We’ve all got that one t-shirt that would fit perfectly if we could just stretch it out a bit. Chances are, your t-shirt fell victim to one of the most common culprits, the washer and dryer. Or, maybe you bought it a little too small because the t-shirt was unique or too good a deal to pass up but the store did not have quite your size. Whatever the reason for your ill fitting t-shirt, it’s time to stop looking in your closet, pulling out the t-shirt, and putting it back. Stretch that baby and give it some wear time!

There are a couple methods for stretching a t-shirt that can be used when either the garment is wet or dry. The first one involves simply trying to stretch the t-shirt by pulling on it. While most people may try just tugging on the shirt in its poorly fitted places when it’s dry and on their body, this method isn’t usually successful. In fact, if your t-shirt has graphics on it, it may distort them and give away your attempt to stretch your t-shirt. Stretching a t-shirt while it is wet is most successful.

The first step after wetting the shirt is to lay it on a flat surface and start pulling gently on the fabric in the areas that you need to stretch out. You should pull lengthwise and crosswise during your stretching process. After you’ve stretched out the wet shirt, hang it to dry. A second tactic to use while the t-shirt is wet is to stretch it with an iron. The heat setting of the iron should be on a low to medium. Gently run the iron over the problem area pushing out the fabric lengthwise and crosswise. As with hand stretching, hang the t-shirt to air dry. A final method that can be attempted is to use your iron on a dry shirt using the same technique as above. This method however is likely to only be successful in situations where limited stretching is needed.

Having a larger sized family member or friend put on your shirt and wear it may sound like another option for stretching out your t-shirt. However, you’d better think carefully before you choose someone to help you out with this! If the size differential between you and your friend or family member is too great, you’ll ruin your shirt. However, if the differential is not great enough, you may get little or no stretching. Therefore, depending on how much the shirt needs to be stretched and if you have the right individual to utilize for the process, this idea may work. However, you may undo all your stretching work when you wash the t-shirt prior to wearing it yourself.

Are you ready to take on stretching that t-shirt and make it fit properly? Then drag it out of the closet and figure out just how much stretching you’ll need to do to achieve the fit you’re after. Just remember – the stretching techniques used for wet shirts work best for t-shirts that need a whole lot of stretching. Finally, remember each time you wash your t-shirt you might need to repeat the whole process to get that perfect fit again. Happy stretching!