The most important thing about any garment, without a doubt, is how well it fits your body.
A man looks much better in a cheaply-made garment that is properly tailored, than an expensive garment that doesn’t fit correctly. In many cases, in fact, the Articles of Style crew and I spend more on alterations than on the garment itself (especially when vintage/thrift shopping).
1. Vintage Shirt & Jeans
Some useful tailoring advice:
– It’s easier, and safer, to slim-down a garment that is a little too big. Letting-out a garment that is too small or tight is much more difficult.
– As a general rule, garments can only be taken-in (made smaller) on seams. Similarly, garments can only be let-out (made bigger) on seams as well, but only if there is additional fabric (known as “seam allowance”) left under the seams during manufacturing. Shirts, jeans and the majority of mass-produced “tailored” garments are made with very little, or no, seam allowance (because the cost of this “extra fabric” adds up and is seen as a “waste” for a company pumping out thousands of units).
– Denim jeans are usually made with a chain stitch machine, not a regular sewing machine. Therefore, in order to properly match the original stitching, the shop needs one of these machines. Not all tailors have them however.
It’s a popular topic, tailoring, and we certainly can’t cover it all in one post. If you have any specific questions, or any advice from your experience with tailoring, feel free to share in the comments below and we’ll do our best to reply.
2. Cheap Off-The-Rack Suit
Some useful tailoring advice:
– Make sure the fit is pretty close before buying. Alteration charges can add up quickly, and there’s always a limit to how much can be done. In many cases, a tailoring tweak can bring new life to an old garment. In other cases, buying a new piece is actually cheaper and more effective.
– Bring a picture of the fit you are looking for. Nothing you say to your tailor will help him understand better than a photo. This is especially important in smaller towns, where the only available tailors are older men who have been delivering loose, full-cut garments their whole lives. Rather than fighting with him about the proper length and width of your trousers, show him a picture and say “I want them exactly like this”.
– Don’t let a non-tailor chalk you up, unless you trust that they know what they’re doing. This is the problem with most large department stores that offer in-house alterations with your purchase. They typically don’t have an experienced tailor on staff full-time, so they “train” the salesperson to pin and chalk the garments for the tailor to work on later. This is a red flag that you’re probably in for something you won’t love.
3. Old Stretched-Out Sweater
Some useful tailoring advice:
– Knits are tricky. In most cases, cut & sew garments can be worked on, but not hand-knit sweaters (you might need to find a specialist for that). Your best bet is to bring the garment to your tailor and show him the issue(s). If he can’t help you, he might be able to recommend someone who can.
– Sometimes it’s better to buy a new one. In full disclosure, it probably would have been cheaper to buy a new sweater but we wanted to show the difference alterations can make.
– When testing out a new tailor, always try-on the garments when you pick them up. If something isn’t the way you expected, have them take a look and get it right. Also, consider how you will wear the garment when showing up for a fitting. For example, if you’re fitting a suit, bring a shirt, tie and dress shoes.
It’s a popular topic, tailoring, and we certainly can’t cover it all in one post. If you have any specific questions, or any advice from your experience with tailoring, feel free to share in the comments below and we’ll do our best to reply or contact us here.
Comments are closed.