One of the biggest problems of vintage clothing is that unlike department store clothes, vintage clothing can rarely be found in a full size run… and the piece that appeals to you might not be the piece that fits. Countless people have run into the problem where that perfect shirt they found was just a bit too big. Or Grandpa’s hand-me-down jacket fit way too small. The issue is prevalent enough that there are loads of solutions available online for shrinking or stretching common articles of clothing. And with that, of course, there is also a lot of misinformation. Today’s article is a big one — it is an in depth guide on how to shrink clothing, how to stretch clothing, and make old clothes fit better with a focus on vintage clothing construction and materials.
( ** MAJOR DISCLAIMER: Even though I’ve used these methods for my own clothes, there is always the risk of ruining a garment no matter how careful you are. Weak seams can pop, knits can distort, and fabrics can lose their weft or color. As such, I cannot guarantee the desired effect. If your clothing is irreplaceable or sentimentally valuable to you, tread lightly or leave it and find a suitable replacement. )
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Here are my personal limits for clothing sizes to look at. Click the bolded titles to jump to their relevant section.
JACKETS …………………… One size too small (2″ in suiting – check shoulders) / One size too big, one size too long (2″ in suiting – check shoulders)
SHIRTS/BLOUSES …… 1/2 size too small / One size too big (without tailoring)
PANTS AND JEANS …. One size too small (check seat) / One size too big
KNITWEAR ………………. One size too small (natural fibers) / 2-3 sizes too big (natural fibers)
SHOES AND BOOTS … 0 sizes too small / One size too big, one width too wide
JACKETS
How to Stretch a Jacket That is Too Small
How much can I stretch a jacket? – On average and with the right material (natural fibers are best), you can expect to get about 1″-1.5″ around the body of a jacket after it is stretched, and about 1″ of vertical (downward) stretch if lengthening it. This is equivalent to going one size up. Make sure that the shoulders and armholes of your jacket fit properly and comfortably. Depending on the cut, they are the least likely to stretch out. Do not expect any change in the size of the arm hole (shoulder seam).
How do I stretch a jacket that fits too small?
- Denim – My method of how to stretch a jean jacket assumes that the jacket is medium weight and 100% cotton. For the most part, the thicker/heavier the denim, the better the results will be and the more it will stretch. Do not attempt to stretch thin/lightweight denim, cotton-linen blends, lyocell denim, or semi-stretchy (96%-98% cotton blend) jean jackets. The results will be poor or nonexistent and they will likely tear.
Put on the jacket and spray it with room temperature water until it is slightly damp. You can also spray the jacket down before putting it on. Button the jacket up partially, then stuff a bulky but squishy item (e.g. pillow, balled up sweaters) between your body and the jacket to make it feel tight. Button it up the rest of the way. Mist yourself again with water, this time at areas with the most pressure. This will likely be the sides and at the shoulders. Cross your arms or push your arms forward until you feel tension from your jacket on your shoulders/back. Hold it, then relax. Continue doing stretches until the jacket is dry to the touch (about 30 minutes). Unbutton completely, remove filler items, and try it on alone. Repeat if necessary. - Leather – Since most leather jackets are lined or have a zip-up liner, I recommend stretching it to fit/conform to your body instead of stretching it to make it bigger all around. This method will make it contour to you, so consider wearing extra layers if you do not like your jackets fitting tight. Saturate the jacket with room temperature water (head out in a storm or lay it in the tub – bear in mind that dye may bleed), zip it up, and do gentle basic upper body stretching to get rid of tight areas. Bear in mind that when wet, most leather will shrink if left to its own devices. Wear until it is completely dry (remember — leather can get moldy). Keep indoors/out of the sun in mild or cooler weather for best results. Sun rays, rain, and excessive movement/scraping/pressing may add wear to the leather or contribute to the patina. Suede can be stretched in the same way. Do not subject leather to extreme temperatures — no freezers, hair dryers, washing machines, or flat irons. While it might have worked for somebody, you cannot control the extent of stretch and can easily ruin the leather.
The thinner and softer the leather, the more likely you are to get some stretch. Very flexible leathers like goatskin may stretch too much with a heavy hand. Meanwhile, heavier leathers like horsehide will break in with wear, but won’t stretch nearly as much, if at all. Reconstituted leather / cheaper “genuine leather,” vegan leather / faux leather /pleather, or any jackets that are combinations of nylon and leather or canvas and leather should not be stretched. For the first two, you are more likely to pop a seam or weaken the fabric. For the latter, the mixed materials will not let you stretch it evenly. - Wool, Suit Jackets, Blazers – While wool is famous for being able to shrink and stretch, whether it stretches out to the desired shape is dubious. It is good to get measurements for how much you want to stretch the jacket out, then keep a tape measure handy. Soak the jacket in cold water for 15-20 minutes, or until it is completely saturated. Allow excess water to drain while the jacket is laying down, then lay flat on a towel or table. Gently pull at both sides of the body or sleeve to stretch it out. Make sure that you are pulling uniformly and not distorting the shape of the jacket. Pins, clips, books/weights, and other items can be used to hold the jacket in its proper shape/size as it dries out. After it is dry, steam out any wrinkles, let sit, and then try it on again. Repeat if necessary. While I don’t recommend it and wouldn’t expect much of an effect, flannel can be stretched out in the same way.
Bear in mind that many wool jackets, particularly suit jackets, have liners. Oftentimes this liner is made of polyester, acrylic, silk or some other material that will not stretch. Not only may this cause odd bunching at the inside hems, but it will negate any effect of stretching the wool since the liner size does not change. There are a few ways to deal with this, going from cheapest to most expensive: split the liner at the back to ease up tension, cut out the entire liner with a knife, go to a tailor and have them take out the seams (or cut them open if you don’t have enough material and don’t mind).
Stretching often puts a lot of stress on the fabric, so consider using a wool wash when soaking your jacket. - Duck Canvas – Canvas jackets have a break-in period that will get rid of their stiffness. This will also give you a bit of flex at the necessary areas (like the elbow, gut, and back). Anything beyond that is not worth the risk. Do not attempt to stretch a vintage canvas jacket. Gabardine and Moleskin follow the same rule.
- Nylon and other Durable Synthetics – Won’t stretch. Do not attempt.
Can I stretch a jacket to fit longer? / How to stretch jacket sleeves – With any of the above materials that are open to stretching out, you can also stretch them down. There are two primary ways of doing so. The first is hanging the jacket up, lightly soaking it, and then either tugging it down or attaching weighty items to the arms and bottom hem to pull it downwards. This may make the jacket slimmer in the arms/torso, and clipping on weights/heavy items can leave marks on materials (especially leather). The other method, done in line with stretching the overall dimensions of a jacket, involves pulling down on it with weights or your hand while wearing it, as part of stretching the entire garment out.
You can widen a jacket’s sleeves to make them fit looser by padding your upper arms during any of the above stretching methods and bending your elbows while stretching it out. I typically use small towels wrapped around my biceps and flex to ease the fabric out.
How much bigger can a tailor make my jacket fit? What can a tailor do to help make my jacket fit better? – A tailor’s ability for alterations depends entirely on the seam allowances of the jacket. With suit jackets and blazers, you will typically have 1/2″ allowance in the sleeve (at the bottom hem) and 1″ at the bust/waist (spread among all seams at the sides and back). Unlined jackets and leather jackets typically have little to no seam allowance anywhere and cannot be tailored to fit larger. Any tailoring that involves restructuring the shoulders of a jacket is typically not worth the cost of alteration.
How to Make a Jacket Fit Slimmer
How much can I shrink a jacket? – Most modern clothing has been preshrunk, meaning that any effect you get from attempting to shrink it further will be minimal. With older vintage clothing however, you may be surprised at how much of it hasn’t been shrunk — especially when it comes to men’s vintage workwear. Unlike stretching jackets, the small panels in the shoulder area of a jacket will take to shrinking, however seams and any reinforced structuring (like armholes and reinforced elbows) may not, which can distort it with more significant shrinking sessions. You can expect anywhere from 0.25″ to about 1.5″ of shrinkage with most materials, or approximately one size down from its tagged size.
It is far easier to shrink a jacket than stretch it, and as such you may shrink it too much. Take care, keep your water a bit cooler than you think it should be, and don’t agitate it too much. It is far easier to repeat the process than unshrink it.
How do I shrink a jacket?
- Denim – Sanforized denim is denim that has been pre-shrunk and fixed in its size. This material will not take to shrinking easily. Similarly, any denim with a stretch to it (e.g. 96%-98% cotton blends) and lyocell denim will not shrink, but putting heat to them may tighten them up to their tag size instead of their worn-in size. As these are also somewhat colorfast, putting them through the washing machine should be OK. As with stretching jean jackets, 100% cotton and medium- to heavy-weight denim will take to shrinking easier. Denim blended with other natural materials (like linen) may shrink unevenly and irreversibly. Due to the natural properties of indigo, warm and hot water may remove dye from your denim jacket. To minimize this, turn the jacket inside out when washing or soaking it. Do not agitate the jacket while it is soaking.
To shrink a jean jacket, draw a bath or fill a container with warm (NOT hot) water. Turn the jacket inside out, place it in the container, and allow it to become fully saturated (about 20 minutes). Remove after it is fully saturated and either hang dry or lay flat on a towel (keep in mind that color may transfer). Wear when damp to almost-dry to ensure proper fit. For dramatic size differences, I don’t recommend using boiling water or hot water as that may damage the fabric or cause you to lose too much dye. Instead, run it through a dry cycle with hot air and allow it to sit until cool. Steam out any wrinkles if present. - Leather – Leather is a common victim of overshrinking and, with many common leathers, may lose its form and sag after excessive shrinking/stretching. I do not recommend following general advice on how to shrink leather jackets. Why? Because most methods out there (washing machine, dryer, etc) run a huge risk of damaging the jacket — or in the case of heavy motorcycle jackets, breaking your washing machine. Instead, I’d advise simply soaking it and working it until it conforms to you. Follow my advice for stretching a leather jacket above, but without as much arm stretching. Instead of staying in a cool area however, feel free to go out into the sun and find some heat. You can also soak or steam a leather jacket, lay it flat in indirect sunlight or in a warm room, and allow it to go through its course on its own. Depending on the type of leather, you will probably need to treat it after it is fully dry when exposing it to the elements. Beware of leaching dyes as well.
- Wool, Suit Jackets, Blazers – Knowing how to shrink wool jackets is only as valuable as the construction of the jacket itself. Blazers and suit jackets in particular are typically structured, meaning that they have canvas controlling the shape of the suit and are lined. Even other wool jackets, such as trench coats, may have some structuring in the shoulders and at the breast. If you attempt to shrink these, you will get bad results from bunched up canvas, puckered seams, and other such inconveniences. Overall, I don’t recommend shrinking a wool jacket too much, especially in the shoulder area. If you really need to, then use steam or warm water to target specific areas, and lay flat to allow it to draw up.
For wool jackets without liners, fully saturating the jacket in warm (not hot) water for 5-10 minutes, allowing excess water to drip out, and pinning it/pressing it into shape while damp is the best way to go. Make sure it is evenly shrinking. - Duck Canvas – Throughout the life of a canvas jacket, they will “break in” and stretch out somewhat. It is possible to get it to tighten up to its original size, however you will be constantly fighting an uphill battle of minute differences. I do not recommend attempting to shrink duck canvas — wear it large or go to a tailor. If you need to shrink a Carhartt jacket or other canvas jacket, run it alone in the dryer on a “warm” cycle.
- Nylon and other Durable Synthetics – Won’t shrink. Do not attempt.
How do I make a jacket shorter? Can I make the jacket sleeves shorter without going to a tailor? – You will get the best results with shortening a jacket at home if it is made of natural fibers. Soak it in warm water for 20 minutes and then tug at the sides to pull them out. This may widen the jacket (or help it keep its width), but with most fabrics, it will also draw the hem in somewhat. The success of this depends on both the history of the material and the other methods you use to stretch/shrink it in tandem. I have to do this with almost all of my clothes, but ultimately, more often than not I have to take my jackets to a tailor for shortening the sleeves and hem.
How many sizes smaller can a tailor make a jacket? – A tailor can cut a jacket down by about three inches or 1-2 tag sizes in suiting — for example, they can bring it down from a tagged 40 to approximately size 37. Anything further will involve a lot of money (e.g. changing the shoulders, recutting canvas structure, etc) unless your body tapers aggressively. This heavily depends on the tailor and the jacket in question (buttons, vents, how it balances the figure), so ask first.
SHIRTS, BLOUSES, AND TOPS
How to Stretch a Shirt that Fits Too Tight
How much can you stretch a shirt / blouse? – The construction of the fabric determines how much you can stretch it — both what it is made of, and how it is woven. Some materials do not take to stretching, while other garments have already been stretched out. From its basic rinsed or sanforized (prewashed) state, most shirts can be stretched about 1/2 – 3/4″. Care must be taken to ensure that the stress on the fabric does not tear it. Make sure that the shirt in question fits comfortably around the arm holes, shoulders, and neck, as these areas will not stretch much, if at all.
How do you stretch a cotton shirt? – Cotton is (usually) the material from which chambray, birdseye, flannel, corduroy, and twill are made. It can be soft or scratchy, and tough or delicate. A near-overwhelming majority of shirts are made from cotton or cotton blends, so if your vintage shirt is made of an unknown natural fiber, signs point to it being cotton. Many cotton fabrics are easier to shrink than they are to stretch, but you typically can still get some slack. Soak the shirt in cool to cold water until fully saturated (about 20 minutes) — it may help to add and rub some hair conditioner (I use the aforementioned Outback Gold wool wash since it doesn’t have to be rinsed out) to relax the fibers of the shirt. Remove from the water, squeeze excess water out, and lay flat on a table. Tug lightly on opposite sides of the garment to stretch it, working your way up the body to the arms. If you are looking to make the entire shirt fit larger, take special care to make sure that you have stretched the shoulders, gut, and upper arms.
- How to Stretch a Viscose Blouse / Shirt – Viscose cannot be stretched beyond its original size. If you have purchased a garment that has shrank, then follow the same guidelines for unshrinking rayon. If it has not been washed and fits too small, it is unlikely you will be able to stretch it to size. When unshrinking, take care not to tear or put too much stress at the seams of the shirt.
- How to Stretch a Rayon Shirt – Similar to viscose, rayon does not stretch much beyond its original size. The most that can be done is unshrinking it to recover previous loss in the fabric. Soak the shirt in cool (no warmer than room temperature) water for about 10 minutes or until fully saturated, agitating the water to get the fabric to loosen up. Allow excess water to drip out before laying it flat on a table or towel, then use the above method for stretching a cotton shirt. Books or other weights can ensure the garment does not draw back in as it dries, but be sure to check on it regularly.
- How to Stretch a Linen Shirt – Unfortunately, linen only moves in one direction on the size axis, and that is “smaller.” Do not attempt to stretch linen.
- How to Stretch a Silk Blouse / Shirt – Do not attempt to stretch a silk shirt.
- Other Synthetics – As a general rule, synthetic materials are more resistant to stretching and shrinking. Use the same method as rayon and do not expect much stretch.
Can a tailor make a shirt bigger? – Most shirts have no allowance for making them larger. They are, however, able to add fabric in discrete areas to give the shirt some more room. If your shirt fits tight around the shoulders/arms, talk to a tailor (or a friend who can sew) about underarm gussets. If the shoulders and neck are fine, you can also unstitch the sides of the shirt to add fabric side panels for room in the gut while adding gussets. This is a great option for men’s dress shirts that fit a hair too small or that do not have the desired silhouette.
How to make shirt fit longer – Care must be taken to make sure you do not tear the shirt. While it is damp using the above methods, add some steady tugging or pressure to the bottom hem and arms. Make sure that you continue adding horizontal stretch so that it does not get tight.
How to Shrink a Shirt that is Too Loose
How much can you shrink a shirt? – Owing to its thinner construction, shirts take to shrinking quite well — even synthetics! If the seams (neck, arm holes) fit well, then you can expect the body of the shirt up to 25% of its size, depending on the fabric and method of shrinking. This typically equates to 1-2 sizes.
How to shrink a shirt or blouse – Allow to soak in warm (not hot) water for 20 minutes, or until fully saturated. Agitate the shirt if desired to stimulate the fabric. Lay flat to air dry. When shrinking chambray shirts and other indigo-dyed fabrics, care must be made to ensure that the color does not leach excessively. Wash inside out to prevent marbling of the dye.
This same method can be used for cotton, viscose, rayon, other synthetics, linen, and silk. Always aim to undershrink (water slightly too cool) instead of overshrink. For more information, look up at shrinking jackets.
PANTS, TROUSERS, AND JEANS
How To Stretch Pants that are Too Tight
How much can you stretch pants? – The construction of pants and the problem areas where their tightness shows through (crotch, seam at seat, waistband) means that it can be difficult to get much of a change in size out of them. As a general rule, you can expect to get about a half-size (0.5″ to 1″) of stretch through the top block. Unstructured pants made of natural fibers will always stretch the most (up to 2″), while others may stretch less. Read on for more.
How do I make pants fit bigger? – There are two methods for resizing pants – tailoring and stretching. The methods and fabrics involved are as follows:
- Tailoring pants to a bigger size – Wool dress pants, chinos, herringbone slacks, suit pants, and other semi-formal to formal trousers typically have built in seam allowances at the seat, leg, and crotch. Waistbands often also have additional fabric, though it is not as common. These add anywhere from 1/2″ to 1″ of extra room in those crucial areas. You can check if your pants have a seam allowance by flipping them inside out and looking for excess fabric inside the seams. Bear in mind that not all of this fabric can be used, and some areas (particularly the seat) may temporarily or permanently leave holes where the stitches formerly were.
Canvas trousers, oilskin pants, and other thick and durable workwear must also often be tailored as opposed to stretched. - Stretching jeans to a bigger size – If your trousers are unstructured, unlined, and aren’t reinforced, then they are a good candidate for stretching. This method works best on non-stretch trousers made of a natural material — like jeans. “How to stretch denim jeans” is one of the most popular search results and follows this method. That said, jeans are at their best when they are thick and 100% cotton, and the following information assumes both of those traits. Do not use this method with 96% cotton blend jeans, stretch jeans, linen or linen blend trousers, lyocell trousres, or thin pants.
For just a little bit of give, putting on a pair of tight jeans and doing housework/chores or “denim calisthenics” (house exercises and stretches) should give you the room you need in those crucial areas. If you need an inch or more in the waist, you have two options.
1.) Put the pants on and spray them down with room temperature water until they are somewhat damp before stretching them out to conform to your body. Stretch, move, and do house chores while wearing the jeans until they are dry. This method may cause unsightly “knee boobs” or other points of excessive stretch on the pants if they fit too slim, but it is the best way to make them conform to you.
2.) Turn the pants inside out and soak them in cool water until fully saturated, or for about 20 minutes, without agitating the water. Let excessive water run off (do not wring) and lay flat on a towel or table. Pull on opposite ends of the pants at both the top block and legs to stretch the fibers out, and either press or pin to make sure they do not shrink up. Allow them to air dry in a cool place. Keep in mind that the dyes from wet denim may transfer.
Is my butt too big for my pants? Can I make pants fit bigger in the seat? – Most pants and trousers have a seam running up the center of the seat. When that fits poorly, you may have issues sitting down or getting comfortable. You may also feel that they are extremely tight in that area, but nowhere else. While women’s jeans often have space for the seat and the fabric is cut for curves, men’s trousers are not. If the seat is too tight and you do not have a seam allowance to let out, it will be very difficult to get proper fitment.
How to Shrink Pants that are Too Loose
How do I make my pants fit slimmer? – We’ll borrow the same two methods for resizing pants here:
- Tailoring pants to a smaller size – As a general rule, you will be able to size your pants down by 1-2 sizes at the waist (or 2-4″) before the cost of tailoring begins to outweigh the benefits. Pants that are way too big are often very expensive to tailor as the side seam must be unstitched to maintain the lines of the garment. If you only need some slight tightening, speak to a tailor about drawing in the waist. Tailors can also taper or slim a leg down to the desired silhouette — just make sure that what they pin it to allows you to bend your knee to sit. Herringbone twill slacks, wool dress pants, chinos, suit pants, canvas trousers, and other semi-formal or non-stretch pants are best left tailored.
- Shrinking pants to a smaller size – Since pants seams tend to be more structured, it isn’t a good idea to make a dramatic change with their size. You may run the risk of distorting them as the areas around the seams shrink more than the seams themselves. Unless you are very confident or OK with destroying the garment, I do not recommend shrinking wool pants of any kind.
Turn the pants inside out and soak them in warm (not hot) water for 10-15 minutes. If they are not heavily dyed or overdyed, it may be good to agitate the garment as it soaks. Do not agitate if they are denim, overdyed, or if there is significant bleeding of the dye in the water. Dry them flat, check them, and repeat as needed. Always go a bit cooler than you think you should with the water temperature — it is far easier to attempt the process again than it is to unshrink most materials, especially linen.
KNITWEAR
What is knitwear? – Knitwear, or knits for short, are garments made of a knitted fabric, instead of fabric which is woven. They are more flexible, unstructured, and popular with less formal clothing. Socks, T-shirts, sweaters, and cardigans are almost always knitted.
How do you stretch a knit sweater? – Stretching a knit sweater uses the same beginning method as shrinking one. Soak the sweater in warm (not hot) or room temperature water until fully saturated (about 20 minutes). Do not agitate it while it is soaking. Remove it and lay it flat. This time, you will be tugging at the edges of the sweater to stretch it out while it dries. Make sure that you are not warping the shape of the sweater, and that you are stretching it evenly and at the same rate as the other side of the sweater. Pins, weights, or rolling it tightly into towels to dry it (like a burrito) are all methods to press down on the sweater and make sure it dries out larger, but make sure that it does not shrink while you are away from it. I heartily recommend using leave-in wool shampoo when stretching knits as stretching puts a lot of strain on the material. Of all of the soaps I have used, Outback Gold is my personal preference with knits (especially wool and wool blends).
As a general rule, rayon cannot be stretched, but you can unshrink rayon. To do this, use cool water (no warmer than room temperature) with the above method of stretching knits.
How do you shrink a knit sweater? – Owing to the property of knitted fabric, shrinking can be accomplished with many (but not all) materials. As usual, you will have the most luck with natural fibers. Soak the sweater in warm (not hot) water with until fully saturated (about 20 minutes), agitating the water and moving it slightly while it soaks. Remove it and lay it flat on a towel to dry. While it isn’t necessary, I recommend “setting” the size of the knit with pins or weights to keep it from overshrinking — just make sure you have the measurements for it. This method is also how to shrink wool sweaters without ruining the garment. For delicate or vintage knits, add wool shampoo to the water to make sure the fibers do not get overly stressed. Do not wear the sweater while drying it out and do not hang dry. Both of these will warp the garment.
Acrylic, polyester (in certain forms), and other heat-set synthetic fibers will stretch instead of shrinking when exposed to heat. Do not attempt to shrink them with extreme temperatures. On the other hand, synthetic rayon is exceptionally heat sensitive. Any cotton-rayon or wool-rayon blends will be prone to warping without the controlled shrinking method as listed above. Pure rayon will shrink very easily, so keep the water on the cool side.
How do you make wool sweaters softer? – Wool is unique in that it is an animal-based fiber. Like human hair, it needs oil to maintain its softness and moisture-wicking properties. Wool shampoo is crucial for prolonging the life of a wool garment — and is also the key for making wool sweaters less itchy. Vintage wool knitwear in particular is scratchy and uncomfortable for two main reasons: 1.) the fibers are dry, and 2.) the gauge of the wool itself is coarse. You can’t control the latter, but caring for the garment properly will at least ease the suffering.
Can a tailor resize a knit sweater? Can knits be tailored? – This is heavily dependent on the specific knit. Knit sweater and cardigan alterations are typically best left in the hands of a knitwear specific tailor, or with a general tailor who has experience with knits. Unlike wovens, knit fabric is extremely flexible, and tailoring it involves making sure the knit will not unravel. You are best off using home methods of resizing it instead of cutting it.
SHOES, HEELS, AND BOOTS
How do you stretch shoes that fit too tight? – You don’t. Rather, you shouldn’t. Proper footwear is crucial to a healthy gait and ensuring your spine doesn’t take too much of a beating while you go about your day. The only exception is shoes that fit slightly too narrow, or that do not have enough allowance for the instep. In these cases, consider the material — leather stretches out quite easily with wear. Thick vinyls and plastics may not do the same depending on the exact makeup/structure, but an attempt can be made on any shoe with an adjustable shoe tree. If the shoe fits tight enough that the toebox is too tight/cramped and you are uncomfortable, then do not wear the shoes. No amount of stretching will make them work.
How to make shoes fit smaller – In addition to the basic trick of just wearing thicker socks, shoe size inserts can be easily found online. These will tighten up the space inside a shoe and allow it to fit more snugly. Bear in mind that there is a limit to this method, and shoes that are way too large will affect the way you walk, stand, and your comfort. Use discretion when playing with your shoe size.
Can a cobbler change the size of shoes? – A cobbler may not be a miracle worker, but they’re definitely able to change a shoe’s size at the sole – PROVIDED that the shoe can be resoled. Common resolable shoe constructions include the Goodyear welt, Storm welt (conditional), and Blake stitch (specialized). Cemented shoes, or shoes that have their sole glued on, cannot be resoled.
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And that is all for this vintage clothing article. Did I miss a method or material? Have other questions? Leave them in the comments below and I will help as much as I can.