Does your dress shirt bunch up in the back when you wear it? You aren't alone. Countless men experience this problem when wearing dress shirts. Whether it's made of cotton, linen, polyester or any other fabric, some men's dress shirts have a tendency to bunch up in the back. It's frustrating when your dress shirt fits looks and fits perfect otherwise but has excess fabric bunched up in the back. You can still wear it, but it won't help you achieve an attractive, formal appearance. Therefore, you should take action to prevent your dress shirt from bunching up in the back.
Choose a Slim-Fit Dress Shirt
Slim-fit dress shirts are less likely to bunch up in the back than their traditional-fit counterparts. Just like slim-fit jeans are made to fit tighter, so are men's slim-fit dress shirts. The have less excess fabric, allowing for a better and more secure fit. If you're worried that your dress shirt will bunch up in the back, choose a slim-fit shirt. This isn't a foolproof way to prevent your dress shirt from bunching up in the back, but it can certainly reduce the risk of it happening.
Wash Your Dress Shirt in Hot Water
When a dress shirt bunches up in the back, it means that it's too big -- at least in the back. It may fit fine in the front and sides, but a dress shirt shouldn't have an excess fabric bunched up in the back. If it does, it's too big. You may be able to shrink your dress shirt, however, by washing it in water. Exposure to hot water will cause your dress shirt to shrink so that it fits better in the back. The downside to using this method is that it may make your dress shirt too small in other areas like the front or sides. Nonetheless, this may still help if you're struggling to prevent your dress shirt from bunching up in the back.
Get Your Dress Shirt Tailored
There are professional tailors who can adjust your dress shirt so that it doesn't bunch up in the back. Professional tailoring services aren't cheap, but you'll probably less for tailoring than you would purchasing a new dress shirt. A professional tailor can use a method known as "darting" to conceal the excess fabric in the back of your dress shirt. Darting involves folding the excess fabric and then sewing in place. The tailor will likely ask you to try on the dress shirt, and while you are wearing it, he or she will fold the excess fabric in the back. After you take off the dress shirt, the tailor will then sew the excess fabric into the shirt. Darting doesn't necessarily remove excess fabric in the back of your dress shirt. Rather, it's designed to conceal it.
Maintain an Upright Posture
Try to maintain an upright posture while wearing your dress shirt. Bending over and twisting your body from side to side can cause your dress shirt to come untucked. This is important because once your dress shirt is untucked, there's more fabric to bunch up in the back. Even wearing a belt, your dress shirt probably won't stay tucked into your trousers all the time. But you can reduce the risk of it coming untucked -- and causing the back of your dress shirt to bunch up -- by maintaining an upright posture.
Tuck Your Dress Shirt Into Your Underwear
It may sound unusual, but tucking your dress shirt into your underwear can help prevent it from bunching up in the back. Just tuck the bottom of your shirt into the top of your boxers, briefs or other underwear to hold it in place. The purpose of this is to prevent your dress shirt from coming untucked. With the bottom tucked into the top of your underwear, it's less likely to come untucked. Of course, this means your dress shirt shouldn't bunch up in the back either. Since it's tucked in -- and stays tucked in -- there's less "loose" fabric to bunch up.
Wear Shirt Stays
What are shirt stays, and how can they prevent your dress shirt from bunching up in the back exactly? Shirt stays are garters and clips that you wear under your trousers. Before putting on your trousers, you secure the garters around your thighs. You can then clip the top of the garters to the bottom of your dress shirt. Shirt stays offer an easy and inexpensive way to prevent your dress shirt from coming untucked. However, some men may find them uncomfortable to wear for long periods at a time.
Choose a Dress Shirt With a Longer Tail
The length of your dress shirt's tail will affect whether or not it bunches up in the back. Specifically, dress shirts with a short tail are more likely to bunch up in the back than those with a shirt tail. The tail of a dress shirt, as you may know, is the excess fabric below the waist that's tucked into your trousers when you wear the shirt. All dress shirts have a tail, though some have a longer tail than others. If you're worried about excess fabric bunching up in the back, choose a dress shirt with a longer tail. Granted, the longer tail means there's more fabric, but this fabric will be concealed under your trousers. Most importantly, the long tail will allow you to create a more secure fit that prevents your dress shirt from coming untucked, which could otherwise cause fabric to bunch up in the back. Countless factors affect whether or not a dress shirt will bunch up in the back. Of all those factors, though, the shirt's size in relation to your body's shape and size is the most influential. If your dress shirt is too big, it may naturally bunch up in the back. But if it fits just right, you shouldn't experience this problem. This is why it's essential to choose a dress shirt in the right size.
