Is my torso shrinking?

May 22, 2009 1:33 PM

Is anyone currently selling t-shirts for women that aren't below-hip-length?

My old t-shirts are getting too ratty, but I'm having trouble finding replacements. I like soft, lightweight cotton or cotton-blend jersey fabric. I've looked at Target, Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, J. Crew, all of which I have had good luck with in the past, but this season I have only found varying lengths of too long. Gap has some that are almost the right length, but aren't the right fabric. I'm not looking for a 90s-style crop top, I just don't want a lot of fabric bunching around my hips the way current styles seem to do. Anyone know where I could find what I'm looking for? I'm in Pittsburgh, PA if there are regional recommendations.

posted by Meg_Murry to clothing, beauty, & fashion (23 comments total)

No store recommendations but it occurs to me that if you can find someone who has a sewing machine it's going to be extremely easy to hem a t-shirt to be shorter, since it'll just be one straight stitch. If I remember my junior high crafts class correctly the only tough part might be finding the right setting on the sewing machine to do a stitch pattern for stretchy fabric.
posted by XMLicious at 1:46 PM on May 22

target online has their shorter shirts for sell
posted by nadawi at 1:50 PM on May 22 [1 favorite]

sale even
posted by nadawi at 1:50 PM on May 22

I've been having the same problem -- worse, these shirts won't shrink when you wash them.

I do believe I've found proper length shirts at LLBean and Lands End, however.
posted by gsh at 1:50 PM on May 22

Funny, my friend just asked me the other day where she should look for t-shirts that aren't so long.
I was at Target yesterday and got a Merona brand v-neck t-shirt (they have crewneck, too) that wasn't too long. They have some other t-shirts that are really long, but these are the kind that are folded on the shelves, not hanging up.
posted by ishotjr at 2:13 PM on May 22

American Apparel shirts for women aren't too long.
posted by liketitanic at 2:18 PM on May 22 [1 favorite]

Funny, I'm having the exact opposite problem :) I can't find shirts that are long enough. I've found that Target are the worst offenders, with lengths falling to about belly-button on me. Also, try your local mall's Deb; their basic tees and tanks come in perfectly long (for me) and short, short, short. They're cheaply made and lightweight cotton, but inexpensive and come in a huge number of colors.
posted by theraflu at 2:27 PM on May 22 [1 favorite]

As a 4'11" person, I've noticed this too. Except that I can't find shirts of any kind anywhere! Lots of collared and v-neck dresses however...

But if you find some large, cheap ones made of soft cotton, you can shrink those puppies right up!
posted by iamkimiam at 2:32 PM on May 22

I have the world's shortest torso, and I do well with the aforementioned Merona t-shirts from Target.
posted by chez shoes at 2:41 PM on May 22

I feel your pain. I am wearing a Lands' End t-shirt right now, but it's actually longer than I like. It's just hard to find ones that stop at the hip these days. I would second the recommendation for Target's Merona brand. I have a few of their tees and they are somewhat shorter than any others I've come across, but I'm not talking about jersey. The slub-cotton Meronas are what I have. They aren't short exactly, but at least they aren't mid-thigh length.
posted by katie at 2:47 PM on May 22

Wal-mart (ugh) T shirts in Canada are nice and proper length.
posted by kch at 3:05 PM on May 22

American Apparel, maybe?
posted by showbiz_liz at 3:22 PM on May 22

I'm 5'6" with a really short torso. I've had some luck at Kohl's (in the misses, not the juniors -- the junior department has loooong tees).

OneHanesPlace has a good selection of Hanes tees. (I like them because many of them have bound necklines rather than ribbing, and I think it looks and fits better. ymmv.)
posted by jlkr at 3:58 PM on May 22

Thrift stores. There are thousands of them! Some still with tags, others that smell distinctinctly brand new(/starchy) or give some other sign of being utterly pristine. Thrown away purely to make room for the long shirts I guess? :)
posted by mu~ha~ha~ha~har at 4:15 PM on May 22

I'm 5'2" with a short torso and I've found that I like my T-shirts no longer than 22-23 inches from shoulder to hem, also slightly fitted so I can wear them under a jacket if I want. The JM Collection from Macy's is their house brand, and the petites in particular are sized just right for me. As a bonus, the fabric is thick enough that you can't clearly see undergaments, which drives. me. insane. with many other brands (including Merona) I'm not freakishly modest, just more modest than the average t-shirt wearer, I guess.
posted by deliriouscool at 4:37 PM on May 22

deliriouscool, it's funny that you say that. My Merona shorts are a bit too sheer for me, so I always layer them either two at a time or one over a tank/cami. The slub cotton ones in particular are sheer.
posted by katie at 5:04 PM on May 22

Err, Merona shirts, I mean.
posted by katie at 5:04 PM on May 22

I'm embarrassed to suggest this one: Wet Seal. You'll find everything short there. I think the shirts are meant for Hooters waitresses and sexy tall chicks instead of short people. But they get the job done. Target, Macys, etc.-- none of the above this season is short enough for my short torso. I'm 5'1''.
posted by vincele at 5:24 PM on May 22

I used to run a Deb store and am 5 feet tall - they definitely have shorter shirts (and tanks). You want the ones that are priced (in Juniors) $6.99, not the $7.99 ones - those are the long ones.

Also, depending on how you like the fit otherwise, and how you wash and dry your clothes, you probably will need at least one size larger than your usual. (For example, I like mine looser than they're cut for - which is snug - and I don't like to have to keep track of which shirts can't go in the dryer, so I bought 2 sizes bigger, and they fit perfectly after being shrunk in the dryer.)
posted by dust.wind.dude at 7:38 PM on May 22

This probably isn't the style you're looking for, but I buy t-shirts at thrift stores and cut the bottoms off so they're the length I like. I don't sew a new hem. I just cut carefully so there's a clean line (I put the shirt on the floor so a groove in the wood floor acts as my cutting guide). The cut end curls up a bit but looks fine to me, and it doesn't shred or disintegrate.
posted by PatoPata at 8:03 PM on May 22

Ann Taylor petites. Pretty decent quality, too. Also, the crew necks are two for $30 this weekend.
posted by halogen at 8:15 PM on May 22

Buy online from European retailers?

On this side of the pond , even the ones billed as being longer strike me as too short. I always stock up on the other kind when I'm in the US, as I like my t-shirts to fall below my belt.
posted by the latin mouse at 3:11 AM on May 23

i'd say ebay. lots of people are getting rid of their perfectly-fine short shirts there
posted by groovinkim at 1:41 PM on July 11