Atlas Insider
Atlas Insider: Fashion Slice and Dice
Let’s talk t-shirts! I’ve developed a bit of a hack over the years to transform a t-shirt into a T-SHIRT. Kay has asked me to share.
A note about fit and style: I like my t-shirts to be oversized—I’m talking 2-3 sizes larger than my normal size.
My go-to is a men’s Dickie’s t-shirt in a 4X. The material is thicker than average and has less stretch so there is less cling. It looks a bit more elevated, a bit more intentional, and holds its shape really well.
I have a degree in Fashion Design. I was trained to be incredibly meticulous with measuring, cutting, and sewing down to 1/16 of an inch. Is that how I t-shirt hack?
Absolutely not. I eyeball and snip with abandon. If I get to a point of no return then, hey, I have a new sleep shirt. Don’t overthink it!
The Hack
My goal is to make a few changes to the t-shirt to create more of a designed look.
I cut slits up the side seams, as I feel it allows the tee to hang free of my hips. Having two (mostly) symmetrical cuts also gives a nice lengthening illusion.
I trim up the front hem to hit a few inches below my belly button. The back hem also gets trimmed, but I leave it longer than the front. I like to have a little more bum coverage and the high-low gives visual interest.
Finally, I trim the sleeves. Men’s shirt sleeves usually fall past my elbow, so I lob off at least 3-4 inches to show more arm and relieve the look of being swallowed by fabric.
Final tips
Feel free to pin or mark the points where you will be cutting while trying on the t-shirt. I like to stand in front of a mirror and make small snips to guide my cutting. You can do this on one side of the shirt and then fold the t-shirt in half to mirror the notches you created.
I always cut my hems while the shirt is folded so I have less area for my scissors to wander off. I also lay my sleeves one on top of the other and cut the sleeve hems simultaneously to ensure evenness.
Remember, we don’t do regular hacks, we do LAZY hacks.
This is how I like my tops to fit, but this is an open-ended t-shirt journey waiting for your creativity and measureless cutting.
It’s a beautiful thing. Go forth and slice.
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Love it. Thank you xx
Thanks for this post! Last year at Shakerag, it seemed by the second day so many folks were wearing tee shirts that were hacked/ redesigned/ retrofitted …. and I still had my original soft cotton/ great color/ poorly fitting tee.
Was thinking a tee shirt redo might be a fun MDK zoom!!
Im also a T-shirt hacker, from Team Scoop Neck + Sleeveless. I like how light weight t shirts roll on the chopped edges but now I want to check out the Dickies weight. Thanks!
Oooh, I love this hack! I’ve been altering t-shirts for years and it’s sooo much fun! Thanks for sharing. Adding this to my list of things to make.
Thanx for the tips! I have several extra large tees that I don’t wear because they’re, we’ll, extra large. Can’t wait to try this.
Ashley, thanks for keeping it real! I have been chopping up my boring tshirts for years. I never realized this was a life “hack”. I also love a good spreadsheet…lol.
Wait, you’re just cutting? There’s no new sewn hem? This is so intriguing. The shirt washes okay after this?
My question too! No hemming involved??
The t-shirt fabric just curls on its own: instant hem!
I just looked down at what I’m wearing and it’s a t-shirt with a cut (not sewn) hem that has a nice little self-roll edge. Proof of concept!
There’s going to be a run on Dickie’s mens 4x tees and they’re going to wonder why.
Love this hack! I’ve been hacking other bits of clothing over the years for comfort, not necessarily style. I’m going to try the T-shirt hack and see what happens 🙂
What a very cool idea!!! Love it!!!
It’s not easy finding plain white or black women’t T’s. And of course that’s all that are made for me. Unless you want to pay $24.99 at the Gap for one and who wants to do that??
Going to give this a try. Thanks!!!!
Checking stock of husband’s old tshirt stash (he’s lost weight and down a size) to give this look a try. I generally wear a small (or less expensive youth large t) and at concerts or events they are nonexistent so perfect idea – go big.
Can’t wait to be reunited with my big shears! Thanks, Ashley!
Thanks for the inspiration and courage. I just took a much too big, very worn, long sleeved, t-shirt of a deceased loved one and hacked it into something I will wear in remembrance. I’m 70+ so hacked sleeves below elbow, bottom not as cropped, cut off crew neck and made a v-neck that cut out a stain. So comfy and the “woman power” emblem + the new fit makes me smile when I look in the mirror.
I love this so much – a refresh on some beautiful memories I’m sure.
These are fun to also add some sewn on bits of other colorful materials (leftover quilting stuff or repurposed textiles) and hand stitching (practice your sashiko or the simple embroidery you learned from your grandmere), or attach whatever flair you have stashed for just this sort of thing.
Thank you Ashley! I like my clothes to be loose, but not falling off me. Great suggestions here!
Diane
What a timely article!
My sweet, funny, fabulous hubby just passed away in February after a 4 year battle with a particularly virulent form of Parkinson’s Disease. One of his favorite things was to get a t-shirt or two whenever we traveled and I’ve had a really hard time just putting those few remaining ones in the donated clothes bin.
Thank you so very much for this suggestion! Although my sewing skills are rusty, I used to be pretty skilled and even have a serger. When I stop crying, this will be a great way to have a piece of him with me to remember the good times we had.
What a great way to remember your times together! So sorry for your loss!
I’m so sorry, MaryAnn. I hope all the memories of the good times you had together bring you some comfort.
Since you’re a sewer, another thing you can do with your husband’s T-shirts if you have enough is to make a quilt which I think would be very comforting.
Wishing you peace.
You are all so kind. Your comments help, believe me.
Hi Maryann,
I’m so sorry for your loss. I also lost my husband this past year and was thinking about doing this to a couple of his tees too. His sweatshirts are already some of my favorites.
Robin, I feel for you too in your grief. Take care of yourself.
I’m so sorry for your loss, Maryann. Sending a big virtual hug! Having your husband’s T-shirts to wear will be a good reminder of the good times.
Thank you Karen for caring enough to respond. This is such a wonderful community.
I must admit when I saw the title I was hoping she wasn’t going to cut up an embroidered tablecloth – as that trend makes me absolutely cringe.
A t-shirt – cut away!
Signed, the recipient of embroidered tablecloths lovingly made by a parent.
Inherited lovely tablecloths that do not fit your table make great window valences. Just drape over a double mounted curtain rod. I use three in one room. Also find embroidered table cloths make great summer blankets, just the right weight.
p.s. – I’ve been hacking necklines of t-shirts for years, but I serge and finish my edges. Growing up, toe clothes were frowned upon ….
TORN
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Thanks for inspiring us
Thanks so much for this hack! I’ll have something else now to keep my eye out for in the second hand shops.
Brilliant!!!!!
I too have used men’s 4x tees! However mine were never cut!
I stretched the shirts over a wooden cutting board and painted them in summer florals. Then measured from bottom up and sewed in elastic ~ creating a peplum.
Was travel ny to fl alone with my daughters 12,7,& 3. Needed to have them crawl from bed to car at crack of down continue sleeping till we stopped for lunch/gas and not have them need to get dressed. They looked cute comfy enough to sleep in and later in day use as a police cover up walking through lobby of motel!
I’m at the age where “swallowed by the fabric “ is preferable!
Thank you for your expertise !
Thanks Ashley! It’s always great to hear from you. 🙂
Lazy hacks FTW!!! Thanks, this is great!
Nice idea! I will certainly try this out!
Love this! I had been mulling over how to revise an oversize TShirt to wear with leggings on my daily walks. 4x is a hard size to find in the stores, so I am going to use men’s 2x —thanks so much for sharing your useful hack!
Good ideas. Forward!!!
Thanks for the great idea – I’ve been shortening sleeves and length on t-shirts for a while now. If you DO want a hemmed edge, just leave an inch (or less – it’s your shirt) extra and hem with a zig-zag stitch or serger. I also like to crop crew necked sweat-shirts so they hang boxy and loose.
Love this. I’ve sliced and diced myself, but much less effectively. Thank you for those tips! The t-shirt graveyard is vast and so many good ones are buried alive (or gone to Goodwill heaven) because no one knew how to resuscitate some of the best in quality and design. (Any tips for creating v-necks? So much more flattering than male-style crewneck ribbing. Ugh.)
For v-necks, I usually start with a snip maybe 2 or 3 inches long going down the center front from the neck. Then I start from each shoulder seam where it meets the neck ribbing and eyeball it towards the bottom of the snip. I’ll trim off the rest of the ribbing on the back neck pretty closely to where the ribbing begins. The closer you cut to the ribbing, the less of a Flash Dance vibe you’ll get. Depends on your style preference hah!
My kids have been BIG into thrifting lately. They’ve done some “mods” – a cut off sleeve here, a cropped polo there – it never occurred to me that I COULD JOIN IN! And if you’re paying cents per pound at the Bins, you neither need to feel bad if you mess up, nor worry that something ends up in rags/fabric recycling, as you were already just one step up in that chain. I had thought about cutting up tshirts to make rag rugs or pothold loops or that “knit fabric yarn” that was all the rage a few years back, or even a tote bag, but it turns out that wearing t-shirts I cut up in their new form is a radical and exciting notion. Great post – thanks!
Wow! Excellent!
Thank you for sharing you refashioning prowess. THIS is the kind of stuff we need right now.
From an almost 70yo Knitter/
sewing since I was a hatchling/
but not too old to want to be cute!
Another fun T-shirt hack I like to do (and it involves yarn!) is to cut off the neckline ribbing and crochet a simple edging over the raw edge. Voila! Your neck is choke-free! I usually use super wash fingering weight sock yarn.
Ooh! Have you ever done this with crochet cotton? I’m about to do so (crochet around neck opening) of a 25-year-old knitted (commercially) linen sweater -/ it has been my beach coverup for about three years because it is getting worn, but this year the neckline is really fraying. It think cotton-on-linen will work, but am less sure about cotton around the neck of stretchy cotton jersey. What say you?
I have often chopped off the hems but never thought of splits! Thank you!
Thanks so much! I just used this hack on a Mary Chapin Carpenter concert tee that I’ve never worn and I love it. I’m looking forward to doing more of this!
Can’t believe I’ve never thought to hack a t-shirt! I just hacked a women’s t-shirt that I’ve had for years and hardly wore. I love the bicycle design on the front but don’t like crew necks, tight hemlines and sleeves half way to my elbows. Thank you so much, this will not be the last. I’m 71 and love to wear short sleeves and scoop necks.
This reminds me of tying the sides of t-shirts in high school. You’d snip the sides to get about 1 inch pieces up the side and then tie those together.
Also, why are men’s clothes better quality? Want a warm sweatshirt? Buy it from the men’s collection! And the tshirt quality is generally better too.