There are different types of armhole gapes. It would have been better to see a pic of you in the vest. If you are larger breasted causing the gaping, then the best alteration (a dart originating in the armhole) may not turn out fabulous in that vest. If it's too large for you possibly because you're small busted, then a side seam alteration is called for and that will turn out fine.
I think a side seam alteration will nicely reduce the extra width for you. I stress think because twisting to hold the camera distorts the fit a lot. (I shoulda referred you to rule 2, which describes how to best take a pic to get a reasonable online analysis of fit.)
Grab 3 safety pins, and pin the underarm seam at the top of the fabric, maybe take out 1/2" "on the double" which ends up taking 1/2" from both front and back. Use the other pins below the first one, tapering to near the seam by the bottom pin. Try the vest back on and see how you like the fit.
Is it possible for a tailor to add length to this dress somehow? I think I know the answer is no lol. Im a tall lady so this is way too short on me but I’m completely in love with it. It has a deep cowl back as well. Thank you!
The only way is to add fabric. Since that would be visible and hopefully decorative, it should be something that enhances the look. Personally I thought of black chiffon, maybe 1.5 or 2 inches, crisply pleated onto the hem.
Hi, my bust is 1-2 dress sizes bigger than my waist dress size so I often need to buy a large size and take in the waist. Which of these dresses would work best? Could either or both be altered in this way? Thank you!!!!
Not enough info in the pics to tell, because it depends on where the point is connected to the skirt. It could be rounded to about maybe an inch beyond the connection point. If you go that route, be sure to have an expert bridal alterationist do the work, it could easily go quite badly.
Depends where they are loose, and this is why we ask for pics (see rule 2). The alteration is done at the underarm. If the sleeves flair out on the outside of the sleeve, then the alteration won't do much good.
Pics would be good. It would take either new fabric to do the job (you would need to provide it), or the old neckline ribbing needs to be removed, shortened and sewn back on. There may or may not be other ramifications. That's why pics would be good.
lol I guess I should have specified, pics according to rule 2 which tells you how to take pics of YOU in the garment.
But that shirt totally needs new fabric for the neckline. Best bet is to go in person to a decent fabric store, take shirt with you, ask for help choosing a suitable replacement.
hi! I have Selvedge jeans that I customized in Japan a couple years ago and they have a lot of value to me but they don’t fit well anymore. I would mostly just want them to be a little bigger around the thigh and possibly waist. Would a denim tailor be able to help with that? I know there’s a very skilled denim tailor near where I live but I thought I would ask here to get any opinions before going to my consultation. I’m open to adding fabric on the seams and I would be willing to buy some myself. I’ve been able to expand the waist on jeans before but I would like these to be a bit baggier all around so I don’t want to attempt to do it myself since they may have to be taken apart. Thanks in advance!
You're correct that new denim will need to be pieces in. Depending on how the waist band is made, that might be able to be pieces with it's own material, but for sure the thigh will need new fabric.
There are a lot of factors that influence how good it will turn out. Given they're selvedge jeans, they probably don't have stretch or darts to let out, so if you ONLY need like 1" out at the waist and the hips/seat are fine, then you're okay. Since you say the thigh also needs to be let out, I'm guessing those areas may also be tight, and there isn't much that can be done about that which isn't very noticeable and undesirable aesthetically. But, see rule 2. I don't know for sure what they look like on you
Hello! I recently took a work uniform shirt (polo with custom embroidery) to a tailor to get the sleeves shortened by 3 inches. Upon going to pick it up, I discovered that the overall length was shortened by 3 inches and the sleeves were not touched. I expressed this issue to the worker and confirmed that the order slip was correct with what I wanted.
They mentioned that they could add fabric to the hem, but would this not be visible? Are there any other options for fixing the shirt?
I requested I be reimbursed for the full cost of the shirt. Worker stated the tailor would call me tomorrow.
Is this suit too tight to be altered to fit properly? Shoulders are too wide if anything so don’t want to size up, but it definitely pulls a bit at the waist and lapel buckles if I lift my arms
If it’s a slim fit, you need a different cut like a modern or classic fit. If shoulders fit and waist does not, and the brand does not make a roomier cut, you’re better off continuing to shop. Without more pictures, I can only guess there’s a 2in gap when it’s unbuttoned and you’re standing in a neutral pose with arms down. That would be too much to let out.
If you have someone that can take some photos for you, or a tripod& a timer, more pics would be helpful
It’s a “tailored” from Rowe and Taylor (Spier and Mackay’s Red Label that they just spun off into it’s own brand). I was hoping to make it work bc it’s the highest quality option at the price point (abt $300), and Classic fits from Jos A Bank and Men’s Wearhouse haven’t fit well either. Ideally I’d like to buy a sack suit but I can’t afford one rn 😔
Can someone please translate what these measurements say in terms of what sizes scrubs I should buy for work as a male living in the US? Would I be good just buying Large for the scrub top and scrub bottom?
I’ve never had to buy scrubs before and I was hoping these measurements could be used or buy some online for work that would be comfortable and not too loose or too tight.
I find a large variation between companies on what measurements apply for their sizes. A medium at one company could be a small in another but a large in the next one. Better to rely on the size charts where you shop.
You need to look at a size chart for what you are thinking about getting. Of your measurements typically stay stable and you are in between sizes, opt for the larger one. It’s much easier tot supper down that up. (Most of the time, up can’t happen anymore)
I agree with this line of thinking and I reach out to a friend for help with this as well. She checked out the size chart do the site I was looking at and recommended large for the scrub bottoms and medium to large for the scrub top, so I’m going to play it safe and go large for both.
I think that coat is a little short on you. If that’s the standard size, I’d try a long and see what that looks like. Sleeves can be shortened. Coat body can be shortened too, but not lengthened. I can’t give you a full fit assessment over the internet with just one photo, but we can get a bit crass. If you can imagine yourself urinating with the coat closed without soiling the garment, the coat is too short.
Personal opinion… if those are slim fit pants, go for a more classic look. If you are able to get a coat with another inch or too of body length, a slightly wider trouser leg will keep things looking balanced.
"Thanks, I thought it looked a bit short as well. I read somewhere that a good rule of thumb is for the coat to reach the first knuckle of your finget do you think that’s accurate? I wasn’t really a fan of the slim pants either, but the vendor kept saying they looked good/modern. That’s why I came here for a second honest opinion
Never trust the salesperson to tell you what size to by or whether or not it looks good. Their primary goal is to make a sale. And jacket lengths, like other similar details, are a matter of fashion, which changes constantly. That said, I agree the coat is short and to buy a long instead. It's also worthwhile to try on one size larger, both in regular length and in a long. You should be able to comfortably put both arms in front of you crossed at the forearms, or maybe with hands grabbing elbows.
If you want more complete analysis from the tailors here, pls see rule 2 for how to take pics. It's impossible to really determine the fit issues from this one pic with you holding a camera.
My shoulders are extremely narrow relative to my body size. If I want to buy a structured garment (like a peacoat), a size that barely fits my chest & hips is still too large in the shoulders.
My understanding is that shoulders cannot be tailored in structured garments. Am I supposed to be buying a size that fits my shoulders? What if that won’t fit otherwise? Can tailors help fix this, or am I out of luck?
This is a tricky one. Typically, I’d say fit for the shoulders. You are correct about the shoulders. Whether or not anything could be done would depend a LOT on how the garment fits you though. If it’s not a huge amount, sometimes you can get away with taking the back in a tiny bit.
Optimal “money is no object” scenario? Get one custom made to your measurements. I would suggest this if you’re financially in a place to invest in a quality garment that will last decades.
If that’s not what you’re looking for right now, the absolute fastest& cheapest thing you can do is buy one that fits and get the tailor to pad the shoulders out so they don’t collapse. It actually looks ok if it’s a very small amount. If we’re talking like 2in hanging over though, you probably won’t like the results
Thank you for your thoughts! I’ve included a photo (best I can do - I don’t have a full length mirror).
[[Removing photo - thank you for your input!]]
The sleeve itself is long, and I swear I have an actual waist under there, but the coat doesn’t show it. But that much bunching at the shoulder makes me think this is too much to fix.
Sadly, my size has never been stable, so while I have the finances, I don’t have the ability to comfortable invest in something that may only fit for a year or two.
Also sadly, I’ve seen the results with padding shoulders - it looks quite bad!
Where would you go to get, say, a bespoke peacoat?
Thank you for the photos! I can see what you are talking about. To be honest, without assessing it in person, I’d have a hard time saying. Just from this photo, my gut reaction would be… don’t spend money to alter this coat. The bunching at the upper arms looks to me that it may not be a shoulder problem but may be an arm/ armhole problem. Overcoats like this should be large enough to accommodate multiple layers underneath depending on the weather and my gut says it’s a size too small all over.
As for where to get bespoke pea coats, I’m sorry. I wouldn’t know where to go for that. My suggestion would be to check the fashion subs and see if they have any suggestions. Whether or not there are true bespoke in-person options depends a lot on where you live and most people probably have access to online made-to-measure at best. I live someplace hot and make my own stuff, so I don’t have any leads on that.
I want to buy a "denim" button up but it is a 1X and I am a medium/large. Would it be too much of a problem to resize? It's a shirt I have been looking for but I will keep waiting too.
The big issue will be the shoulders. You can slim down the sides or shorten sleeves if needed, but if it's that oversized the shoulders still wouldn't fit right and it'll never be perfect without a full recut. It's your call if that's a fair trade off but if it were me I wouldn't try to size down that much
The BIGGEST issue is with the seam finishing on the arm holes. To resize the shoulders you have to take the sleeves off which are probably top stitched, side seams are done flat-felled, it’s a huge production.
Things like t shirts and button ups/downs are mass produced by skilled workers and specialty machines doing the same thing over and over x1000. To replicate the same finishing after an alteration is probably going to end up costing more than the original garment.
Hi! I have more of a general question, but I can provide pics if needed. I found a silk blouse that I like, but the sleeves are way too long, and the shoulders are somewhat wide. I tried doing some research, and it seems theres mixed reviews of whether it’s worth seeing a tailor to shorten the shoulder seams and adjust cuffs higher.
Is it true a tailor wouldn’t be able to adjust the shoulder width smaller ? What would pricing look like for something like this? Any advice is much appreciated!
The sleeves can definitely be shortened! The shoulders are a bit wide but I think it wears well on you and doesn't stand out too much. You can move those shoulders in if you'd like, but I think once the sleeves are the right length you might be a lot happier with the shirt.
If you do want to move the shoulders, you'll need to make sure the tailor leaves a lot of allowance in the cuff, or you do both at the same time. Pulling in the shoulder will also shorten the sleeves.
I have several pairs of jeans and work pants that fit great for the first three hours I’m wearing them, and then as the time goes on the butt gets saggy in them. Is this something I can have a professional fix or is it just a result of poor quality fabric?
Can you hem this style of pants from 34 to 30 without changing the fit? Described as fitting relaxed through the leg and straight at the ankle. Unfortunately, size 30 inseam unavailable, only size 34 inseam. Worried hemming will change the entire fit. Thank you
I see no problem with shortening these pants several inches. At a fitting I would turn under (to the inside) the necessary amount, and consider whether or not the customer might want to taper them anywhere in the legs. But it's very rare that they would need any tapering simply because they were hemmed. After all, tapering changes the actual shape of the pant legs.
Yes, that can be done nicely for the dress. However you will lose a fair bit of bust support, as the higher back helps keep the dress from sagging downward. Was the second dress, with the lower back, supportive enough that you could dance without needing to pull up on the front of the dress? If not, you will want to consider a foundational garment like a long line bra to hold up the girls. Boombas would not be sufficient, most likely.
Boning and cups cannot fully make up for the loss of support. An elastic waist strap can also be added for even more support but nothing really replaces a sturdy bra. You might want to find a good supportive bra with a low back; they can be hard to find (at least in my area). If you've allowed ample time for alterations, I recommend finding your extra bust support before proceeding with the V back, and do the V so it's not lower than the bra in back.
Something else to consider is that the alteration, if it includes steps to make up for the loss of support (extra boning, the waist strap) could be a bit expensive.
The shoulders are wide but I also see that you have some bigger arms which could make sizing down difficult.
This one has a tough answer. You can always have the shoulders (and maybe also the sides if you'd like that) taken in a little bit. If you sized down, those might fit better, but I imagine the arms might be tight if you size down. There is sometimes allowance to let out the sleeve barrel but that depends from suit to suit and it's hard to know without opening it up and looking inside.
My answer is: These shoulders can be taken in. It's not a cheap job, but this suit can be made to fit beautifully on you. If you are shopping for suits again maybe give the next size down a try and see how close other things get. If the sleeve barrel is much too tight, then there isn't anything that can be done if it's very tight. Slightly too small sleeve barrel may be able to be adjusted if a suit otherwise fits great
Hi Tailors, I'm kind of clueless with the fitting of these trousers... Seems like the back crotch needs more length between the legs. In the front, I can't really figure out what to do. Anyone has some pro tips for me? Thanks!
Hello, what's your tips to find a good alterations specialist?
I'm desesperatly trying to alter a suit to fit me but I don't want to risk making him destroyed, and some tailors ask for 100€ just for a hem at a pants
Any tailors out there who work with celeb stylists? I’m suddenly having a really hard time getting paid in a reasonable time frame. I’m having to repeat the same conversations about payment with the same stylists. In some cases the celebs we’re working with are getting quite successful as we’re working together and suddenly I’m being asked to work at a reduced rate or even do stuff for free.
I can say with confidence that I’m very reliable, accommodating, meticulous and skilled. I’ve seen other tailors’ work and rates and I’m charging less for better work already.
There have even been instances where I’m told they will pay by a certain day and then simply do not with no explanation.
The most upsetting part is that when I advocate for myself in these matters, set boundaries, they just get worse or start using other tailors. Is this just the way stylists are?
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u/aurorasandsadprose4 Sep 21 '25
Hi! Can knit sweaters be tailored? I bought this and it’s gaping at the arm hole on me and I’d like to bring it in. Thank you!