Creative Hacks That'll Help You Fix A Shirt Gap

Button-up shirts and sweaters, by design, are supposed to look preppy and crisp. So it's ultra-annoying when the material between two (or more) buttons pulls apart, only to reveal the dreaded shirt gap. In addition to being aggravating, this opening can show far more than the wearer intended when donning such a conservative piece. No one at work needs to know what color bra you're wearing, right? Fortunately, there are a number of excellent hacks that can prevent offending tops from opening up in an unwanted manner. 

But first, it's important to understand the cause of the shirt gap. Usually, this happens because the shirt is too tight across the chest. Occasionally, however, it's the result of a faulty design or because the shirt is actually too big. Whatever the cause, a shirt gap doesn't necessarily mean that the piece must be tossed or donated to less busty individuals. Instead, utilize a hack or two to make it much more wearable. Thankfully, none of them involve a safety pin.

The quickest and easiest thing to try when faced with a shirt gap is a bit of tape. Ideally, this would be done using double-sided dress or fashion tape as demonstrated in a video by style blogger and TikToker @l.a.stedman. However, in a real pinch, any fabric-safe tape could work — think painter's tape, scotch tape, or masking tape. Just don't try this hack with duct tape because that probably won't end well for the garment. To remove her shirt gap, the TikToker shows how to take a small length of double-sided dress tape and place it vertically between the gapped fabric. Then she gently presses the fabric back together. If you don't have double-sided tape on hand try your luck with a small loop of regular tape.

TikToker @l.a.stedman then demonstrates the strength of the tape in her video by moving her elbows and arms around — you have to be able to move, after all! That said, at least one commenter reported back that the tape came off when she tried the trick. The style blogger says, "It definitely can be tricky depending on the fabric!" Don't worry too much if the tape doesn't hack it for your gap woes, as there are other options to try.

Another simple way to close up a shirt gap is by sewing a snap to the garment. And if you've been wanting to learn how to sew your own clothes, a snap is a great place to start. Snaps are easier than buttons to use for your shirt gap problem because a button will require the addition of a new slit to the garment, which must be measured, cut, and finished with even more sewing.

To add this feature all you need is a snap in a clear or coordinating color, some thread, scissors to cut the thread, and a needle. Per Tailor it Yourself's video tutorial, it shouldn't take very long at all to add a snap, which will close the garment and won't affect how the shirt fits (except, of course, to get rid of the gap). Just be sure to mark the shirt before sewing the snaps on. If they're not lined up correctly, the shirt will look a bit off-kilter once you're all buttoned up.

What a person wears underneath a button-up shirt or sweater can make a huge impact on how it looks. That's one reason why so many people wear smoothing garments on special occasions, but it's not necessary to go that far for a simple button-up. According to Stitch Fix, a bra that's too large in size for your frame can negatively affect the button-up. They suggest getting professionally fitted to solve this problem and likely improve how your bras feel in the process. Who knows? This adjustment could improve how all of your clothes fit!

Another quick fix is wearing a camisole underneath the button-up. Often, camis have a smoothing effect when it comes to lumps and bumps, and even if the gap still pops open from time to time, the camisole will hide your skin and undergarments. Or, Stitch Fix suggests leaving the top few buttons undone to show the top of the cami — eliminating the shirt gap altogether while giving your favorite button-up a stylish upgrade.

If adding a snap on your own seems too intense, it might be time to bring someone else in to help out. Consult a tailor or other expert to sew the gap-producing material together. This will obviously make it so that the shirt must be pulled on over the head, rather than buttoned-up, but it's a small price to pay to be free of the gap — and no one will ever notice the nearly-invisible stitch.

The professionals may have other ideas, as well, so they're always worth consulting if it's a high-value piece or one that you simply love and can't bear to be without. Be sure to ask for a price estimate beforehand, so that you don't wind up paying far too much for the value of the garment! Ideally, one or all of these fixes will keep that favorite button-up in rotation for years to come because they never seem to go out of style, and that's a rarity in the fashion world, for sure!