Shopping for a suit can feel like a victory until you actually wear it. At first glance, everything looks right. Sharp style, good fabric, fair price. But once you button it up, you notice the sleeves are too long and the jacket doesn’t sit quite right. Frustrating, isn’t it?
The truth is, off-the-rack suits aren’t made for your exact shape. They’re made for a standard size chart. Suit alterations are what turn a decent suit into a great one. And yes, that comes with a cost. Here’s what you should know before heading to the tailor.
The consultation fee:
Some tailors ask for a small fee to pin the clothes and give you a price quote. This is rare, but it happens for complex jobs. Many shops offer this service for free if you plan to use them for the sewing. You should ask about this when you first walk in. If there is a charge, it is usually a small amount that they take off the final bill if you book the work with them. Always confirm this before they start pinning.
Hemming the trousers:
This is the most common fix. The tailor cuts the extra length from the bottom of your pants and sews a new hem. A simple hem is the fastest and cheapest option. If you want cuffs on your trousers, it costs a bit more. This job includes more steps and uses more material. The price can also go up if the pants have working buttons at the bottom that need to be moved.
Taking in the jacket sides:
A suit jacket often feels boxy. To fix this, the tailor opens the side seams and sews them tighter to your body. This gives you a slimmer shape. The cost for this depends on how much work is necessary. A simple pinch is cheap. If you need a lot of fabric taken out, the tailor has to reshape the whole side panel, which takes more time and skill.
Shortening the jacket sleeves:
The sleeves of a jacket are not simple tubes. They have working buttonholes at the end. To shorten them, the tailor must open the cuff, cut the fabric from the top of the arm, and reattach everything. This is skilled work. If the sleeves are too long, you pay for this careful process. It is always worth the cost to show the right amount of your shirt cuff.
