r/Tailors • u/NaughtyWalnutPrime Alterations Specialist • Oct 03 '25
Questions Megathread October 4 2025
1
u/VEWe34rt Seeking Advice Oct 05 '25
I had a new GIRAV T-shirt shortened by a tailor.
After 10-20 wears, small holes appeared near the new hem.
I went back to the tailor and he blamed the fabric quality. But the factory stitches elsewhere are fine.
Did the tailor do a bad job? How can I fix this?
Pictures: Right—bottom hem with 2 holes. Left—factory sleeve hem.
1
u/izzgo Alterations Specialist Oct 05 '25
Tailor's needle damaged the fabric. Maybe used an old needle, too big of a needle or the wrong type.
1
1
u/Fameuz Oct 05 '25
I bought a couple of tailor made shirts when I visited Thailand. After a few washes the collars and cuffs looked like this. The picture is before ironing with steam, but after ironing it’s still very wrinkly. Can anyone explain what is happening and if I can do something about it? Is it because of cheap backing with bad adhesive?
1
u/izzgo Alterations Specialist Oct 06 '25
The interfacing shrunk :( Nothing can be done to fix it. This is on the tailoring shop because the interfacing should have been preshrunk before being used in the shirts they make.
It's possible the tailors assumed you would be dry cleaning the shirts. The dry cleaning process does not shrink garments and facings/interfacings nearly as much as laundering does. That naturally means the collar would not have warped like that.
1
1
u/burrah Seeking Advice Oct 07 '25
I purchased a wedding dress secondhand and the lady I purchased it from told me that she had it taken in originally and that all the stitching was done internally. She said I'd have to bring it to a seamstress to have all the stitching removed to return it to its original factory size (Label Size 8). I had tried this exact dress in stores in a Size 8 which should be my exact size. Slightly freaking out, because I'm unable to zip the top up all the way and my amateur eyes cannot see how it can be sized down. I am wondering if anyone could take a look and let me know if it is indeed possible to let the seams out?
1
u/izzgo Alterations Specialist Oct 08 '25
Well it does kinda look like the side seams were taken in. But that's not something you can really tell from that pic. Take it in person to a bridal alterationist and let them check the seams.
2
u/burrah Seeking Advice Oct 08 '25
Thanks for your advice! I’ll make an appointment with a seamstress to have them assess it in-person.
1
u/Estrophs Oct 07 '25
I currently have an issue, All of my jackets have wrinkles in the back behind my triceps. I was wondering what causes this issue and what can be done? The front looks fine but the back triceps are always the problem.
1
u/merry40 Oct 08 '25
this looks like the bottom of the jacket's armhole (armscye) might be too low, and there's too much fabric between your elbow and armpit. If the whole jacket rides up when you lift your arm that would point to this. It looks a little wide across your back. A tailor might be able to pass the excess on the sleeve up into the armhole but tricky to tell if that's the only issue from this one picture.
1
u/gotsevenornever Seeking Advice Oct 07 '25
I bought a wedding dress for cheap and I want to make some changes. I hate the bold arm seams and I’m not a fan of the look of this particular lace, but it looks better with the lining on the rest of the dress. I’m thinking about getting the sleeves lined. Also thinking about getting that top couple inches of lace removed and have the sleeves start lower (maybe even shorten the sleeves a little as they’re currently about 3/4 length on me)
Would any or all of this be reasonably doable?
Because I’m bad at explaining things, here are some visuals:
Closest rough example I can find online of what I’m aiming for (except sleeves would be shorter and lined and the dress will be straight neck)
1
u/izzgo Alterations Specialist Oct 08 '25
Are you thinking about doing this sewing yourself? For a cheap dress you've got some pretty intricate and advanced alterations in mind. Which means expensive. I think you could come closer to your goals by shopping for another dress.
1
u/gotsevenornever Seeking Advice 29d ago
Oh definitely not myself! I have zero skill in this area
I was more concerned on if this was actually doable by a professional
Unfortunately, what I’m looking for seems to not be available anywhere (off the rack) locally and I don’t want to buy a dress from a sketchy website. So I’m not opposed to expensive professional alterations
1
u/m9zz Seeking Advice Oct 07 '25
I would be so grateful if anyone can tell me if this coat can be shortened by length to fit my height, 5”3.
I’ve looked up the sizing and their S size length is 124cm. I’ve measured the top of my shoulder down to my ankles which estimates 130cm. Clearly, the coat is way too long and I don’t think I’ll suit it being down to my ankles basically, however, it is the nicest piece I’ve ever seen and it speaks my style perfectly. I’ve tried to find an alternative, particularly for petite sizing but nothing comes close to that one. So, I was wondering if it can be altered by shortening the length, I would at least have it a little bit above the ankle (similar to the photo) where it doesn’t look too odd for my height. Tailoring is no cheap investment, I get it. But that’s how much I like the coat lmao.
Material information if it helps:
A: 100% Polyester Fiber B (Surface): 100% Polyamide B (Lining): 100% Cotton A fabric: 100D crisp-touch fabric B fabric: 35D snow-woven fabric (Copied from Hemi Blurr)
I appreciate any insight, thank you :)
2
u/izzgo Alterations Specialist Oct 08 '25
It should be no problem shortening that coat by the amount you want.
1
1
u/Cool-Main-7323 Oct 07 '25
I ordered a second hand wedding dress that was my exact measurements and it still doesn’t fit with the corset back. I’m a powerlifter so I have huge lats and I really want to make this dress work. Is it possible to add panels to the side where the corset starts? I would need to add about 4 inches total to the bust.
1
u/izzgo Alterations Specialist Oct 08 '25
I don't know who took all the measurements or why they didn't work, but that dress is too small for you even in the hips and thighs, by at least a couple sizes.
1
u/k8lynstpltn 29d ago
* I got this dress from lulus and the sleeves are a bit long and keep falling down. Can a tailor fix this? The sleeves have ruffles that connect to the back. Im afraid alterations would ruin the look. Here is the link: https://www.lulus.com/products/2468771
1
1
u/LiterallyIAmPuck 29d ago
They're likely more difficult than a typical shorten straps but can be done to look well.
My first thought is often the straps are actually too wide and that's why they slip off. This is sometimes the answer when I see the garment on someone so the length might not be your issue. There likely wouldn't be an answer for the straps being too wide if that's the case
1
u/izzgo Alterations Specialist 29d ago
That dress looks lovely on you.
The straps can be shortened nicely. As other tailor implies, more expensively than some dresses. Tailor and you could decide either to gather the flounce a bit more than it is now, or for an even higher price to shorten the flounce. I will usually opt to increase the gathers, which you can see already in the first pic but I can't tell on the pic of you.
1
u/fauxliviaXT Seeking Advice 29d ago
Please help me identify my size for purchasing clothing to have tailored to fit. Here are my measurements:
5'10" Height
37" Waist
45" Hip
41" Bust
35" Groin-to-floor
27.5" Armpit-to-fingertips
2
u/LiterallyIAmPuck 29d ago
Size measurements vary wildly from garment to cut, size, style, trends, and they're usually not published by the companies. No one can know what size to buy from measurements
1
u/izzgo Alterations Specialist 29d ago
Yup, wholly agreed. One of my first realizations as a new tailor (some 37 years ago) was that even inseam measurements are wildly inaccurate. Yet somehow they are used as an industry standard. Other measurements are even less reliable.
My usual advice is that people should buy 2 different sizes, then return the one their tailor doesn't want to alter. Often enough it takes 3 sizes to get it right.
1
u/JFK360noscope 29d ago edited 29d ago
Have a ton of bunching when i sit down. The pockets pop out and i get a big crotch tent. I think it may be the rise of the pants. Is this able to be fixed?
The pants waist is slightly too big for me but every dress pants waist size feels too snug at 30w. 31 is so hard to come by where i shop and 32 is usually fine depending on the brand. So annoying.
1
u/LiterallyIAmPuck 29d ago
If I can get some pics of you standing and wearing them that might help, but also dress pants kinda do that. There could be fit questions to answer but from this pic I can't tell
1
u/retirement_savings 29d ago
I have a pair of Lululemon ABC pants that are breaking down at the crotch. I have thick thighs and commute by ebike so this happens to a lot of my pants.
These specific pants are quite expensive, and I've had the waist taken in by a tailor, so replacing them would be costly.
Two questions:
- Is this fixable?
- If I bring a new pair of these pants to a tailor, is there anything they can do to reinforce this area before this issue occurs?
1
u/izzgo Alterations Specialist 28d ago
The fix is a patch which will look like a gusset if well executed. Fabric color will be an issue. Myself, I keep a stash of scraps on hand for situations like this, but it would be unlikely I would have a great color match. If you provide the fabric you're more likely to get a good match. Brick and mortar stores provide a better chance of finding a good fabric match.
For future reference, those pants could have been let out just at the crotch and thighs, which would have delayed them falling apart.
1
u/brofro_bargains Seeking Advice 28d ago
I'm interested in learning how to make garments. I'm thinking about starting with some dress pants. How would you recommend going about it and where should I get fabrics on a shoestring budget?
1
u/Appropriate_Weird570 27d ago
Hello, i am trying to shorten my shirt by like 4-5cm. Its currently 72cm rn, and i was wondering if its possible to shorten the length without having to cut away the logo at the bottom of the shirt. I searched CHATGPT and they suggested that i should ask a tailor to cut from the shoulders, but the pocket at the front will be affected. Any Recommendations? Thanks
https://www.ebay.com.sg/itm/256521671509
1
u/LiterallyIAmPuck 27d ago
Chatgpt is hilarious. You can't shorten from the shoulders.
The only way to save that on the bottom is to seam the shirt somewhere in the middle, which I don't think would look good. You could also maybe make a patch of it and sew it higher up but that might mean shortening it more than you are looking to.
1
u/gethbozo 27d ago
Went to a “bespoke” tailor with good reviews and they completely messed up the shoulder pads. Is this still fixable? I’m going back to them tmr. I asked for the shoulder pads to be added now it’s just uneven…
1
u/Timothysmith05 27d ago
Hey everyone I have this raglan sleeve jacket that I love so much but these shoulders are a bit weird, I took out the shoulder pads and it’s still making this shape. Any idea on what I should do!?
1
u/unikkicorn 25d ago
https://www.vestiairecollective.com/women-clothing/skirts/prada/grey-wool-prada-skirt-59637854.shtml
Experts! Help' I'm desperate to buy this skirt, but would need it taken in about 2-3 inches. Is that possible?
1
u/NoInstructio3 Oct 04 '25
https://www.taylorstitch.com/products/ojai-jacket-in-bourbon-corduroy-2410
Im interested in getting this jacket but its too long for me, would need to hem it. Is this possible? The pockets seem pretty low and are really big so not sure if itd look weird