T-shirts (very few button-up shirts). I'm willing to
invest the time and effort into learning how to tailor my shirts, but
I have no clue where to search for books or instruction. A cursory
pass on the Internet turned up nothing of value. Can anyone guide me
in the right direction? Is this even /possible?/
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  #2  
Old September 22nd 03, 12:01 PM
Polly Esther
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I'm not a bit sure that I understand what you mean by tailored. I have been
altering DH's t-shirts a long time. Sometimes, we find one he likes but it
flares out from the armhole seam toward the waist. Looks like a circus tent
sort of shape. He calls them maternity shirts. I turn them inside-out and
seam them in beginning with nothing at the armhole and taking out what needs
to be gone going down the sides.
I've also had success doing this sort of shaping with sleeves that for
reasons obscure to us, seem to have some extreme fullness built in from the
cuff or hem. And, there have been some that were nice shirts but cut many
inches too long.
Is this the sort of tailoring you're wanting to do? Polly

2obvious wrote in message
m...
I was watching an "X-treme Makeovers" rerun last night, and I saw a
stylist advising a guy to have his tie-dyed T-shirts tailored. I'd
never considered this possibility, but now that it's in my head...

I wear a lot of T-shirts (very few button-up shirts). I'm willing to
invest the time and effort into learning how to tailor my shirts, but
I have no clue where to search for books or instruction. A cursory
pass on the Internet turned up nothing of value. Can anyone guide me
in the right direction? Is this even /possible?/



  #3  
Old September 22nd 03, 05:58 PM
2obvious
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Posts: n/a
Default

Is "altering" the term I'm looking for? (Maybe I just don't know the
vernacular...?)

My issues are similar to DH's. (uh...who is "DH?") Occasionally I'll
buy "pre-shrunk" shirts that will shrink after the first wash and
become horizontal. But in general, I'm a tall guy with a narrow
frame. So, yeah, I run into the "maternity shirt" thing quite a lot.
Also, even when a shirt fits my chest, the shoulder seams will fall
around my biceps, because my shoulders are narrow.

Do you have any suggestions on how to learn to remove factory-stitched
seams and measure myself correctly and whatnot? (I'm going to Google
"altering clothes"...)

"Polly Esther" wrote in message thlink.net...
I'm not a bit sure that I understand what you mean by tailored. I have been
altering DH's t-shirts a long time. Sometimes, we find one he likes but it
flares out from the armhole seam toward the waist. Looks like a circus tent
sort of shape. He calls them maternity shirts. I turn them inside-out and
seam them in beginning with nothing at the armhole and taking out what needs
to be gone going down the sides.
I've also had success doing this sort of shaping with sleeves that for
reasons obscure to us, seem to have some extreme fullness built in from the
cuff or hem. And, there have been some that were nice shirts but cut many
inches too long.
Is this the sort of tailoring you're wanting to do? Polly

  #4  
Old September 22nd 03, 07:09 PM
duh who
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Default


"2obvious" wrote in message
m...
Is "altering" the term I'm looking for? (Maybe I just don't know the
vernacular...?)

My issues are similar to DH's. (uh...who is "DH?") Occasionally I'll
buy "pre-shrunk" shirts that will shrink after the first wash and
become horizontal. But in general, I'm a tall guy with a narrow
frame. So, yeah, I run into the "maternity shirt" thing quite a lot.
Also, even when a shirt fits my chest, the shoulder seams will fall
around my biceps, because my shoulders are narrow.

Do you have any suggestions on how to learn to remove factory-stitched
seams and measure myself correctly and whatnot? (I'm going to Google
"altering clothes"...)


You might want to go full tilt boogie and just start making your shirts from
scratch like I do. Its really not that hard after you do a couple.

Otherwise, and this is off the top of my head, you're going to have to undo
the seam up the side and down the length of the arm, and then remove the
sleeve, then mark the arm opening back to fit your shoulders, then reverse
the process, reattaching the sleeve then sewing the side seam back. I
suppose if you don't completely undo the length of the sleeve, you won't
have to remove and then reattach the cuff.

I've never done this, just brainstorming.


  #5  
Old September 24th 03, 02:21 AM
Penny Lemire
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Default

There are times it is worth re-working an existing piece -
fabric you just can't live without comes to mind - but for
an average shirt, if the shoulders don't work, the effort to
recut/shape is way beyond by irritation threshhold. I have
done lots of alterations for many men, some tall and
athletic, some narrow shouldered and short armed, etc. and
for me, getting the shoulders reset is more hassle than
cuffing a from-scratch shirt, and more time consuming.

I do wonder at the standard fit that seems to be prevalent
in mens RTW. The trend over the last 15-20 years is wider
and wider shoulders, to the point where the seam is as far
down DH's (dear/darling/dopey husband) arm as some short
sleeved shirts. The "tailor" at the last ritzy department
store we dealt with fitting a suit claimed this was "proper"
fit for a shirt. *sigh* Granted my DH has a thick, short
neck for his frame, meaning we have to buy his shirts big
enough for the neck (and I used to do a lot of narrowing the
collar to prevent bruises under his chin) but this width is
silly.

Altering, or tailoring a shirt for you is doable from RTW,
especially with some practice. It get somewhat easier if
you adjust one brand of shirt a lot - solve an already
solved problem. But if you really want a true fit, in my
experience from scratch is easier.

$.01


duh who wrote:
"2obvious" wrote in message
m...

Is "altering" the term I'm looking for? (Maybe I just don't know the
vernacular...?)

My issues are similar to DH's. (uh...who is "DH?") Occasionally I'll
buy "pre-shrunk" shirts that will shrink after the first wash and
become horizontal. But in general, I'm a tall guy with a narrow
frame. So, yeah, I run into the "maternity shirt" thing quite a lot.
Also, even when a shirt fits my chest, the shoulder seams will fall
around my biceps, because my shoulders are narrow.

Do you have any suggestions on how to learn to remove factory-stitched
seams and measure myself correctly and whatnot? (I'm going to Google
"altering clothes"...)



You might want to go full tilt boogie and just start making your shirts from
scratch like I do. Its really not that hard after you do a couple.

Otherwise, and this is off the top of my head, you're going to have to undo
the seam up the side and down the length of the arm, and then remove the
sleeve, then mark the arm opening back to fit your shoulders, then reverse
the process, reattaching the sleeve then sewing the side seam back. I
suppose if you don't completely undo the length of the sleeve, you won't
have to remove and then reattach the cuff.

I've never done this, just brainstorming.



  #6  
Old September 24th 03, 03:48 AM
Polly Esther
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Posts: n/a
Default

"Amen" to everything Penny wrote. Just one, perhaps useless, suggestion for
2obvious. Look for shirts in a very large clothing or department store that
has a Student department. Back when I was suffering with shopping for a tall
slim guy, they carried shirts (and pants) for fellows that fit him. Not lots
of things but I was glad to find anything. Polly

Penny Lemire wrote, in part, There are times it is worth re-working an
existing piece -
fabric you just can't live without comes to mind - but for
an average shirt, if the shoulders don't work, the effort to
recut/shape is way beyond by irritation threshhold.



  #7  
Old September 26th 03, 10:45 AM
Trishty
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Default

On Wed, 24 Sep 2003 01:21:41 GMT, Penny Lemire wrote:

There are times it is worth re-working an existing piece -
fabric you just can't live without comes to mind - but for
an average shirt, if the shoulders don't work, the effort to
recut/shape is way beyond by irritation threshhold. snip




I agree with Penny too - if the shoulders don't fit, forget it.

If you want to make shirts, David Coffin Page's book Shirtmaking is said to
be very good.

Your issues are just the sort of thing that make women learn to sew -
you're not a 'standard' shape, so things don't fit you. And the trend
towards the dropped shoulder, as seen in sportswear, doesn't suit everyone.

In RTW, you may get shirts to fit if you have access to (and are willing to
pay the price for) classic British 'Jermyn Street' tailors such as Thomas
Pink's. Pink's certainly do narrow-cut shirts with gussets at the bottom
but they're not cheap and they tend to use formal fabrics, too (lots of
pinstripes).

Trish
  #8  
Old September 26th 03, 11:27 PM
duh who
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Default


"Trishty" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 24 Sep 2003 01:21:41 GMT, Penny Lemire wrote:

There are times it is worth re-working an existing piece -
fabric you just can't live without comes to mind - but for
an average shirt, if the shoulders don't work, the effort to
recut/shape is way beyond by irritation threshhold. snip




I agree with Penny too - if the shoulders don't fit, forget it.


I agree with this too, after I thought about it. If you're going to have to
go to that much trouble, just do the shirt from scratch.

As long as you can take pride in doing your own shirts, and don't mind the
little errors that crop up (that only you will notice), do your own. There
are different sources for adapting patterns to fit you. Unfortunately, most
of them will be geared towards women's clothing, but a lot is applicable.

dwight


  #9  
Old September 30th 03, 12:01 AM
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Posts: n/a
Default


Can off-the-rack clothes be tailored?

(2obvious)
snip
I wear a lot of T-shirts (very few button-up shirts). I'm willing to
invest the time and effort into learning how to tailor my shirts, but I
have no clue where to search for books or instruction. A cursory pass on
the Internet turned up nothing of value. Can anyone guide me in the
right direction? Is this even /possible?/
---
Sure it is. It's called altering your own garments. If you start with
a couple of practice Tshirts, you'll be good at it in no time.
I've tailored both men's suit jacket shoulders (not my favorite thing
to do), and narrowed suit lapels.
Altering T shirts is a walk in the park, but I warn you--results vary
with the machine you use. I highly recommend using a serger to alter
knits.
Let me recommend :
'Altering Men's Ready-To-Wear', by Mary A. Roehr. ISBN# 0- 9619229-1-5
I picked up my copy at Joanne fabrics, for half price, and there's
always ebay, Amazon, Hamiltonbooksellers, etc.
Go to www.joannefabrics.com, and sign up on their mailing list. Every
month, you should receive a sales flyer in the mail, with a 40 to 50%
off coupon. NAYY.
Cea

  #10  
Old September 30th 03, 01:37 AM
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Default


Can off-the-rack clothes be tailored?

(duh=A0who)
snip
If you're going to have to go to that much trouble, just do the shirt
from scratch.
As long as you can take pride in doing your own shirts, and don't mind
the little errors that crop up (that only you will notice), do your own.
There are different sources for adapting patterns to fit you.
Unfortunately, most of them will be geared towards women's clothing, but
a lot is applicable.
dwight
---
Sometimes ya just want what's in the fridge instead of eating out.
T shirt shoulders are very do-able, but they turn out a lot better if
you use a serger to alter them.
I've noted before that I tailor men's suit shoulders (as well as taper
lapels, along with whatever else the client needs done to the suit.) I
also noted, as others do, that it is not a fun job, but that's beside
the point. I still alter them.
Let me recommend:
'Altering Men's Ready-To-Wear', by Mary A. Roehr. ISBN # 0-9619229-1-5
Cea

 




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