Easy Armpit Alterations: Reshaping Your T-Shirt's Armholes

Armpit holes in T-shirts can be embarrassing, but they are a common problem. Luckily, there are ways to fix them. Whether you have a small or large hole, or an armhole that is too big, you can repair your T-shirt with a few simple steps.

Sewing a patch to fix a diamond-shaped hole

If you have a diamond-shaped hole in the armpit of your T-shirt, you can fix it by sewing a patch over it. Here's a step-by-step guide:

Preparing the Hole:

• Trim any excess threads around the hole to create a solid diamond shape.
• Zigzag stitch around the diamond to prevent further fraying and unraveling.

Creating the Patch:

• Cut a patch of fabric that matches your T-shirt. The patch should be at least 5/8" larger than the hole on all sides.
• Cut the patch on the bias of the fabric, which means cutting it diagonally along the woven threads. This will make the patch stretchy in the direction you need.

Sewing the Patch:

• Turn the T-shirt inside out.
• Place the diamond-shaped patch face-down over the hole, with the right sides of the fabric together.
• Pin the patch in place, ensuring it covers the hole completely.
• Stitch the patch to the edges of the hole, leaving a 5/8" seam allowance.
• Press the seams away from the patch.
• Turn the T-shirt right side out and top stitch around the patch for added strength.

Tips:

• If you are hand-sewing, use a thicker needle for tough fabrics like denim and a thinner needle for delicate fabrics like cotton.
• Use a thread that matches the color of your T-shirt to make the stitches less noticeable.
• If the hole is small, you can simply stitch it closed without adding a patch.

Adjusting the sleeve width

If you want to adjust the sleeve width of a T-shirt, you have a few options. Firstly, you could make the sleeve width wider. This will increase the size of the armhole and reduce tightness in the armpit. However, this may also cause the sleeves to become baggier, so it's important to determine if the sleeve width is too tight in other areas before making this adjustment.

Another option is to lower the shoulder slope. Tightness in the armpits can be caused by sloped shoulders, which can be identified by lines running from the bottom of the armpits up towards the back of the collar. If this is the case, you can change the shoulder slope from standard to lowered shoulders, which will lower the armhole and shoulders of the shirt.

Additionally, you could consider making the chest width larger. If the chest width is too small, it can cause the shirt to feel tight in the armpits. Adjusting the chest width can help alleviate this tightness and provide more room in the chest area.

Finally, you could switch to a tailored shoulder/armpit fit, which will lower the armpit and clean up the look of the sleeve at the shoulder, providing a more comfortable fit.

It's important to try on the shirt and pinch under the armhole to measure how much you want to take in before making any adjustments. This will help ensure that the desired amount of width is removed from the sleeves.

Lowering the shoulder slope

If you have tightness in the armpits of your T-shirt, it could be caused by sloped shoulders. You can identify sloped shoulders by looking for lines running from the bottom of the armpits up towards the back of the collar. If these lines are present, you will need to lower the shoulder slope.

The shoulder slope is the angle of your shoulder from the base of your neck to your shoulder point. To determine whether you need to lower the shoulder slope, put on the T-shirt and stand in front of a mirror with your arms at your sides. If you see lines running from the armpits towards the back of your collar, you will need to increase the shoulder slope of the shirt. This can be done by changing the setting from Standard to one of the "Lowered Shoulders" settings.

The amount you need to lower the shoulder slope will depend on the severity of the lines on the shirt. Lowered Shoulders -0.2" will lower the armhole and shoulders of the shirt by 0.2" from "Standard." Lowered Shoulders -0.6" will lower the armhole and shoulders by 0.6" from "Standard." Lowered Shoulders -1.0" will lower the armhole and shoulders by 1.0" from "Standard."

It is important to note that the shoulder width of the T-shirt should also be considered when adjusting the shoulder slope. If the yoke of the shirt is too wide or too narrow, it can cause pull lines that are similar to those caused by sloped shoulders. Ensure that the shoulder width of the shirt is correct before adjusting the shoulder slope.

Making the chest width larger

• Determine how much total width you need to add by measuring the too-small garment and deciding how much bigger it needs to be. Compare it to another similar item of clothing to get an idea of the desired width.
• Divide the total additional width needed by 2, as you will be adding fabric to both sides of the shirt. For example, if you need to add 6 inches of width, you will add 3 inches to each side.
• Cut the side seams open or unpick them with a seam ripper, especially if your shirt is made from woven (non-stretch) fabric. You only need to cut or unpick up to the underarm seam unless your sleeves are very short or tight.
• Measure the length of the side seam to determine the length of your fabric panel.
• Draw and cut your fabric panel:

• Start with a centre line equal to the length of your side seam.
• For the width, decide if you want to add a wedge shape for more room in the hips or a side panel for more room up to the chest.
• For a wedge shape, start with a wider base (3-4 inches) and taper it to nothing at the top.
• Add seam allowances (about 0.5 inches) all around.
• Cut out your fabric panel.

Sew the fabric panels to the shirt:

• Insert the fabric right sides together with one side seam of the shirt.
• Match the raw edges and sew using a zig-zag or other stretch stitch.
• Repeat this process for the other side of the panel and the corresponding side seam of the shirt.

Press a new hem around the bottom edge of your shirt and stitch it in place.

By following these steps, you can make the chest width of your T-shirt larger, ensuring a comfortable and well-fitted garment.

Using a gusset to fix a triangle-shaped hole

If you have a triangle-shaped hole in the armpit of your shirt, you can fix it by creating a gusset. This is a stretchy patch that should match the fabric of your shirt. To start, trim any excess thread from the hole and open up the sleeve seams by at least an inch on either side. You want to create a clean, triangular shape.

Next, cut the gusset so that it is at least 5/8" larger than the hole in your armpit. A gusset is cut on the bias of the fabric, which means on the diagonal of the threads that are woven to create the fabric. This makes the gusset stretchy in the direction that you need it to be.

Now it's time to sew! Turn your shirt inside out and place the gusset face-down on the triangular hole, with the right sides of the fabric together. Pin the gusset and shirt together. Stitch the patch to the edges of the hole, leaving 5/8" seam allowance.

Once you've stitched the patch, press the seams away from the gusset and turn your shirt right-side out. Top stitch around the gusset, sewing over the seam allowance on the other side. This will strengthen the armpit area.

Frequently asked questions