Fit, measuring and alterations · 8 October 2026 · 3 min read
Why does my kameez keep tearing at the underarm?
Shirt keeps ripping at the armpit seam? On a kameez it is usually strain from a narrow back, tight armhole or fitted sleeve on fine fabric. What to change next time.
InspirationA tear here is a message about fit
When a kameez keeps tearing at the underarm, the seam is usually telling you it is under strain: the back is a little too narrow, the armhole is too tight or too high, or the sleeve is too fitted for the way you move. Fine fabrics such as lawn give way first, because the underarm is where all that pulling meets.
Every time you reach forward, hug someone or lift a bag onto a shelf, the back of the kameez stretches across your shoulder blades and the sleeve pulls away from the body. All of that tension ends at one small point under the arm. If there is no spare room, the thread or the cloth beside it has to give.
Seam split or fabric torn?
Look closely at the damage, because the two kinds point to slightly different things.
- The stitching has broken but both edges of fabric are whole: the thread gave way. This can happen from strain or simply from wear, and the seam can usually be re-sewn.
- The fabric has torn just beside the stitching, leaving a row of holes or loose threads: the cloth itself pulled away from the seam. This is a stronger sign of too little room, or of a loosely woven fabric.
- A small hole sits in the fabric a little way from the seam: often wear from friction or a bag strap rather than fit.
- The same spot tears on several different kameez: almost certainly fit, because the common factor is you and the way the garments are cut.
The three fit causes
A narrow back is the most common. If the back of the kameez measures less across than your back plus room to move, every forward reach drags on the underarm. The fix on a new order is sending your back width, measured across the shoulder blades between the creases of your arms.
A tight or high armhole is the second. It looks neat when you stand still but leaves no slack for lifting your arm. The third is a close sleeve: a fitted sleeve on a full upper arm pulls the sleeve seam hard against the body seam. Our article on armhole and shoulder problems explains how each of these is measured.
Why fine fabrics fail first
Soft summer lawn, voile and chiffon are lightweight, which is exactly why they are pleasant in warm weather, but there are fewer threads to hold a seam under load. A kameez cut close in lawn may last a season at the underarm, while the same cut in a firmer cotton such as cambric would cope. Sweat and frequent washing also wear the underarm area faster than the rest of the garment, so a little extra room there pays off.
General tailoring knowledge offers other fixes too: a slightly wider seam allowance, a reinforced seam, or a small diamond-shaped gusset set under the arm to add movement. Whether any of these suits a particular design and fabric is something to ask about rather than assume.
What to change on your next order
If you order through Fabric + Stitching, tell us in your quote request that previous kameez have torn at the underarm, and say whether it was the thread or the fabric. Send your back width, your upper arm measured with the arm bent, and the armhole measurement of a kameez that never tears, if you have one. You can also ask for a little more ease across the back and in the sleeve. For everyday kameez you wear hard, a firmer fabric is worth considering. Our article on making suits last longer has more on wear.
Common questions
Should I just order the next kameez a size bigger?
Usually not. A bigger size adds width everywhere, including where it already fits, and can make the shoulders droop. It is better to add room only across the back and around the arm, where the strain actually is.
Would a stretch fabric stop the tearing?
A fabric with some stretch tolerates movement better, but most traditional kameez fabrics do not stretch. Giving the cut enough room is the more reliable answer, whatever the fabric.
Is a torn underarm on a new kameez a fault?
If the kameez does not match the measurements or design you agreed, report it to us no later than 7 days after delivery and we correct or remake it without charge for the work, with postage both ways paid by you. If it matches what was agreed, the next order is where to add room.
