#25 How to Make a Back Contour Adjustment on a T-Shirt Pattern

How to Adjust for Upper and Mid-Back Contour Shaping

If you’ve been noticing tightness across the upper back, a back neckline that drops too low, or shoulder seams that just don’t sit right, your pattern may not be working with the natural roundness in your upper or mid-back.

As our bodies evolve standard pattern shapes may no longer reflect our true form. The solution isn’t to size up or overcorrect other areas. It’s to adjust where the issue originates: the contour of the back.

In this week’s video, I’ll guide you through:

• Upper back contour shaping – how to raise the back neckline and add width where needed

• Mid-back contour shaping – how to accommodate curvature around the shoulder blades without distorting the overall fit

• Where to add length, how to pivot your pattern pieces, and when to redraw the shoulder seam

• How to manage added volume with ease rather than darts

• The relationship between neckline, shoulder slope, and spine shape—and why sequence matters

These adjustments can have a significant impact on how your garments sit and move with your body, especially in knit garments where darts are typically avoided.

You’ll see how even small changes to posture or body shape can affect the garment’s fit—and how to apply precise, proportional corrections using slash-and-spread techniques.

Want to Practice These Adjustments on a T-Shirt Pattern?

The Jenny Tee pattern is designed for knit fabrics and includes balance lines to help guide your fitting process. It’s the perfect pattern to apply what you’ve learned.
Get the Jenny Tee Pattern

Prefer to Draft Your Own?

The Custom Stretch Knit Bodice online course will walk you through drafting a knit bodice using your own body measurements—so you can incorporate contour shaping from the beginning.
Explore the Course 

If fit across the back has been an ongoing challenge, these two adjustments may be exactly what you’ve been missing.