[Tengen]

Planning on grabbing a couple shirts to a tailor's soon to get them fitted, but that's getting me thinking - could i maybe buy a bunch of jackets/blazers second-hand and get them altered too? How much can they actually do?

What's been your experience?

[Sebastian]

as long as it fits your shoulder, you are fine. obviously, they can't make it longer or wider too lol

[Cincinnatus]

The most common two jacket alterations I see involve adjusting sleeve length or taking in the sides.

The most common two pant alterations I see involve adjusting the length or taking in the waist.

Keep in mind it's easier to take things in and make them smaller, than it is to let them out or make things larger. You either don't have enough material to work with, or you run out of it very quickly.

I see a lot of guys bring in shit to be altered and for the price they're paying (item + alteration costs) they could honestly spend on better fitting, higher quality threads. Custom shirts, jackets and pants from a local tailor here in the midwest can start at pretty reasonable prices - shirts $150-$200, jackets $250-$300, pants $200-$250.

[Tengen]

So the general idea is - buy over-sized items, it's easier to make them smaller?

[assman]

(05-13-2012 08:25 AM)Tengen Wrote:  

So the general idea is - buy over-sized items, it's easier to make them smaller?

Yes. But as noted above, for shirts and jackets, make sure it fits your shoulders. Alterations there are expensive.

And for pants, a little bit larger waist is better than too small, but waist alterations over an inch or two, max, are hard to do and the pants just don't look right.

[WanderingSoul]

You could check out sites like RatioClothing.com and IndoChino.com and get shirts for ~$100 that are made to measure.