How to STOP Shirts From Riding Up (Permanently)

You bend down to pick something up and your shirt crawls halfway up your back. You raise your arms and suddenly everyone can see your belly.

By the end of the day, you have tucked and re-tucked your shirt six times and it still will not stay put.

The problem is almost always the shirt length, the fit around your midsection, or the cut of the armholes. Fix the right one and the riding stops permanently.

The fix depends on which scenario matches yours, so start with the section that describes your problem.

Shirts Riding Up Your Belly

A shirt that creeps up your stomach is usually too short or too tight through the midsection.

T-Shirts, Tops, and Other Casual Shirts

From personal experience, I have noticed when I put on 10+ pounds, my size L shirts start to show a bulge in the front. The fabric pulls tight around the belly, and every time I move, the hem rides up because there is not enough length to compensate.

Going up a size (L to XL in my case) solves the tightness issue around the belly, making the shirt stay in its correct place instead of riding up. It also slightly helps hide the extra weight until I can remedy the situation.

For average and slim tall people, the better option is to look for shirts marked “tall.” These are cut longer through the torso without adding width. Here is a popular tall t-shirt from Hanes on Amazon (paid link).

Low-Rise and Mid-Rise Pants

If you tuck your shirts in, keep in mind that the lower the cut of your pants, the less friction there is to hold the shirt. Low-cut and some mid-rise pants will let your shirt slip out easily compared to high-rise pants.

A simple fix is to switch to higher-rise pants or to use a shirt stay belt (paid link) that cinches the shirt around your hips under your pants.

Dress Shirts Riding Up

Dress shirts usually ride up for one of two reasons: they are too short for your body, or the armholes are cut too low.

When the armholes sit below your natural armpit, lifting your arms pulls the entire shirt upward from the bottom. A shirt with properly cut armholes (paid link) keeps the fabric in place when you move.

A common remedy is a military tuck: fold the excess fabric at the sides of the shirt backward to create a pleat, then tuck it into your pants. This gives you a clean, tight fit around the waist.

This short video shows exactly how to do the military tuck:

Learn the military tuck.

While I don’t recommend this personally, the last resort option is to use shirt stays (paid link). They clip to the bottom of your shirt and anchor to your socks or thighs.

They work, but they are pretty uncomfortable compared to the other options.

Shirt Rides Up When You Lift Your Arms

This is the most common complaint: your shirt exposes your belly the moment you raise your hands above your head.

T-Shirts Riding Up When You Lift Your Arms

The easiest fix is to size up, because the shirt is too short for your torso. If you do not want a looser fit, look for shirts marked “tall” in your normal size.

Tall shirts are cut longer without adding width, so you get the extra length without looking like you borrowed someone else’s clothes.

Whenever possible, try the shirt on before buying. Lift your arms in front of the mirror, and if your belly shows, the shirt is too short.

Dress Shirts Riding Up When You Lift Your Arms

Unlike t-shirts, dress shirts generally ride up because the fabric is cut too shallowly around the armpit area. When you lift your arms with these badly shaped shirts, you pull at the fabric further down the shirt as well.

The fix is to buy shirts with a deeper, more tapered cut around the armpit area. According to the Gentleman’s Gazette, a properly fitted dress shirt should have armholes that sit close to the natural armpit without restricting movement.

Keep in mind that deeper armpits can make sweat spots more visible. Take the necessary precautions to avoid that situation.

Shirts Being Too Short on Tall People

If you are a tall person, another common mistake is buying shirts made for regular height people. Either size up and have the shirts tailored for your body, or look for shirts marked “tall.”

For tall dress shirts, brands like Kenneth Cole offer extended lengths on Amazon (paid link).

How to Stop Shirts From Riding Up While Wearing a Suit

Shirts riding up under a suit jacket is one of the most common fit problems with dress shirts. There are several small fixes that work together.

Tuck your shirt into your underwear. The friction from the underwear holds the shirt in place better than tucking directly into pants. For extra hold, tuck an undershirt into your underwear first, then tuck the dress shirt over it.

This double layer creates enough friction that the outer shirt barely moves. Stay-tucked undershirts (paid link) are cut extra-long specifically for this purpose and will not ride out of your waistband.

Use a shirt stay belt. Unlike traditional shirt stays that clip to your socks, a shirt stay belt (paid link) is an elastic band worn around your hips over the tucked shirt, hidden by your pants. It cinches the shirt flat and prevents any riding up.

Check these five things if your shirt still rides up under a suit:

• The armholes should be deep enough for arm movement without pulling the hem
• The shirt should be long enough and not too tight for your body, allowing you to sit and move your torso
• Avoid slippery fabrics like silk and some synthetics, which slip out of pants easily due to low friction
• High-rise suit pants keep shirts tucked better than low-rise or mid-rise cuts
• Pants that fit loosely at the waist (wrong sizing or no belt) contribute to shirts pulling free

This video compares six different methods for keeping a shirt tucked in and shows which ones actually work:

6 Ways to Keep Your Shirt Tucked In (But Only 1 Works)

If pants riding up is part of the problem, see how to stop pants from riding up for fixes specific to trousers.

How to Stop Your Shirt From Riding Up When Wearing a Backpack

One of the most annoying problems with wearing a backpack is that shirts start riding up in the back. This happens because the movement and friction from the pack grabs the fabric and pulls it upward with each step.

Adjust the straps and weight distribution so the pack stays more securely on your back. A pack that bounces creates more friction and pulls more fabric.

If your backpack has a hip belt, use it. The hip belt transfers weight off your shoulders and reduces the up-and-down movement that drags shirts upward.

Tuck your shirt into your pants or underwear. This is the simplest fix and it works in most cases. The friction from the waistband holds the shirt down even as the backpack moves.

If neither adjustment works, shirt stays (paid link) will physically anchor the shirt down. They are not the most comfortable option, but they guarantee the shirt stays put regardless of how much the backpack moves.

How to Keep Compression Shirts From Riding Up

Compression shirts riding up during a workout is frustrating because the whole point is a close fit. The usual cause is that the shirt is too short for your torso, or the hem has no grip.

Start by tucking the shirt into your shorts or pants. This is the fastest fix and it works for most people. If the problem persists, the shirt is probably the wrong fit for your body type.

Try sizing up or purchasing a “tall” compression shirt. Some compression shirts have rubber or silicone lining at the bottom hem.

These are excellent at staying in place because the silicone grips your skin.

If your compression shirt does not have silicone lining, you can add your own with a silicone gripper elastic band (paid link). Sew or iron it onto the inside of the hem and the shirt will grip your waist instead of sliding up.

Another option is body tape (paid link) applied to the inside hem to hold the shirt against your skin during movement.

For related fit problems, see how to stop shorts from riding up and how to stop pants from riding up.