How to Easily Remove a Shirt

Download Article

A quick guide to taking off different styles of shirts

Reviewed by Melissa Young

Last Updated: September 27, 2024 References

Download Article

Preparing to Remove Your Shirt

|

T-Shirt

|

Button Down

|

Other Styles

|

Video

|

Q&A

|

Tips

Taking off a shirt may seem easy, and most people do it daily without much thought. However, if you wear very tight Ts, tank tops, button downs or compression shirts, they may be deceptively difficult to take off. The methods you choose to remove your shirt will be different depending on the type of shirt: t-shirts can be pulled straight off, while button downs or sweaty workout clothes may take more effort.

Things You Should Know

Take off any jewelry, makeup, or hair accessories before you start.
Roll a t-shirt up your torso to your shoulders. Grab the neck of the shirt behind your back, pull it over your head, then tug the sleeves off your arms.
Unbutton the top button of a button down and work you way to the bottom. Unbutton the sleeves, then pull the sleeves off of your arms.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Preparing to Remove Your Shirt

Download Article

Remove any necklaces or earrings before taking off your shirt. They can snag on the fabric, especially if your shirt is very tight. Earrings are especially dangerous when they snag, as they can tear your earlobe easily if you pull too hard.^{[1]
X
Research source}
Clips, bobby pins, or other clasps can snag on shirts as easily as jewelry.^{[2]
X
Research source} Having your hair pulled is pretty painful, so remove all hair accessories before you take your shirt off.

Advertisement
3
Remove makeup. Before you take your shirt off, you might want to remove any makeup if you’re wearing it. If you rub your face on your shirt as you take it off, it can leave stains and ruin your clothes. Remove makeup beforehand to eliminate the chances of messing up your shirt.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- If you do get makeup on your clothes, you can typically remove makeup stains using household products.
The more open space you have, the less chance you’ll hit objects as you remove your shirt. You might have to move your arms a lot to get a very tight shirt off, so you don’t want to be too crowded. Try removing your shirt in your room, for instance, rather than in a small bathroom.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Taking Off a T-Shirt

Download Article

Starting with the bottom of the shirt, roll or fold the bottom of the shirt up until your torso is exposed. This gets the majority of the shirt bunched together in one place, leaving the harder parts, like the neck and arms, for last.^{[4]
X
Research source}
Keep rolling it upwards, bunching it so that the bottom of the shirt is now around your shoulders. You may have to push hard to stretch the bottom of the shirt around your shoulders, depending on how tight the shirt is.
Once the shirt is completely over your shoulders, pull the neckline up over your head. The folded lower portion of the shirt will still be stretched around your shoulders, and the sleeves will still be on your arms. If you need to protect your hair-do, use both hands to stretch the neckline over your head without touching your hair.^{[5]
X
Research source}
Now that your neck is through and the shirt is stretched around your upper body, raise your hands up. The shirt will pop off of your head and you’ll only be wearing the shirt on your arms.
Simply lower your arms and remove the shirt. This might be a little tricky if the shirt has tight, long sleeves, but tug on the shirt until it comes off. You’re now shirtless!

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Taking Off a Button Down Shirt

Download Article

Men's style dress shirts typically have a row of buttons from the neck to the bottom of the shirt, generally in the middle. Always unbutton the shirt from top to bottom before removing it. Pulling the shirt over your head without unbuttoning won't work, and you may rip the fabric. Push each button through its hole until each one is unclasped.
If you wore a tie with your button down, make sure to remove it. You won't be able to take your shirt off if the tie is still clasped around the neck of the shirt. Loosen the knot and remove it first.^{[6]
X
Research source}
3
Unbutton sleeve buttons. Men's shirts usually have buttons around the wrists. These buttons keep the sleeves clasped tight around your wrists, and depending on how large your hands are, they may not fit through the cuffs unless they're unbuttoned. Push the buttons through their holes using your free hand.
- Since the hand with the cuff you want to unbutton won't reach the clasp, you may have a little trouble undoing the buttons. Try holding the button between your index and middle fingers, then pushing the fabric up over the button.
It doesn't matter which sleeve you choose first. Pick whichever is most comfortable for you. Grasp the end of the sleeve, near your wrist, and keep the fabric taught as you pull your arm out, towards your body. You may have to pull hard if the shirt is tight.
With the arm that you just removed, grasp the remaining sleeve near the wrist. Pull the shirt off of your other arm. Your shirt will end up in the hand of the sleeve you removed first.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Troubleshooting Other Types of Shirts

Download Article

Super-tight workout shirts can get sweaty, but you’ll have to use the same method. The sweat may cause some friction, but this only means you’ll have to pull a little harder. Also, try crossing your arms as you pull the shirt over your head, which will give you more pulling power.^{[7]
X
Research source}
If you are having trouble removing a tight tank top over your head, it might be because your arms are at a strange angle or not strong enough to pull it off. Try pushing it down over your hips instead, all the way down to your ankles. Then simply step out. This will only work for tube style tank tops or other shirts with wide necklines, because the neckline has to be larger than your waist.
While your head may fit through the neck of a buttoned polo shirt, you may risk stretching it out. Unbutton the shirt first, starting with the top button and working your way down: there are generally three buttons. Then remove the polo as you would a normal t-shirt.
Many women's shirts have zippers or buttons at the nape of the neck. You may have to unzip or unbutton these before you can easily take the shirt off. These clasps can be hard to reach, so you might have to get help: ask a friend or family member in the house to help you unclasp the shirt. It may be embarrassing to ask for help, but they may be your only hope.^{[8]
X
Research source} If there’s no one around, try using a mirror to see where the clasp is, then reach behind your neck and unzip little by little.

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question

How do I remove a skirt?

Community Answer

Pull it down your legs, then step out of it.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 28 Helpful 58
Question

What is the best way to reduce wrinkles while removing a shirt?

Jazmyn Lowen

Community Answer

To reduce wrinkles, there are a few things you can try. If the shirt is button-up, simply unfasten the buttons and gently pull the shirt from your shoulders. If the shirt has no buttons, or not enough to be removed in this manner, remove your arms from the shirt before removing your head and gently tug it off.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 15 Helpful 17
Question

How do I remove a shirt when it's too big?

Community Answer

Just bunch up the extra material on either side of the shirt with your hands and pull the whole thing over your head. Alternatively, grab hold of the either side of the neck hole and pull until the shirt is over your head.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 15 Helpful 9

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Video

Tips

Don’t buy shirts that are too small. They might look good on you in the store, or you might think you’ll just lose a few pounds to fit into them, but you should always try to buy clothes that truly fit. Super-tight shirts will be uncomfortable if you wear them for long periods of time, and taking them off will become a chore that you hate.

Thanks
Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1
Don’t pull on your shirt too hard. You may rip the fabric if you’re not careful.

Thanks
Helpful 1 Not Helpful 2

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Warnings

Extremely tight clothing can compress your body and create problems. Tight shirts can even cause acid reflux or stomach problems. Make sure not to wear extremely tight clothing too often.

Thanks
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0