Shirt Alterations | From Boxy to Flattering

I'm sure most of us females can relate to fit issues when it comes to certain clothing items.  Jeans have to fit a certain way and don't even get me started on bathing suits!  When I buy shirts, I often go with a larger size to avoid the button gap and to have adequate room in the shoulders.  This means that the rest of the shirt can can often appear boxy.  For most of us, custom clothing isn't an option.  But with a few careful alterations, you can change your shirts to better fit your body.

This DIY project has been on my list of things to do for a while now.  I have a couple of these gingham shirts that are super comfortable, but not very flattering.  I remembered my pattern making class in college and thought it was at least worth a try.  This shirt is from Old Navy so if I messed it up, it wasn't a big loss.

When you make patterns, you start by draping fabric over a bodice and begin pinning until the fit is right.  So I turned my shirt inside out, buttoned it, and carefully began pinning.  (Not as difficult as I thought it would be)  I first pinned one side near the center (waist area), then pinned the other side in that same area using the pattern of the shirt as a guide.  Then I pinned gradually tapering as I went up and down each side keeping that nice little flair at the bottom.  At this point, I probably should have tried the shirt, but instead went ahead and ran it through the sewing machine.  I did have to re-stitch the bottom portion a little, but overall was happy with the fit the first time.  I ran a zig zag stitch beside the seam for re-inforcement.

This is the outcome.  It is a little more form fitting, but not too much.

Here is the side by side comparison.  Amazing what a difference a couple of carefully placed seams make!  Now I want to alter a couple of other shirts.