Adventures in Alterations – Minimizing a Maxi Tunic

Hi everyone! I wanted to share with you a quick and easy alteration I had done on last post’s tunic, to better flatter my short proportions. The original length of this maxi tunic would have probably worked fine on someone even a little taller than myself, but at 4’11”, I felt it dragged me down visually a little too much. I wanted to play with a long tunic, just not one this long.

From experience, I know mid-thigh is usually a good spot for a longer top length on my figure, so I had the front hemmed to there. I thought an uneven hem would be fun, so I had the back left about an inch longer. The high side slit along with the shorter length helps to give me presence while still wearing such a long length.

I’ll note here that I left the arm hole alone, which on most items I would ask a tailor to make smaller (either by taking up the shoulder strap or slimming the bust area). Tunics are often intentionally made with wide arm holes for that boho, “check out my sideboob” look, so I decided to leave that style aspect alone. I figure, that’s where lace bralettes will come in handy. =)

Besides giving a petite figure more presence, simply taking up the length is an easy way to breathe new life into something old in your closet, thrifted, or handed down. A simple hem like this can vary wildly in price depending on where you take your item (for example, a dry cleaner tailor can be pretty cheap) or where you live (for example, the SF Bay Area can be pretty expensive, including tailoring), but you can expect to pay anywhere from $10 to $25 in my experience.

Items in this post // ASOS tunic // Rag & Bone jeans // Gianvito Rossi shoes (super similar for way less) // Larsson & Jennings watch