I mentioned in my reviewof this printed dress that there were slight issues with the fit. If it fits you perfectly off the rack – excellent. If not, here are three possible DIY alterations (I went with #2) that beginners can do, even if you have to sew by hand. However, learning to sew can be a waste of time if you don’t first learn how to identify proper fit—a concept worth mastering for women of all shapes and sizes. A bargain unlined dress is the perfect piece to practice on!
If you don’t own this dress, the general concepts below can easily be applied to various garments – blouses, tank tops, dresses, etc. I’ve done the shoulder part in #2 quite a bit with tops that are too low/gaping/long.
Alteration # 1: Slimming sleeves and making armholes smaller.
Problem: Armpits are too big and sleeves are too loose. If you are taller or have a longer torso, then this may be the only alteration you need.
Solution: Measure out how much you want to take in – you want sleeves and armholes to be fitted but not snug. Stitch in one continuous line (on each side of the dress) as shown below…
Secure both ends of the stitch by knotting your thread, or by back-stitching on your machine. If you have a serger machine, trim off the excess fabric and re-serge the raw edges.
Difficulty Level: Beginner. Takes about 10 minutes by machine, longer by hand.
Before you begin any sewing project…having an iron ready is key. After you sew on the inside-out garment, flip it back to the right side, iron down the seams to smooth out the area, and try it on. If the alteration doesn’t look right, remove stitches, iron the fabric smooth again, and re-sew as necessary. I like to use fabric chalk to mark my measured lines, then secure the fabric with pins before sewing.
NOTE: The sleeves of this dress are gathered and banded at the hand opening, and is more narrow there. You need to taper the slimming to be less and less narrow as you get closer to the opening.
Alteration # 2: Slimming sleeves, making armholes smaller, raising the neckline and hem.
Problem: In addition to the two issues above, the length is too long, the waist hits too low, and the neckline is too low. These are symptoms of how regular-sized garments often fit on women who need petite sizing.
Solution: Instead of taking the dress in at the armpit, take it in along the shoulders. This will effectively raise the neckline, torso, and shorten the total length. In the “after” pic above, the resulting higher neck and waistline on me are not distinctly visible, however one sign is the better-flowing A-line shape of the skirt. In the “before” pic, I had to wrap the dress so tightly to conceal the gaping neckline, that the skirt started to lose it’s flowing shape.
Difficulty Level: Beginner. ~10 minutes by machine, longer by hand.
NOTE: This alteration is a simplified shortcut (that will make some professional sewers cringe), and will result in a new seam along the upper side of both arms. I don’t recommend this for solid garments, however I think the pattern on this dress hides the new seam fairly well.
Alteration # 3: Alteration #2, the proper way.
Problem: You want to achieve the effect of alteration #2 but you don’t want new outer seams down the arms.
Solution: 1) Using a seam ripper or tiny scissors, take apart all seams connecting the sleeves to the shoulders. 2) Take in the shoulders from the top. 3) Slim the sleeves from the bottom, pre-existing seam, making sure the new width will align with the newly-sized armpit hole. 4) Re-attach the sleeves to the torso.
Difficulty Level: Intermediate.
If this were a more expensive dress, I definitely would’ve gone this route. However, I’m not a great sewer so it would’ve taken me hours versus 10 minutes (for alteration #2). Either way, I just wanted to show these methods for anyone with little to no experience sewing, as an option to do easy fixes at home and save on $$ alterations.
On a separate note, I’ve always kept comments open on this blog to encourage the sharing of ideas and constructive feedback. I value comments as a means for interaction and read every single one. I understand that clothing choices are a subjective matter, and there will always be differing opinions. All I ask is for common courtesy when expressing your thoughts. Just because we’re on the Internet doesn’t mean we can’t show the same respect and decency to each other that we would in real life.
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