Question regarding shirt alterations:

[akwit]

When looking to taper a dress shirt, do you prefer to have your tailor take-in the sides or pin the back? (i think thats what its called; they fold over small bits of fabric in the back of the shirt as opposed to cutting the sides of the shirt).

The former runs me $20 here in NYC while the latter costs $12.

Which look/fit do you prefer?

 

[mitchelm]

I believe that the latter is referred to as "darting".

I prefer taking in the sides. Particularly so with a white shirt as the "darting" can be more pronounced.

 

[SartodiNapoli]

As a shirtmaker will tell,

If you take the sides, diagonal wrinkles might/should appear on the breast but a more takin in can be achieved.

The darts can take in max 6 cm and breast can be blousy yet depending on how big is the shirt.

 

[Griffindork]

The shirts that really fit me well all have darts. I've had a lot of shirt makers push back on using darts and insisting that they can get as clean of a shirt without darts and it's never worked.

 

[SartodiNapoli]

I have studied shirtmaking in Naples and sadly is true, I hate darts, but unless you got a stick body as mine, a slim shirt can´t be achieved without darts.

My master was tired of me asking it almost all days it, he said, be magician instead of shirtmaker and do it.