• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

"Tapered" shirts

apocalypse later

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2007
Messages
448
Reaction score
0
The biggest problem I have with AA shirts is that they aren't tapered around the waist. From the front, they look fine. But if you look at them from the back or from the side on a person, the shirt fits kind of like a tent and "flows out" around your pants.

Where are some places that you can buy shirts that are more tapered around your waist?
 

imageWIS

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Apr 19, 2004
Messages
19,716
Reaction score
106
For your edification, I direct you to my pinned thread:

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=35147

As well, you can always have the sides taken in / have rear darts put in. Both solutions, either as separate alterations, or combined will make shirts far more tapered.

I suggest (for around the same price as AA... ok, maybe a bit more) Benetton.

Jon.
 

apocalypse later

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2007
Messages
448
Reaction score
0
I thought that thread was primarily for slim fit dress shirts/button-ups.

Thanks for the recommendation though.
 

imageWIS

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Apr 19, 2004
Messages
19,716
Reaction score
106
Originally Posted by apocalypse later
I thought that thread was primarily for slim fit dress shirts/button-ups.

Thanks for the recommendation though.


Well, for the most part (there are exceptions, of course) the difference between "˜slim' shirts and non-slim shirts is the closeness of the shirt to ones body. While this includes the sleeves, for the most part manufacturers really tend to modify the torso area of the shirt; i.e. tapered.

I don't know how much a tailor in your area charges to put darts in (normally $10-15 is the range I've experienced), but imho it is wholly worth it to ensure that a shirt that fits you everywhere but in the body, ends up fitting you perfectly after being altered with darts.

Jon.
 

apocalypse later

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2007
Messages
448
Reaction score
0
I'm not sure if darting a $7 AA t-shirt or a $15 striped H&M longsleeve shirt is worth it (or if it would even look good. I've never seen t-shirts with darts).

And what I was referring to is that the thread was about dress shirts. I'm asking about slim-fit t-shirts.
 

imageWIS

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Apr 19, 2004
Messages
19,716
Reaction score
106
Originally Posted by apocalypse later
I'm not sure if darting a $7 AA t-shirt or a $15 striped H&M longsleeve shirt is worth it (or if it would even look good. I've never seen t-shirts with darts).

And what I was referring to is that the thread was about dress shirts. I'm asking about slim-fit t-shirts.


If thought you were talking about shirts, not tees. I wouldn't really alter tees (unless you really have a lot of disposable income). When it comes to tees, you can always find something that will fit you just right.

Jon.
 

whacked

Distinguished Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2006
Messages
7,319
Reaction score
7
Coffee time, Jon?

to the OP: there's a current thread on "Favorite tee brands", you might want to check that out. Also, summer's coming, it is a good time as ever to try some DIY altering; I know some here have altered their tees to good results.
 

Asch

Distinguished Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2007
Messages
1,276
Reaction score
0
Try Banana Republic's and Target Mossimo's slim-fit/athletic-fit tee shirts. They have just the right amount of taper to the waist for someone with a moderately athletic build. AA shirts, I agree, are boxy and are bound to be too tight on top or too loose at the waist if you have any significant drop.
 

nox

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2008
Messages
70
Reaction score
0
Originally Posted by imageWIS
If thought you were talking about shirts, not tees. I wouldn’t really alter tees (unless you really have a lot of disposable income). When it comes to tees, you can always find something that will fit you just right.

Jon.


So what's the difference between darts and taking in the sides?

I've had tailors do either, both claiming the other was wrong.

Most recently, translated from broken English: "Darts only work on fabric for party shirts."

thx
 

Sauwan

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2007
Messages
123
Reaction score
0
Originally Posted by nox
So what's the difference between darts and taking in the sides?

I've had tailors do either, both claiming the other was wrong.

Most recently, translated from broken English: "Darts only work on fabric for party shirts."

thx


Darts will create vertical seams where the material is brought together. Taking in the sides won't as it creates a new seam on the side where the old one used to be.
 

why

Distinguished Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2007
Messages
9,505
Reaction score
368
Darting should only be done on material or seams that can't be taken in.
 

Saucemaster

Sized Down 2
Joined
Mar 9, 2006
Messages
6,510
Reaction score
23
Originally Posted by Asch
Try Banana Republic's and Target Mossimo's slim-fit/athletic-fit tee shirts. They have just the right amount of taper to the waist for someone with a moderately athletic build. AA shirts, I agree, are boxy and are bound to be too tight on top or too loose at the waist if you have any significant drop.

As this is frequently a problem for me, and as it's a pain to trek out to the nearest Target: do you size the same way in the Mossimo shirts as you do for the BR? E.g., I usually size down in BR (and all GAP-owned clothing). Do you wear the same Mossimo size as your BR size?
 

Asch

Distinguished Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2007
Messages
1,276
Reaction score
0
Originally Posted by Saucemaster
As this is frequently a problem for me, and as it's a pain to trek out to the nearest Target: do you size the same way in the Mossimo shirts as you do for the BR? E.g., I usually size down in BR (and all GAP-owned clothing). Do you wear the same Mossimo size as your BR size?
The Mossimo tee-shirts are sized similarly to the BR tee-shirts; I take a Small in both. However, tees, for whatever reason, seem typically to be sized smaller than other clothes in a brand's line (perhaps because the buyers tend to be younger and skinnier?). Smalls in BR button-up shirts and outerwear, for example, are all too large and boxy on me, as is pretty much everything at the Gap, even in Small. My guess is that you'd be a Medium in both Mossimo's and BR's athletic-fit tees. I'm currently 5'9", 155 lbs, with a 38" chest and 30" waist, and the Small's are sometimes a little too tight on me fresh out of the dryer. (The cotton stretches with wear, of course.)
 

Saucemaster

Sized Down 2
Joined
Mar 9, 2006
Messages
6,510
Reaction score
23
Originally Posted by Asch
The Mossimo tee-shirts are sized similarly to the BR tee-shirts; I take a Small in both. However, tees, for whatever reason, seem typically to be sized smaller than other clothes in a brand's line (perhaps because the buyers tend to be younger and skinnier?). Smalls in BR button-up shirts and outerwear, for example, are all too large and boxy on me, as is pretty much everything at the Gap, even in Small.

My guess is that you'd be a Medium in both Mossimo's and BR's athletic-fit tees. I'm currently 5'9", 155 lbs, with a 38" chest and 30" waist, and the Small's are sometimes a little too tight on me fresh out of the dryer. (The cotton stretches with wear, of course.)


Thanks, good info.
 

egzero

Member
Joined
Apr 27, 2008
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
Originally Posted by Sauwan
Darts will create vertical seams where the material is brought together. Taking in the sides won't as it creates a new seam on the side where the old one used to be.

isn't taking in the sides more for the "sides" and darts more for bringing in the "back?"
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 35.5%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 60 38.7%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 11.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 27 17.4%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 28 18.1%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,203
Messages
10,579,254
Members
223,891
Latest member
Robertiweyer
Top