A question for our seamstresses...

About a year ago, I fell hard for this nude-pink Wolford top - and willingly overlooked the fact that it is a size M. Usually I wear an XS-S in Wolford tops. It is too big throughout, most noticeably in the chest/underarm area. I have reluctantly listed it on eBay, but I honestly love the color, and I've noticed it isn't really available online, even on resale sites.

I am wondering, can this kind of top be taken in? I feel like, in theory, it should be possible to go up the side seams, but I am not a skilled seamstress.

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8 years ago

General

12 replies

Latest reply was from Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

Jane

Veteran

I’m not a seamstress but I really do like Wolford clothing. I’ve three skirts and they are great.

8 years ago

jussie

Veteran

I’m a very amateurish seamstress. Yes, the side seams could be taken in on the waist, and the hems could be shortened. To make the sleeves narrower is too difficult though, and you can’t really alter the neckline either.
Because it’s a high price brand I think it’s probably worth a try.

8 years ago

Vildy

Veteran

That's a big jump in size. I agree you can easily narrow the sides and I disagree that it is too difficult to narrow the sleeves. However, those won't be your real problems. In a larger size than you need, you'll find that the upper sleeve where it joins the front chest tend to be set too far in, so that if you want to narrow that you'd be left with a missing piece. Perhaps the raglan design could help with this, though.
You might try pinning up the side and continuing through the armpit and then down into the sleeve, in a kind of upside down U shape and then try on to see the comfort level, ignoring as best you can the resulting intermediate step bulkiness of the extra fabric under your arm. You could also try it on inside out to check for finished comfort, though of course it will look awful in this view.

8 years ago

Suzanimal

Active Member

It can be but I wouldn't mess with it. You'd have to take the shirt apart, cut it down and resew it together. I do it on mens shirts but they're cheap and just for lounging so I'm not too picky about the finished product as long as it's comfortable. On a shirt like that, you'd want to be more exact. Your best bet for an alteration is to take it to a seamstress and talk to her or him. I imagine it will be expensive but ya don't know until ya ask.
I'd probably just sell it and keep my eyes open for the right thing because I'd be afraid of ruining it.
Good luck!

Here's a video giving you an idea of what's involved.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQkuP4ItoCI

8 years ago

RobinF

Veteran

Knits can be difficult to alter, I worry that cutting off a seam could cause it to unravel and that would be a mess. That being said, you could take in the sides and narrow the sleeves but you say that it is biggest at the arms and chest and that would be difficult to alter without taking the whole thing apart. Probably not worth it in either price or amount of work needed.

8 years ago

Cardiff girl

Veteran

Would it shrink in the tumble dryer?I agree with all of the above.what fabric is it ,could you try and shrink it either in the washer or tumble dryer,it would be a bit of a risk but if you aren’t wearing it maybe worth a try.

8 years ago

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

Thank you for the feedback! There are a lot of good points here - most of all being, I hadn't really considered the neckline.

I'm going to try Vildy's suggestion, and pin along the inside seams, try it on, and decide if I want to go from there. I would definitely have a professional alter it. My only real trepidation is, putting the time and additional money into it, and then realizing it didn't work out. I'm going to pin it, and then decide.

What I have learned from this is: a) this is a great color, and I'll keep an eye out in the future for it on resale sites like eBay and Poshmark. and b) Don't size up in knit tops. I've done that a few times in the past couple of months, mostly with results I don't like, because the extra fabric moves around and drives me bats. In the future I'll park myself in the fitting room for a few extra minutes, and move around a bit, and see what happens with the garment. I have a tendency to try on, strike a post, say 'yep, this fits' and go check out.

8 years ago

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

I echo Vildy's suggestion. If it can't be taken in by sewing up the side seam and down the sleeve seam, then it would require a remaking of the shirt, which I wouldn't attempt. Is the neck too wide? If not, the side-seam and sleeve-seam fix could work fine, and it's not that hard.

8 years ago

Dana

(website)

Veteran

I recently had a St. John's long sleeved T I bought several years ago taken in at the sides. It's silk knit (snake print!) and turned out beautifully. The tailor didn't flinch when I asked her about it. I kind of wish I'd had it shortened a bit...maybe this summer when I'm done wearing it for the season. Good luck!

8 years ago

JAileen

Veteran

Your question reminded me of Karen13’s post with a top which was too low cut. She did an alteration to the neckline. I don’t know if it would work in this instance, but it wouldn’t hurt to think about it:

https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....ual-dinner

8 years ago

Lynn

Veteran

Sorry for the late post. If it is only a width issue from the underarm area down ( including the sleeve) it is a fairly easy fix as others have noted. However, if it is too big in the upper chest area you would have to essentially remake the garment. If the neckline is too wide it is not fixable unless you add a seam up the center of the front and back.

8 years ago

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

Thanks for all the great feedback! After some careful consideration, I went ahead and listed it on eBay, because right now, I haven't time to drive out to the seamstress I like to use. So I figure, if it sells, great. If I get a chance to revisit it before it sells, then I'll take it in and see what she says. I feel like the neckline is *just* barely not-too-wide.

I'll let her look at it and tell me. I trust her - she refused to shorten my Roberto Cavalli mermaid skirt and told me to suck it up and wear it long, because she thought the detail at the bottom was great. (Not in those exact words, but I'm glad now that she refused!)

8 years ago

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