I got a nice flannel shirt off the bargain table for 5 dollars. I am 6 foot tall with waist about 36″ so I usually end up with a size large so that the sleeves are long enough. Of course the body of these non-tailored shirts is big enough for two of me… quite bulky around the waistline. As I was altering my new shirt to remove excess fabric I thought that someone else might find this of use. I have used the same technique on a number of hiking shirts over the years. And while a tailor would not do it this way, no one has ever noticed.
Button up the shirt and turn it inside out. Lay it out flat with the side seams at the edges. I marked this shirt with chalk 2″ in from the seams and with a gentle curve up to the corner at the armpit. Place straight pins along this line (both sides) to hold this shape. Unbutton the shirt and try it on for size. Be careful of the pins! If it is still too loose (or tight) take shirt off and move the pins as needed. Note that this pinned line does not have to be a straight line. Sometimes a nice inward curve from the armpit to the tail works. Your choice. Experiment. It’s better to error and leave a bit too much fabric as you can always re-trim it again later.
Once you settle on a new seam location it’s time to sew. Run a line or two of stitching along your new seam line.
Trim off the excess fabric about 3/8 ” away from the stitch. Do a zig-zag along the raw edge to keep it from raveling. Sew the material and care label back on if you want to.
Finished! No more baggy shirt.
