An alterations anecdote

anne

My SIL is a dressmaker who works for an alteration place (slight career change from making wedding dresses). The other week when I was in the city I said to her that I would have liked her to come shopping with me because "she could have told me which things could easily be altered"
Her response "But why would you buy something that needs to be altered?"

I found this rather ironic!

13 years ago

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10 replies

Latest reply was from anne

Isabel

Veteran

Yeah, me too... I tailor almost everything. It would be interesting to ask her some further questions. Nothing off the rack fits perfectly..hmmmm

13 years ago

Fruitful

Veteran

I wonder what she meant by that? According to this blog post, celebrities get everything altered: http://inkdot.tumblr.com/post/7243925631/no-shit

13 years ago

christieanne

Veteran

It would be so great to have jackets cut one inch shorter - I don't want my arms longer lol! I don't know how people find things that don't need to be altered? Or maybe she is used to folks not caring?

13 years ago

Echo

Veteran

Perhaps in her own mind, if she needed to have a RTW item altered then perhaps she would simply be better off making it herself. But of course, most people are not dressmakers by trade, so alterations are a necessity. It is funny that she said that given her occupation, though. If everyone followed that advice, she would be out of a job!

13 years ago

jayne

Veteran

What a great article Nicole. I really needed to read that. I know Angie advocates altering, but I have only done it once, when the lady at the shop offered to have some slacks hemmed as part of the purchase. I wonder, if altering, may be the secret to finally dressing the way I want to. Like the girl in the article, I am going to have to ponder this!

13 years ago

Fruitful

Veteran

Jayne, I have got a stack of items I keep forgetting to take to the alterations place I guess I am scared:) and I think it might be the secret!

13 years ago

Deborah

Veteran

Funny how we think differently about these things. I often have to have alterations done on dresses as I seem to sit in between two sizes. This afternoon I did two easy alterations myself to ensure two jackets were working exactly as I need them to :). I think alterations are money well spent:)

13 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Astonishing! I think alterations are key to having items fit well and fit is key to style. I often have to have sleeves shortened. And pant hems. And will sometimes need things taken in down the sides. My seamstress is my friend.

Anne, have you seen Parsley's recent thread about altering dresses? She gives a before and after photo of one of her dresses. It is SO instructive. http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....ttle-monet

ETA I just saw that you posted on that thread, so you have certainly seen! I think perhaps your SIL should see it too!

13 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

The mind boggles.

13 years ago

anne

Veteran

It is so weird isn't it? Especially as Echo said, if everyone did this she wouldn't have her job!!

I have seen the blog post about alterations before and am quite aware of how important they are. I have hardly ever paid for them. I do my own hemming, and can manage to take in seams. But I would hesitate to work on a jacket (Deborah, what sort of alteration did you make to yours?)

The only solution I can think to understand her (short of asking her, which I'll do next time I am up there) is that she may think alterations are for well off people, which I am not. Labour costs are higher here, and many of her clients are pretty wealthy and have bought expensive items online or on sale and so can factor in an alteration cost.

But, as my Mum was arguing when I was trying to suggest to her that she buys things and then gets them altered altered, you can end up paying as much as for the item itself! This does influence my thinking (which is why it would have been great to have my SIL's advice before I bought something!)

13 years ago

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