I’ve been in a bit of a linen obsession lately. I follow a couple people on Instagram that just make oversized linen pieces look so comfortable and classy and beautiful and I want to grow up to be like them. But, on sale. Obviously. Because, I’m me. I have an order in mind for notPERFECT LINEN (they make clothing specifically to your measurements), but in the meantime I’ve been stalking Poshmark for deals. As you do.
And I found a couple! But, like most things… things aren’t always as good as they seem.
First up, this linen shirt:
It’s the Marle shirt from notPERFECT LINEN and costs $91.92 if you order it directly from them.
I found it in an XL on Poshmark for $50. I figured an XL was safe, as I was looking for a bit of an oversized fit. However, when it arrived I could barely button it over my bust! So, I checked the NPL measurements and then measured my shirt:
According to NPL, an XL Marle should measure 22.6” across. Um… nope! So, I contacted the seller to ask how they laundered the item (they had said it was only worn once) and they said they washed on cold and dried on medium heat. I figured I didn’t have anything to lose, so I decided to do a version of the jeans stretching I tried a few months ago.
First, I threw the shirt in the washing machine on cold.
Then, I pulled it out and put it on OVER a t-shirt and buttoned it up.
Yes, it felt super gross.
But I got to work – bending and stretching and bending and snapping and all that goodness. I also left it on while working on the computer for a while. Finally, I removed it carefully and hung it to dry.
You guys. LOOK:
I gained about an inch and a half across the bust, which was just enough that now it fits comfortable with a little extra tata room!
I tried a little different method for my second item, a fabulous linen dress I bought off Poshmark for $22.
Once again, the bust was smaller than I would have liked. It fit, but this dress was supposed to be kind of loose and flowy and not fitting in the bust area. Since it was just a SMIDGE too fitted, I decided to bring out my trusty steamer.
This time, I steamed just the bust of the dress and then slipped it on over a t-shirt. I did all the tugging and stretching and jazz hands.
I took it back off, steamed it again and repeated the process.
I did this maybe 3 times or so (about 10 minutes total for the whole effort, including waiting for the steamer to heat up). Then I let it hang to dry. AND IT WORKED!
I got an extra inch or two out of the bust and now it’s nice and flowy and not tight and fitted.
Remember, if you have something that just doesn’t quite fit right, there are ways to adjust the garment to your body through tailoring or stretching. Rather than a too small shirt (or dress) getting shoved to the back of my closet because it feels restricting, they will get worn time and time again!
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I looked at that dress on the hanger, and thought. Looks like 1800’s. But, after you got done with it, it is really pretty on you! I’ll have to try this.