Tailor problem: what remedy should I ask for?

Bought a great jacket at Nordstrom's but needed to wear it right away, so I couldn't have the sleeve alterations done there. I took it to the tailor. They pinned the sleeves to the right length. It was a rush job, so I picked up the jacket and put it right into my suitcase for my trip. I got to the hotel, and they had shortened the sleeves too much -- twice as much, I think, making me believe that it was pinned in a way to make the person doing the alterations think it should be folded back again.

I wore the jacket. The sleeves almost seem to be 3/4 sleeves. IN fact, I have another jacket that has sleeves that fall in about the same spot. I think it looked fine, but obviously was unhappy.

I took the jacket back to the tailor. There was no extra fabric to allow the sleeves to be lengthened. I was told that the manager would get in touch. The jacket is still there. The manager called me when I was out of town. I've called back twice, but have not been able to get a call back. This has now been almost a month. When I took the jacket back in, the woman I spoke with said that they would usually refund the cost of the jacket.

The jacket is no longer available to be ordered, and since I think it's still OK to wear, I'd like to keep the one that was mis-tailored (I will of course check here to be sure it's really OK before wearing in public). Is it wrong to ask for the price of the jacket AND the jacket back? Is there some other remedy I should request?

13 years ago

rute

Veteran

I never pin my clothes, I go to the tailor and let them pin it, so if there is a problem, they cannot say it was not pinned properly!
I would insist with the tailor, if he still has fabric maybe the manager can solve the problem. If not, way not a 3/4 jacket? I find that lenght sleeve very elegant!

Isabel

Yeah, that is tough. I would ask for the jacket back and a big discount on another job...or a refund on this job. I do think it is unfair to ask for both. But if the jacket can use some work to make it look more like a 3/4 sleeve, she should do it for free.

I have a seamstress that I LOVE and use quite often. She did this to a pair of pants once. I could wear them with flats, but not the way that I had intended. So now I ALWAYS ask that she leave a hem or enough of a seam to correct something. It is a tough lesson to learn. I also have them now write specific directions on the ticket.

I am sorry this happened. Good Luck with it.

Ann in New England

Active Member

Just to clarify, the tailor did the pinning, so they are definitely at fault. I don't think the person that pinned the sleeves was the same one that did the sewing, but either way, it's their error.

Ann, that always allows room for error...when the pinner is not the seamstress.

Transcona Shannon

I would definitely ask for the jacket back and a refund on the tailoring job. I don't think it would be right to ask for the jacket back plus the cost of the jacket, since you will still wear it. If you do indeed find the sleeves too short to wear as is, could you scrunch them so that the total length of the sleeve isn't noticable? This could hide the error plus scrunching is very in style.

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