Tall Mens Fashion Advice

How To Make A Hoodie Bigger: Steps w/ Photos

Learn how to make your hoodie bigger.

How To Make A Hoodie Bigger

Stretch Sweatshirt

You can make your hoodie bigger using multiple methods; however, the best strategies will be water and a heat source. The second action needed after water and heat is applying pressure, usually from your hands, and pulling on the hoodie. Whatever choice you make, be sure NOT to throw your hoodie in the dryer after.

This is How to Make a Hoodie Bigger: 2 Methods.

Welcome to our article on how to make a hoodie bigger. Or perhaps your wanting to know how to make your sweatshirt bigger?

Same thing!

Being a tall guy (I hit doorways at 6’7), I constantly need to make hoodies longer and bigger. Due to all of this practice, I have gotten pretty good at it!

Follow these simple instructions below, and be sure to hang or fold your hoodie once you are satisfied with the new fit.

How to make a hoodie bigger

What You'll Need:

  • Large sink (or tub)
  • Towel
  • Drying rack
this is a photo of a large sink to make a hoodie bigger
Large sink
This is a photo of a towel to make a hoodie bigger
Towel
this is a photo of a drying rack to make a hoodie bigger
Drying rack

Total Time: 1 hr 30 min

Cost: $0

How To Make A Hoodie Bigger

Follow these steps below to make your hoodie bigger so it fits better, or if you simply want an oversized hoodie to style with your latest pair of sweatpants, joggers or jeans.

1. Find a large basin

Find a large basin (or beer cooler) that you can fill with water. Using your sink or bathtub will also work.

Find a large basin like this kitchen sink

2. Fill with warm water

Fill up your bucket or tub with warm water. Pour in 2 tablespoons of hair conditioner or baby shampoo. This will help the fibres in the fabric relax.

filling a sink with warm water

3. Push sweatshirt under

Push your sweatshirt under the water, carefully pushing out any air bubbles with your hands. Swish it around a little to make sure it stays submerged.

This is a photo of tall paul pushing his sweater underwater

4. Soak hoodie for 30 min

Soak the hoodie for 30 minutes. Put a timer on and step away from the hoodie and let the water fully saturate the fabric.

Soak hoodie for 30 min

5. Rinse hoodie

Rinse out the conditioner using cool running water, or fill the tub with cool water and swish the sweatshirt to rinse it.

This is a photo of tall paul rinsing the hoodie

6. Press out excess water

Take the hoodie out of the water and press out as much water as possible without wringing it out, which could damage it.

This is a photo of tall paul pressing out excess water from the hoodie

7. Roll in bath towel

Roll the hoodie up inside a clean bath towel to soak up even more of the excess water.

this is a hoodie rolled in a bath towel to help soak up excess water

8. Spread out hoodie

Spread out the sweatshirt, lying flat on another clean towel.

this is a hoodie spread out on a towel

9. Find part to make bigger

Find the parts of the hoodie that you want to make bigger. If you’re going to make it longer, hold the top of a shoulder and the hem and gently stretch in both directions. Hold both side seams to make the chest area wider and pull gently in both directions.

This is tall paul finding the parts of the hoodie he wants to make bigger by stretching

10. Stretch hoodie

Stretch until the hoodie reaches the size you want. Grab with both of your hands and gently pull on the area, gauging how much force is needed depending on how much the fabric is giving.

This is a photo of tall paul stretching a hoodie with his two hands as its damp

11. Air dry

Leave your hoodie out to air dry. Putting the hoodie in the dryer will shrink the fabric to the size you had, perhaps even smaller.

This is a photo of a stretched hoodie being left to air dry

How to make a hoodie bigger with water: quick tip

  • Once stretched by hand, hang your hoodie to dry if you want the length of it to be longer.

How To Make A Hoodie Bigger With Steam

  1. Turn on your steamer to heat it up.
  2. Hang your hoodie onto a door frame or another solid object that will give you 360-degree access to all of the fabric.
  3. Using a slow sweeping motion, run the steam back and forth so that moisture can penetrate every part of the hoodie.
  4. Repeat this motion on both the front and the back of the sweatshirt
  5. While the hoodie still feels damp and warm, use a gentle stretching motion to pull key areas in opposite directions. Tug on the shoulders and hem to make the sweatshirt longer, or hold two sides of the neck hole and tug gently to increase the neck hole size.
  6. If the hoodie cools down before you finish stretching, turn on the steamer again and give it a going-over before resuming stretching.

How to make a hoodie bigger with steam: quick tip

  • Always keep the nozzle of the steamer pointed away from you.

 

For other hoodie tips, read our in-depth guides on all things hoodies.

FAQ

Stretching your hoodie with soaking water or a steamer is the best way to make your hoodie oversized.

Yes, you can resize a hoodie. You can make your hoodie smaller or bigger, whichever of the two you desire.

Written and reviewed by
Tall Paul
Tall Paul
Paul Marlow, standing at an impressive 6'7 (201cm) and weighing 225lb (102kg), is a mental health speaker, fashion expert, and ex-athlete who excels at helping tall men find well-fitting clothing and teaching them how to style it effectively. As a model in the fashion and film industries, Paul shares his expertise in tall men's fashion, offering valuable advice on measurements, tailoring, and alterations. In addition, he founded Never Alone, an organization that provides mental health and therapy inspiration, and started the Mental Growth Newsletter to support those facing mental health challenges, drawing from his own experiences.

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