https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/when-you-love-something-do-you-make-it-work Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:19:30 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/when-you-love-something-do-you-make-it-work#post-2376795 Sat, 21 Dec 2024 02:14:47 +0000 Lisa 2376795@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don't often make adjustments unless it is easy. I've used a sweater comb to remove piling on sweaters, and I'll get pants altered for the length or waist. I will also use sneaker/shoe cleaner to keep footwear looking nice, but that's about it for maintenance for me. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/when-you-love-something-do-you-make-it-work#post-2376780 Fri, 20 Dec 2024 21:52:56 +0000 Jenni NZ 2376780@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don’t usually, Carla. My sweaters don’t seem to pill, I guess because they are mostly merino or other wool, which doesn’t pill like I understand cashmere can. I have never owned any cashmere. Merino is much more commonly available here in NZ.<br /> I do minimal alterations. I turn up sleeves and pant legs myself often but like Suz I love the cropped pants trend as they are often full length on 5 foot 1 me and any pant that doesn’t need hemming is such a win to me. I really only get the occasional item professionally tailored when it’s something I can’t otherwise replace.<br /> This time it was the tulle skirt- original price in 2010 on sale I’m not sure but possibly $40? Tailoring to fit again after the weight loss from 2019/20 cost $70. Worn twice since. 9 times earlier. About $10 a wear altogether. I think not really financially worth it but perhaps emotionally it is- I do love how the skirt looks. With 34 pairs of shoes I don’t really have to fix them much. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/when-you-love-something-do-you-make-it-work#post-2376731 Thu, 19 Dec 2024 16:00:12 +0000 Angie 2376731@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Interesting! Thanks for sharing, everyone.</p> <p>Like<b> Janet,</b> <b>Suz</b> and <b>Irina</b>, I know much better <i>now</i> - learning the hard way, of course! - what is worth altering and what is not. Waist, bottom and hip alterations that aren't too drastic tend to work well. Easy pants hems to take up, and let down works well too.&nbsp;</p> <p>Sometimes button position adjustments work - sometimes not.&nbsp;</p> <p>I don't bother with neckline and shoulder adjustments because they have failed dismally in the past. And are very expensive.&nbsp;</p> <p>Tailoring a garment at the seams has had mixed results too.&nbsp;</p> <p>I am good at taking care of pilling knitwear! I have all the tools. I shave and de-pill as needed. Cashmere mainly. Merino and cotton knitwear does not pill.&nbsp;</p> <p>Generally, I take great care of my wardrobe items! I LOVE items to look polished and pristine. Everything is beautifully folded and hung up. Neat as a pin. I wash on the delicates cycle, iron, air-dry, wipe down shoes and bags, dry-clean, and de-pill. Footwear goes to the cobbler too. I mend what is worth mending. Sometimes it's not worth it!</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/when-you-love-something-do-you-make-it-work#post-2376722 Thu, 19 Dec 2024 13:46:01 +0000 RobinF 2376722@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Yes definitely! I very often have to alter items, hems and such, and sometimes it works out great but sometimes it doesn't at all. I bought a pair of pants last year on heavy clearance that were too high in the front rise. I was able to take out the crotch seam, pull the front down and resew the seam and now they fit great. Very satisfying but I also knew when I bought them that there was a good chance that I wouldn't be able to make them work.&nbsp;</p> <p>I agree with others that some things aren't worth a lot of effort. If I still feel uncomfortable in it after altering or it doesn't look the way I want it to then I pass it on. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/when-you-love-something-do-you-make-it-work#post-2376721 Thu, 19 Dec 2024 13:29:48 +0000 Janet 2376721@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Val, that’s a clever solution. I’ve cut inches off the hems of some graphic tees lately because so many of them are so long, and I get tired of always tying them in a knot at my waist. Turns out that simply cutting them to a shorter length that hits my hips can be a great solution! I can see a well-placed chop working for a sweatshirt or hoodie too, depending on the details. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/when-you-love-something-do-you-make-it-work#post-2376718 Thu, 19 Dec 2024 11:35:07 +0000 Val MN 2376718@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Yes, for special garments and ordinary garments alike. I enjoy caring for and repairing my clothing. One recent example was converting a beloved graphic hoodie into a cropped crew-neck sweatshirt. The hoodie had always been a little tight at the neck and hard to pull over my head. Cutting off the hood and replacing it with a ribbed neckband solved that. Also, unisex hoodies only work for me as loungewear. The cropped sweatshirt with a cute curved hem is something I will wear out and about as a topper for casual dresses. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/when-you-love-something-do-you-make-it-work#post-2376710 Thu, 19 Dec 2024 03:21:55 +0000 Indigoprint 2376710@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>YES!<br /> I will alter, tweak, hand wash and sweater shave, fold instead of hang, iron, mend and mend. If I love it ....it is worth it to me. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/when-you-love-something-do-you-make-it-work#post-2376706 Thu, 19 Dec 2024 01:40:26 +0000 Dee 2376706@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have hemmed the occasional pant and shaved the odd sweater but my tolerance for this type of upkeep is pretty low. These days I try not to buy any item I think is going to be too much hassle and upkeep even if I love it </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/when-you-love-something-do-you-make-it-work#post-2376703 Thu, 19 Dec 2024 01:14:28 +0000 Jaime 2376703@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I used to know a very good tailor and have lots of things altered beyond just hemming but she moved and I have yet to find a replacement. I will give sweaters a shave but as I am fortunate enough to have really good quality vintage sweaters that pill less I am not tolerant of excessive and immediate pilling. Shoulder fit is my bugaboo - it can't really be fixed so very often end up donating/selling if I can't make peace with the fit. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/when-you-love-something-do-you-make-it-work#post-2376687 Wed, 18 Dec 2024 20:05:18 +0000 Carol 2376687@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I will try to make some things work, but offhand, I can't say which ones. It does not always have to do with the piece being high-quality, and therefore worth keeping. Sometimes I just feel a certain shirt, etc. needs extra life.</p> <p>I am all for this practice of making it work, but I would say it has limits. For me that limit would be catching myself in the mirror by surprise, and if it looks awkward or old, I will finally get rid of it.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/when-you-love-something-do-you-make-it-work#post-2376686 Wed, 18 Dec 2024 19:54:13 +0000 Irina 2376686@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I used to get more alterations done, I cut down significantly on it now. This year I had a button down shirt, pants and two t-shirts shortened. Worked out well. Shortening of tops, pants and sleeves are the most common and the most successful alterations I have had. I paid to get a back seam reinforced on much loved silk top. It’s a few years old but I would like to squeeze a couple of more years out of it.&nbsp;<div>Over the years:<br />- two blazers got their sleeves cut at the shoulders. Success but $$$. I would not probably consider it again.&nbsp;<div>- resizing of two jackets, one wool and one cotton was not successful. If I had something I love, I might do it again but would not buy a bigger size item to tailor it.&nbsp;</div><div>I keep in mind the cost of alterations when I shop. I’m very particular about fit of my clothes and I’m not a standard size. But I’m more relaxed about it now when I don’t plan to wear much tailored clothes and have to watch my budget.&nbsp;</div><div>I generally don’t mind at all caring of my things - hand washing, shaving cashmere sweaters, ironing (including sweaters and denim).&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;I take my shoes to a cobbler regularly. I don’t have a great cobbler at the moment, so I only ask for basic things like changing worn out rubber on heels. But I had soles changed in the past with mixed results. If I trusted in a cobbler, I would do it again on a favorite pair of shoes.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/when-you-love-something-do-you-make-it-work#post-2376678 Wed, 18 Dec 2024 18:30:49 +0000 Suz 2376678@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ha, I love that line, <b>JAileen</b>, and it resonates for me, too: "If I love something, I'll go the extra mile for it. If I don't love it, I'll use its faults as an excuse to get rid of it." BINGO!&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Janet </b>reminded me that I have also shortened tops...short waisted!&nbsp;</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/when-you-love-something-do-you-make-it-work#post-2376676 Wed, 18 Dec 2024 18:23:51 +0000 JAileen 2376676@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>If I love something, I’ll go the extra mile for it. &nbsp;If I don’t love it, I use its faults as an excuse to get rid of it. &nbsp;I just donated a couple of sweaters that I kind of liked, but didn’t love. &nbsp;They were both low quality sweaters from Macy’s. &nbsp;One was Tommy Hilfiger with a polar bear knitted in, and the other was a Style &amp; Co. yoke patterned sweater in grey. &nbsp;In theory, I should have loved them. &nbsp;They both pilled a lot, though, and both were a little too big. &nbsp;I wore them enough in the first years I had them, but when I took them out a couple weeks ago to depill them, I noticed the fabric wasn’t soft anymore. &nbsp;So, bye! &nbsp;And it was early enough that I know people would buy them and be able to wear them for Christmas. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/when-you-love-something-do-you-make-it-work#post-2376675 Wed, 18 Dec 2024 18:18:37 +0000 Janet 2376675@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I’ve gotten better at determining what changes will make a garment more wearable for me, and whether those adjustments will be feasible and likely to succeed. I’ve had several tops shortened lately and it’s been a game changer! I even just dropped off a simple Lands End tee at my tailor to hem by about 4” because it was so long but otherwise a lovely easy fit and perfect color (a simple basic crewneck long sleeve tee in teal). </p> <p>Lately I’ve had pants hemmed slightly so they don’t drag on the ground (even a half inch is worth it), trousers waists taken in to neaten the fit, and roomy tops narrowed at the waist ( I sometimes need to size up for bust). </p> <p>I’m learning to let go of items that don’t seem to go with anything else in my wardrobe, even if I like them. Ditto to items that are hard to maintain — I think I’m going to sell a fabulous pair of black Proenza Schouler pants because they hold onto every bit of lint and dog hair — I have the same pants in grey in a different fabrication and end up wearing that pair instead. In that case, letting go is easier because I have a more workable “duplicate.” </p> <p>Sometimes it’s hard to predict how a piece will appeal to me in the future. I’ve let go of a very few items over the years that I wish I had kept, but those are the exception rather than the rule. I’m usually quite sure by the time I give up. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/when-you-love-something-do-you-make-it-work#post-2376673 Wed, 18 Dec 2024 17:54:59 +0000 cat2 2376673@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I always have a pile of things for my tailor. Pants are usually 3 inches too long, and sometimes tops arrive with weirdly long sleeves. Sundresses sometimes need to have the shoulder taken up so the armhole isn’t too deep. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/when-you-love-something-do-you-make-it-work#post-2376671 Wed, 18 Dec 2024 16:43:46 +0000 Suz 2376671@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Excellent question, <b>Carla</b>! And that coat is such a quiet statement in your closet that I'm not surprised you're willing to take pains to make it work! A little button adjustment and shaving off of pills is hardly too much to ask for a workhorse like that.&nbsp;</p> <p>I have gone the distance on all kinds of garments, often on the basis of emotion, really....do I love it? Do I <b>wish</b> it would work? I had two Marimekko dresses altered substantially when I lost a lot of weight (shortly after I joined YLF) -- that, alas, was a flop. But cutting down a silk dress for a blouse (below is the dress) was a success -- I have worn it more as a blouse than I did as a dress.&nbsp;</p> <p>As a height challenged person, I almost always have to have full-length trousers hemmed -- it is usually a success, but occasionally something goes wrong in the translation and the length is not quite what I want. A few years ago, I ended up with cuffed trousers, though I had not asked for cuffs...fortunately, I felt it worked with the pant, and I happily wear them that way. The (now waning) trend for crops has been a godsend for me because pants meant to be crops are often longer crops or ankle length on me (which tends to work), and pants meant to be the "new" full length are often traditional full length on me, meaning I don't have to head for the tailors as often.&nbsp;</p> <p>I have hemmed sleeves. I have had sleeves on a leather jacket taken up at the shoulder to preserve wrist detail. (These alterations worked well.)&nbsp;</p> <p>I regularly wash delicates in delicate, air dry, iron, recondition, polish, mend holes, shave pills, add new heel lifts and occasionally soles (though less often, for the reason you mention).&nbsp;</p> <p>Having said all that, there are plenty of items that go straight to donate the minute they start showing their age. What decides me?&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>the condition of the garment, i.e. are there holes, stains, is it misshapen?&nbsp;</li> <li>the fit (if the reason I'm debating is poor fit and a simple strategy like moving a button won't help, out it goes)</li> <li>the style (am I over it?)</li> <li>the original price (I know, I know, sunk costs...but if it was really pricey, I think twice and ask myself if I can successfully repurpose, as with the dress above)</li> <li>how annoying the problems have been (This one is hard to define, but some pills are different than other pills, if you know what I mean....)</li> <li>whether or not it is/ has been a workhorse and whether I have a replacement in the wings. I am loathe to let go of my workhorses, especially <b>statement </b>workhorses!&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>I go through footwear at an alarming rate because I walk so much. If the shoe is broken down inside, I let it go -- it's not going to do me any favours even if it looks spiffy enough on the outside.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/when-you-love-something-do-you-make-it-work#post-2376669 Wed, 18 Dec 2024 16:20:03 +0000 Carla 2376669@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Last year I bought a wool blend coat (45% wool, 55% other fibres) that I fell in love with. &nbsp;It was on the roomy size (good for layering under) but not too large - however due to some health issues and associated weight loss, it did not fit so well at the start of <i>this&nbsp;</i>cold weather season.&nbsp; I moved the buttons which amended the fit, and also shortened the stance - which improved the look! &nbsp;Then, I noticed pilling of the fabric! &nbsp;It was hidden somewhat my the busy pattern, but I didn’t like it at all! &nbsp;I bought my first fabric shaver and gave it a go! &nbsp;The device worked, and no more pills!</p> <p><div>This was my favourite cold weather coat, and with the tweaks, has maintained its standing in my wardrobe. &nbsp;I’m prepared to keep up the maintenance to make it work. &nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>This made me think about maintenance of items, and tailoring - in order to keep a beloved garment in rotation. &nbsp;I haven’t had much luck with tailoring a piece - beyond successfully having sleeves let down on a jacket I loved. Somehow the adjustments seems to fall flat, if not actually ruin the garment. &nbsp;Heel repair has worked, but sole repair turned out clunky and heavy, and heel height adjustment had mixed results for $$ cost. &nbsp;Belt shortening and hole additions het a ‘thumbs up’. &nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>I’ve had better luck with items that require some degree of maintenance - like ironing cotton or linen, reconditioning leather, and special care when washing delicates. &nbsp;Now I can add shaving wool!</p> <p>Have you gone the extra mile on a special garment? &nbsp;To what degree will you expend $ or effort to make a garment work? &nbsp;Have you had a good success rate?<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div> </p>