What is the purpose of a hem, and how do you hem a Dress Shirt? Hemming is one of the finishing touches when you sew a garment. For a shirt, you can find the hem at the bottom.

It creates a clean edge by folding a piece of the clothes and sewing it to prevent the unraveling of the fabric.

Another reason you make a hem is to adjust the length of the shirt based on a specific measurement.

Shirts are a staple in many people's wardrobes, and hemming them creates a finished edge. 

It creates a clean edge by folding a piece of the clothes and sewing it to prevent the unraveling of the fabric.

Hemming takes only an hour or so, and anyone can do it. We often buy shirts that we love, but they aren't long enough to look good with particular pants and shoes.

Luckily, hemming a shirt is easy and can be done with or without sewing skills.

Hemming a Dress Shirt

Items Needed:

• Iron and Ironing Board

• Hem Gauge and Pins or Measuring Tape and Safety Pin

• An unfinished shirt

1) Flip the Shirt

Turn the shirt inside out. It is essential because it allows you to see the previous stitching line.

Next, lay the shirt on a flat surface and fold the bottom edge up to where the hemline should be.

2) Measure the Length to Hem

If you don't already know how long the hem should be, measure from the bottom of where you want your hemline to end.

Then, multiply that number by two (If you wish to your hemline mid-thigh, then multiply the length by two).

Measure this hemline with a hem gauge or measuring tape and pins, then pin the gauge 1/4 inch away from where you measured.

3) Pin the Dress Shirt

Line up your hem gauge to the bottom of the shirt so that zero lies on your stitching line (the line you used when you pinned it in step 2).

Pin the gauge in place and begin to trim away excess fabric. You can use a seam ripper, pinking shears (to reduce fraying of your fabric), or regular scissors- all will work fine.

4) Iron the Dress Shirt

Once you have trimmed your hemline down to the desired height, iron out any creases and then press the hemline.

The iron will help keep the edge of your shirt straight and crisp.

5) Sewing Time

Your shirt should now be ready for hemming to the length you desire!

How to Hem a Dress Shirt without A Sewing Machine

Items Needed:

• Iron and Ironing Board

• A shirt for hemming

• Measuring tape or safety pin with a string attached (instead of safety pins, you can measure out your desired hem length with a string and use it as a measuring device)

1) Inside Out

Turn the shirt inside out. [This is important because it allows you to see the previous stitching line]

Lay the shirt on a flat surface and fold the bottom edge up to the hemline.

2) Measure

If you don't already know how long the hem should be, measure from the bottom of where you want your hemline to end.

Then, multiply that number by two (If you wish to your hemline mid-thigh, then multiply the length by two).

Measure this hemline with a measuring tape or safety pin and string attached (instead of safety pins.

You can use string as a measuring stick), then pin the string 1/4 inch away from where you measured.

3) Cut

Line up your hemline to the bottom of the shirt so that the string lies over your stitching line (the line you used when you pinned it in step 2).

Pin it in place and begin to trim away excess fabric. Use a seam ripper, pinking shears (to reduce fraying of your fabric), or regular scissors- all will work fine.

4) Iron

Once you have trimmed your hemline down to the desired height, iron out any creases and then press the hemline.

The iron will help keep the edge of your shirt straight and crisp.

5) Pin

Pin along the stitching line that you used when you pinned in step 2, then sew along this stitching line.

Your shirt is now for hemming to the length you desire!

Hemming a Dress Shirt with a Sewing Machine

Items Needed:

• Iron and Ironing Board

• a shirt that needs hemming

• Thread in a matching color to your desired color scheme 

1) You should know by now - Inside Out!

Turn the shirt inside out. [This is important because it allows you to see the previous stitching line]

Lay the shirt on a flat surface and fold the bottom edge up to where you want it hemmed.

2) Measure

If you don't already know how long the hem should be, measure from the bottom of where you want your hemline to end.

Then, multiply that number by two (If you wish to your hemline mid-thigh, then multiply the length by two).

Measure this hemline with a measuring tape or safety pin and string attached (instead of safety pins.

You can use string as a measuring stick), then pin the string 1/4 inch away from where you measured.

3) Sewing Time

Line up your needle to the bottom of the shirt so it lies over your stitching line (the line you used when you pinned it in step 2).

Begin sewing along this stitching line. The zipper foot and straight stitch should be what you use- they will help keep the stitches nice and even.

4) Trim

Once sewn along this stitching line, trim away excess fabric and press the hemline. The iron will help keep the edge of your shirt straight and crisp.

If you want a genuinely professional-looking hem, try zigzag stitching it instead of using a straight stitch!

You can do this by changing your sewing machine settings (if you're unsure, you may consult your manual or look up a video tutorial online).

Now, try it out with some of the shirts in your closet! I bet you'll feel like an expert once you finish.

Do It Yourself Hemming

Hemming a shirt by yourself can be done in five simple steps (if you don't have a sewing machine at home, it'll take longer- make sure to allow 5-6 hours).

Hemming a shirt by hand is easy; there are only two things for you to consider when hemming one.

The first is if your shirt's hemline is very uneven, you'll need to take the time to adjust it so that the edges are even.

The second thing is to measure your hemline correctly beforehand to get the right length.

This way, you won't have to worry about trimming excess fabric once done!

Go to a Tailor

There are various options available when going to a tailor. The first option is to have a professional tailor do it for you.

The price will range from $10-$20 (depending on the location and the shirt's designer). The quality is always excellent.

Another option is to go to a shop/store specializing in sewing and getting hems done.

Again, their price will range from $5-$20 (depending on your materials/shirt's quality and location).

If this option isn't available to you, then you can go to any store that sells clothes, try them on there first, then buy the shirt if it fits well enough.

This way, you can avoid paying to get custom hems done, but if by any chance you aren't satisfied with how it works, the shirt is genuinely inexpensive, so you don't have much to lose.

What you Need to Do Before Hemming a Shirt

Make sure your shirt is clean before you start.

If it has stains, make sure to get rid of them first. Removing stains can be tricky once they stick into the fabric.

There are various methods for removing stains, but simply washing your shirt in the washer will also take care of many common stains (this also is good for eliminating odors).

Iron your shirt before doing the hem.

If you are ironing your shirt, be sure to do it before/after doing the hems. It will help keep everything nice and crisp during construction.

If you have a sewing machine, make sure that all the necessary parts of the device are working well (thread, bobbin, needle, etc.).

If the parts aren't working to their full potential, you'll end up ruining your clothes and need even more to get done.

These machines can be pretty expensive- make sure you know how to use them before trying out this project!

Hemming Both Long and Short Sleeve Shirts

When measuring the length of your shirt, make sure that the pants or skirt you are wearing with it is the correct length.

This way, your shirt will fit perfectly with whatever pants/skirts you choose to wear!

The best way to measure this is by laying out your shirt on a flat surface and measure from the top of the shoulder down to the bottom hemline (most long-sleeved shirts have a straight hemline.

But, if it isn't a good idea to measure from the bottom of that part. This way, you'll know exactly how long your shirt has to be!

Once you have the desired length, cut the fabric using a pair of scissors. Make sure that your material is smooth and slightly stretchy before cutting it; otherwise, it will be too short/too long.

After the length is cut, it's time to make the edges even! There are two ways of doing this:

The first is by making a straight hemline on your shirt with either a sewing machine or needle and thread.

Or, if your sleeves are pleated, you can allow them to hang free so that you can gather to the correct length.

When gathering, make sure you don't pull the fabric because it will cause your shirt to stretch out and become wrinkly.

Measuring sleeve shirts:

• Fold over your shirt sleeves until you're satisfied with how much is showing (think how many times you'll be rolling up your sleeves!). Pin the fabric down if you need to.

 

• Sew along the edge of your shirt fabric to stay folded for good! Or, cut off the material you have sewn and iron everything down, so it's flat.

• Iron down all the edges of your sleeve just like you did with the hemline of your shirt.

When choosing what type of thread to sew your hems with, it's best to use a needle thread that is slightly lighter than the color of your fabric.

This way, you won't risk ruining the color because it will be harder to see where you are sewing!

Always make sure that whatever color thread you use is the correct length (and test it out on a scrap piece of fabric before sewing it onto your shirt!).

Basting is used to hold pieces together temporarily. It's also suitable for holding down fabrics that are hard to pin down!

To the basting, sew very long stitches in place- this way, it will be easy to remove afterward.

A great video for the DIY hemming:

Using Sewing Machine:

If you have a sewing machine at home, use it! It'll be much easier and more fun if you do the work yourself.

For some machines, a zigzag stitch will work perfectly for this task (and it's faster than the old-fashioned straight stitch).

 

To hem a shirt with a sewing machine, you'll need to use the settings for your fabric (check your user manual to find out where this is).

Using Needle and Thread:

If you don't have a sewing machine at home (or cannot afford one), it's still possible to hem shirts.

Make sure that your thread is colored to match your fabric for short sleeve shirts. If you're using white yarn, make sure it's invisible so you can't see it!

Next, sew two parallel stitching lines near the edge of your cloth (make sure they are not too close together or too far apart).

Once you have finished both sets, gently pull them up and fold them back- this will give you the same result as a zigzag stitch!

Making Shirt Sleeves

There are two ways to make your sleeves. Using cloth is the more difficult way; however, it can become effortless with practice.

For this method, all you have to do is measure an existing shirt in your closet that has similar sleeves and use the fabric from that shirt.

The other way is to cut out a pattern and pin it down until you're happy with how the sleeves look. 

Then, trace another piece of fabric over your pattern and cut it out! Once you have finished, you'll sew the sleeve hemline together using a sewing machine or needle and thread.