Is it possible to change a crew neck t shirt to a wider neck ( boat neck or slash neck )?

[artymum]

I have a couple of Breton shirts but the necks are very unflattering , so I was wondering if or how I could adjust them so the neck is wider . I have a sewing machine and some basic sewing skills , any help would be great . Thanks

[Mosaic]

Yes. Depends on how good you are at sewing. ponts to bear in mind: the T shirt fabric will stretch like blazes once it as been cut, and machine stitching doesn't alwyas work well - again because of the stretchiness - so hand-stitching might give a better result.
If you want a very punk look, just cut the fabric and don't bother with any stictching to finish off.
Draw a chalk line where you want your new neckline to be - then cut 'north' of this line ie leaving extra fabric near your neck. This you will see is because as soon as the crew neck band is cut off, the T shirt starts to stretch.
The fabric doen't run into holes like ladies tights - at least, not easily - so no worries if you just leave it lke that.
To make a finished neck, make a tiny neat rolled hem.
This is what i mean about the process depnding on how well you can sew.

[artymum]

Thank you for your answer , I'll try it on an old t shirt first to get some practice.Without sounding too dim , are the front and back neck the same length or is that purely person preference ?

[jaydah]

Cut out a template on folded newspaper first. If you leave a ragged edge, zigzag stitch around neck will halt fraying.

[boxtops]

The front tends to be a bit lower down because your neck and shoulders are flatter at the back, so you may need a bit of shaping at the front. Be careful when you cut - better cut not enough to start with, you can alway make it wider but you can't put it back if you cut it too wide! You can get bias binding and stitch it on the back if you want it not to stretch too much.