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Getting Things Tailored

Zoe

All the best guides say to do it: Buy something you love that fits in the most difficult to alter spot (like shoulders for blazers) and have the piece tailored.

The one time I did this, the suit I wore looked FABULOUS on me. And the first night I wore it, I spilled an entire glass of red wine down my front. The suit was ruined.

But that's another story. I've finally come to terms with the fact that I don't buy many special items, but when I do, I may need to have them tailored to fit.

So here's the question(s):
1. How many of you regularly have things tailored?
2. How do you decide which items to have tailored?
3. Other than shoulders on jackets, what are the more expensive alterations and what are the least expensive?

(In part, this is motivated by a purchase of a JCrew skirt that was a tiny bit big in the hips, but organ crushing in the the waist. I've ordered the next size up (at final sale, fingers crossed) but will definitely need to have the rest of the piece taken in. Am hoping your answers will say I wasn't crazy. Attaching image of skirt below. It would be fab on you classic-leaning hourglass types.)

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Dressing

20 replies

Latest reply was from Angie

Staysfit

Veteran

I frequently alter, even less expensive items. The most expensive has been to have Blazers. and jackets narrowed, but I have to do the same with shirts and dresses. One time I had a dress remade into a completely different dress, and another time I had the sleeves of a blouse reworked and the collar altered. Those were both very pricey.

Anonymous

I'm petite but need regular sized pants most of the time because I have a longer rise and need a longer inseam. My alterations just involve having the regular pants hemmed up. I also sometimes can wear regular blouses, but need the sleeves hemmed up. Other than that, I really don't have any fit problems.

Anonymous

Sigh. I would have everything altered IF I had a good tailor. So far I have tried two. One was very expensive and every single one of her tailors failed to improve the overall fit of the garment. I ended up getting rid of everything she worked on. Cost = cost of garment plus cost of failed tailoring experience. Add in a little frustration.

I tried a second tailor on a pair of jeans. The cost to tailor the jeans was $20. They fit me like a glove.

How do you find a good tailor? I don't have a clue.

Zoe

Sterling -- I have the same worry. When I lived in Los Angeles, I knew lots of women with great tailors and had my pick. Now I live in rural Vermont. Yelp suggests ONE good tailor, about an hour away, with a very long wait time, he's in such demand.

If you are a tailor, please consider moving to Vermont. It is very pretty here.

Ooh is that silk

I don't but only because I am pretty good with a needle and so believe I should be able to do it myself.

Naturally, I never do (or the finish isn't quite right), so I should go to a tailor. Case in point: the blazer which has been on my Jobs To Do pile for three weeks because it needs a second buttonhole adding, a 10-minute job.

crazyone

Veteran

I generally only get things hemmed or occasionally get things taken in at the waist (like a pencil skirt that I sized up in in order to accommodate my thighs). I actually think the off-the-rack clothing that I buy tends to fit me quite well except for those things and the fact that the arms are often too darn short but there isn't really a tailoring fix for that.

retailgirl

Veteran

I have a pretty average figure but I do have long arms and legs. I always have to have pants hemmed, shortened if I buy talls and lengthened if I buy regular. I need about a 33" inseam. And my right leg I about 1" longer. I sometimes have to have jacket sleeves let down, not always possible with the working buttonholes on so many jackets now. I also have the waist nipped in on jackets...many are too boxy. ( probably because many come from Talbots.) My tailor was recommended to me by a salesman in a good men's store. He learned his trade from the age of twelve. It's a dying art and there is a difference between a tailor and a dressmaker. Mine's an artist, expensive and long wait time, but worth it.

shiny

Veteran

Skirts are one of the easiest alterations.

If we are talking simple alterations like taking up a hem or shortening a sleeve, I either use the free alterations services at the store I bought from, or I take it to the dry cleaners. Many dry cleaners can handle simple alterations.

Otherwise, for the more complicated alterations, I do not use tailors as often as I should. Primarily due to procrastination, but also because I've had a few bad experiences and have yet to find a tailor that I really like. One tailor was very capable, but working with her was a PITA (impatient, inconvenient hours, snappish). Another tailor was easier to work with but she took too long and garments were never ready when she'd promise they'd be done. Then yet another tailor totally ruined an expensive sheath dress.

I'm more apt to pass on any garment that needs extensive tailoring -- unless the store offers tailoring services with my purchase. Or unless I'm going to be visiting my mom soon ... because she's an excellent seamstress!

kkards

Veteran

i tailor often…when i needed to find a new tailor, i do tryouts with things i won't really miss…i need most pants taken in at the waist, and often need them shortened as well, in general taking in the waist is fairly inexpensive, but if the hips also need to be taken in, the costs start to increase. also, if the item is lined, the it's going to increase the cost…i try to get blazers that fit really well, as they are expensive and not easy to tailor, but my current tailor does an excellent job. when i buy from nordstrom's i do use their tailor.

BlondeAmbition

Hemming is probably the least expensive tailoring. If you're having a hard time finding someone to tailor your clothes here is an off the wall tip. Find someone Greek at a church or a Mediterranean market - older Greek women are amazing tailors and you might get a referral to someone who works from their home.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Zoe, you might find these posts helpful:

http://youlookfab.com/2011/04/.....rfect-fit/

http://youlookfab.com/2007/08/.....rfect-fit/

I seldom have items altered because I'm quite easy to fit (as long as I choose brands with narrow fits to begin with). That said, I JUST had two pairs of brand new cropped white jeans altered in the waist because they were already the smallest size and ran big. That can happen from time to time.

Items that are lined are more expensive to alter. The side seams on a skirt are very easy to alter. Go for it.

Current/Elliott 'The Cropped Straight' Straight Leg Crop Jeans (Sugar)

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KUT from the Kloth 'Reese' Stretch Ankle Jeans (White)

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Janet

(website)

Veteran

I have items tailored fairly frequently. My usual needs are:

- Taking in waists of jeans -- by the time I size up for hips and thighs, waists are often too big by an inch or more. Relatively simple and inexpensive. Once in a while, I'll have a bit of room taken out of the seat as well -- I'm wide in the hip but don't have much of a booty, so jeans can be baggy in the butt on me.

- Taking in side seams in blouses through the waist -- many things fit me well through the bust, shoulder, and hip, but have too much excess fabric through the body. A simple seam alteration does wonders for helping a top look easy rather than shapeless on me, and it's not expensive. In fact, sometimes I only need one side taken in (I'm very asymmetrical due to scoliosis).

- Taking up shoulders on sleeveless items -- I am short in the torso, and many sleeveless garments fit me much better with a little less length in the top. This also helps too-deep armholes. Not complicated or expensive.

- Occssionally I get pants or jeans hemmed -- usually because I had to go up to a tall size, and then have a bit taken off. I should probably do this with all pants because, again, I'm asymmetrical and my pant hems look uneven due to my legs being different lengths, but I'm too lazy to have *all* my jeans hemmed! It's not expensive to do either.

I can't remember having anything more complicated done, except for having my wedding dress custom made for me.

Oh, I did have some jeans narrowed in the leg, turning them from wide flares to baby bootcuts, but I ended up selling them not long after.

olga

I do get things tailored quite often. Almost always the length in pants; almost always sleeves length in blazers or coats.
Many times underarms of sleeveless dresses.
I think its natural to do it as we all are so different.

But i did learn that if the piece is ill-fitting in more than one place, its not for me.

Anonymous

Angie's right. It's smart to seek out brands that fit your body type. That eliminates most tailoring.

LaPed

Veteran

Zoe, I grew up in Vermont and now I'm just across the river in rural NH. I too am looking for a good, reliable seamstress or tailor! There are usually a few locals who will do work but they may not advertise actively or keep regular hours, and can be hard to seek out.

Are you active on Front Porch Forum? You could post to FPF and ask if anyone in your community has a recommendation for a tailor. Also, if there's a local community or school theater group, the folks who do costumes may be able to help you -- either doing it themselves or at least have someone they can recommend.

Start with something simple, a garment that's not an investment piece, and something you're not super attached to, just in case it doesn't work out as planned.

Gigi

Veteran

I don't get things tailored all that often because I live a casual lifestyle (work at home) and don't absolutely NEED to have certain types of clothing (pencil skirts, blazers). I have discovered that if I buy petite tops and bottoms, and not misses', they generally fit quite well, although I may have to wait several months (or even a year or two) to find what I'm looking for. However, I am starting to have a problem finding jeans that fit, because I like the petite rise (doesn't hit me in an awkward spot), but my rear end is usually too big for most of the styles out there, so I may eventually have to get some jeans taken in at the waist.

I won't take anything to the tailor that looks like it will be a difficult alteration. I am getting pretty good at telling what can be easily altered. Sometimes I can see that a particular design element will not fall at the right spot if I have a shirt altered in the shoulders, etc., and so I will just not buy that item and wait for something else to come along.

I am impossible to fit in dresses (I am one to two sizes larger on bottom than on top), so if I want a dress that is not fit-and-flare, I have to have it tailored, so I don't wear dresses unless I need one for a special event, in which case I buy one that is worth getting altered (not necessarily expensive, but not cheap either).

As far as expense, obviously hemming is going to be cheap, as are simple skirt alterations in the waist. I don't think waist alterations on pants are that expensive either. Things with lining are more expensive. It sounds to me like your J. Crew skirt is a good example of something that should be relatively easy to alter.

Anonymous

That's what I do like about Nordie's they do alter for free if you have their NCC.

rabbit

Veteran

I've used tailors in the US primarily for repairs -- things like a shoulder seam that ripped on a lined coat. Recently I accidentally melted a big spot on the collar of a favorite North Face plaid shirt with an iron. They removed and reversed the collar inside out and patched the burn on the underside so it's good to go and it wasn't expensive compared to the cost of the technical shirt.

Zoe

Thank you all for the responses!

Angie -- I usually buy what fits, too. Much easier. But since we aren't retail rich I sometimes online order something that I fall hard for, but isn't exactly right. If I had more shopping options I'd send it back knowing I'd likely find something just as good around the corner. But here, what's around the corner is often a field with some cows in it. (BTW, most of the time I love this about Vermont. Just not when I'm shopping )

La Pedestrienne -- good tip. I just realized that I know a local high end wedding gown designer. She may have leads!

Linder -- if only there were a Nordies within 3 hours from here!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I love cows. Say hi to them for me.