If you’re a business professional, you’ll likely understand the importance of making a good impression. But it’s not enough to spend money on a on a wardrobe of business casual wear or sport coats and luxury suits; your choices need to fit you perfectly. Even designer labels won’t help you look your best — unless your clothes are impeccably tailored.
Let’s take a brief look at some of the alterations they may be able to perform.
Men’s Dress Trousers Alterations
The average height for men in the U.S. is 69.3 inches, or 5’7″. But you might be shocked by just how many professional men are wearing trousers that are way too long or way too short for their frame. If your pants are too long, getting them adjusted can make a world of difference — and it’s one of the easiest and most affordable alterations there is.
More involved and expensive alterations maybe needed:
- Tapering the thigh and bottoms
- The rise may need to be shortened or deepened.
- Adjust the waist in or out.
- Replacing a zipper or buttons.
- Re-cutting the trouser.
Most of the above can be avoided if you select the right model of trousers and forge a relationship with a custom tailor.
Men’s Dress Shirt Alterations
Even luxury dress shirts may not fit your build in an optimal way if you buy them off-the-rack. Although slim-fit shirts are easier to find in stores these days, not every cut fits the same across all brands. Often, bespoke options can help those who find it hard to get the fit they want right away. But failing that, it’s possible to tailor dress shirts for men.
Your tailor can replace missing or broken buttons as well as collars and cuffs. However, it’s fairly likely your tailor won’t have a fabric that matches the shirt exactly. That means you may have to opt for a contrasting fabric if you require these alterations.
Other fit alterations are rather minimal, as there’s only so much you can do before the entire fit of the shirt is compromised. It’s possible to hem the torso length by an inch or two or take in a billowy shirt to create a slimmer fit. Your tailor may also be able to shorten your sleeves slightly. But if your shirt is too tight or too short, you’ll likely be out of luck.
Men’s Suit Jacket Alterations
Custom jackets and blazers are bound to fit you perfectly and showcase you at your best. In contrast, buying off-the-rack rarely results in a suit with an ideal fit. Usually, there are at least a couple of things that could stand to be changed.
Buttons and suit linings can easily be replaced if necessary. Your suit jacket should create a “V” shape when buttoned. If not, the suit jacket waist can be suppressed. This alteration isn’t cheap, but it can and should be done.
Your tailor may also be able to shorten your jacket slightly if it doesn’t land in the right spot, but this alteration isn’t ideal because it can ruin the proportions of the jacket. In a perfect world, you should only buy a jacket that’s of the right torso length.
Jacket sleeves can easily be shortened at the wrist. It is possible to shorten them from the shoulders if absolutely necessary, but this is a much bigger undertaking (and is therefore more expensive).
And speaking of shoulders: shoulder adjustments are usually very expensive and difficult. Generally, it’s not worth it to buy a suit with a poor shoulder fit in the hopes of getting it altered.
As you can see, there are all kinds of alterations your a custom tailor can accomplish to assist you with an ill-fitting garment. They may not be magicians, but the results you’ll see from wearing custom tailored clothing are sure to make you feel rejuvenated and look your best.
If you need a truly perfect fit in the tri-state area, pay a visit to our unrivaled custom tailors in Chappaqua and New Canaan.
