How to Stretch a Shirt Longer

You look and feel your best when wearing a shirt that hugs your body perfectly and fits just the way you want it to. When that shirt shrinks, it no longer fits properly. You don't have to throw out your favorite shirt or stuff it in a drawer because it's too short on you. You can stretch a shirt out to be longer so it still fits the right way.

Step 1

Fill the sink or tub with cool water. Make sure the water is not hot or cold, but lukewarm.

Step 2

Add 1/4 cup of conditioner or baby shampoo to the water. Mix it up with your hands so the shampoo or conditioner is completely dissolved in the water. Baby shampoo or hair conditioner help soften the fabric's fibers so it will stretch easier.

Step 3

Lay out the shirt on the water, then push it down so that it's completely submerged. Leave it in the water for 15 to 30 minutes.

Step 4

Drain the water from the sink, then fill it with fresh, cool water. Submerge the shirt, then squeeze it gently to rinse the conditioned water from the fabric. Let it soak in the water for five minutes.

Step 5

Take the shirt out of the water. Squeeze it gently to remove as much of the water as possible.

Step 6

Lay the shirt out on a layer of clean bath towels. Hold the shirt at the neckline with both hands, and then make your way down the shirt, gently stretching down along the side seam as you go down. Repeat this process on the other side of the shirt. Continue this process until the shirt is the desired length.

Step 7

Lay the shirt flat to air-dry.

Things You'll Need

1/4 cup conditioner or baby shampoo

Bath towels

Tip

You can also stretch the shirt longer by hanging it on a clothes hanger while it’s still very wet. After soaking it in the conditioned water, hang it on a hanger to air dry. This will take several hours. When using this method to stretch a shirt, keep in mind that you can't control how much the shirt stretches.

REFERENCES & RESOURCES Real Simple: How Do I Stretch Out Shrunken Clothing? The Real Man's Guide to Fixin' Stuff; Nick Harper Fox News Magazine: How to Fix a Shirt That Has Shrunk in the Wash