Super Easy Tips for Getting Clothing Altered Properly

Section: Tailoring and Clothing Maintenance - Blog

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If you’re wondering why you should bother with having your clothing altered, remember how crucial that first impression is. Pants or jacket sleeves that are too long or loose, baggy clothing looks slovenly. Here’s some super easy ways to get a proper fit.

Why should you have your clothing altered? In addition to owning responsibility for your appearance, wearing clothing that fits well makes you feel and perform better.Additionally, getting clothes altered is more economical than buying new clothes like tailored suits or shirts.

Types of Alterations

• Good Alterations: When an alteration makes a garment fit well, it is a good alteration. Some common alterations are shortening sleeve length, reducing blousing around the torso, and adjusting the amount of room in the seat of your trousers. Most of the ill-fitting garments in your wardrobe can be converted to wearable garments with simple alterations.
• Bad Alterations: These alterations might cost more than the garment's original price or involve parts of the garment that can't be fixed. For example, a jacket that is two inches too short cannot be lengthened because of the lack of fabric or the structural build of the garment.

Choosing Your Tailor

A quality tailor is only satisfied when the client is happy. He should be able to provide suggestions, but the final decision about styles and fit is yours.

Experienced tailors will point out (tactfully) errors or problems with your requests, if they feel an alteration won't enhance your appearance. Such problems usually occur when the client's demands break common style rules or pattern aesthetics.

Here's some examples:

• Insufficient Fabric: If there isn't enough fabric, the tailor cannot lengthen a garment for you. If you buy a garment and need it enlarged, you must have at least ¾ – 1 ¼ inches of excess fabric along the seams. This is usually standard on most new clothes, but bargain stores might not offer this.
• Limits of Proportion: Tailors cannot make too many adjustments in terms of proportion. While he can shorten jackets by two inches, he cannot reposition the pockets. This would make the outfit seem out of proportion.

Finding a tailor whom you get along with, who understands your needs, and can deliver quality work can be difficult. When you find one, cultivate that relationship.Here's how to find a good tailor:

• Ask thoughtful, detailed questions. This helps you raise objections, if necessary.
• Ask friends and family for recommendations of good tailors. However, don't follow them blindly; evaluate the tailors based on your requirements.
• How are the tailor's communication skills? Do they understand you, and make you feel comfortable?
• Examine the workmanship on areas such as the outside of a garment, the inside stitching, the seam work etc. Pay close attention to details.
• Will your tailor be available for emergencies?

Common Alterations

inexpensive; you could do them yourself with some guidance:

• Jacket sleeve length (non- working buttons and unlined)
• Trouser leg length
• Button and zipper replacement

Moderatly expensive Alterations:

• Jacket sleeve length (non- working buttons and lined)
• Tapering shirts
• Adding darts
• Replacing business shirt's collars
• Shortening shirt sleeves
• Tapering the trouser legs
• Opening up a pair of trousers
• Opening up the torso on a jacket
• Fixing the neckroll

High Skill Alterations:

These will be expensive and should be done by an expert tailor to ensure your needs are met:

• Jacket sleeve length (working buttons and lined)
• Jacket length
• Rotating the jacket sleeve
• Re-weaving (fixing small holes by using fabric from elsewhere on the men's suit)
• Relining the jacket
• Reducing the shirt's shoulders

Expert Alterations:

These are very expensive so you might consider buying a new suit.

• Adjustments to the shoulders
• Changing the posture of the jacket i.e. adjusting the way the front and the back of the jacket are connected.

unfixable issues:

• Burned fabric
• Weakening of the fibres caused by exposure to acids and alkalis
• Heavy abrasion damage
• Holes larger than 1.5 inches in circumference
• Long fabric tears (not along the seam)

For emergencies, we recommend you have an emergency sewing kits that contains

• A few needles of various sizes
• Two feet each: black and white thread
• Buttons of various sizes

As mentioned earlier, some garments cannot be altered enough to get a good fit or obtaining a better fit would be too expensive. When/if you reach this situation and need a replacement for a men's business suit or shirt, pop into our Sydney showroom. You can browse our selections or schedule a personal chat with one of our style specialists. We'll have you strutting your stuff in no time at all!

Original idea for article from Antonio Centeno, author of the internet's most actionable men's style guide. We recommend a read!

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