Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

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DTalos
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Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by DTalos »

Why are there inconsistencies in the neck size of a unisex t-shirt from the same brand? I have several t-shirts of the same size and brand and there are vast diferences in the size of the neck opening depending on where the t-shirt was made. This makes buying t-shirts online from a major brand with multiple worldwide factories frustrating because one does not know specifically where the t-shirts you are buying are made.

Since I prefer a tighter neck opening, is there an easy way to make the neck opening of a t- shirt smaller?
Wings5
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by Wings5 »

Oddly enough this is a top 5 pet peeve of mine. I generally follow the Steve Jobs fashion guide but with different colors. When I buy a T-shirt and the neck stays taut, I’ll buy another few.

Generally I’ve found that buying higher end tshirts or athletic/running tshirts reduces the chance that there’s variation in neck hole sizing. Going with Hanes/FOTL in a WalMart six pack? Good luck..
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AquaBliss
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by AquaBliss »

I have the same problem with sleeves on t shirts. Some are huge around my arms and make me look fat, while others perfectly fit snug on my biceps and my wife says she can tell I’ve been working out. “But dear, these are the same arms that were in the big sleeved shirt yesterday”.

Anyone tried Fresh Clean Tees? Their ads are good but haven’t bought any yet, looks like they have smaller necks and sleeves which I like.
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Sandtrap
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by Sandtrap »

You wrote: "unisex" which is interesting. I don't have much "fat"/"baggage" and find that the sizing of modern clothing made everywhere on the planet is so variable that I have no idea what is going to fit anymore. IE: sometimes a men's "large" is either the size of an 8 year old child or an elephant.

Examples:

Amazon Essentials T shirt (non cotton) V/U neck. Every color is a different material and different cut.
(I only wear large loose neck openings, perhaps strangulation issues. . .don't know why) :shock: :shock:

Amazon non name brand (what is name brand now anyway?) slim fitting yoga tank tops, wide neck.
Sizing does not match the website charts. Have to order XXL which in other name brand shirts/tanks would fit an elephant.
Variation in cut and so forth depending on color and day of the week purchased and position of the moon when made.

Some brands for you to try from Amazon that are more consistent, etc: Cadmus, Baleaf, Neleus. . .
Sizing has gotten so strange that, now, I find that I'm able to shop a broader variety of materials in clothes and styles, etc, in some things, like shirts, that are made for men/women/generic, etc.
Maybe this is because of overseas manufacturing. I don't know why clothes have become so variable across the same item.

Actionably: the only remedy is to find a brand and style that fits right. Thank goodness for Amazon.com generous return policy and awesome customer service.

Actionably: if someone you know can sew, cut a slit in back, edge, and install some snaps or something decorative. You might start a new style trend.

I recently changed my entire wardrobe to “non cotton”.
Good luck!
j :D

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Last edited by Sandtrap on Sat Sep 18, 2021 7:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
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climber2020
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by climber2020 »

DTalos wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 1:56 am Since I prefer a tighter neck opening, is there an easy way to make the neck opening of a t- shirt smaller?
Not that I'm aware of. This bugs me too.

I've found that t-shirts that aren't 100% cotton hold the neck opening better over time. Some of my synthetic running shirts (polyester) I've had for 8 years and the neck hole is exactly the same despite some pretty rough handling.
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riverant
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by riverant »

Mass produced shirts tend to be made by whatever facility and country has capacity. As a result, sizing and quality can be wildly inconsistent. There is no way to shrink a neck on a T-shirt.

My advice is buy better shirts from smaller companies. I only buy and will only buy fresh clean tees and am very satisfied.
BreadandButter
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by BreadandButter »

Put a box pleat at the center back of the neckline. Tack down sides of the pleat for 2 inches down from neck.
hachiko
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by hachiko »

Good shirts, made of quality materials, with quality control, cost more to produce. So they cost more to buy. Nothing wrong with buying cheap shirts and hoping for good manufacturing, but you can't expect it.
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Kenkat
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by Kenkat »

I just have that Ultra Downy commercial going through my head now - “And you look amazingly…comfortable!”.
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lthenderson
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by lthenderson »

DTalos wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 1:56 am is there an easy way to make the neck opening of a t- shirt smaller?
As a former engineer, putting some pleat down the back center would just make the back panel of the t-shirt smaller than the front and it wouldn't fold right or perhaps fit right. To me, the only real solution is to rip the existing seams on each shoulder and resew so that more fabric is taken in and the result would be a smaller neck opening with a shirt that has uniform front and back panels.

But also as an engineer, I would never mess with that method as it takes too much time and effort (thus money) and it would be cheaper just to find a brand that fits right and buy multiples of them.
BreadandButter
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by BreadandButter »

I have done the box pleat and it is fine. Engineer and person experienced at sewing here.
Last edited by BreadandButter on Sun Sep 19, 2021 12:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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DTalos
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by DTalos »

Are mass produced t-shirts primarily individually hand-make by factory workers or is it a machine process? It's bewildering how the same size t-shirt from the same brand could have such different dimensions. Why do the mega brands of mass produced t-shirts permit this, especially when most people probably order such items online and it's not worth the expense of returning?
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gobel
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by gobel »

Tip: stop letting George Costanza borrow your shirts! :D
flyingcows
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by flyingcows »

As a 6’4” person I find most T shirts don’t fit well in general, and there is no consistency in sizing at all. Usual strategy has been to order a bunch of different shirts, hope that 1 out of 10 will fit, and then return the rest
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DTalos
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by DTalos »

flyingcows wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 12:52 pm As a 6’4” person I find most T shirts don’t fit well in general, and there is no consistency in sizing at all. Usual strategy has been to order a bunch of different shirts, hope that 1 out of 10 will fit, and then return the rest

What does it ending up costing you per t-shirt using this method?
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DTalos
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by DTalos »

What's also interesting is that an apparently good quality t-shirt with consistent measurements that's not mass produced costs as much as a basic unisex collard shirt, which from my experience don't suffer from sizing inconsistencies. Perhaps this is another form of inflation.
nalor511
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by nalor511 »

Brands with consistent (in my experience) neck opening, across the same model shirt, 100% cotton:
American Apparel
Next Level
Uniqlo (supima)
RudyS
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by RudyS »

Kenkat wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 10:13 am I just have that Ultra Downy commercial going through my head now - “And you look amazingly…comfortable!”.
thought of that one too!
quattro73
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by quattro73 »

Remember as a kid playing football or tag or whatever and having someone grab your tshirt and stretching the neck. Ughhh. Nothing worse.
fposte
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by fposte »

DTalos wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 12:44 pm Are mass produced t-shirts primarily individually hand-make by factory workers or is it a machine process? It's bewildering how the same size t-shirt from the same brand could have such different dimensions. Why do the mega brands of mass produced t-shirts permit this, especially when most people probably order such items online and it's not worth the expense of returning?
They permit this because most people order items online and it's not worth the expense of returning. Or, slightly less cynically, because the amount they save by being flexible about their manufacturing chain is greater than the amount they lose from dissatisfied customers. One report says a fashion brand can have between 1000 to 2000 suppliers, which in turn have subsuppliers that can take the number up to 20,000-50,000. While there was a robot pioneered a couple of years ago that can fully automate t-shirt assembly, most clothing factories use people working with machines and their hands.
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DTalos
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by DTalos »

fposte wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 6:50 pm
DTalos wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 12:44 pm Are mass produced t-shirts primarily individually hand-make by factory workers or is it a machine process? It's bewildering how the same size t-shirt from the same brand could have such different dimensions. Why do the mega brands of mass produced t-shirts permit this, especially when most people probably order such items online and it's not worth the expense of returning?
They permit this because most people order items online and it's not worth the expense of returning. Or, slightly less cynically, because the amount they save by being flexible about their manufacturing chain is greater than the amount they lose from dissatisfied customers. One report says a fashion brand can have between 1000 to 2000 suppliers, which in turn have subsuppliers that can take the number up to 20,000-50,000. While there was a robot pioneered a couple of years ago that can fully automate t-shirt assembly, most clothing factories use people working with machines and their hands.
Based on these facts, it can get expensive playing the clothing lottery.
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by JBTX »

DTalos wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 1:56 am Why are there inconsistencies in the neck size of a unisex t-shirt from the same brand? I have several t-shirts of the same size and brand and there are vast diferences in the size of the neck opening depending on where the t-shirt was made. This makes buying t-shirts online from a major brand with multiple worldwide factories frustrating because one does not know specifically where the t-shirts you are buying are made.

Since I prefer a tighter neck opening, is there an easy way to make the neck opening of a t- shirt smaller?
Have you tried JC Penney Stafford t shirts? They tend to be a bit thicker, don't shrink as much and have reasonably snug collar.
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DTalos
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by DTalos »

JBTX wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 12:13 am
DTalos wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 1:56 am Why are there inconsistencies in the neck size of a unisex t-shirt from the same brand? I have several t-shirts of the same size and brand and there are vast diferences in the size of the neck opening depending on where the t-shirt was made. This makes buying t-shirts online from a major brand with multiple worldwide factories frustrating because one does not know specifically where the t-shirts you are buying are made.

Since I prefer a tighter neck opening, is there an easy way to make the neck opening of a t- shirt smaller?
Have you tried JC Penney Stafford t shirts? They tend to be a bit thicker, don't shrink as much and have reasonably snug collar.
No, because I am referring to non-undershirt t-shirts. Out of curiosity, I was doing research earlier on mens undershirts and read multiple comments about how thin and low quality the majority are these days compared to even a decade ago. Many complain they become rags in a very short time.

So it appears that a $5 to $8 unisex mega brand mass produced t-shirt is about the same quality today as an undershirt of 10 or more years ago.

Another form of inflation.
Young Boglehead
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by Young Boglehead »

DTalos wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 12:41 am
JBTX wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 12:13 am
DTalos wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 1:56 am Why are there inconsistencies in the neck size of a unisex t-shirt from the same brand? I have several t-shirts of the same size and brand and there are vast diferences in the size of the neck opening depending on where the t-shirt was made. This makes buying t-shirts online from a major brand with multiple worldwide factories frustrating because one does not know specifically where the t-shirts you are buying are made.

Since I prefer a tighter neck opening, is there an easy way to make the neck opening of a t- shirt smaller?
Have you tried JC Penney Stafford t shirts? They tend to be a bit thicker, don't shrink as much and have reasonably snug collar.
No, because I am referring to non-undershirt t-shirts. Out of curiosity, I was doing research earlier on mens undershirts and read multiple comments about how thin and low quality the majority are these days compared to even a decade ago. Many complain they become rags in a very short time.

So it appears that a $5 to $8 unisex mega brand mass produced t-shirt is about the same quality today as an undershirt of 10 or more years ago.

Another form of inflation.
If you are looking for ultimate high quality t shirts, I’d recommend a Japanese brand called the flat head. The neck is triple stitched and will literally not stretch out ever, period. The fabric is also significantly thicker than likely any t shirt you’ve felt. They’re expensive, but possibly what you’re looking for…
JBTX
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by JBTX »

DTalos wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 12:41 am
JBTX wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 12:13 am
DTalos wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 1:56 am Why are there inconsistencies in the neck size of a unisex t-shirt from the same brand? I have several t-shirts of the same size and brand and there are vast diferences in the size of the neck opening depending on where the t-shirt was made. This makes buying t-shirts online from a major brand with multiple worldwide factories frustrating because one does not know specifically where the t-shirts you are buying are made.

Since I prefer a tighter neck opening, is there an easy way to make the neck opening of a t- shirt smaller?
Have you tried JC Penney Stafford t shirts? They tend to be a bit thicker, don't shrink as much and have reasonably snug collar.
No, because I am referring to non-undershirt t-shirts. Out of curiosity, I was doing research earlier on mens undershirts and read multiple comments about how thin and low quality the majority are these days compared to even a decade ago. Many complain they become rags in a very short time.

So it appears that a $5 to $8 unisex mega brand mass produced t-shirt is about the same quality today as an undershirt of 10 or more years ago.

Another form of inflation.
Most other forms of undershirts like Hanes I'd find the sleeves would shrink within a few washings. Not the staffords. They do have a couple of other colors.

I wear colored Ts almost 24/7. My most recent batch is Lands End super T. They are pretty good quality, comfortable neck is not too big. I do find the necks loosen a bit after a while but I'm not at all delicate with washing and drying. I did buy a few Amazon's a while back and found they are the best shaped and thicker and I'll sometimes wear them when I go out. But the fabric is a bit rough and if I'm just lounging around the house I tend to switch out to others.

But if you are looking for a high quality durable t shirt for $5, you're likely out of luck.
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by MJS »

If you are looking for a Steve Jobs quality shirt that is made of good material in a color you like and that fits you -- neck, shoulders, sleeves, chest, hips, fall -- get custom made. A quick Google pulled up
https://www.tailorstore.com/t-shirts
https://www.amazon.com/Made-for-You-Custom-T-shirt/dp/B08N6J8G5M ... very surprised that Amazon ... but obviously there is a need.
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iamblessed
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by iamblessed »

If you like a tighter neck try Jockey or the Costco brand.
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DTalos
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by DTalos »

iamblessed wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 10:27 am If you like a tighter neck try Jockey or the Costco brand.
Those are what I refer to as undershirts and they also gave a tight fitting chest/torso area, different from a nomal t-shirt.
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by eddot98 »

Buy several of these Jockey t shirts. Wear them and if they stretch out, just call them up and tell them that you are dissatisfied and they will replace them.

https://www.jockey.com/catalog/product/ ... color=0054

The price is good, at least for now, and they have lots of colors. They have replaced products for me that stretched out, no questions asked.
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by alpenglow »

gobel wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 12:48 pm Tip: stop letting George Costanza borrow your shirts! :D
That's the first thing that came to my mind with this thread!
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DTalos
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by DTalos »

What would you all pay for a new heavy, soft, durable 100% cotton t-shirt?
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DTalos
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by DTalos »

Here is an example of what I mean by a tight neck on a t-shirt.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265212598022?h ... SwLE1g2lca
stan1
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Re: Tighten T-Shirt Neck Opening

Post by stan1 »

DTalos wrote: Sat Sep 25, 2021 6:52 pm What would you all pay for a new heavy, soft, durable 100% cotton t-shirt?
You may not like the price but these folks will make you a custom cotton (or wool or Tencel) T-Shirt specifically to your measurements (including neck size).
https://www.sonofatailor.com/
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