The Tailor Effect - How Clothing Alterations Work

Clothing alterations are important. It’s a simple way to making your clothes more flattering than before! BUT how many people actually schedule a clothes alteration appointment with their tailor?

Manager Director of famous clothing company Jaden Lam Amber Hamilton says: “Typically, more men than woman wear oversized clothing – whether off the racks or tailored. They simply don’t understand the importance of a good fit!”

Ill-Fitting Clothes Compromise Your Style AND Personality

Clothes bought off the rack are never perfect, when it comes to fitting. This severely compromises look of the wearer, no matter what the style is. Since clothes purchased off the rack are designed using generic measurements, only a small possibility exists that they might fit you perfectly.

Also, what you wear greatly affects what other people think of you. You must have heard of the term, “First impression is the last impression”. This term truly applies when you are meeting someone for the first time! People WILL look first at your shoes and the rest of your clothing before anything else. This is why people are expected to dress smartly when giving a job interview.

From a personal perspective, what we wear largely affects how we feel and present ourselves to the world. Wearing great fitting clothes automatically exhibit good posture and high confidence. However fitted clothes don’t mean suffocating in a slim fitting shirt or jacket, if your size is on the XL.

Fitting Woes: Off-the-Rack Suits Aren’t Specifically Designed For You

This means you NEED to have a good tailor by your side if purchasing an expensive designer number isn’t on the cards. With a flick of the wrist, this clothing altering magician will alter your non-custom suit into the PERFECT one. Take a look at the following alterations you probably should consider for your off-the rack suits.

Alterations for Suit Jacket

Narrow the Sleeves

Jacket sleeves shouldn’t be restrictively tight. They shouldn’t be baggy either but something in between, i.e. slim fitting. Have your tailor alter the circumference of the sleeves a little bit if there are sloppy.

Shorten the Sleeves

The rule of thumb about sleeve length is: about half inch of the shirt’s cuff should be seen when your hands are at the sides. For a longer length, your tailor can alter sleeves by releasing the inlaid fabric in jacket.

Jacket Length

We all have different sized arms and legs, our torsos are of different lengths than other people. This means the jacket length will be altered according to the person’s length and requirement. A good rule to go by is: the jacket should cover your behind.

Alteration for Pants

Pant Length

Do you want a cuffed or non-cuffed look? Full break, half, or no break at all? When it comes to pant length, it’s usually up to personal taste.

Take In or Let Out the Waist

You should be comfortable when you sit, stand, and walk when wearing the suit. Take the middle ground i.e. alter the waist to the size you can easily breathe in and out without looking too baggy.

Narrow the Pant Leg

This alteration will bring a much slimmer look to your suit pants. All it will take for the tailor to do is: pull the fabric of the pant leg in from around the shin area, through your thigh.

Even an off-the-rack suit HAS the potential to wow the crowd. Make yourself standout by altering anything that NEEDS altering with help from Imperial Valet!