Procrastination re. alterations -- do you do this too? - YouLookFab Forum

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Procrastination re. alterations -- do you do this too?

April

Veteran

I frequently need things altered, yet I am terrible about doing this promptly. What is my problem?

It's not like I haven't found the right tailor. My dry-cleaner (whom I sheepishly admit I can walk to) does basic hemming, and I found an excellent seamstress who will do more complicated jobs.

I think the issue is that I hate the fitting. Trying on and standing around being pinned. Blah.

But it's so exhilarating to have things fit correctly! I need a stern talking-to, or maybe a support group. Anyone else have this problem and want to join my group?

Dressing

32 replies

Latest reply was from April

sarah

Veteran

Oh, good heavens, yes, especially when *I* am the tailor! I'll wait around with pants needing to hemmed for MONTHS.

Glory

Veteran

years in my case until they are hopelessly out of style

Kim

Veteran

Ok April, you are not allowed to buy anything new until all your alterations are up to date. That way you won't be tempted to buy just because you don't want to get fitted...No more wasting money on clothes that don't fit right...

Too harsh? LOL

Diana

Veteran

Ha, yes! Like Sarah, I do most of my own tailoring, and to top it off, I do not own a sewing machine so I do it all by hand. I have things in my alter/fix/DIY pile that have been there for months. (Although, admittedly, there is not much motivation to hem pants when it's too hot to wear them.)

Abie

Veteran

Yes! - I do my own and it always takes me too much time to get around to it. I need to make a rule that I can't make purchases if I have altering to do =)

Anonymous

I have a skirt that needs to be shortened. That's about it. I'll probably do that soon.

April

Veteran

I have learned not to buy anything that needs ridiculous amounts of tailoring, but sometimes it can't be avoided. For me, my shoulders often don't fit in the smallest sizes of garments, but when I fit the shoulders, the waist is too big. That's just a proportion quirk that can't be helped.

Kim, I think you're on the right track. That should be my rule: nothing new as long as anything new is sitting around waiting to be altered.

I'm going to call the seamstress right now, bite the bullet, and do the fittings. It's only two items at the moment -- never mind that one of them has been waiting <cough> eight months -- so I guess that's not terrible.

MNsara

Veteran

Good plan, April! I, too, am horrid at getting around to alterations. Some I thinkI'll do myself -- those can sit so long I end up consigning or donating. Some I need to take in -- those wait *forever* because it's a dreaded errand.

I'm also notorious for NOT trying things on when I pick them up -- so occasionally I've had some bad work and I'm right back to where I started

I think we all need our own Sveta's mom!!

Jjsloane

Veteran

Guilty here as well. I also have a trunk full of dry cleaning that's been there for some time now.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I NEVER PROCRASTINATE MY ALTERATIONS.

I bat for Team Wear It Now

Beth

Veteran

I bat for Team Wear It Now, but I'm also the captain of Team Maybe Tomorrow, so boy do I sympathize.

Now that you've shared with us, you *have* to go get your alterations done. And report back in!

Sunita

Veteran

Same here, but I need to find a decent tailor (maybe I'll start a new post about that).

My drycleaner (who has hemmed pants for me) seems to think I need them shorter than we agreed to, so I am never quite satisfied and end up wearing flats/lower heels to compensate. Drives me batty. So I don't trust her to do more complicated things like jacket sleeves, waist alterations etc.

Sigh!

April

Veteran

Okay, people -- chop chop. Let's all resolve either to get these things taken care of, or to pass along the items.

At the very least, we need to let Angie release her caps lock button...

To this end, I have made an appointment with the seamstress who can handle any job and am seeing her on August 4.

Desmo April

(website)

Veteran

I just hemmed a pair of jeans that I bought in December...

2010!

rachylou

Veteran

Do not talk to me about my bag of pants with fallen hems. It has now been pushed to the back of the closet. In its place by the front door is a bag of shoes to be reheeled. Ya. If I find room in the closet...

Aziraphale

Veteran

April, I'm the opposite -- if I have something that doesn't fit, I can't rest until I get a chance to take it to the tailor! But sometimes I can't get there as soon as I'd like. I don't like standing around being pinned, either, and I really don't like doing it when I'm in a rush (which seems to be most of the time!) or if I've got the kids with me.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I have the issue of no tailor I trust here in FL, so much of it waits until I get back to CA. What I can do on my own by hand, I do. That's minor - like moving a button or shortening a strap.
You'll be happy to know this post this morning got me to pull out my seam ripper and needle and thread. I DIY'ed a logo from a shirt that was too short onto a long sleeve layer top that is due for replacement. Sort of a rougher, rock n roll kinda look. I also removed more embellishments from a tank. Attempted a few things that didn't work, so purge it is for them lol.

Charmian

Veteran

Wow, I love the carrot/stick perspectives here!

Angie, who always looks AMAZING, doesn't procrastinate her alterations; that's a carrot if I ever saw one! And I love Kim's perspective: less-than-perfect items have no place in your closet.

Coincidentally enough, I just brought a bag of clothing (2 jeans + 1 shirt) with me to work today so I could take them to the tailors! But I procrastinated for months on this, with the result that my last pair of blue jeans went into the trash last week The poor stretched-and-saggy things had 2 embarrassingly-placed holes, that's how long I waited!

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Errrr, guilty! I have a bag sitting next to my closet with several items that are meant to go to the tailor. Some for waists taken in, some for sleeve alterations, some for narrowing of the side seam to help keep an item in use since my weight loss. A few are possible purge items -- I give them a second chance in the alteration bag, and when I'm about to go to the tailor, I take them out again and really try to sort out whether it's an item best altered or let go.

Funny aside on one of the reasons why I procrastinate on this so bad: It is so hot here these days, and my cleaner/tailor is not air conditioned, so it is really uncomfortable to go try on items and be pinned in them. I tend to wait for a cooler day!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

*happy Angie*

goldenpig

(website)

Veteran

Yes! After joining YLF, fear of making a PPL mistake kept me from bringing my pants and jeans to be altered for the longest time. Finally I made myself go to Nordstroms for the free alterations that you get for being a cardholder. I don't know why I waited so long. But I still don't wear trousers that often. I guess I found out I'm a dress and skirt gal after all. Having my jeans hemmed was definitely worth it though!

Aida

Veteran

*raises hand and looks around sheepishly* I have a HUGE pile of things that need to be altered. I also need to find a tailor. *quickly hides before Angie can get to her*

April

Veteran

Oh, Aida -- I can sense Angie's finger twitching above caps lock...

Angela

You mean I'm not the only one???

(This goes for shoe repairs too... Sigh).

In my defense, I moved to another part of the city so my trusted seamstress is now a 25 minute drive from home. I'm too scared to try the local place in this part of town since I don't know if they're any good, but I want to support local family-owned businesses! Argh...

anne

Veteran

Guilty, Bought a pair of new bootcuts in April, and hemmed them, oh, about 2 weeks ago (July). Only mitigation is that June was so wet, I might not have worn them much anyway, since I wear tucked in boots looks for rainy days.

Theodora

Ha, ha-I am laughing because I finally brought in some things that have needed to go to the tailor for over a YEAR!

KathyL

Veteran

I hem my own pants (ALL my pants need hemming, even the petite sized ones). And like Diana, I do them by hand, so yes, I procrastinate!

velvetychocolate

Veteran

Guilty - I am terrible about getting things altered in a reasonable time frame. I still have some flared jeans that I bought more than two months ago now that are still sitting there in a bag at the bottom of my closet. I like them, but they need to be hemmed, and I can't sew to save my life, *and* I can't decide what heel height I'd most likely want to wear these with. Meanwhile, it's too hot now to wear these pants anyway, so they just sit there.

I'm also bad at taking things to the cleaners. I miss my old Vancouver apartment where there was a cleaner/tailor just a few doors down from my place. Easy peasy. This guy was an amazing tailor who just happened to add 'cleaning' onto his services. I used to go straight to his shop on the way home from any shopping trip, and because I lived just a few doors down, I could easily drop off cleaning. He closed at 7pm, but if I knocked on the door at 7:45 pm, he'd answer and take the cleaning and/or alterations, because I lived close by.

I don't have *anything* like that now, and have a pile of drycleaning and alterations that need to be done. I guess I just haven't found a place that I like yet? Where I feel comfortable and where I'm confident that the alteration service is top-notch.

Hate to say it, but I have quite a few things needing alterations, and I also have a pile of drycleaning that needs to get done, but I haven't found a place I like yet.

Bah humbug...

April

Veteran

Oh, dear. Those of you who can do your own tailoring and still have things waiting -- I think that's a new thread.

We must all rally and take those items SOMEPLACE to be altered or Angie will have a complete apoplexy.

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