The fit of your clothes is way more important than you might think, it is one thing that can easily make or break an outfit.
I love hoodies, but I hate when they don’t fit. They’re so comfortable and versatile and when they don’t fit, it just makes me sad. I decided to come up with a solution that will make my hoodies look perfect and feel great.
In this article, we will tell you how you can stretch a hoodie to make it a little bigger and to fit you better.
Can you stretch a hoodie that is too small?
Having a hoodie that is too tight will make you feel extremely uncomfortable and that is why it is best that you avoid buying a hoodie like that in the first place.
If you have an old hoodie that is a little too tight or you just bought a new one that shrank after the wash and you want to stretch it out a bit then it is possible to do so.
Generally, hoodies can be stretched out a little using various methods that we will list down below, but it can only be done if the hoodie is made up of a material that can shrink and expand like cotton and wool.
Also, it is not a good idea to stretch a brand new hoodie as it can cause the hoodie to lose its shape and make it look bad, but if you have an old one that you really like but it doesn’t fit you anymore then you can consider stretching it out.
How do you stretch a hoodie to make it bigger?
It’s very important to know how to stretch a hoodie properly and also how to avoid stretching the material too much. If you stretch the material too much, the hoodie will lose its shape and it will not fit as well.
That is why it is recommended that you avoid stretching out your brand new hoodie, if the hoodie fits you tight then you should just look for a bigger option instead of stretching it out.
If you have an old hoodie that doesn’t fit you now or your new hoodie shrank then you can stretch out with the help of the following methods:
Alteration:
This is not applicable to all hoodies but some hoodies have some extra fabric inside so they can be altered by a tailor to make them a little bigger.
You can take your hoodie to a tailor to confirm with him if the size of your hoodie can be increased by alteration.
Using vinegar and baking soda:
This is a common method for stretching out clothes made of natural fabric like cotton.
The process is really simple
Step-1: Add 2 Tablespoons of baking soda in about 2 liters of hot water and mix it up properly
Step-2: Dip the hoodie into the baking soda water for a few minutes
Step -3: After a couple of minutes take out the hoodie and try to stretch it out by gently pulling it with light hands.
Step-4: Put the hoodie back into the water and let it sit for about an hour.
Step-5: Mix some white vinegar with water in a 1:4 ratio. So put about 250ml vinegar in 1 liter of hot water.
Step-6: Add the vinegar solution to the baking soda solution in which the hoodie is soaking and let it sit for a few more minutes.
The combined effect of baking soda and vinegar would help soften up the fabric of the hoodie and will stretch it out.
Make sure you don’t overdo the stretching as it might damage the fabric and it can also cause damage to the shape of the hoodie.
After leaving the hoodie in the vinegar and baking soda solution for a few minutes you can take it out and wash it normally with some detergent to take out the smell of vinegar and then let it dry naturally.
Using fabric softener or shampoo:
This is again a simple method in which we will use heat and fabric softer to soften the fabric and then pull the hoodie gently to stretch it out.
Here are the steps to do it:
Step-1: Add some fabric softener or shampoo to hot water
Step-2: Dip the hoodie in the water and let it sit for a few minutes
Step-3: Take the hoodie out of the water, gently squeeze the excess water out of the hoodie or you can roll it in a towel to absorb the excess water
Step-4: Now you will have to pull it gently to stretch it and you can also stretch the hoodie and put some weight on it.
Step-5: Let it dry
The fabric softener and hot water will make the fabric of the hoodie softer and it will allow you to stretch the hoodie out a little, if you want to stretch it a little more then you can use some weights and lay it on the table stretched out and let it dry.
Again make sure to not pull it too much as it would damage the fabric and the shape of the hoodie.
the bottom line:
It is best to not try and stretch a new hoodie as it could damage it, but if you’ve got an old hoodie or a hoodie that shrank then you can try and stretch it out in a couple of ways. There are a few methods to stretch a hoodie and all of them were mentioned above with step by step guide that you can follow easily.
