Burda Style For people who sew

As a teenager, I was always disappointed to find that the "girl" shirts featuring my favorite bands were so inferior to the men's shirts, which were so so BIG. I soon started devising ways of reworking the men's shirts so I could wear them. My first attempts were just little sleeveless rectangles, with the stitches always popping out, but over the years I perfected my technique. Basically every t shirt I own was once a huge man shirt, so it has served me well over the years and I would like to share it with you. This technique involves cutting up another old t shirt to make your own pattern, and then using that pattern to cut out and re-sew a much too large t shirt using flat construction. The collar, shoulder seams, and sleeve hems from the original shirt remain intact so the final result looks professional.

Technique Materials

1 Mens T shirt several sizes too large, 1 unwanted t shirt that fits

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4 Comments

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  Nov 13, 2011, 07.00 PMby nyckelpiga

  This is honestly the best tutorial I’ve seen for refitting t-shirts, so thanks! I’m gonna try fixing my I<3NY souvenir t-shirt (used once).

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    Nov 13, 2011, 10.14 PMby Danielle MacIndoe

    Thanks! That will be a good shirt to start with.

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  Sep 6, 2011, 03.58 AMby KB0t

  Thank you for this! I had the same problem as a teenager (hating the girls’ versions of band t-shirts) – I looked ridiculous as a tiny girl in over-sized men’s t-shirts. If only I could go back in time!
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  Sep 2, 2011, 07.29 PMby nett1970

  Used this tutorial to turn my XL Hard Rock Cafe NY t-shirt into one that actually fits. I haven’t worn it in years, but I’m wearing to today and it looks great! Thanks! My souvenir t-shirts can’t wait to see the light of day again.
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  Aug 7, 2011, 11.05 AMby tinuvielle13

  This is a great tutorial. You are so right men have all the best t-shirts and most of the time us girls get stuck with the lame ones. Last June I bought a Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt 2 sizes too big cause they didn’t have my size and I really wanted that one. I’m going to try your technique out on it. Thank You.

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    Aug 7, 2011, 02.17 PMby Danielle MacIndoe

    Great. Let me know if anything is unclear. If it’s a really special shirt you might want to try a different one the first time in case you make a mistake