Nothing throws off a sharp look like dress shirt sleeves that don't fit right. If you picked up a banger of a dress shirt but the sleeves are too long, dragging all past your wrists then I got you! I'm going to show you how to easily shorten those dress shirt sleeves in a straightforward, easy to understand way. If you’ve never used a sewing machine before no problem! It’s honestly way easier than you think for projects like these.

The Basics

Before we get started on these stupid looking sleeves, let's cover some basics. The cuff of your shirt, where your hands peek out, is usually finished with a pleat—a small fold that helps the sleeve end taper and fit around your wrist more comfortably. Understanding the construction of your sleeve is crucial because we’re gonna be replicating these that once we cut it to the length that we want.

Prep Your Shirt and Tools

First up, you'll need:

- A flat surface to work on

- A seam ripper

- A fabric marker or chalk

- A ruler or measuring tape

- Scissors

- Sewing pins

- A sewing machine (though hand-sewing is also an option, but it’s 1000 times easier on a machine)

Lay your shirt on your workspace and smooth everything out so it’s nice and flat.

Take of that Stupid Long Cuff Dude

VERY CAREFULLY start at the seam where the cuff meets the sleeve. Use your seam ripper to undo all that stitching. You wanna make sure to take your time and go slowly so you don’t accidentally poke through your shirt. That will make you mad, ask me how I know… It might be a little bit tough at first, but getting the first few stitches out will make the rest of the process go way smoother. Once the ball is rolling the seam will become weaker and weaker and you will notice you’re able to pull the seam apart more and more.

I suggest using an ergonomically comfortable seam ripper. One that sits well between your thumb and fingers will make this process way better. Plus its easier to use when you inevitably make mistakes in the future, which you will!

Measure and Mark(y) Mark

Decide how much shorter you want the sleeves to be. It's usually safe to take off about 1 to 2 inches, depending on how long your sleeves are. Anything more than that and you could run into some issues where the circumference of your shirt is too wide for the cuff. Measure from the bottom of the sleeve upward and mark this distance evenly around the sleeve with your fabric marker or chalk or whatever you’re using. You don’t have to mark very dark, just enough for you to clearly see where it is. I’m removing 1 inch or 2.5 cm from my shirt.

Create a New Shorter Sleeve Length

Using the marks you've just made, draw a straight line around the sleeve. This line will serve as your guide for cutting and will also be where you'll fold the fabric to form the new cuff. it doesn’t have to be perfect so if it isn’t then don’t sweat it.

Basting for Ease (No Turkey Needed)

Sew a basting stitch along the line you’ve drawn. A basting stitch is a really good temporary stitch that your sewing machine can make. I say temporary because it’s very loose and long so it doesn’t have much strength to it. Because of that it’s very easy to remove with a seam ripper. Set your sewing machine for the longest stitch length it can make and lowest stitch tension setting. This temporary stitch will help you gather the fabric slightly and keep everything in place as you reattach the cuff. Remember, no backstitching—these stitches need to be easy to take out later.

Trimmy Trim Trim Trim and Prepare

Cut off all the extra fabric above the new hemline, leaving about a quarter-inch or 6 mm for your seam allowance, which just means the extra fabric between your stitch and the edge of your garment. This extra fabric will be key for sewing the cuff back on without any ugly raw edges showing.

Reattaching the Cuff with Pins

Line up the cuff with the new edge of your sleeve and pin it in place with some sewing pins. Make sure the cuff evenly covers the basting stitches. If you find that the sleeve fabric is too wide for the cuff, use the basting stitch like a drawstring to synch up the fabric until it fits. It only has SO much ability to synch, so if you’re removing more than 2 inches thats when the circumference of your dress shirt will be a factor. Just a heads up.

Sewing Everything Into Place Bro!

Switch your sewing machine back to a normal straight stitch. Set your stitch length to 3.5, as opposed to the 2.5 that we usually use for our tutorials. You CAN use the 2.5 setting so if you make that mistake don’t think that you ruined your project or anything. Sew right on top of that original factory stitch you see on the sleeve, removing pins as you go. Don’t sew over the pins! Bad habit to start and it can break your machine! Keep the fabric nice and tight to avoid any puckering or wrinkles in your shirt. Those suck. Go slow and take your time.

Just A Few Finishing Touches

Once the cuff is securely attached, remove the basting stitches. You don’t HAVE to remove it if you don’t want too, just make sure that it’s hidden well by your new stitch. I left mine on on a few of my dress shirts and it wasn’t too big of a deal. Press the sleeve with an iron to set the stitches and ensure the cuff lays nice and flat and looks crisp!

Sanding Off the Edges (Sorta)

Try on the shirt to see if you like the new sleeve length. Make sure it falls at the right spot on your wrist—usually right where your thumb begins when your arms are at your sides. If you want it to be higher or lower thats ok too. If if you have to tweak something you can still do so, nothing is permanent!

Mastering Sleeve Alterations

BOOM! You've successfully shortened your dress shirt sleeves and you probably didn’t think you would be able to do it! You’re gonna save SO MUCH MONEY by doing this yourself from now on.

Now let’s go learn how to fix the dreaded dress shirt batwing…