Most people have a favorite piece of clothing that fits just right, and one that never looked right even though it was expensive. The difference is almost always fit. A well-fitted inexpensive shirt tends to look better than an ill-fitting costly one, because clothes that skim the body in the right places look intentional. The good news is that many fit problems are inexpensive for a tailor to fix.
Check 1: The shoulders
Shoulders are the hardest part of a garment to change, so check them first. On a jacket, blazer or shirt, the shoulder seam should sit at the edge of your shoulder bone. If the seam hangs down your arm, the garment is too big. If it rides up toward your neck or pulls across your upper back, it is too small. If the shoulders do not fit, it is usually best to pass on the garment instead of paying for a major alteration.
Check 2: The sleeves
Sleeve length is a simple, common fix. A shirt cuff should typically end near the base of your thumb where your hand begins, and a jacket sleeve should usually show a little of the shirt cuff beneath it. Sleeves that cover your knuckles or ride up your forearm make an outfit look off. Shortening sleeves from the cuff is often straightforward, but it gets trickier when a jacket has working buttons at the cuff.
Check 3: The torso
Stand naturally and look in a mirror. Fabric should lie smooth across your chest and back, without pulling at the buttons or forming deep horizontal wrinkles. If a shirt billows at the sides, a tailor can often take it in. If a jacket pulls when you button it, try one size up and have it adjusted. As a rule, it is easier to take fabric in than to let it out.
Check 4: The waist and rise on trousers and jeans
Pants should sit comfortably at your waist without a belt doing all the work. If the waist gaps at the back, a tailor can usually take it in. The rise, meaning the distance from the crotch seam to the waistband, is harder to change, so make sure it feels comfortable when you sit, stand and bend.
Check 5: The hem
Hems are the quickest and cheapest tailoring job. Trouser hems traditionally land with a slight break or no break over your shoes, depending on style. Jeans can be hemmed so they stack slightly or hit at the ankle. Dress and skirt hems should fall where you want them when you wear the shoes you will actually pair with them. Bring those shoes to your fitting.
What a tailor can usually fix
- Hem length on pants, skirts and dresses.
- Sleeve length on shirts and jackets.
- Taking in sides on shirts, dresses and jackets.
- Tapering trouser legs.
- Adjusting waistbands and replacing buttons or zippers.
What is hard or costly to fix
- Shoulder width on structured jackets.
- Torso length.
- Letting out garments that have little seam allowance.
- Major changes to a garment’s overall shape or pattern.
How to work with a tailor
Wear or bring the clothes and shoes you plan to wear together. Ask for a price before you agree to the work, and compare it with the cost of the garment. Point at what bothers you instead of describing it, and let the tailor suggest fixes. Use pins, not guesses, when marking a hem or sleeve, and try everything on before you take it home.
A simple closet audit
Pull out five pieces you rarely wear. For each one, decide whether it is a shoulder problem, which means it is time to donate it, or a length or waist issue, which could be an easy fix. Put the fixable items in a bag and take them in together, since some tailors offer a better price when you bring several items at once.
Shopping with fit in mind
When you buy something new, check the shoulders first, because those cannot be changed easily. Then check how it moves: raise your arms, sit down and bend over. Budget for a tailor’s fee when you plan a purchase, since a small alteration can make a modest garment look custom.
The bottom line
Good style does not require a large budget. It requires clothes that fit your body. Check the shoulders, sleeves, torso, waist and hem, and use a tailor for the easy fixes. A few small adjustments can make your existing wardrobe look new.
Image: A sewing machine needle on pink & white fabric by Stch2022 via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0
