Tips on altering a skirt

ButterflyBabe

Morning all,

I hope I am posting this is the correct forum.

I have to wear a pencil skirt for work as part of my uniform, I have had my current one for years and it is starting to fall apart. I received a couple of newer ones a few months ago but have never worn them. I tried them on last night and even though they are both the same size as the one I am currently wearing they both feel really tight around my waist. As they are branded with my company logo I have to wear them and I can't swap them for a different size as I have had them too long.

My question is has anyone got any tips on how I can 'stretch' the fabric or how I can make the skirts bigger and more comfortable to wear?

Sorry for the long post

Mojisola

ButterflyBabe wrote: »

My question is has anyone got any tips on how I can 'stretch' the fabric or how I can make the skirts bigger and more comfortable to wear?

You can't make them bigger unless you are able to take them apart and insert and extra bit of fabric.

As you haven't worn them, why can't you change them for a larger size?

Would it be acceptable to work if you bought a similar skirt, cut the logo from the official one and sewed it on the new one?

Other option - diet.

NewShadow

This is called a gusset:



You'll need some matching fabric (your old skirt?) and all you do is open a seam and sew in a triangle. If it's not the waist, but the hips, you can sew in a diamond rather than a triangle.

With something like trousers you'd need to do one on each side, or in the small of the back, but wit a skirt you should be fine with just one.

If you're doing it yourself, you need to do it somewhere subtle, if you don't want to do it yourself you could find someone else to make the alterations.

There are at least 3 ladies (sexist, I know) within a mile of me that would do this for you for less than £10.

HTH

Tiddlywinks

Is it just the waist that is tight?

Could you leave the button undone to give extra room - you can buy extenders or use an elastic loop.

http://www.coopersofstortford.co.uk/src/gbase/coopers-of-stortford-easy-fit-button-extenders-(pack-of-5)-prodst07635i/?LGWCODE=7838;103993;5253&gclid=Cj0KEQjwvtS6BRC8pcKn8OXIg_wBEiQAqtpiz3Oh35K8NluYrw48P8tLJPm6snfeLLykJJkFDOnUmUYaAjsA8P8HAQ

You could also remove the waistband and replace with thick elastic (if your top would cover it).

Are you sure you can't just exchange it for a larger size? People gain and lose weight all the time so there should be a mechanism for getting a different size if a uniform no longer fits.

ButterflyBabe

Thank you all for your replies, if I sent the skirts back I would have to buy another at my own cost (£45!!) I think I will try those extenders Tiddlywinks recommended. I'm confident once I've worn and washed them a few times the fabric will loosen like my old one has (when I hold my new ones against my old one its clear to see my old one is about 2 inches wider at the waist)

Mojisola

ButterflyBabe wrote: »

I'm confident once I've worn and washed them a few times the fabric will loosen like my old one has (when I hold my new ones against my old one its clear to see my old one is about 2 inches wider at the waist)

That sounds as if either the new or the old ones were wrongly sized.

If the waist had stretched by two inches, the whole skirt would be saggy and out of shape.

cheel

I'm a seamstress, and i do this all the time. Sometimes on workwear the seams are generous so it might be as straightforward as letting the seam out. If not it will need to be an insert of some type.

If you only need an inch have a look at the seams, you are looking to move the seam by 1\4 inch to get an inch over the whole diameter. If there is a waistband. You'll have to remove that too. Take photos as you unpick it to refur to when replacing it. Only unpick the area you need to let out.

If there are no side seams in the waistband the whole thing will need to come off and have a part added to the button end.

If you don't feel confident to do it take it to someone. It shouldn't cost too much. Take your old skirt with you.

Hope that helps xx

ButterflyBabe

Mojisola wrote: »

That sounds as if either the new or the old ones were wrongly sized.

If the waist had stretched by two inches, the whole skirt would be saggy and out of shape.

I did try and argue this fact with the supplier but they wouldn't listen to reason even though I offered to send a photo of the 3 skirts together. It is so frustrating because the skirts are so small in the sizing anyway I have had to order 2 dress sizes bigger than I normally wear.

ButterflyBabe

cheel wrote: »

I'm a seamstress, and i do this all the time. Sometimes on workwear the seams are generous so it might be as straightforward as letting the seam out. If not it will need to be an insert of some type.

If you only need an inch have a look at the seams, you are looking to move the seam by 1\4 inch to get an inch over the whole diameter. If there is a waistband. You'll have to remove that too. Take photos as you unpick it to refur to when replacing it. Only unpick the area you need to let out.

If there are no side seams in the waistband the whole thing will need to come off and have a part added to the button end.

If you don't feel confident to do it take it to someone. It shouldn't cost too much. Take your old skirt with you.

Hope that helps xx

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I am useless when it comes to things like this so I wouldn't dare attempt this myself. I think if the extenders don't solve the issue I will take my skirts to an alterations place and see if they can do it for me.

theoretica

What is the fabric? Some you can stretch by soaking (for hours) in room temperature water with a little conditioner in and then pulling out to shape.

maman

Before buying extenders just experiment with a rubber band. Loop it through the button hole and then hook the band over the button. I did this very successfully when I was expecting DD.