Meaning
When hardship strikes, you will accept and make do with what you would never have considered in good times. Desperation shrinks your standards so far that even a child's shirt seems to fit you. A proverb about how trouble forces humility and makes people settle for far less than they once demanded.
Examples
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Him used to fussy, but when trouble tek yuh, pickney shirt fit yuh.
He used to be fussy, but hard times make you accept anything.
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She tek di lil job — when trouble tek yuh, pickney shirt fit yuh.
She took the small job — when hardship hits, you make do with whatever.
Origin
A traditional proverb; in hard times even a child's shirt 'fits' the grown person. See [[trouble-nuh-set-like-rain]].
How it’s used
Hardship makes you accept and make do with far less. See [[trouble-nuh-set-like-rain]], [[empty-bag-cyaan-stan-up]].