S/O: Finding a good tailor ETA: PICS

I always hem my own jeans, but dress pants give me angst because I like a blind stitch, but I have trouble doing it nicely. After months of wearing my dress pants too long, I finally took them back to Nordstrom to be hemmed. I thought about buying a second pair right then and having them hemmed so I could wear them with flats. GOOD THING I DIDN'T!! Why, you ask? Because my original pair came back hemmed for flats. SIGH. I was there when the tailor marked them, I approved the length... so I don't know what happened. If I hike them down a bit I can wear them with the shoes I'd planned on (and wore the day I went in). It's not terrible, but it scares me from ever going to them again.

I can't afford to buy new pants when a tailor messes up. I know (or assume) that Nordstrom would replace mine if they were truly too short for me. Is that enough of a reason to continue using them? Even though they clearly mess up? Or do I risk finding another place that might ruin pants that I don't want to have to pay to replace?

(ETA: The shoes in question have a 1-1.5" heel, so it's really not that bad. Not like wearing 3" and having them hemmed for flats.)

ETA2: pics to get opinions on PPL. The new hem is at least an inch wide; does this mean they'd be able to let it out some?

1 -- worn at my "normal" waist/hip position

2-4 -- worn a little lower than I normally would; front and side views. My intent was for them to be ever longer than this, just shy of scraping the ground.

5-6 -- with flats, at my "normal" waist/hip position

7-8 -- original length, but with different shoes (old pics from Sept)

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11 years ago

Anonymous

I have no idea. I too have been looking for a good tailor (not a mediocre one). Haven't found one and I have tried two so far.

Marmee

Veteran

Pastrygirl, I've had this same thing happen at Nordstrom. You should take them back and complain. It happened to me when I took pants that I didn't buy there, so I didn't feel like going back, but you definitely should. I think they will replace the pants.

Joyce B

I agree with Marmee. Take them back.

Isabel

I would take them back to Nordstrom, absolutely. I find this reasonable.

Regarding a tailor, I call local boutiques or stores ( Bloomies, Nordstrom ) and ask for recommendations. I also like to see something that they have done before I commit. They generally have something done and waiting for the owner.

I have also had the dreaded " went too far with shortening " experience. Now I always ask that the leave a 1/2 to 3/4 inch hem in case it needs to be altered. I do the same with sleeves. But only about 1/4 inch. My mom , who is a seamstress taught me this. Good luck !!!!

@isabel, that is a great idea. I'm totally stealing that!

I'm so sorry you had that experience. I'd tell you to complain to Nordstrom, but I choose to just let it slide when a local seamstress ruined a dress I took to her. I hate conflict so much that when she couldn't see the problem I just let it go.

But the real issue is finding a good tailor. Ask around at local dry cleaners; that's how I found my current 'semi-retired' tailor. You are looking for rave reviews, not just a contact. Now if I could just find a real cobbler who does more than just stretch shoes I'd be so happy!

Kristin SF

I would also try yelp. Can't hurt to see who's getting all the 5 star reviews in your area!

pastrygirl

(website)

bump for added pics. I think I will take them back, but what length to do?

Tina

These appear to be the perfect length for flats. If you had planned on purchasing a pair to wear with flats would you consider keeping these and going back for another pair? Perhaps if you explained your dilemma to a SA and asked for a discount on a new pair you could walk away with a second pair for a good deal! Just a thought.
Re: how to hem them, my opinion would be to go about an inch and a quarter longer than these if you plan to wear with the heels in the pics.

K. Period.

Hmmm. I'm hoping that some of the expert seamstresses on this forum pop in with their thoughts, and Angie too. It is hard for me to see--from the front--how bad or how okay these are with your shoes. I have a slightly different perspective on the hem length on these, but I'm going to hedge a bit because I can't see quite enough with the pictures, so, with hedging....

It looks to me like what the issue is may not be so much length as the amount of break that you like in your trousers. I like a heavy break too, so when I see pics 2 and 3, I see a heavy break. When I see pic 1, I see someone who doesn't like a heavy break. From what I can see, pic 1 isn't so much wrong as it is shorter than you like, which is to say wrong for you, and needing to be fixed. ETA: Looked at the pictures again on a different monitor and I can see it better now. So, I see what you mean. They look too short. Are they about 1 1/2 to 2" from the ground?

If it makes you feel better, any number of things could have fooled your eye when you tried them on and approved the hem length. You might have worn the pants long enough for them to warm and stretch a bit so that they fit lower on your hips. You might have been dehydrated they day they hemmed them and the fit was just a smidge baggy. You might have been fooled by the extra drape that the tucked up fabric provided, which made them look like a heavier break. You might even find that if you tried these on in the evening this time, but had them hemmed in the morning last time...it changes where they sit comfortably on your hips. Hemming seems to be more art than science. I've found that I'm always happier to push hard for a longer length and a heavier break than they want to pin on me. It just seems to work better for me.

Now with all that dissection done, I'd just take them back and see what they can do to fix them! I've always had a great experience with Nordstrom's tailors. That isn't to say that they've done everything perfectly every time. Sometimes an absolutely perfect alteration takes more than one adjustment. However, every time they have made it work for me. So don't give up just because this was close, but not perfect. Ask them to make it perfect! You paid for perfect and that's what you should get.

Karie

Definitely take them back. Did they cut the fabric when they hemmed them? If not, they might be able to take out the hem and re-hem them longer.

columbine(erin)

Bummer! In the first picture they just look too short and I don't think you should have to wear them lower down to accommodate their mistake.

I took them back and she says she can lower them 3/4 inch, which should be enough! Yay.

K.Period. -- yes, I do seem to like a heavy break! The tailor was asking my opinion today but said I couldn't move (bend down) to see. Anything longer than now would be good, and she said it would be halfway up my (shoe) heel, which seemed good to me. They barely reached the heel part right now.

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