I'm really at a loss and I've Googled my little heart out and found nothing, so I figured I'd ask this here:
Does anyone know of any good resourses on how to take in a man's dress shirt? My husband has lost a lot of weight over the past couple of years (I'm so proud ) and he has several short sleeved dress shirts in the back of the closet that he never even had a chance to wear. Now, I'm extremely handy with a sewing maching, and if need be I could probably figure out how to shrink the shirts on my own, but there must be a resource out there somewhere detailing the best way to go about it. A book? A website I missed? Someone who already knows how to do it and has a lot of time on their hands and doesn't mind traveling to Alabama to show me? Heh heh.
Thanks in advance, you guys. I just thought it would be a nice surprise for him if he "got them back" as a gift.
I know that SewingMamas.com has a lot of knowledgeable women, but you have to be a member to view their boards. It seems like it would be so much easier to find with Google than it really is!
In all honesty, though, I'd just take them to a tailor. I haven't found most alterations to be very expensive; my husband regularly has his uniforms altered.
Button up dress shirts, honestly, are a huge ordeal to have altered. It isn't like taking up a hem in a pair of pants, or a skirt that is too short or long. In men's dress shirts-they are going to need to be pretty much taken completely apart, and taken in EVERYWHERE. Making button up dress shirts are hard enough...much less taking them in.
(I am a costume maker, and a dance teacher/performer...and I would rather take in a wedding dress/formal gown than MAKE or TAKE IN a men's dress shirt.)
When men's dress shirts are made-each size up is actually larger in many areas-the should width, the neck, the wrist width, the width of the bulk of the shirt...and many, other areas. ICK-and they all fit together like a big puzzle piece.
Actually, the ability to work with menswear is a skill I'd really like to aquire. If it means taking it totally apart, recutting the pieces, then reconstructing it then so be it. I just need to find a decent resource on the various pitfalls I'm sure to come across.
Aphil, what kind of costumes do you make? I absolutely love working on dance costumes and ren faire garb.
The best way for you to learn how to take apart and alter a men's dress shirt, then, honestly-would be to buy a pattern for one at the store and MAKE a new one, first. This will give you a HUGE insight on how they all go together-and give you a real understanding of the process...which in turn, will help you to know how to take one apart. It is actually a BIG help.
I have done some Ren garb, I do belly dance costumes, Halloween costumes, and I specialize in movie replica costumes. My husband and I are members of the 501st Legion as well-a world wide professional Star Wars costuming organization.
Since you really want to do this and learn a new skill-
Do you have any really nice fabric stores near you that offer classes? Sometimes the fancy-expenisve stores will offer classes on altering. Check out your community college if they have a home economics department-yes, I know I'm dating myself.
I like Aphil's pattern idea, just find one that looks similiar and go from there.
Taking apart the entire shirt and trimming it down is what you WILL end up having to do, but my point with that-is that you have to first learn "how" to put one back together-which is why I mentioned buying a pattern for a men's dress shirt and making one from scratch FIRST.
I won't kid you-a men's button up shirt is a HUGE pain. It really is. There are so many pieces, and they are tailored in so many areas-small little things...and they have to "go back together" in a very particular order. You can't just take one apart, and put it back together-because you don't know the original order that it was put together in. Learn to make one first...then work on taking apart and redoing ready made ones. Trust me...
Taking in a man's button down shirt
) and he has several short sleeved dress shirts in the back of the closet that he never even had a chance to wear. Now, I'm extremely handy with a sewing maching, and if need be I could probably figure out how to shrink the shirts on my own, but there must be a resource out there somewhere detailing the best way to go about it. A book? A website I missed? Someone who already knows how to do it and has a lot of time on their hands and doesn't mind traveling to Alabama to show me? Heh heh.
I wouldn't have a clue how to go about it and would never attempt it but yes it would be a neat surprise for him! 
