Guide To Tailoring: 7 Common Clothing Alterations

The Alterations That Are Worth Getting

Tailoring alterations, guide to tailoring

Think of this as your ultimate guide to tailoring. These are the 7 most common clothing alterations you need to know to elevate your style. One of the biggest secrets to having great style is getting your clothing items tailored and altered to fit your body perfectly. According to lifesavvy, “cost is the top reason people avoid using a tailor. But tailoring can help you save money in the long run, making it a worthwhile investment.”

Following this simple guide to tailoring will make your clothes fit so much better and elevate each outfit that you wear. Below are the 7 most common alterations that I recommend to my Personal Styling clients.

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The 7 Most Common Clothing Alterations

1. Jeans

Altering jeans, Jean alterations. Tailor jeans

If you’re on the shorter side or if your torso is longer, you will most likely need to get your jeans tailored to be the most flattering length. I recommend that if you wear your jeans with heels and flats when the tailor is determining the right length, make sure to try on your jeans with both heels and flats. Ask the tailor to find the best length of your jeans that will work with both shoes.

The next thing you want to do is tell the tailor you want to keep the original hem. What that means is that the original hem that’s on your jeans will stay on even after they are shortened. There’s a way the tailor can keep the original hem on as opposed to cutting the hem and creating a new less finished-looking bottom.

Another style tip for altering your jeans is if you have to size up in your jeans to fit your backside or your hips but the waist is too big, there’s an easy solution. You can bring in the waist of your jeans from the back. Ask the tailor to sew what looks like an upside-down triangle to connect the pieces of the back together so the waist becomes smaller and fits perfectly. This is so much more comfortable and easy than wearing a belt with your jeans or constantly having to pull your jeans up throughout the day.

2. Dress Pants

When it comes to your dress pants, just like with jeans you want to make sure that the hemline hits at the perfect spot. Go to the tailor with a pair of heels and flats if you wear both with dress pants to determine where they should be altered. Always trust your own judgment. Sometimes tailors don’t know what’s in style. They know how to alter clothing but they don’t always know where the pant should hit. If you’re not sure, err on the side of going a little bit longer. If you wear them and they feel too long, you can always have them shortened. Most tailors offer several days after their initial alterations to make any changes free of cost.

If your dress pants have real pockets you can ask the tailor to have them sewn shut. The reason is that pockets accentuate that area. They will make your hips look bigger. However, if your body type is more narrow you probably don’t need to get your pockets sewn down.

The last alteration I recommend when it comes to your dress pants is if the waist is too small. You can have a piece of fabric sewn into the waist. There’s usually extra fabric there underneath the hem of the pants. The tailor can cut out a piece that’s an inch or two and sew it into the back of the waistband on your dress pants. That way it gives you an extra inch or two if you need to make your waistband bigger.

3. Dress & Skirt Lengths

The next item I recommend altering is the length of your dresses or skirts. You want to make sure a pencil skirt hits just above the knee. Avoid your skirt being longer unless you’re going for a midi length unless you’re on the taller side. When it comes to a maxi dress that is supposed to be long, you want to make sure that you’re not stepping on it. Make sure it’s a length that you can walk freely and there’s not going to be a concern that you’re going to trip on it.

4. Blazers

For blazer sleeves that are too long, you can have buttons moved up. Have the sleeve come to just past your wrist. Avoid it nearing your thumb or the middle of your palm so that it doesn’t look like you’re wearing something that’s too big. If you’re petite or on the shorter side, your blazer may be too long. You want it to just hit at the hip. Avoid it being too long because it will shorten your frame and make your legs look shorter. If it’s too long, ask the tailor to bring up the length of the blazer.

You want to make sure your clothes fit you well. Otherwise, you won’t reach for them in your closet.

5. Blouses & Tops

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If you’re on the bustier side and any of your tops are too low cut, ask the tailor to add a snap or a hook and eye to bring up the neckline. Another thing I see a lot on bustier women is button-down shirts that gape. It’s simple for a tailor to put a snap between buttons to prevent gaping.

Another thing you can do, and I have had clients do this for more formal occasions, is if your dress is too low cut, ask the tailor to sew in extra fabric to bring the neckline up. Usually, there is extra fabric matching the dress under the hem. A tailor can take a small piece and sew it into the low-cut “v” to bring the dress up a little higher.

The next thing I recommend when purchasing a blouse, dress, or pants; purchase the size that fits your biggest part. For example, if your biggest part is your hips, get a dress that is going to fit your hips even if it is bigger on top. Then get the top altered. Avoid sizing down so it fits your top but it’s uncomfortably tight on your hips. Another example is if you’re buying a blouse and you’re bigger on top, you will want a blouse to fit the biggest part of you. You can then have the sides taken in if your waist is smaller.

6. Jumpsuit & Joggers

If you feel like jumpsuits and joggers don’t work for you because you’re too curvy, the key is to make sure the bottom of the pants has elastic and then wear it to just below the mid-calf. This will make your body appear more proportionate. When joggers or jumpsuits have no elastic, they’re straight and tend to hit at the ankle. If you’re more narrow that silhouette tends to work. But if you are curvy, I recommend getting elastic put into the bottom of the jumpsuit or joggers.

7. Buttons

The last alteration that I suggest doing is changing the buttons on a clothing item. If buttons on your jacket look too big or shiny, it can make the piece look inexpensive and “cheap”. Changing the buttons on an item can completely change the way that piece looks and give it immediate chic appeal.

Men get their suits, blazers, and shirts tailored all the time. Even with clients where money or time isn’t an issue there can sometimes be resistance to getting items tailored. A lot of us hold the belief that clothes should already fit you perfectly when you buy them off the rack. And when they don’t, many of us assume it’s something we need to live with or that it’s something that is “wrong” with our bodies.

Bodies are different and it is rare that someone fits the exact sizing of designers. The secret is to find pieces that you love that need one or two alterations but that will add so much to your wardrobe. Having your clothing tailored to fit your body will completely change how clothes look on you. I hope you go through your closet and find the pieces that need to be altered. Commit to visiting the tailor and having those items altered. This guide to tailoring will completely change your wardrobe and how you feel about your clothes.